Intrigue, Sensitivity and Humour
The year is 1965. Jules and Charlotte are thrown together unexpectedly through their work at the European Fraud Prevention Office. Having not seen one another since their break-up, will they survive the emotional turmoil of regret, guilt and hope that ensues? What is the secret Charlotte believes will destroy the love Jules still feels for her? In contrast, his superior, Smythe, embarks on a journey of love he had thought impossible.
Their relationships unfold against the backdrop of an investigation prompted by Smythe’s distrust of Fawkes, the new Head of the EFPO. Why does Fawkes want a file on ‘The Monument Men’ archived? What really happened to Charlotte’s father? Did he steal artefacts during World War II? What connects the 1936 Berlin Olympics with a ship bound for Gloucester docks.
GOODREADS REVIEWS 2026
I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked this up but honestly, I was completely hooked by the end of the first chapter. Jules sitting in that café, catching a glimpse of someone he thinks might be Charlotte that moment set the tone for everything that followed. The way Molly Clifford-Nixon writes tension is just extraordinary. You feel every bit of the history between these two characters before you're even told what happened. Absolutely gorgeous book.
The dual romance in this is everything. Jules and Charlotte on one side, Smythe and Hettie on the other and somehow both love stories felt completely real and completely different. Smythe and Hettie genuinely made me laugh out loud in places and then turn around and make me a little emotional. I didn't expect to fall so hard for two middle-aged civil servants sharing brandy in an office but here we are. Five stars without question.
Charlotte Blythe is one of the most compelling female protagonists I've read in a long time. She's not strong in a flashy way she's strong in the way real people are strong, which means she's also deeply vulnerable and sometimes makes terrible decisions and carries enormous guilt quietly for years. The scene in the bathroom at Jules's flat. I genuinely held my breath. This author understands people
Smythe asking Hettie to dinner might be my favourite scene in any book I've read this year. The pipe. The brandy. The absolute inability to just say what he means. And Hettie deciding tonight is the night she ignores her mother's lifelong rule. I was grinning the whole way through. The author writes warmth and humour so naturally alongside the darker material, that balance is genuinely hard to achieve and she makes it look effortless.
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ADDITIONAL REVIEWS
5.0 out of 5 stars entrancing, 19 Dec 2013
By Amazon Customer Amazon Verified Purchase
This review is from: The Burden of Guilt (Kindle Edition)
The story starts straight from the beginning and carries all the way to the end. Easy to get immersed into the characters while being taken back to the sixties. Good easy reading.
5.0 out of 5 stars An intriguing read, 20 Dec 2013
By He's In The Library Verified Purchase
This review is from: The Burden of Guilt (Kindle Edition)
If you like romance and intrigue this will be your cup of tea. A remarkable first novel which takes us back to 1965, when even the Hero had to walk to a telephone box to keep in touch with HQ. I could hardly wait to find out the final plot-twist. A truly memorable story.
5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down., 4 Feb 2014
By ChrissieE
This review is from: The Burden of Guilt (Kindle Edition)
Both a love story (or two love stories) and a thriller. Keeps you guessing right until the end. I found it very easy to read and raced through it eager to find out the ending. Looking forward to her next book.
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