Blood Moon Over Britain [Mass Market Paperback]

Morag McKendrick Pippin (Author)

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 323 pages
• Publisher: Leisure Books (December 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0843955821
• ISBN-13: 978-0843955828
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,276,370 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I didn't start out to be a writer. But I have always been a voracious reader. An activity which my father encouraged and my mother discouraged because she knew all too well if left to my own devices I wouldn't do anything else!

Although born in the U.S., I hold dual US/UK citizenship through my Scottish father and English born mother. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, near Seattle, I was very lucky to spend summers in Scotland with one set of grandparents or in Winnipeg, Manitoba with the other set.

After leaving college with a degree in Journalism and discovering the compensation less than generous I set out to become a 'Jill of all trades,' dabbling in various ventures: bartending and bar management, modelling, travel consulting, bookkeeping, retail and commission sales - and moonlighting as entertainment columnist for a paper in southern California - or as it now pronounced in some circles, 'Caaalleeefoornia.'

Eventually my prince charming located me and after gallantly sweeping me away into happily ever after, he discovered me one night in bed with his rival - a romance novel. 'Unfaithful wench!' he cried. 'You read so many books why don't you write one yourself?'

'Write!' I gasped in horror. 'Write? That's far too hard a job. I don't want to work that hard! Why, I'd rather dance naked in a strip bar!'

My husband snorted. 'She doth protest too much methinks.'

To my consternation, his idea continually crept into my conscious mind. It figures prince charming would turn out to fit Lady Caro Lamb's description of Lord Byron as 'mad, bad, and dangerous to know.'

After learning with various degrees of success to control both my fear of the blank page and rejection, I yielded and set out to pen my first book. Eventually, BLOOD MOON OVER BENGAL was written, refined and purchased by Dorchester one year after its completion. BLOOD MOON OVER BRITAIN followed a year later. I am now working on BLOOD MOON OVER BERLIN, a romantic thriller set inside the Third Reich.

Oh, by the way, prince charming removed us to Honolulu where we now live over looking Mauna Lua Bay with two monster Maine Coon cats.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended!, May 8, 2006

By 

Huntress Reviews (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blood Moon Over Britain (Mass Market Paperback)

Cicely Winterbourne would be just an ordinary file clerk except for the fact that the top secrets of WWII are filed by her. She knows more than any one person should and becomes the most hunted person in England in December 1942. She posses the last piece of information to breaking the German Enigma Code and is not sure who to trust as those closest to her are being murdered. Realizing that there is only one person she can trust to turn the code over to, Cicely sets out on a journey from London to Cornwall.

Special Inspector Alistair Fielding of Scotland Yard knows that Cicely is keeping secrets. He joins her on her journey with the code, and both of them are caught up in the turmoil and espionage of warfare. Leaving a trail of bodies in their wake, both Cicely and Alistair are deep in wartime subterfuge as they risk their lives to keep the code safe from the Germans, Russians, and even spies in their own government. Strongly attracted to each other but still wary about trusting each other, Cicely and Alistair are caught up in a fierce passion during the unpredictable and harrowing times of WWII.

***** At first, the reading of Blood Moon Over Britain seems to be a bit bogged down with all the unfamiliar idioms unique to the British dialect and the WWII time period, but that is also part of the story's charm and the uniquely British expressions do become familiar as the story progresses. From the nightly blackouts and London bombings to warfare espionage, Morag McKendrick Pippin covers all the cloak and dagger aspects of a good suspense novel combined with the passion of a good romance story. I really enjoyed reading Blood Moon over Britain and found it very difficult to put down as I was very caught up in this fast paced romantic adventure riddled with intrigue. *****


Reviewed by Barbara Stabler.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars finest hour World War II thriller, November 30, 2005

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blood Moon Over Britain (Mass Market Paperback)

By December 1942 the war looks bleak for Britain as the Americans may prove too late to save them. The rest of Europe has fallen or meekly signed a non aggression pact while the Luftwaffe seems to be winning the air war, the U-Boats the naval war, and the ground front going General Rommel's way. Publicly except for Churchill there seems no hope. However, a top secret project at Bletchley Park has provided a possibility to those involved as the German Enigma Code has been broken and decoding messages 7 has given an edge to the allied forces.

Though the local cops ruled it a suicide, Scotland Yard Special Branch Inspector Alistair Fielding treats the death like a homicide. He interrogates those who knew Graham Mason starting with his cousin Cicely Winterbourne, who works at Bletchley Park. When a second suspicious death related to the Enigma Code occurs, Cicely believes someone wants a secret kept hidden. She wants to trust Fielding who she is falling in love with, but the first law of espionage is trust no one. Cicely risks her life to uncover who would kill to insure that certain secret remains interred.

This excellent historical espionage police procedural contains a powerful atmosphere, which paints an intriguing duality of how the British feel about the war though nothing seems to be going right there is a feeling fostered by Churchill that they will win. The first paragraph above is the scenario incorporated inside the second paragraph by following the professional investigation of Fielding contrasted with the amateur sleuthing of Winterbourne. The romance just adds to the case matchmaking relationship between them. Readers will treasure this finest hour World War II thriller.

Harriet Klausner

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blood Moon over Britain, read it today ., December 4, 2005

By 

P. A. Woodburn "writer" (Bainbridge Is, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blood Moon Over Britain (Mass Market Paperback)

Morag McKendrick Pippin seduced me into reading this 1942 historical romance with a one,legged body on page one. Shortly afterwards, Inspector Alistair Fielding meets Miss. Cicely Winterborne when he questions her about her cousin's apparent suicide. They feel an attraction toward each other and the tension, romantic and otherwise begins to rise.

Ms.McKendrick Pippin is skilled in her use of World War 11 slang while characters contend with rationing, blackouts, bombing, fear and each other. She gives a feeling of being there with her vivid descriptions of sight and sound.

Although Cicely claims to be an innocent file clerk, she works at Betchley Park on top secret data which spews forth from the German Enigma machine. This data may result in turning defeat into victory for the allied forces and Cicely lies and misleads like a good spy.

Alistair is repulsed by her lying and cheating and cannot imagine how they could ever settle down together though he feels more and more attracted to Cicely. He does not trust her, nor she him.

Ms. McKendrick weaves an exciting tale of mystery and romance mingled with fear, but the book is laced throughout with touches of light hearted humor.

I eagerly look forward to Ms. McKendrick Pippin's next novel.