Anne Perry’s magnificent Victorian mysteries established her as one of the world’s best known and loved historical novelists. Now, in her vividly imagined World War I novels, Perry’s talents “have taken a quantum leap” (The Star-Ledger), and so has the number of her devoted readers. We Shall Not Sleep, the final book in this epic series featuring the dedicated Reavley family, is perhaps the most memorably enthralling of all Perry’s novels.
After four long years, peace is finally in sight. But chaplain Joseph Reavley and his sister Judith, an ambulance driver on the Western Front, are more hard pressed than ever. Behind the lines, violence is increasing: soldiers are abusing German prisoners, a nurse has been raped and murdered, and the sinister ideologue called the Peacemaker now threatens to undermine the peace just as he did the war.
Then Matthew, the third Reavley sibling and an intelligence expert, suddenly arrives at the front with startling news. The Peacemaker’s German counterpart has offered to go to England and expose his co-conspirator as a traitor. But with war still raging and prejudices inflamed, such a journey would be fraught with hazards, especially since the Peacemaker has secret informers everywhere, even on the battlefield.
For richness of plot, character, and feeling, We Shall Not Sleep is unmatched. Anne Perry’s brilliantly orchestrated finale is a heartstopping tour de force, mesmerizing and totally satisfying.
From the Hardcover edition.
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. The depth and passion of Perry's fifth and final volume in her acclaimed WWI series won't disappoint readers who have followed this engrossing and moving tale from its inception with No Graves as Yet. In the last days of the war, the Reavley family—Joseph, an army chaplain; his brother, Matthew, an officer in the Secret Intelligence Service; and their sister, Judith, an ambulance driver—find themselves together in the mud, blood and trenches of Flanders. Throughout the series, the three have been locked in a deadly struggle with someone they call the Peacemaker, who they believe is a high government official who had their parents murdered in his quest to involve England in an odious peace effort with Germany. A breakthrough arrives with a German officer who's willing to go to England and reveal to the authorities the identity and mission of the Peacemaker, though the family must first solve the mystery of a murdered nurse before unmasking the Peacemaker. At the finish, Perry neatly and satisfactorily ties up all the loose ends from the preceding novels. (Apr.)
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From Booklist
In the fifth and final entry in Perry's World War I series, the war is drawing to a close. British intelligence officer Matthew Reavley has received word that a high-ranking German defector is willing to identify the Peacemaker, the man who has been undermining Britain's war effort and is responsible for the death of Reavley's parents. As Matthew travels to Ypres, his brother, Joseph, a chaplain, and his sister, Judith, an ambulance driver, prepare to help him bring a swift resolution to the family tragedy that has haunted them for years. But when a young nurse is viciously murdered and Matthew is charged with the crime, Joseph and Judith must find the real killer so that Matthew can complete his mission. In contrast to the previous entries in the series, there is little action here and much talk--about what the war has cost the soldiers in terms of their humanity, the changing roles of women, and the elusive search for love and peace of mind. Still, the many fans of the series will be anxious to know how it ends. Joanne Wilkinson
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