War’s End

Philip Gray has written an evocative thriller set in the abandoned trenches and No-Man’s-Land in the year after the end of WW1. The veteran Captain MacKenzie leads a squad of soldiers and Chinese workers to locate the bodies of servicemen for burial. Into this forbidding and abandoned killing ground comes Amy Vanneck in search of the body of her missing fiancé. The determined young woman pushes aside every obstacle which is placed before her, the prejudices of the times, the lack of records, the deaths of most witnesses and the misleading information of others. There has been a war atrocity, the details suppressed, and it lies beneath the fortification known as Two Storm Wood. In some way, Amy’s fiancé, the lost Edward Haslam, is involved, as is the maimed and injured Colonel, Edward’s commanding officer and a heroic inspiration to many of the English soldiers.

This is a brooding, mysterious tale, suffused with a grim atmosphere, where Amy and others fear what they might discover, but press on regardless. I enjoyed this a great deal. The real mystery is only revealed at the very end.

Rating: 2.3/5

I have not knowingly read anything by this author previously, though I believe he has had work published previously under other names. I was attracted to this book by the premise, which I thought promised great things: A novel that would combine elements of historical fiction and traumatic human experiences with the added mystery of an investigation into a series of apparent murders. Unfortunately, the end product didn't consistently match up to the anticipation.

There is no question that "Two Storm Wood" is capably written and the background has been well researched. Given the subject matter it was always likely to make for quite a sombre read, but there were extended periods when it went beyond that and became somewhat turgid. At times, ploughing through the book felt much like trudging through the same muddy battlefields of WWI that are depicted in these pages.

Stylistically, I found it reminiscent of Stuart Turton's work to date. Both authors write in an erudite fashion and construct clever plots, but it seems to take an unnecessarily long time for this to become apparent. In this instance it is only in the final 10% of the novel that you are really able to appreciate the writer's cleverness. Prior to that there is far too much time spent with very little happening. The author does a good job of creating an atmospheric setting, but the narrative is protracted, with too many chapters contributing too little to the development of the plot.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if some readers love this and sing its praises, but it didn't grab and hold my attention sufficiently for me to be one of that number.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

An atmospheric thriller full of twists and turns. Would make an excellent film! I saw the final twist coming but it made an excellent ending. One of the best books I’ve read this year.

I was a little apprehensive going in to read this book, as it was way out of my usual comfort zone, despite the fact that I love to read factual books on both WW1 and WW2. But it had only taken me a couple of pages to realise how much the book was drawing me in, with both the smooth flow of the Authors words and the tale that was unfolding before me.

The horror elements of the book were amazing, the feeling of being watched by the millions of dead on the battlefields was always with you, as the mystery of the story unfolded. I found myself picturing how I would act and be there, in those situations, and truly I could never picture the 40 year old me doing what Amy does.

A Brilliant Book!

Absolutely brilliant.
A fast paced thriller set in the immediate post war period of World War One where a young aristocratic women against her families advice goes to the battlefields of France to look for the body of her fiancé who has been reported missing in action.
Her stalwart approach annoys the army officials who are tasked with the horrendous job of recovering the bodies of these soldiers and trying to identify them and then burying in the cemetery’s that have been commissioned by the War Graves Commission..
During her time in the battlefield she encounters two army officers.One who is tasked in coordinating the retrieval of the thousands of bodies left in the battlefields of France and the second one who is a detective tasked with investigating a horrific find relating to a massacre that was perceived as not a war crime but murder.
It is one of those books that you just could not put down.
The ending is absolutely brilliant and not one you would expect.
Lovers of Caroline Scott Photographer of the Lost will absolutely love this book.

A gripping drama set during and shortly after the First World War. A very strong-willed heroine searches for her missing fiance. Captures the atmosphere of trench warfare well. Lots of suspense, many twists and turns lead to a dramatic conclusion.

I'm afraid I didn't finish this book. I tried hard to get into it, even starting right back at the beginning after getting 10% in, but to no avail. The total I read was 17%. I simply couldn't go beyond that.

Firstly, the novel is so well researched it's almost as if the author never lets you forget it. The opening chapters depict much scene setting and a lot about rank, status and titles. The dialogue felt quite stagey, as if this were a black and white film from the 1940s. The subject is, unsurprisingly, bleak, but also unrelentingly so. It feels as if every scene is in the dark and all there is beyond the walls are corpses.

I wasn't expecting any kind of feel good factor given the topic in hand, but I started to feel very miserable when I was reading this, so I stopped. Once I realised it was OK not to finish it, I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

The reality of war, and its aftermath, is brought to life in this book as Amy Vanneck attempts to find out what happened to her fiancé, Edward, during the war where he was listed as missing in action. Her research leads her to Two Storm Wood, where there is plenty of gruesome evidence of the nature of being a soldier in the trenches during WWI. Amidst the twists and turns within the plot, she persists with her attempts to find out the truth about Two Storm Wood and her quest to retrieve Edwards body for a proper burial - and closure. A very enjoyable read and recommended. Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Vintage for my advanced copy.

This was a different approach to a WW1 story by the author. Obviously very well researched and accurate in his depiction of the horrors of war, although a little gruesome in parts. However, the enduring love of the main character and her endeavour to find out what happened to her fiancé was what drew me in to this story. Recommended.

Two Storm Wood is set in post-WW1 and is about a young woman looking for her missing fiancée, a captain soldier. The plot includes flashbacks of war in action and blossoming romance between two individuals of different social status.

Philip Gray brought out the foul and horrendous reality of war (during and post) by this well thought-out and well-researched book of "Two Storm Wood". This book is particularly equipped by such delicate yet clear way of storytelling that any reader will find addicting. The author does not stop at just sharing his story, he also made sure we will be able to look through the very eyes and feel the very emotions of each characters. Not just that, I also loved how this book somehow able to depict the partiality between races, social classes, and political beliefs. The mood is dark; the tone and motivation of characters are even darker yet the depiction of opportunity for people to shift beliefs and hold on to their never-ending faith and determination at the face of hurdle are one of the strong points in this book.

I honestly cannot put this book down! Two Storm Wood knows how to bombard you with tingles and thrilling twists that will left your jaw hanging. I am looking forward for more works from Philip Gray!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House UK, Vintage for the opportunity to read and provide my fair and honest review for this masterpiece.

'Two Storm Wood' is an excellently researched novel, which spans a dual timeline to show a building romance and the devastating effect of WWI upon this. Amy and pacifist Edward strike up a romance, despite the class divide between them. This element of the plot is beautifully told, showcasing some of the attitudes of the time. When Edward goes off to war, despite his own feelings, Amy gets the devastating news that he is missing in action. Knowing he is likely dead and hating the idea of him lying in an unmarked grave, Amy decides to go over to France to seek in this body and ensure Edward is at least treated with some respect in death.

An interesting thriller, there is a sense of foreboding as the story unfolds and some interesting twists and developments along the way. It is gruesome in places, but overall it was fascinating to see this aspect of war that is seldom seen or spoken about and learn more about those who did have to manage the aftermath of so many fallen soldiers, hoping to identify their bodies.

This was a well paced book, which feels representative of the time. Philip Gray obviously did a lot of work in the process of researching and writing this. The twist the narrative takes feels unique and interesting and it kept me reading and rooting for the young couple.I

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the advance copy of this book, in exchange for my thoughts on it.

A priviliged young woman Amy Vanneck searches through vast and now abandoned battlefields in France for her fiance Edward Haslam, who was missed in action in WW1. She finds help from officer of British troops, that gather and try to identify dead bodies of soldiers. British troops work with Chinese labourers and when they find a gruesome place, called Two Storm Wood full of dead people, everything changes. Were they murdered and by whom?

The atmosphere of the novel is on point, the reader can almost smell death, feel the neverending fog and desolation of a wounded landscape. Bare nature and emptiness in post war people, all the atrocities of war.

There is also the omni-present accent on discrimination between social classes, rangs, sexes and races, which was something common in these times and author emphasises shifts in human minds after the war, when new possibilities, and hopes start to rise. Amy is a symbol of brave, fearless and modern woman.

Overall good read.

This thriller is set largely in post-World War I France when the search for corpses of soldiers who had died on battlefields was underway. Amy's fiance Edward is missing in action and she is determined to find him and give him a proper burial. The story includes flashbacks which flush out their relationship, letters from Edward to Amy which reveal some of his experiences on the battlefield, a strange scene in a post-war British hospital which hints at deception, and lots of action on and around the post-war battlefields. Gruesome discoveries are made, and the mystery at the heart of the novel is about who did these horrific things -- and why?

The novel is pacey with tension built up effectively. I enjoyed it -- BUT I do have issues with the representation of the Chinese labourers who were hired to search for corpses. Obviously the author is right to show how the Chinese were perceived by contemporary British people, but there is little attempt to provide an alternative, more nuanced view of these workers. When this nuancing didn't occur in the novel, I was expecting to find it in an afterword with historical information/research that would provide perspective -- but there was no further information so I was left with uncomfortable feeling of stereotypes of a large group of people from one ethnicity. I find that the best historical fiction includes a detailed afterward (e.g. Ruta Sepetys -- The Fountains of Silence that I also recently read via Netgalley). As the publication is not until January 2022, perhaps this is still to come.

‘Two Storm Wood’ by Philip Gray takes the reader to the desolate, foggy, far-reaching graveyard of the Flanders battlefield in 1919 where British troops, aided by the Chinese Labour Corps, are attempting to bring some sort of dignity to the thousands of scattered and severely decomposed soldiers’ bodies.
An unusual focus on a now very well-known period in history, Gray has clearly researched his material very well indeed. There is no doubting the unpleasantness of this work and the author does not hold back on his descriptions of death and decay. His writing helps us to appreciate the horrible nature of the work and the stalwartness of those who carried out this thankless task. His prose becomes even more difficult to digest as it becomes increasingly clear that some of the bodies found have been tortured in a most unusual way. Who has been doing this and why?
At the centre of the novel is the love story of Amy Vanneck, a privileged young woman searching for the remains of her fiancé, Edward Haslam, a former choir master. In flashbacks we learn how their clandestine relationship develops in the early years of the war, how the class divide between them will prove problematic and why a man who is thoroughly anti-war signs up. When Amy is told that Edward is missing, presumed dead, she journeys to the battlefields in 1919, determined to find his remains and learn of how he died. And, sadly, this is where the narrative becomes less than credible.
It is the melding of the factual and Gray’s fictional heroine that causes me problems. I would have liked to have believed that this sheltered, compassionate woman could have coped as she does with the many horrors she experiences during the course of the story: she is overrun by huge rats; she has to help cut down a terribly mutilated body; she wanders over still treacherous corpse-ridden battlegrounds; she digs down into abandoned dugouts unaided. But I just couldn’t. Given that she is resigned to the idea that her fiancé is dead, when she sees all of the decomposing bodies and links them to the gargantuan task ahead, wouldn’t a reality check have been the most likely outcome, resulting in a return home? A really interesting approach to WW1 history but it didn’t quite work for me.
My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK Vintage for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

I loved this book it had me gripped right until the end. From what seems like a fairly typical post-war story, a woman search for her missing lover it sets off in a direction that completely misled me and kept me guessing all the way through. Historically accurate with clever characters, It twists and turns the whole way and highlights the lack of understanding experienced by the people left in Britain and the horror of the soldier's experience. Amy, the main character is believable and fearless. I recommend this.

This is an unusual war story, set in the aftermath of WW1 in France where teams of soldiers work through the abandoned battlefields trying to find and identify the dead. Philip Gray brings the hardship and devastation of everyday life into clear focus as he draws us into the story of Amy Vanneck, searching for her missing fiancee in France. The plot twists and turns as we discover that a murderer is at large and Amy's life is in peril as she unwittingly uncovers clues to his identity.
This is a well-written, taut thriller as well as a tribute to the early work of the Imperial War Graves Commission. It stayed with me long after I had finished it and I would recommend it without hesitation.