BLOG TOUR and SIGNED COPY GIVEAWAY! – #INTOTHEFIRE – Manda Scott

Mon dieu! The second half of this year will have to be an utterly incredible one for books if it knocks this one out of my Top Five – or even possibly No 1 book – for the year. I was initially sceptical when the publicist contacted me to see if I was interested in a split-time book, with one half featuring Joan Of Arc. Medieval history isn’t really my thing – although I’m a fan of more modern history – plus I knew very little about Joan, bar the very basics. The publicist agreed that she’d been of that mindset too, but had been won over by the book (do they always say that? They probably do and I’m the only person who believes it…!) Thankfully, I decided this would be the ideal time to learn a bit more, plus I felt it would do me no harm to step, partly at least, out of my book-ish comfort zone. And I’m so glad I did.

So, in the present we have Capitaine Ines Picaut, a pretty cool kind of kick-ass cop (she reminded me of Spiral‘s Laure, another great character) and her team of detectives – the most memorable member being Patrice, a hacker-turned-police-computer-whiz employee, who dyes his hair several mad colours during the course of the book, is an extreme sports fanatic, a Red Bull addict – you know the type (me, not personally, but there’s nobody that distinctive here!) They’re investigating a string of arson attacks in Orleans, the third of which causes the death of a Scottish orthopaedic surgeon, whose post-mortem reveals a memory stick in his throat – swallowed so no-one, bar the pathologist, could find it. What’s so important on that stick he’d assume he was being murdered for it? Was it intended for someone? An Islamic group, who no-one in the Muslim community has heard, of is claiming responsibility, but it’s clearly a red herring, and possibly a way of sowing racial dissent..

There’s also Ines’ gorgeous and incredibly wealthy husband, Luc, who comes from a very dodgy, in financial terms, filthy rich local family, of whom there are countless branches. She’s separated from him (er, not sure why, tbh..!), but to allow him to fulfil his ambition of standing for Mayor of Orleans, she’s agreed to continue pretending to be his wife for the week left until the election, on the condition she’ll then be free to walk away, without him making her life difficult.

Then we have the storyline featuring The Maid, the woman we know as Joan of Arc, or, here, Jeanne d’Arc, set between May 1429 and May 1431. Scott apparently got her inspiration for this novel from hearing of a Ukrainian orthopaedic surgeon, who, in 2003, questioned the myth of Joan as being a poor illiterate peasant girl, and was subsequently thrown out of France. He was sure that the woman known as The Maid had been heavily educated from a young age in warcraft and tactics, horsemanship, use of weaponry – like swords and axes, jousting, and hand-to-hand combat. She also managed to control a large and unruly army made up of men, who enjoyed their wine and the spoils of war once a city or town had been invaded or had surrendered. Please don’t think for a minute the scenes of battle are dull (one of my pet hates) – Scott’s writing brings it to life in an exciting, dramatic, but accessible, way. I had no idea, for example, how they dealt with moated towns and castles before reading this. Jeanne’s story is told from the viewpoint of a man who initially starts out as an English spy in the French forces – Tod, to become Tomas, Rustbeard. He has a number of informers within the French forces and makes an effective and ruthless spymaster, reporting back to Bedford, an English leader – and he’s not the only one. However, the longer Tomas spends with Jeanne, the less sure he is of his where his allegiances truly lie…He represents himself as her confessor, and although his status as a man of God means he cannot engage in combat, he is at Jeanne’s right hand to aid her on the battlefield, giving us a constant commentary on her war to put the man she sees as the true King of France on the throne – not the young puppet king, to be controlled by an English regent. Tomas is also an effective medicine man, and well-educated.

Meanwhile, back in the present day, there are further fires, and another death, this time of a young Muslim related to Orleans’ main gangster, Cheb Yasine, who swears revenge. Despite Picaut’s reluctance to join forces with him, if only to the most limited extent, he obviously has eyes and ears in the city where she does not, and she needs every lead she can get. Could the arson attacks be connected to Luc’s rival for the Mayor’s role, Christelle Viver, who represents the National Front? And what is the ultimate intention of the arsonists? Throughout the book, as we switch back-and-forth in time, it’s mostly good police work (and Patrice’s computer skills) that solves the present-day mystery – and I defy you to figure it out before the big reveal.

Clearly, we all know the end of Jeanne d’Arc’s story, don’t we. But here Manda Scott truly does save the best for last! Très bien, Ms Scott!

This book’s got the lot to be one of this year’s intelligent hits. For those who like their crime fiction, there’s a superb present-day mystery, which is intelligently and classily done, with plenty of action. There’s the historical fiction aspect; the spies (in both storylines); political machinations (ditto); war scenes, exciting and readable – real edge-of-your-seat stuff; back-stabbing; great dialogue; an absolute dream of a cast, each one superbly drawn and nicely rounded (some of the characters on the sidelines – the French and English nobles, and which side who was on, proved a tad confusing, but that was probably just me, as I was turning the pages too quickly to stop and flick back – and, like I say, my knowledge of that period is zilch. Don’t let that put you off; it doesn’t affect the storyline.) There’s even some romance…! Scott, like the top historical fiction writers, wears what must have been an absolute mass of research lightly, never making the reader feel it’s a lecture. And the main characters – Jeanne and Tomas, Ines and Patrice – are my favourite creations this year. So what more persuasion do you need – you need this book on the TBR pile!

Well, luckily for one of you, Bantam Press are generously giving away one SIGNED copy of Into The Fire. They’ll be supplied straight from the publisher (I’m assuming it’s probably UK residents only, but I’ll get back to you here on that.) This is my first ever giveaway, so it would be great to get a good response!

Entering’s really simple – just tweet or retweet a link to this review and giveaway, ensuring you include the hashtag #INTOTHEFIRE and tag @hare_wood (Manda Scott.) A winner will be selected at random at midnight on Tuesday 7th July, and the publisher will be responsible for the book’s despatch to the lucky winner. Good luck! And take my word for it – this book won’t disappoint any of you, so even if you don’t win, do your best to beg, or borrow, or steal a copy!