If you enjoy fast paced historical fiction, World War II French Resistance stories, as well as romance, you’ll most definitely like this book by author Amanda Lees.

In this article I’m talking about:

Key Historical Facts You Need to Know Before Reading “The Silence Before Dawn”
What “The Silence Before Dawn” Is About
My thoughts

7 Key Historical Facts You Need to Know Before Reading “The Silence Before Dawn”
You can read this book without any prior knowledge. It does a fairly decent job at explaining the situation in France in 1944, even though it doesn’t go into much detail about it. However, I would argue your reading experience will be much improved by knowing a few key facts:

Resistance in France began as soon as the Germans invaded in May 1940. Tactics employed by the French Resistance are still considered models of guerrilla warfare. General Charles de Gaulle led the legitimate government-in-exile “Free France”. This was recognised and funded by the British.
After the occupation, marshal Philippe Pétain led efforts to negotiate an armistice and established a German puppet state known as Vichy France. As a collaborationist regime, forces like the Militia – the French police, were not to be trusted.
The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a secret British World War II organisation, with headquarters in Baker Street, in London.
The book is set in August 1944, when key events took place to free France:
Operation Jedburgh, mentioned in the book, consisted of air-dropping three-man parties of SOE uniformed military personnel into France.
Operation Overlord, also mentioned in the book, took place in June 1944 and landed two million men, including a French armoured division, through the beaches of Normandy, opening a Western front against Germany.
Operation Dragoon was set in August to launch a second offensive force.
The maquis (also known as partisans, resistance, and freedom fighters) and the other individual support groups remained separate entities until the Allied invasion of France in 1944.
The Counter Intelligence Corps (Army CIC) was a United States organisation in WWII, with specially trained agents who were mostly involved in sabotaging and acquiring information about communism.
Nikolaus “Klaus” Barbie was a German operative who worked in France during World War II. He became known as the “Butcher of Lyon” for having personally tortured prisoners—primarily Jews and members of the French Resistance—as the head of the Gestapo in Lyon. His escape from France is closely connected with the CIC organisation and I advise you to look it up on wikipedia after you finish the book.
Nikolaus "Klaus" Barbie, the Butcher of Lyon
Nikolaus “Klaus” Barbie
These historical facts will allow you a better understanding and a fuller immersion, without the need of further stopping for further reading on the subject.

What “The Silence Before Dawn” Is About
Marianne is the young leader of a French Resistance network. When the scheduled meeting place with Resistance operatives of other networks is “randomly” raided by the Gestapo, it is clear a mole has infiltrated her organisation. Her brother, a Resistance leader himself, gets killed and Jack Hamilton, her fiancé, gets captured by the Militia. When Jack is also accused of being a traitor, Marianne doesn’t know what to believe, but, either way, Jack needs to be rescued as he holds vital information about Operation Dragoon that can’t get into the hands of Klaus Barbie.

For a successful rescue operation, Marianne is helped by a myriad of spies and Resistance agents, French, as well as British and American. The book emphasises the difficulty in trusting those around you when so many things depend upon it and the nightmare that was international cooperation during war.

However, the French Resistance manages to mess with the Germans in various and ingenious ways. The things they did are unexpected, sometimes even funny if we think about them nowadays. “The Silence Before Dawn” shows all that, as well as the upmost importance and the crucial role women had in WWII.

My thoughts
As a historical fiction, “The Silence Before Dawn” managed to bring me into the atmosphere of the WWII and to shed a light to less known facts like the guerrilla tactics used by the French Resistance. I was impressed at their ingenuity and of the role women played in it. The entire book is practically a praise and recognition to women spies and I was enchanted by this premise.

All female characters are powerful leaders who gain the respect of their male subordinates and collaborators. They are all fearless and clear headed and make difficult decisions without hesitation.

beautiful and deadly women
I had no difficulty falling in love with each one of them!

The male agents, on the other hand…

men meme
They were not bad in action. Klaus Barbie was actually spectacular. But the others were a bit weak. There were characters like Henry, for example, who were just a name. No back story, not even a mere description of how he looks like so that we can picture him. He was not the only one. Most of the characters are not really described, nor do we get clear reasons for their actions.

The main plot twist is also not entirely clear on reasons. How does a traitor become a traitor? How does one get to betray their own? What pushes someone to believe the Nazi’s narrative? These were questions I would have loved to be explored deeper.

However, this is just a first volume. I’m hoping the next will make everything clearer.

A great thing about this book was the pacing. I flew through the pages. The chapters were short and things happened all the time. So much action was just perfect!

the action in this book is quite fast paced
But even more than action, the love story was beautiful. The way Marianne and Jack always thought about each other in order to cope with difficulty was dreamy.

What I didn’t enjoy, though, was their love making scenes. I had not been prepared for them. They were very descriptive and I didn’t feel they were quite needed, not in so much detail or such explicit detail. (And I need to say I do read and enjoy these kind of scenes without any problems usually.) However, for this book, it added the carnal dimension to love which made it, for me, a bit more common.

While reading about all the horrors of war, the violence, the tortures, reading a love story could have been an elevated experience, something more like an ideal. It didn’t manage to do that and it kind of brought me out of the atmosphere of the book with its modern air.

The same modern air was felt through characters’ thoughts such as:

It would be fun to see if this developed into something more than an entente cordiale.

THE SILENCE BEFORE DAWN, AMANDA LEES
These are not bad things in themselves, they were just a bit out of place for me. They should not deter you from reading it!

Overall, the book was wonderful and a pleasure to read!

The review will be available on youtube as well, but it's not published yet!

Action packed historical thriller about a resistance pod in Lyon, France in 1944.
Marianne is a tough adversary. But someone has leaked information. Arrows point to her lover, Jack. But he couldn’t be that duplicitous, could he?
My blood ran cold while reading some of the chapters. What resistance fighters endured was legendary. Yet, there are always the traitors who have no loyalty or patriotism, except to themselves.
It’s a hard raising read about the brave who fought the Nazi scourge again and again.

This book is the first book in a historical fiction series, and what a brilliant start it was to the series. A story of courageous and brave women working for the resistance in France during World War Two. The Author has written an absolute page turner of a read and I was so caught up in this amazing story I honestly didn’t want to do anything else until I’d finished the book. This is one I highly recommend to fans of historical fiction. Bring on the second book in the series !

'The Silence Before Dawn' is a face paced book set in the closing stages of WWI. From the first page, this book is all action: espionage, double-crossing, and of course a dash of love.

Marianne, the central protagonist, is a trained SOE, leading a team of men in occupied France. In the lead-up to their final mission, it appears there is a mole in their midst. Uncovering the mole, while keeping the Gestapo off their trail and, of course, completing their mission takes careful planning and a whole lot of guts. Marianne's character has a similar spunk to real-life SOE, Nancy Wake (aka White Mouse).

Amanda Lees does a fantastic job weaving elements of real, incredible women working as SOEs into a pacy, packed story. Throughout, I kept thinking I must be nearing the end of the book as so much had happened, only to find I was nowhere near to it (and had no idea what could or would come next). As this book is the beginning of a series, it will be interesting to see if the subsequent books can continue to pack in as much.

A historical fiction about the French Resistance that is full of twists and turns. What courageous women!
I was taken by surprise to find out who the mole was at the end of the book.
A intriguing and fast paced WWII novel.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I really enjoyed this WW2 resistance novel. I didn't realise it was the first in a series, and on finishing this one, I look forward to the next installment!
I have recently said that WW2 fiction is heavily satured in my opinion, and new novels have to find a new area of that period to explore.
The stories of the Resistance give me hope and strength to see how people can overcome adversity in the face of true horror.
This book does acheive this very well, and I loved most of the characters, although some situations felt a little 'dramatic effect' to me.
The narrator was excellent, and her accents were superb, and really added authenticity to the audiobook.

The author does amazing job on this heartbreaking and emotional story , so much so that my heart felt like it was actually breaking, And it's told in away that its easy to follow the characters and see them come to life before your very eyes

I have just finished reading “The silence before dawn” and have been blown away with the plot and the twists and how well written it was.

It takes you right back to world war 2 and is mostly based in the beautiful city of Lyon, bu

The author has a fantastic style of writing, which keeps the reader needing to find out more. Each chapter is left on just the right amount of cliff hanger, and it is easy to follow which character is in perspective with each chapter unlike some other novels I have read. It really is a brilliant novel.

It’s an easy read that will appeal to a huge audience, it is rich in history, contains hints of romance, twists and turns and a plot that will somewhat surprise most readers and has characters you will literally fall in love with and you will find yourself mentally cheering for.

10/10
This is one of the best and well written historical world war novels I have read in a very long time, it is unique, I have not ever read one quite like it and I will definitely be recommending to people when this book gets published.
I hope this novel will go a long way, as this is what it truly deserves.

Thank you for a wonderful read, I will definitely be looking out for more work from Amanda Lees in the future.
I am hoping some of her other books may tie up some ends that I am yearning to find out.

“We women……we are the ones who will really win this war”
A solid 10 out of 10 for me, great historical novel with emphasis on the women of WWII, fast paced and action packed. I read this within a day.
Cleverly written, so that it seems obvious in the first couple of chapters who the mole is, but it was an actually total surprise who it ended up being, that is quite a rarity for me not to guess! There is more then one surprise in this story.
Marianne, Christine, Juliette, Maggie and Suzanne. All strong willed and brave women based in the true heroines from that time. Each took endless risks to help the resistance in their endeavour to free Europe from the clutches of the Nazi regime.
A partly dual storyline of before in Cambridge and during WWII in war torn France for Marianne, you get the ‘feel’ for the backstories of the other main women in this novel.
I enjoyed this so much that I was straight into Fantastic Fiction to look up Amanda Lees and was delighted to see a second book to this series concentrating on Juliette is due November! I have ordered the first in her children’s series too for my girls to read as these look amazing too.
Highly recommend if you love historical fiction based on a women’s point of view.

Marianne doesn't believe her fiance Jack would betray their group of resistance fighters but now he's in the hands of the evil Klaus Barbie, the Butcher of Lyon and she's determined to free him. This is a tautly written novel of a young English woman leading a group of other women, and men, in the fight against the Nazis. It's framed like a thriller with short chapters and good tension. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Know that this ends leaving you waiting for more. For fans of WWII fiction.

This a real chapter-gulper!! I especially enjoy historical fiction and nonfiction about the resistance bands in France. Based on true stories about the Lyon band of resisters, the Silence Before Dawn rings authentic. Like other resistance groups, the women play a major role in planning and executing the means of outwitting the Nazi’s.

Marianne is the main character and leader of the group of men and women. To say she is gutsy is an understatement. She is or was in love with another resistance leader who becomes accused as a traitor. Emotionally this shatters Marianne, however, she manages to push it aside as they struggle to push the Nazi’s out of Lyon ahead of the arrival of American troops.

Further stressing Marianne is the fact that her two brothers are also fighting the Nazi’s.

This book celebrates the contributions of women in outsmarting the cruel and ruthless Nazi forces.

The author brilliantly develops the main characters such that the reader can feel their pulses.

There is a tricky mystery to the story which furthers the excitement of the story.

This book has it all and I can’t wait to read the sequel. Meanwhile, in a month I will be visiting the History Museum Jean Garcin in Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, France which is dedicated the resistance fighters in France. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to read this book just prior to my visit.
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I was giddy with excitement at this refreshingly different wartime fiction book! If you are looking for something unique, this one’s for you.

This is the most informative book I’ve read yet on the French Resistance. Historical Fiction, particularly WW2, is my interest and yet I’ve never come across the Lyon network written about in such amazing detail. I learned about the resistance groups getting organized and working closely with Churchill’s SOE to make life difficult for the Nazis and how Hitler sent Klaus Barbie, the Butcher of Lyon, to eradicate the French Resistance. Then I learned about the Milice, a French version of the Gestapo set up by the Vichy government and two strategic maneuvers I’d never heard of before, Operation Dragoon and Operation Jedburgh. I was engrossed in this spectacular story, a wonderful tribute to those ordinary people who gave so much to free France and the rest of the world from the horrors of war.

In addition to lots of new information to learn, I appreciated the strong female characters, the twists revealing the moles, the pacing and compelling plot, and the tension. The author mentions that this is a love story featuring ordinary men and women. Yes, there’s romance, but Lees examines the love these courageous people have for the work they do. It’s obvious that they care about their country and their mission, but there’s also a deep care and concern for the many resistance fighters they work alongside. I was in awe of the risks they took to ensure the safety of their network fighters, those they would have known, as well as the risks for those across the sea that were strangers. I can't wait for book 2 in the series.

This page-turner needs to be on every historical fiction lover’s reading list.

I was gifted this advance copy by Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I really enjoyed reading this story. Shock and awe fills the pages of The Silence Before Dawn. I lost count of how many times the unexpected happened. My mind has been officially blown. I cannot believe that this is the author's first book. A job well done.

I read Historical Fiction for one reason -- to get me thinking. Google became my friend while reading about Marianne and the French resistance's story. Reading fiction doesn't meN there isn't truth or close to truths, but I do want to discover that which is true.

Reviewing this book is a challenge without spoilers, but I will give it a try. The Silence Before Dawn is an action packed story as the reader follows the resistance as they try to defeat the Germans.

Tragedy riddles the pages as chapters are torched at the hands of Klaus Barbie, also known as the Butcher of Lyon. I could not stop tears from forming, realizing that the torture was an all too common occurrence.

Suspense had me on the edge my seat. There is a mole within the ranks of the resistance. When all was exposed I was left speechless. The missions undertaken by the resistance were full of risk. With a singe wrong turn they could be caught, tortured and executed. It didn't matter if it was a man or woman, they acted with one purpose--a free France.

A beautifully written story of the French resistance in WW2. The pace was tight and kept me turning the pages into the early hours - that the chapters were short and punchy only added to the tension of the story - and also of the reader experience. The characters were well-drawn and totally believable.

The Silence Before Dawn is a wonderful tribute to the young women - and they were very young - who were so brave and so selfless. A very satisfying read.

Kick Ass female Main characters, the book has an abundance lf those. I read this book in one day. Omg i felt all their hardships, their heartaches, the love they had for eachother. I seriously cried. So I highly recommend this book. Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion

Lovely written story following the lives of a few of the french resistance and british men and woman flown over to fighting alongside each other with one goal in mind, free France from the Germans. There is a spy amongst them and when the leader finds out who it is her world is torn apart. It has plenty of action, romance and much more to keep you on the edge of your chair. I would highly recommend reading it.

I dithered over 3 or 4 stars for this book. I settled on 3 because it was a well written story and the roles of the SOE and the Resistance were well portrayed. The chapters were short and sharp and held your interest. There's also a nice love story. It was the women to the fore of this novel.
I dropped two stars because some of it was unbelievable. It's hard to imagine a group of tough, war hardened men obeying a slip of an English girl without question or resentment. It was the same for Jennifer, Christine was the only one who really rang true for me.
Everything was slightly over done. Marianne had to do a truly awful thing which would cause anyone to suffer terribly but she carried on as normal and just mentioned it once afterwards.
When the traitor was revealed, I was gob smacked. Thought I had guessed who it was but was totally wrong. However, the incident was abrupt and almost glossed over.
They evaded and escaped from the Gestapo numerous times. The Gestapo were some of the most ruthless people in the war and the most feared. This story made them look incompetent.
Still it's a good read for anyone who likes this genre and it has got a lot of 4 and 5 star reviews.

This was an enjoyable read that was wellw ritten with a compelling storyline and well developed characters, some of which I loved. The book was fast paced and gripping all the way through and the ending left me really frustrated in a good way, I wanted more and it has just left me chomping at the bit for the rest of the series.

Historical fiction is my number one genre so I was excited to read this book.

The good:
- It was a page-turner. Past paced action scenes
- I loved the strong female protagonists (all of them)
- the addition of a traitor in their midst was great. And the reveal of the traitor was a great plot twist (did not see that coming).

The bad:
- the story was too overdone. Yes it was war but how many times can people narrowly escape being caught by the Nazis?
- I found a lot of it unbelievable (resistance bike rider who seems to be able to get around a Nazi occupied town without a problem and always seems to show up right when she is needed for example). Yes it is fiction but is there such a thing as too "fiction-like"
- the story stopped abruptly before the war actually ended. The author explains that there are more books coming so this was done intentionally but I wanted some closure on this story.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

The Silence Before Dawn takes place during one of my favorite historical periods, World War II. The first chapter gets you involved in the lives of the characters and puts you in the middle of the peril and action that will get you to keep reading. I loved the way that the author, Amanda Lees, weaves romance and intrigue into this historical narrative. The characters are believable and are based on true stories of the French Resistance during the occupation of France during the war.
This is not a tanks and dogfight story, but rather one of the intrigue that is present in the fight for survival in a time when you aren't sure who is talking to the occupiers, so when you make your plans and communicate them to your team, you have to have faith that someone isn't telling the Germans what is going to happen. The main character, who is telling this story in Marianne, and she is in doubt as to whether the man that she loves is really as trustworthy as she once believed. As the story unfolds, she remembers times in the past when she and Jack were falling in love and it kills her inside, thinking that her lover could be betraying her and her team.
I loved the story and the setting, and I can't wait to read other stories from this period from Amanda Lees. Her attention to detail is what keeps you in the story.