The London House

Written by Katherine Reay

Narrated by Madeleine Maby

Uncovering a dark family secret sends one woman through the history of Britain’s World War II spy network and glamorous 1930s Paris to save her family’s reputation.

Caroline Payne thinks it’s just another day of work until she receives a call from Mat Hammond, an old college friend and historian, but Mat has uncovered a scandalous secret kept buried for decades: In World War II, Caroline’s British great-aunt betrayed family and country to marry her German lover.

Determined to find answers and save her family’s reputation, Caroline flies to her family’s ancestral home in London. She and Mat discover diaries and letters that reveal her grandmother and great-aunt were known as the “Waite sisters.” Popular and witty, they came of age during the interwar years, a time of peace and luxury filled with dances, jazz clubs, and romance. The buoyant tone of the correspondence soon yields to sadder revelations as the sisters grow apart, and one leaves home for the glittering fashion scene of Paris, despite rumblings of a coming world war.

Each letter brings more questions. Was Caroline’s great-aunt actually a traitor and Nazi collaborator, or is there a more complex truth buried in the past? Together, Caroline and Mat uncover stories of spies and secrets, love and heartbreak, and the events of one fateful evening in 1941 that changed everything.

In this rich historical novel from award-winning author Katherine Reay, a young woman is tasked with writing the next chapter of her family’s story. But Caroline must choose whether to embrace a love of her own and proceed with caution if her family’s decades-old wounds are to heal without tearing them even further apart.

Praise for The London House:

“Carefully researched, emotionally hewn, and written with a sure hand, The London House is a tantalizing tale of deeply held secrets, heartbreak, redemption, and the enduring way that family can both hurt and heal us. I enjoyed it thoroughly.” —Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Lost Names

• A stand-alone split-time novel
• Partially epistolary: the historical storyline is told through letters and journals
• Book length: approximately 102,000 words

• Language: English
• Publisher: Harper Muse
• Release date: Nov 2, 2021
• ISBN: 9780785290223

Katherine Reay

Katherine Reay is a national bestselling and award-winning author who has enjoyed a lifelong affair with books. She publishes both fiction and nonfiction, holds a BA and MS from Northwestern University, and currently lives outside Chicago, Illinois, with her husband and three children. You can meet her at katherinereay.com; Facebook: @KatherineReayBooks; Twitter: @katherine_reay; Instagram: @katherinereay.

Reviews for The London House

[jackie shephard · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great story of love and loss. Enjoyed the characters too

[O’Brien Family · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely fantastic story. I am so happy that I went with this book!!

[Ann Bush · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a great story! There were so many historical nuggets like the Schiaparelli fashion house and the early politics surrounding WW2. Though the story itself might be fiction, human relations aren't and I love how it brought this family together. The narrator did a great job!

[Charlotte Bellis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely brilliant, a definite must read! Loved every second of it.

[Myra Harper · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is the second book I have read by this author and I have to say the first one was much better and more captivating than this one. I love historical fiction and this one definitely dives into the WWII era. The families that were affected years before, during and generations after brings this book to a time when there is hope for so many uncertainties. Read it and decide for yourself, for me the latest that came out in June, 2023 was captivating and listening worthy.

[jean Campbell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very good kept you guessing and not wanting to put down.

[khoyt-43756 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I am glad to have finally been able to read this book! Anything with Katherine Reay's name on it is sure to be worth reading. I am ready for her next one.It is about WWII, one of my favorite periods, but with an original twist of twin heroines. Through letters and diaries, a family's history is slowly revealed. We can see how dysfunction started and has continued throughout generations of family members. We can also see, however, healing taking place. Once truths are revealed and honest conversations happen, families and relationships can be restored and revitalized.I enjoyed reading this intriguing novel and recommend it to all.

[bookworm_lisa · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A common phrase comes to mind when I think about this book. "Appearances may be deceiving." All is not as it appears in the Payne family. A family secret was buried that was scandalous. A prominent family in Britain had a daughter who was accused of being a traitor in WWII. Her twin sister decided to tell her son that she died of polio. As secrets become uncovered a family is torn apart.The story follows two sisters, Caroline and Margaret, who happen to be twins. They don't keep secrets from each other, at least that is what they think. Caroline goes to France before Hitler invaded and is accused of having an affair with a Nazi and being a traitor. Years later, the accusations come to light, and Caroline's namesake is determined to discover the truth in the middle of the secrets.I wasn't sure what I was going to think going into this book. It is fascinating. I love the genealogy aspects and well as Caroline's research into the past. She travels from her home in the United States to London to study letters and diaries of the twin sisters. There is so much more to the story than what she has been led to believe. This book is one that I am grateful that I read. It helped me envision France before they were pulled into WWII. I can't imagine the amount of research that Katherine Reay put into this story. I am glad that she did! This book felt authentic and that the characters could have come from the early 20th century.

[lifeofliterature · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this novel! The author does a great job creating two timelines that soon seamlessly weave together to create a remarkable story. I liked learning more about World War II history, gourmet food, and high fashion set in Boston, London, and Paris. The historical aspect is mostly told via letters and diaries, which is very creative. What struck me most about this novel, however, was the clever way the author wrote about the multigenerational consequences of choices made by one historical character. I was so invested in Caroline’s journey that her emotional ups and downs made me feel like I connected closely with her, despite her being a fictional character. The author did a remarkable job of making me care about Caroline and her family and has an exquisite talent for storytelling. I could not put the book down! I highly recommend this novel and will be looking for more by this author in the future.I received a complimentary copy of this book from an Austen Prose tour with Laurel Ann Nattress. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

[cassiesbooksreader · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The London House by Katherine Reay is Dual Time Historical Suspense. A World War II spy network and family secrets are exposed in letters. A woman discovers scandals and a great aunt missing since World War II. Was she involved with Nazis and a traitor? Did she escape and what really happened to her? A story of how deeply generations of a family were affected by war. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book. 5 Stars

[alekee_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved how the author weaved the know facts of the missing sister, alleged to have died of polio as a child, we travel with Caroline Payne, the namesake of her long gone aunt to discover what really happened.A lots of twists and turns here, and love the research that these characters do, as they put two and two together, starting first with letters and then diaries, and then traveling from England to France.This is a WWII story, but oh so much more, and the sacrifices, and then betrayals, but are the facts correct.The author did a fine job of weaving this story that puts us on the front in France, and what these people lived with. A few exciting and famous people, actual dresses that were really made, then then the article that would hurt her family. Loved the research that goes on, and thus we have Caroline Waite’s story, and Margarets, and of course, Georges!I’ll be looking for more by this author!I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Harper Muse, and was not required to give a positive review.

[vintagebeckie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I just closed the cover of Katherine Reay‘s latest novel, The London House, and all I can manage to say is WOW! Okay, that is not going to suffice for a review, so bear with me as I try to put into words all the feelings and emotions and ruminations that accompanied my reading experience. First, let me say that The London House is an exceptionally well-written novel. It is told from the first person POV of Caroline Payne, a young woman who has been dealing with emotional turmoil, grief, and unworthiness for most of her life. She is our modern-day connection to the history of her family, and specifically her grandmother, Margaret and her great-aunt Caro. Their two stories are told in a series of letters and diary entries that Reay masterfully wove into a tale of betrayal and unforgiveness, courage and triumph. Caroline is determined to set the story straight about just what happened to her great-aunt during WWII and the impact her choices made on the whole family from that point on to the present. Helping her is Mat, a long lost friend who shatters Caroline’s equilibrium. All of the characters within The London House are flawed and real and highly relatable. Their past sins and past failures resonated with this reader. All have a long way to grow, and Reay does a great job of exposing and exploring their personalities. The main story is full of mystery. What-ifs of the spy rings of the early days of the war kept me turning the pages. I have to admit that I did have a hard time with the beginning of the book — there seemed to be a lot of chaos surrounding the characters and their stories. But I think that was the point. The book takes all those loose ends and weaves a story full of hope and redemption. There is an overarching theme of perception vs truth. We often think that a thing is true because we perceive it to be. But as the character’s discover reality or history based on perceptions alone is flawed from the beginning. I loved how Reay inserted C. S. Lewis’ radio broadcasts that were part of the time period and used them to assert there are absolute truths, whether we care to believe that or not. I found this message in The London House pertinent for today — not only in the world in which we live, but in my own personal life. This book made me think! And isn’t that a great bonus to a riveting story?!The London House is perfect for those who like time-slip novels, WWII tales, and family relationship dramas. It is also for those who love an excellently told story. It is also perfect for a book club. You will want to talk about this book. As an additional bonus, one of the characters cooks. I found a new favorite recipe inspired by my reading — Lemon Olive Oil Cake. Google it and then make it, You will love it too! ?Very Highly Recommended.Great for Book Clubs.Audience: Adults.(Thanks to the publisher for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)