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Two Storm Wood

Uncover an unsettling mystery of World War One in the The Times Thriller of the Year

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Two Storm Wood

By: Philip Gray
Narrated by: Justin Avoth
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

THE GUNS ARE SILENT. THE DEAD ARE NOT.

1919. On the desolate battlefields of northern France, the guns of the Great War are silent. Special battalions now face the dangerous task of gathering up the dead for mass burial.

Captain Mackenzie, a survivor of the war, cannot yet bring himself to go home. First he must see that his fallen comrades are recovered and laid to rest. His task is upended when a gruesome discovery is made beneath the ruins of a German strongpoint.

Amy Vanneck's fiancé is one soldier lost amongst many, but she cannot accept that his body may never be found. She heads to France, determined to discover what became of the man she loved.

It soon becomes clear that what Mackenzie has uncovered is a war crime of inhuman savagery. As the dark truth leaches out, both he and Amy are drawn into the hunt for a psychopath, one for whom the atrocity at Two Storm Wood is not an end, but a beginning.

Praise for Two Storm Wood:

'The world has been waiting for a worthy successor to Sebastian Faulks' Birdsong - now Philip Gray has delivered it' David Young, author of Stasi Child

'Atmospheric and meticulously researched, Two Storm Wood sheds light on the horrors and the trauma that continued even after the Armistice...a novel that informs while keeping you on the edge of your seat' Abir Mukherjee, author of The Shadows of Men

'Gray succeeds in entwining two powerful tales - a love story and a hate story - in a way that, right from the shocking start, is both convincing and enthralling' Virginia Baily, author of Sunday Times bestseller Early One Morning

'One of the most evocative thrillers I've ever read...Haunting, cinematic, and utterly gripping' D.B. John, author of Star of the North

© Philip Gray 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

20th Century Historical Historical Fiction Thriller & Suspense World War I War Fiction Exciting Scary Mystery Suspense

Critic reviews

Although the novel is deftly plotted and the atmosphere all distorting fog and claustrophobic dugouts, its achievement lies in Gray's finely worked portraits of the pity of war - those damaged by conflict and those who have to deal with its mind-altering consequences.
Through a clever series of plot twists...Gray leads...his readers to the unexpected truth (Nick Rennison)
Two Storm Wood is an impressive achievement. It sheds a powerful light on a neglected aspect of World War One history. I can't recommend it enough.
I couldn't put this down. A thriller and romance set amidst the post-Armistice battlefields and the damaged people trying to do right by the dead. Extraordinary setting, great characters, bursting with ideas.
Two Storm Wood has the literary class, intellectual depth, and thriller pacing of Robert Harris at his best--with an added spine-tingling aura of menace worthy of Stephen King. It's the most chilling portrayal of a historical period since Philip Kerr's novels of Nazi Berlin, yet at its core Gray's masterpiece is a heart-rending story of sacrifice, love and loyalty overcoming the psychological tortures of the World War I battlefields.
One of the most evocative thrillers I've ever read. The writing is superb - shades of Hollinghurst and Pat Barker combine in a taut, finely plotted mystery. The battlefield is almost a character in itself, and the presence of its dead disturbed me throughout. Be warned - this dark, intelligent story is very hard to put down. Haunting, cinematic, and utterly gripping.
Atmospheric and meticulously researched, Two Storm Wood sheds light on the horrors and the trauma that continued even after the Armistice. It is that most wonderful of creations - a novel that informs while keeping you on the edge of your seat.
An intelligent, chilling murder mystery set among the wastelands of a war-ravaged France. Deftly plotted, and also a brilliant character piece, teeming with ideas about devotion, radicalism, identity, race, and the ethics of battlefields. Mightily rewarding.
Two Storm Wood is an enthralling, enchanting, but at times also quite terrifying literary thriller. The world has been waiting for a worthy successor to Sebastian Faulks' Birdsong - now Philip Gray has delivered it. This novel really is that good. The desolate, nightmarish atmosphere of the WW1 battlefields of northern France and the aftermath of more than four years of senseless slaughter is expertly portrayed in what is both a very moving love story and fascinating mystery. A novel that demands to be read and will stay long in the reader's memory after the last page is turned. The best book I've read this year and surely a contender for literary awards.
Powerful historical fiction and a testament to war's insanity
All stars
Most relevant
A enthralling story that brings out the true horrors of war - even after the guns had ceased. OK, this is a work of fiction and you can’t say it’s an ‘enjoyable’ listen but it will hold your attention and open your eyes to what people went through.

An excellent listen

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This is a brilliant, if harrowing, story that is a compelling listen and I could not wait to see what happened next. The narration by Justin Avoth is pitch perfect and extremely powerful. Characterisation, plot, atmosphere and genuine jeopardy are all interlaced with romance, race, class and the hideous violence of the war that damaged minds as well as bodies. Highly recommended.

Stunning

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A fantastic story of love, anguish and devotion set in the dreadful events of the First World War. I was riveted until the last ironic word, had it been a book I wouldn’t have put it down.
A must listen excellently narrated.

A must. Compelling until the very last word

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I found listening to this book immersive so had to ration it to one or two chapters a day so as not to finish it to quickly but even taking this type of drastic action it still ended far to quickly for my liking
Highly absorbing and a great listen

Enthralling

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It had never really occurred to me before but someone had to clear up the mess after the 'Great War'. Millions of shells and millions of dead strewn across France and Belgium, what a humungous mind destroying task. To create a genuinely intriguing mystery out of all the carnage is no mean feat but the author achieves this and more. The narration is faultless.

An Overlooked Element of HIstory

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