Poppy Redfern and the Fatal Flyers

Narrated by Madeleine Leslay
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Pub Date 01 Dec 2020 | Archive Date 21 Dec 2020

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Description

Poppy Redfern is back on the case when two female fighter pilots take a fatal dive in an all-new Woman of World War II Mystery by Tessa Arlen.



It is the late autumn of 1942. Our indomitable heroine Poppy Redfern is thoroughly immersed in her new job as a scriptwriter at the London Crown Film Unit, which produces short films featuring British civilians who perform acts of valor and heroism in wartime. After weeks of typing copy and sharpening pencils, Poppy is thrilled to receive her first solo script project: a fifteen-minute film about the Air Transport Auxiliary, known as Attagirls, a group of female civilians who have been trained to pilot planes from factories to military airfields all over Britain. Poppy could not be more excited to spend time with these amazing ladies, but she never expects to see one of the best pilots die in what is being labeled an accident. When another Attagirl meets a similar fate, Poppy and her American fighter-pilot boyfriend, Griff, believe foul play may be at work. They soon realize that a murderer with a desire for revenge is dead set on grounding the Attagirls for good. . . .

Poppy Redfern is back on the case when two female fighter pilots take a fatal dive in an all-new Woman of World War II Mystery by Tessa Arlen.



It is the late autumn of 1942. Our indomitable...


Advance Praise

Praise for the Woman of World War II Mysteries

“Absolutely smashing! Arlen pens a dynamite beginning to a new series, filled with wartime suspense, skillfully wrought emotions, and a liberal dash of romance. Readers will fall in love with clever and quirky Poppy Redfern and the colorful villagers of Little Buffenden, as well as their dashing new neighbors—the American Airmen.”—Anna Lee Huber, bestselling author of the Lady Darby Mysteries

“This engaging mystery introduces an intrepid new sleuth in Poppy Redfern and draws us into the lives of a small English village, upturned by war and the unexplained murders of two young women. I was enamored by the story and the residents of Little Buffenden from first page to last. Three cheers for Poppy!”—Shelley Noble, New York Times bestselling author of Ask Me No Questions, A Lady Dunbridge mystery.

“Poppy Redfern and the Midnight Murders is a WWII gem of a novel with such a strong sense of time and place, you feel like you’re there. Filled with characters you’ll want to meet again, it’s a compelling mystery that grabs the reader from the very beginning! A must-read for fans of historical fiction.”—Emily Brightwell, New York Times Bestselling author of the Victorian Mysteries.

"The enemy doesn't stand a chance with courageous Poppy on patrol. You'll love this character so much you'll want her as your best friend. I know I do! I can't wait for the next Woman of WWII Mystery! " -Alyssa Maxwell, author of the Gilded Newport Mysteries and a Lady and Lady's Maid Mysteries

Praise for the Woman of World War II Mysteries

“Absolutely smashing! Arlen pens a dynamite beginning to a new series, filled with wartime suspense, skillfully wrought emotions, and a liberal dash...


Available Editions

EDITION Audiobook, Unabridged
ISBN 9781662051685
PRICE $24.99 (USD)

Available on NetGalley

NetGalley Shelf App (AUDIO)

Average rating from 25 members


Featured Reviews

Hurray for Tessa Arlen! Not only has she created a series with interesting setting and a variety of characters, but she has also highlighted the contribution women made to the war effort. In the second book of the series, she takes Poppy to the “Attagirls” at an RAF airfield. Poppy is a scriptwriter for the London Crown Film Unit assigned to profile the women who ferried planes from factories to airfields during World War II. Luckily, her American fighter pilot boyfriend, Griff, is on a R and R and accompanies her to Didcote Airfield and adds a little romance to the story. Two crashes and deaths of the female pilots sets Poppy on a mission to find out who murdered them. The mystery is interesting but Poppy’s interviewing the women for the film brings the women to life by showcasing their bravery is what I found most fascinating. Madeleine Leslay’s narration is excellent. She is able to create individual voices for all of the characters, making dialogue easy to follow

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This series is a delightful find! I have read other books by Tessa Arlen, but I missed out on the first of the Poppy Redfern books – and I’m so sorry about that! The writing is excellent, the mystery is well-formed and well-executed so you don’t guess who the villain is until the very end. There are lots of red herrings to keep you guessing. This book was so entertaining that I’ll now have to go back and read the first book in the series. Speaking of it being a series, this book can totally be read as a standalone – but I can promise you, you’ll want to go back and read the first book.

I listened to an ARC of the audiobook and I enjoyed the listen. The narrator, Madeleine Leslay, performed the narration with a tempo and voice that made me feel as if Poppy is a happy person who enjoys her life. She sounded very upbeat. I didn’t totally lose myself in the story because I did have a hard time differentiating among the speakers. They all sounded pretty much the same – every once in a while, the Scot would sound like a Scot, but the American never, ever, sounded like an American. So, I had to really concentrate to determine who was speaking. I’ll also mention that the American, who is also the masculine lead, was performed so that he sounded so prissy that I would have thought the part was female had the word ‘he’ not been used to describe him.

In late autumn of 1942, Poppy Redfern is settling into her new job as a scriptwriter at the London Crown Film Unit, which produces short films about valorous deeds performed by ordinary British citizens in wartime. She’s really excited to receive her first assignment, writing the script for a fifteen-minute film on a group of female pilots known as the Attagirls. These intrepid ladies fly every sort of aircraft to bases all over England. These ladies would much rather actually fly as part of the Royal Air Force, but England doesn’t allow female combat pilots – they barely allow these ladies to fly the planes around England. They perform a vital service – getting new planes from the manufacturer to the bases who need them as well as ferrying newly repaired planes back to their bases. Poppy cannot wait to meet these ladies.

Poppy’s gentleman friend, Griff, has seven days of leave and decides to go along with Poppy for a few days. Both Griff and Poppy quickly come to like and admire these brave ladies who fly in all sorts of adverse conditions without any of the basic safety devices regular combat pilots have. Their bravery and patriotism come through loud and clear. The six ladies they meet were the first recruited by the Air Transport Auxiliary and all of them are highly skilled and rated for most types of aircraft.

Poppy, Huntley (the producer), Keith (the cameraman), and Griff, all head for the ferry depot from which the Attagirls work. Poppy and Griff arrive first and Poppy sets about getting to know the ladies in order to begin the scriptwriting. She likes them very much and is excited to tell their tales. That excitement turns to horror when, one of the best pilots crashes and dies during a filming session. Everyone is immediately saying it was an accident and/or pilot error. Griff, who is a pilot, and Poppy don’t believe it to be an accident. They investigate more and more – they become more and more sure it wasn’t an accident. Without any proof, they cannot say anything – and when a second crash and death occur, they are sure both are related. When the powers-that-be decide that the crashes are ‘accidents’, and the filming session is drawing to a close, they know they have to quickly get some answers.

I absolutely adored Poppy and Griff – not to mention Bess, Poppy’s sweet little Corgi. Since I didn’t read the first book, I have no idea where Poppy and Griff left their relationship in that book. However, in this book, it is quite evident they care for each other. I’ll be so very happy to read the next book in order to see what mystery they get to solve and to see where their relationship goes next.

I voluntarily listened to and reviewed an Advance Audio Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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A highly enjoyable story. Poppy is a plucky heroine who wants to do her best for her country during WWII by creating scripts for propaganda films. During her first assignment she encounters two suspicious fatal airplane crashes which she suspects may be something other than accidental. With the help of her perhaps boyfriend, American flyer, Griff, investigates the top women pilots of the Air Transport Auxiliary to determine what is happening before Great Britain loses another precious pilot and vital aircraft in their desperate battle for survival.

Arlen is very deft at using a group that performed important work for the war effort but perhaps a lot of people know little or nothing of and creating a good story and mystery. She has created interesting characters and I adore, Poppy, her dog and Griff. The narrator I thought was perfect for the voice of Poppy, good with some of the secondary characters, and could have had more differentiation on some of the minor characters. Though this is the second in the series it is not necessary to have read the first to understand this one but I would recommend reading it because it is another good read. Cheers to a hopefully long lived series!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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This is the second book in Arlen's Poppy Redfern series. Each book is a new mystery but the personal relationships around Poppy grow with each book. This means that you will get much more out of them if you read them in order.

This instalment is based on the Air Transport Auxiliary of WWII, which was a group of women pilots that shuttled airplanes to Allied air bases as needed. Griff and Poppy get to travel to one of their bases and that is when mischief ensues. I can't say much or it will give spoilers. I heartily recommend the Poppy Redfern series!! I read the first one as a book and this one as an audio version. Both versions are well done, and the narrator is spot on. Thank you #NetGalley for allowing me to honestly review #PoppyRedfernAndTheFatalFlyers.

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I really enjoyed Poppy Redfern and the Fatal Flyers, the second book in what I hope will be a series starring Poppy Redfern. The books are set in England during the Second World War. They are a blend of interesting historical novel mixed with an English village mystery. They are based on real events and give a good feel for life during those trying times.

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Poppy Redfern and the Fatal Flyers is an interesting look at the ups and downs of the life of British female pilots in WWII. I enjoyed following Poppy through her adventures of the making of a British morale video and exploring the airfield and all those who work there. Tessa Arlen had many twists in the story that I never expected, all the way to the end. I appreciate her intensive research into the historical facts about these women and what their life would have been like. It made the story feel so realistic. She made what could be a boring repetitive job each day seem interesting and always new. This was a new author for me but I fell in love with her writing and will absolutely read more of her books. I listened to this on audio and would like to also compliment the narrator for a job well done. Her voices and inflections made it easy to listen to and follow the story. A fun read/listen that kept my interest and never felt heavy and forced.

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Poppy Redfern and the Fatal Flyers is the second title in this historical mystery series by Tessa Arlen. I am quite hopeful that there will be a book three and a book four….and so on. It was an engaging listen and an involving story. Readers do not have to have read the first book to enjoy this one although they may want to go back just to spend more time with Poppy.

In this novel, Poppy has been assigned to a group of women flyers during WWII. I had recently read The Paris Secret which also featured this group of brave women. Poppy is helping to make a documentary film about these “atta girls.” However, all is not well as pilots are dying. Why? Who is behind this? Readers can be certain that the intrepid Poppy will find out. She is ably assisted by her American air force pilot boyfriend Griff as she sleuths.

This book looked at an interesting bit of WWII history, had characters that readers will enjoy spending time with and offers up a bit of romance. All in all, a book that I recommend.

A note on the narration: I very much enjoyed listening to this title. The narrator really inhabited Poppy’s voice and those of the other characters. She was able to portray the characters with a variety of accents and did this well.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

#DreamscapeMedia #NetGalley

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I always enjoy a cozy historical mystery and was curious to see what adventure Poppy Redfern would get into next. This second book in the series finds Poppy working for London Crown Films and on a project that pairs her up with the female pilots of the Air Transport Auxiliary. Of course murder, mystery and a dash of romance follows.

A strong outing for Poppy as I felt we got to know her better. I also loved that the story centered around the Atta girls and the role they played in the British war effort. What wasn’t surprising was The Who behind the mystery. I had a pretty strong inkling early on, however it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story.

I listened to the audiobook and really appreciated the narrator. A narrator can make or break the book and this one really brought the story to life! Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for ALC.

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Popoy Redfern returns in a story highlighting a little known aspect of World War II; the role of women aviators.
Poppy's film unit is assgned to interview a group of women pilots to boost moral in war beseiged Britain.
The women are charged with ferrying plans to different airfields all over Britain. The tight knit group, bound together by common experience and danger, soon reveal cracks, as one of the group is involved in a mysterious accident.
Poppy and her American pilot navigate romantic hurdles while they investigate the incident. The book contains an impressive amount of areonautical detail without being didactic. The mystery intrigues, as the reader discovers clues with the intrepid pair.
Entertaining second book in the series.

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England, 1940s, pilots, World War-2, women, murder, murder-investigation, historical-novel, historical-places-events, historical-figures, historical-research, historical-setting

Was it really pilot error that killed the skilled woman performing aerials for the camera? Poppy, the script writer and more, really doubts it. Surprisingly, her American airman friend (and more) isn't too sure either. These women pilots are part of an elite squadron who ferry planes from one location to another and are highly skilled. Poppy has spent days getting to know them and more. I know it's repetitious, but want to avoid details and possible spoilers. The sleuthing begins and so do the red herrings and misdirections, but it is all very well done in this historical cosy. These events are fiction, but the service was real and meticulously researched to show readers that not all women stayed in place.
Madeleine Leslay has a remarkable talent for mimicry and delineates the characters very well.
I requested and received a free audio copy from Dreamscape Media/Berkley via NetGalley. Thank you!

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I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook. Even thought this was the second book in a series, and I didn't read the first one, I don't think I missed out on too much by not reading the first one. But, I would like to read it. I loved Poppy and her story. I thought this book was very interesting and had a good mystery. I would buy it as a title for our high school library. If students are interested in historical fiction and WW2, I would highly recommend Poppy Redfern and the Fatal Flyers.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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I enjoyed this one!

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Tessa Arlen and Dreamscape Audio for my advanced audio copy!

Things I Loved-

The Narrator- Madeleine Leslay . She is amazing. She really makes the characters come to life in this book.

The Premise- A murder mystery surrounding lady fliers. The women in this book are fiction but based off of real people.

The Characters- as in the previous book I really loved Poppy.
The lady fliers ( The Atta Girls ) were a nice addition.
Griff- is supposed to be a love interest / boyfriend but he still feels like a friend in this book. I'm not mad at it. I like him. I can't wait to see more of a relationship develop.

Overall- just as good as the first book. I highly recommend this series and can't wait for another installment.

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While making a propaganda film about female pilots, Poppy and Griff solve a series of murders that may be closer to home than they realize. Really enjoyed the narrator. Tessa Arlen's mastery of characterization made this a delightful listen.

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*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Not bad for what i would consider a cozy mystery but usually i like to binge those and i had to take breaks from this book when i got bored :l

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I decided to go into this story blindly not knowing what to expect and I was delighted and happy to listen to such a fun and engaging WW II suspense mystery. It was based on the Air Transport Auxiliary, known as "Attagirls" which were actually a group of young lady civilians who were trained during World War II to fly manufactured airplanes from factories to military airfields all over Britain. (This was actually a true fact, these ladies actually existed and did this.) But from this, Tessa Allen, was able to write a wonderful fictional suspense mystery where a couple of the girls end up dying under somewhat suspicious circumstances.

Poppy Redfern and her boyfriend Griff decide they want to secretly try to solve this mystery case. Poppy is actually a scriptwriter, in a new job at the London Crown Film Unit, which produces short films featuring British civilians who perform acts of valor and heroism in wartime, and is on her first solo project. She is there to do a 15-minute film about and starring the Attagirls, with actual footage of them flying so they can promote the job and try to recruit more of them to their squad. All the girls had interesting personalities to add to the storyline.

What a upbeat fun person Miss Poppy Redfern turned out to be! I had a lot of fun listening to this audiobook. It was an engaging mystery that kept me guessing all the way to the end. Also Poppy and her boyfriend Griff made a great team along with her cute little Corgi dog, Bess. The narrator did a superb job with the audiobook and I enjoyed her upbeat nature.This was such a fun read and I gave it 5 stars. There are more Poppy Redfern books to read as well, if you loved this one!

I would like to thank #NetGalley and the publisher #DreamScapeMedia, for an audioARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

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I've already read this novel, but I was curious to hear it as an audiobook. The narration is perfect! The narrator really brings the characters to life, and the portrayal of Poppy is spot on.

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Poppy Redfern is an aspiring scriptwriter, working to cover a group of lady flyers during WWII. Things start to get interesting when one flyer dies in a suspicious crash.

Didn’t know this is a sequel, but it stood on its own pretty well. Poppy is a curious and charming character with an adorable dog. The mystery has many twists and turns, a few too many, it got a little complicated by the end, but everything got resolved.

And the historical research that went into this was mind blowing. I always really love fiction books that make me want to go and research something more in depth. And I will definitely be looking up the first book in this series.

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The Narration: Madeleine Leslay has such a clear and easy to understand voice. She made Poppy come to life and sounded how I imagined Poppy would sound like. I didn’t care for the performance of Griff’s American accent, but it improved at a higher playback speed.

The Story
This is another wonderfully told historical mystery from Tessa Arlen. She seamlessly weaves in interesting historical details with elements of the mystery. I loved hearing about the ATA girls in this story.

The mystery itself is interesting and complex enough that I didn’t figure it out until the end. I thought it was brave to kill off the villain early on in the book.

I am so glad characters from the first book feature in this one, including Griff. Griff’s technical knowledge as a pilot comes in handy in this book. Personally, I wish Poppy and Griff’s relationship would progress at a faster pace.

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A good WWII fictional story about Poppy who is a scriptwriter for a film company sent to interview the Attagirls.
While there a couple of air crashes occur but Poppy and her boyfriend Griff have their doubts. They set out to fine the answers.
Good mystery,suspense, characters, and a little romance.
Enjoyed listening to.
Narration was good.
Voluntarily Reviewed.

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Poppy Redfern and the Fatal Flyers is the second installment of Tess Arlen's A Woman of WWII mystery series. I have the audiobook of the first one, Poppy Redfern and the Midnight Murders, but have not yet had the opportunity to listen to it. I was happy to learn this one stood alone and I didn't get confused by a few references to the former story. This book was narrated by Madeleine Leslay.

Poppy Redfern is a young Englishwoman who is newly working as a scriptwriter in the autumn of 1942. She works for the London Crown Film Unit, which makes propaganda films for the war effort. Her first solo effort at writing a script shines the spotlight on the Air Transport Auxiliary, also known as the Attagirls, women pilots who ferry aircraft from factories to military airfields throughout Great Britain. Poppy is thrilled with this assignment, until a very talented pilot dies in an accident. This was tragic enough, but when another Attagirl dies in a crash, Poppy begins to suspect murder. She and Griff, her American fighter-pilot boyfriend, begin to investigate. Who, and why, is someone murdering these brave female pilots?

This was a fun - and occasionally irritating - book to listen to. Poppy is a budding writer with a quick mind, doing what she can to help the war effort and get more practice at her craft. She is a brave young woman and a good writer who, unfortunately, has the habit of listening in her head to "Illona", a fictional character about whom she writes. She admired the pilots who died and wanted justice for them. Griff, her sorta-boyfriend, helps her investigate, but apparently he has secret investigations of his own. Poppy was a bit standoffish with him at times; I hope their relationship deepens in future books. I loved adorable Bess, Poppy's little dog. The mystery was entertaining, though it became a bit convoluted at the end. The main stars of the story, however, were the brave Attagirls. Ms. Arlen apparently did her historical homework concerning these women pilots and brought them to life for me. Madeleine Leslay did a fine job with narration, except for Griff, but I loved her voice for Poppy. I would definitely like to listen to the next book in the series and follow Poppy's growth.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

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