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The Shock of the Light
Not yet published
Expected 12 Feb 26'Far-reaching, but also intimate and intensely personal… will stay with me' FLORENCE KNAPP
‘Admirably spare, delicately descriptive and alluring in its twists and turns’ SONIA PURNELL
'A powerful story, beautifully told' M.L. STEDMAN
A dazzling literary achievement that brings to life the shattering emotional impact of World War Two on ordinary people
Cambridge, 1942
Twins Tessa and Theo had always shared everything – until the summer Tessa spent studying in France. She hasn’t been the same since. But before Theo can find out why, he is recruited by the RAF and disappears into the skies.
Determined to carve her own path, Tessa joins the clandestine Special Operations Executive, slipping into the shadows of occupied France. It will be dangerous work, but France is the home of her greatest love – and her darkest secret. Tessa has many reasons for wanting to return.
Two years later, Theo comes home. Tessa does not.
A dazzling literary achievement that brings to life the shattering emotional impact of World War Two on ordinary people, THE SHOCK OF THE LIGHT is as exhilarating as it is heartbreaking.
‘Admirably spare, delicately descriptive and alluring in its twists and turns’ SONIA PURNELL
'A powerful story, beautifully told' M.L. STEDMAN
A dazzling literary achievement that brings to life the shattering emotional impact of World War Two on ordinary people
Cambridge, 1942
Twins Tessa and Theo had always shared everything – until the summer Tessa spent studying in France. She hasn’t been the same since. But before Theo can find out why, he is recruited by the RAF and disappears into the skies.
Determined to carve her own path, Tessa joins the clandestine Special Operations Executive, slipping into the shadows of occupied France. It will be dangerous work, but France is the home of her greatest love – and her darkest secret. Tessa has many reasons for wanting to return.
Two years later, Theo comes home. Tessa does not.
A dazzling literary achievement that brings to life the shattering emotional impact of World War Two on ordinary people, THE SHOCK OF THE LIGHT is as exhilarating as it is heartbreaking.
402 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication February 12, 2026
22 people are currently reading
8349 people want to read
About the author
Lori Inglis Hall
1 book35 followersLori Inglis Hall was born and raised in Leicestershire, and now lives in the South East. Things she loves (in no particular order): books, words, cats, donkeys, her pals, sea swimming, Fake or Fortune, working museums, walled gardens, roses, A.S Byatt, paintings by Cedric Morris, Paris, hispi cabbage, antiques fairs, The National Trust, chintz, ceramics, Kim Deal, Peggy Angus wallpaper, blankets, and archives.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
November 25, 2025
4+
Twins Tessa and Theo are initially very close but a wide space has grown between them but time may heal the bonds. By 1938 Tessa is studying at The Sorbonne, which upsets Theo as they agreed Cambridge, according to him! However, she’s hiding something big from him and before he can get to the bottom of the problem, war intervenes and he’s recruited into the RAF. As for Tessa, she is encouraged to join the clandestine Special Operations Executive, the objective being to meld undetected into occupied France and wreak as much havoc as possible. Clearly, her family know nothing of this, will she make it home alive??
There’s much to praise in this emotionally charged and haunting story, although I think it becomes too long and a bit drawn out. That being said, the twins story is fantastic, their emotional ties come across loud and clear and they both suffer mightily in different ways and so is heartbreaking reading at times. It takes a PhD student, Edie, at the start of the millennium to get to the heart of the truth and I like how she greatly helps Theo. These sections of the novel make me feel everything from sadness to anger.
The novel is extremely well researched, although I do know about the SOE the direction the novel takes is a good one. In addition, the author really captures the strict views society holds at the time which are deeply reflected in both of the twins stories.
If you’re not keen on war stories don’t be put off because this novel is about much more than that which makes it much more accessible. This is because it’s the twins personal stories, set against the backdrop of war and post war. It therefore probably hits home harder because of that and is more powerful.
Overall, this is well worth a read.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HarperCollins for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.
Twins Tessa and Theo are initially very close but a wide space has grown between them but time may heal the bonds. By 1938 Tessa is studying at The Sorbonne, which upsets Theo as they agreed Cambridge, according to him! However, she’s hiding something big from him and before he can get to the bottom of the problem, war intervenes and he’s recruited into the RAF. As for Tessa, she is encouraged to join the clandestine Special Operations Executive, the objective being to meld undetected into occupied France and wreak as much havoc as possible. Clearly, her family know nothing of this, will she make it home alive??
There’s much to praise in this emotionally charged and haunting story, although I think it becomes too long and a bit drawn out. That being said, the twins story is fantastic, their emotional ties come across loud and clear and they both suffer mightily in different ways and so is heartbreaking reading at times. It takes a PhD student, Edie, at the start of the millennium to get to the heart of the truth and I like how she greatly helps Theo. These sections of the novel make me feel everything from sadness to anger.
The novel is extremely well researched, although I do know about the SOE the direction the novel takes is a good one. In addition, the author really captures the strict views society holds at the time which are deeply reflected in both of the twins stories.
If you’re not keen on war stories don’t be put off because this novel is about much more than that which makes it much more accessible. This is because it’s the twins personal stories, set against the backdrop of war and post war. It therefore probably hits home harder because of that and is more powerful.
Overall, this is well worth a read.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HarperCollins for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.
November 9, 2025
Please, read this book. It’s a fantastic, emotionally moving, and deeply researched novel. I’m very impressed and would recommend it to anyone looking for an exceptional work of historical fiction. I truly loved it.
Let me start by saying that I’m not usually drawn to stories set during the Second World War, and I’ve rarely read anything from that period. But something about this premise made me want to make an exception. This is the story of twins, Tessa and Theo, who both become involved in the war effort: Theo as an RAF pilot and Tessa working undercover in France. They go to war together, but only one of them comes home. Devastated by the loss of his twin, Theo’s post-war life is haunted by the uncertainty of not truly knowing what happened to Tessa. The physical injuries he suffered are nothing compared to the emotional wounds he endures.
Saying that this book moved me on multiple levels would be an understatement. The author doesn’t shy away from portraying some of the most tragic, dehumanizing, but also lesser-known aspects of the Second World War. Through the bond between two people who share one of the closest relationships imaginable, the story reveals how devastating this conflict was for ordinary lives. In my opinion, showing people against great history is the best way to approach historical fiction, and this book does it masterfully, even if it breaks your heart in the process.
At the same time, this is so much more than just a war story, and not only because much of it takes place after 1945. It’s also a novel about people struggling to be themselves, often against strict social conventions. Ironically, even though Tessa and Theo are closer to each other than to anyone else, they are still forced to hide certain intimate truths about themselves because of social taboos. The story powerfully illustrates how rigid British attitudes toward sexuality and the role of women in society ultimately prevent the characters from finding each other.
In short, this is a very sad – heartbreakingly sad – but also profoundly beautiful story. Following Theo’s search to discover what happened to his sister is a deeply emotional experience. Not all the questions are answered at the end, but I think the best books are often those in which endings also feel like new beginnings.
Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Let me start by saying that I’m not usually drawn to stories set during the Second World War, and I’ve rarely read anything from that period. But something about this premise made me want to make an exception. This is the story of twins, Tessa and Theo, who both become involved in the war effort: Theo as an RAF pilot and Tessa working undercover in France. They go to war together, but only one of them comes home. Devastated by the loss of his twin, Theo’s post-war life is haunted by the uncertainty of not truly knowing what happened to Tessa. The physical injuries he suffered are nothing compared to the emotional wounds he endures.
Saying that this book moved me on multiple levels would be an understatement. The author doesn’t shy away from portraying some of the most tragic, dehumanizing, but also lesser-known aspects of the Second World War. Through the bond between two people who share one of the closest relationships imaginable, the story reveals how devastating this conflict was for ordinary lives. In my opinion, showing people against great history is the best way to approach historical fiction, and this book does it masterfully, even if it breaks your heart in the process.
At the same time, this is so much more than just a war story, and not only because much of it takes place after 1945. It’s also a novel about people struggling to be themselves, often against strict social conventions. Ironically, even though Tessa and Theo are closer to each other than to anyone else, they are still forced to hide certain intimate truths about themselves because of social taboos. The story powerfully illustrates how rigid British attitudes toward sexuality and the role of women in society ultimately prevent the characters from finding each other.
In short, this is a very sad – heartbreakingly sad – but also profoundly beautiful story. Following Theo’s search to discover what happened to his sister is a deeply emotional experience. Not all the questions are answered at the end, but I think the best books are often those in which endings also feel like new beginnings.
Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
November 21, 2025
Tessa and Theo are so connected as twins, as children they would show off at school by reading one another's thoughts. They have a bond that no one can break. Being a mother of boy-girl twins, I instantly related with this unique bond between Tessa and Theo. This wonderfully written book is told in four parts. The first two parts of the book you meet Tessa and Theo. When WWII hits, Theo decides to join the Royal Air Force. Tessa wants to do anything but secretarial work, so she joins in the fight as a Special Operations Executive. She will be a courier, carrying messages that will move between the parts of a network of agents and French Resistance groups. She leads her family to believe she is serving in another entity and even predates letters to home. One night after much preparation, Tessa is parachuted into France and things go terribly wrong. At this point she is on her own and does what she must to survive. Part two of the book gives Theo's story. He has heartbreaking struggles that cause him pain during and after the war. Part three comes decades later where you meet a PhD student, Edie. She is wants to uncover what really happened to Tessa and the reason she never returned home. She teams up with Theo and I just loved their relationship. Edie has so much doubt about herself, but it is Theo who gives her self confidence. Part four is told from Tessa's perspective. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. This is going to be one of top reads and I will tell everyone to go ahead and reserve a copy for themselves on March 17, 2026. I would love to see a sequel, one can only hope. If you love Kristin Hannah or historical fiction, this debut novel is for you. I will read anything Lori Inglis Hall writes!
Thank you to NetGalley, Viking Penguin / Pamela Dorman Books for the opportunity to read this heartbreakingly sad, but beautiful ARC. Thank you to one of my favorite authors, Kate Quinn for reading and rating this book 5 stars on Goodreads. That rating led me to add this to my TBR list.
Thank you to NetGalley, Viking Penguin / Pamela Dorman Books for the opportunity to read this heartbreakingly sad, but beautiful ARC. Thank you to one of my favorite authors, Kate Quinn for reading and rating this book 5 stars on Goodreads. That rating led me to add this to my TBR list.
December 18, 2025
"And so the circle turns"... It is to be dragged into the light, after all."
Lori Inglis Hall's debut novel is a fascinating exploration of the role of women in in the Special Operations Executive - women parachuted into France to work with the resistance. But this is a story that is not simply a war story- this is about truth; denials; complicity in the upper echelons of leadership and the impact of the war.
This is the story of Tessa and Theo - twins who have always been close- but following a single moment in Tessa's life that bond is stretched and the with outbreak of World War War II she feels compelled to do more without the knowledge of her sibling . Unbeknownst to her family, she is enrolled as a secret agent Her journey and subsequent events behind enemy lines in Vichy France form the crux of the story but it is also the search for truth by her brother Theo that counter balances the novel.
It is the third section of the book that gripped me the most as research into the war and Tessa's role uncovers many more secrets than anticipated. and how the truth has to come into the light
Deftly plotted, meticulously researched, this is an ambitious and engrossing read. It also shines a light upon a group of women who have often been neglected in the exploration of the events and bravery in World War II.
Lori Inglis Hall's debut novel is a fascinating exploration of the role of women in in the Special Operations Executive - women parachuted into France to work with the resistance. But this is a story that is not simply a war story- this is about truth; denials; complicity in the upper echelons of leadership and the impact of the war.
This is the story of Tessa and Theo - twins who have always been close- but following a single moment in Tessa's life that bond is stretched and the with outbreak of World War War II she feels compelled to do more without the knowledge of her sibling . Unbeknownst to her family, she is enrolled as a secret agent Her journey and subsequent events behind enemy lines in Vichy France form the crux of the story but it is also the search for truth by her brother Theo that counter balances the novel.
It is the third section of the book that gripped me the most as research into the war and Tessa's role uncovers many more secrets than anticipated. and how the truth has to come into the light
Deftly plotted, meticulously researched, this is an ambitious and engrossing read. It also shines a light upon a group of women who have often been neglected in the exploration of the events and bravery in World War II.
September 8, 2025
One of the best books I’ve read this year. The author impresses not only with the research she has carried out but also the way in which she weaves this into an altogether believable story. Towards the end she leaves a lot of loose threads, which would be inevitable in the chaotic aftermath of the Second World War, but then cleverly addresses many of them through the ploy of having a fictional PhD student open up the files in the National Archives in her own research.
December 24, 2025
Oh I love this book. This is the story of twins, Tessa and Theo. A world war two story told over several decades, but at its heart it’s an ode to the love between siblings, an unshakeable bond between twins, a bond that can’t be broken no matter how much time and distance comes between them.
This is a novel that will break your heart and stay with you forever. It is expertly crafted & researched, with an incredible feminist hero in Tessa, there is romance for both Theo and Tessa, and a representation of what it’s like to be gay in the early 20th century.
If you loved In Memoriam, Still Life and All the Light We Cannot See, you’ll love this too. It has so much heart, and an incredible dual perspective format, and all the makings of a modern classic.
This is a novel that will break your heart and stay with you forever. It is expertly crafted & researched, with an incredible feminist hero in Tessa, there is romance for both Theo and Tessa, and a representation of what it’s like to be gay in the early 20th century.
If you loved In Memoriam, Still Life and All the Light We Cannot See, you’ll love this too. It has so much heart, and an incredible dual perspective format, and all the makings of a modern classic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Théo and Tessa are twins. They have an incredibly close bond, knowing everything there is to know about the other. But this begins to change when Tessa, wanting a degree, decides to study at the Sorbonne rather than Cambridge with Théo where she could study but not be given a qualification.
When Tessa returns there is something different in her that Théo cannot reach and Tessa refuses to talk. But as their education ends they are both drawn into the war. Théo goes into the RAF and Tessa, bored with the secretarial job at the Foreign Office, is recruited to the SOE where she will learn to be a spy. Her job will take her to France where she will be in constant danger.
At the war's end Théo returns home; Tessa does not.
This is one of the most moving books I've read this year. I was often in tears. Tessa and Théo's story may be fiction but the story of the British women parachuted into France without even the protection they would be afforded as Prisoners of War, were they captured, is now well known.
I thought the novel extremely well told and sensitive subjects such as homosexuality, rape, torture and the denials of the British government about what had happened, were very sensitively handled. Tessa and Théo's characters are beautifully drawn, adding touches of vulnerability and humour with a light touch.
I was sobbing by the time the book ended, simply because we know Tessa's story was all too real. It was extremely moving. Wonderful storytelling. I would very highly recommend this novel.
Thankyou very much to Netgalley and HarperFiction for the advance review copy. Very much appreciated.
When Tessa returns there is something different in her that Théo cannot reach and Tessa refuses to talk. But as their education ends they are both drawn into the war. Théo goes into the RAF and Tessa, bored with the secretarial job at the Foreign Office, is recruited to the SOE where she will learn to be a spy. Her job will take her to France where she will be in constant danger.
At the war's end Théo returns home; Tessa does not.
This is one of the most moving books I've read this year. I was often in tears. Tessa and Théo's story may be fiction but the story of the British women parachuted into France without even the protection they would be afforded as Prisoners of War, were they captured, is now well known.
I thought the novel extremely well told and sensitive subjects such as homosexuality, rape, torture and the denials of the British government about what had happened, were very sensitively handled. Tessa and Théo's characters are beautifully drawn, adding touches of vulnerability and humour with a light touch.
I was sobbing by the time the book ended, simply because we know Tessa's story was all too real. It was extremely moving. Wonderful storytelling. I would very highly recommend this novel.
Thankyou very much to Netgalley and HarperFiction for the advance review copy. Very much appreciated.
November 15, 2025
What an absolute fabulous read. An emotional rollercoaster to say the least. Theo and Tessa are twins. As with most twins theirs is a close loving relationship in which they share everything, until they don’t. As the world is engulfed by war Theo joins the RAF. Tessa, bored and frustrated at being ‘just a typist’, jumps at the chance of being recruited into the SOE (Special Operations Executive), set up for spying and sabotage. Tessa is highly intelligent, resourceful and, she thinks, fully aware of the dangers. The author has done some in depth research and brings into the narrative the oversights, the errors and the ineptitude of the powers that be in relation to the women recruits, which have dire, fatal consequences.
Tessa is parachuted into France, behind enemy lines in order to act as courier to the French resistance. Immediately, things go horribly wrong and the consequences of this disaster resonate throughout the book. Meanwhile, Theo is traumatised by the events and sights of his time in the RAF.
This is a fantastically researched, heart rending novel dealing with the true horrors of war, and its effects on ordinary people, turned into extraordinary brave people through facing death or worse. It’s also a story of uncompromising love, of ‘forbidden’ love found amid the chaos and horror of a world at war.
The second part of the novel, post war, is equally compelling. One twin fails to return home. The other is damaged, physically and mentally, angry at being fobbed off about the fate of their twin, and pays the price of trying to find out what happened to them as the government cover up a huge wartime scandal. But truth will out. Even if it emerges decades later from a surprising source.
This book is sad and tragic but it resonates with truth and humanity. It’s not about the superficial derring-do of “heroes” at war, so not an “adventure” story. I think it’s more profound than that and the characters, especially Tessa and Theo, are portrayed with all their frailties and strengths, fears and joys. So don’t let my “sad” and “tragic” comments put you off. It’s an emotional brilliant read and the characters, fictional though they may be, will stay with me for a while yet.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC for my kindle. It is my honest opinion after a full read of the novel.
Tessa is parachuted into France, behind enemy lines in order to act as courier to the French resistance. Immediately, things go horribly wrong and the consequences of this disaster resonate throughout the book. Meanwhile, Theo is traumatised by the events and sights of his time in the RAF.
This is a fantastically researched, heart rending novel dealing with the true horrors of war, and its effects on ordinary people, turned into extraordinary brave people through facing death or worse. It’s also a story of uncompromising love, of ‘forbidden’ love found amid the chaos and horror of a world at war.
The second part of the novel, post war, is equally compelling. One twin fails to return home. The other is damaged, physically and mentally, angry at being fobbed off about the fate of their twin, and pays the price of trying to find out what happened to them as the government cover up a huge wartime scandal. But truth will out. Even if it emerges decades later from a surprising source.
This book is sad and tragic but it resonates with truth and humanity. It’s not about the superficial derring-do of “heroes” at war, so not an “adventure” story. I think it’s more profound than that and the characters, especially Tessa and Theo, are portrayed with all their frailties and strengths, fears and joys. So don’t let my “sad” and “tragic” comments put you off. It’s an emotional brilliant read and the characters, fictional though they may be, will stay with me for a while yet.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC for my kindle. It is my honest opinion after a full read of the novel.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thanks to Tink at Borough Press for offering me a Gifted proof of Lori Inglis Hall's novel, The Shock Of The Light, which comes out on 12th February - only two weeks into 2026, and I think I've already found one of my top books of the year!
It is an exceptional, gripping, completely immersive debut, heartbreaking and beautiful. I lived every single moment of it, emerging from its pages only to eat and sleep, so deep was my immersion and involvement with it. I devoured its 422 pages in a day and a half, feeling bereft when I got to the end, because there was nothing left to read. What a superb piece of historical fiction.
Beginning in the late 1930s and spanning the decades until 2003, it is the story of twins Tessa and Theo Armstrong, and their wartime service: Theo in the RAF, and Tessa carrying out clandestine Special Operations Executive, in occupied France.
Two thirds of the story is revealed from the perspectives of Tessa and Theo, whilst Edie, a postgraduate student researching the history of the SOE in the 21st century, brings the story up to date, drawing the threads together to reveal the twins' respective fates.
This is historical fiction at its finest. Impeccably researched and beautifully, and evocatively written by an author who maintains a pitch-perfect vibrating note of tension and peril - which often leaves you with your heart in your mouth - as skilfully as she illicits and invokes the reader's sympathy for her impeccably realised characters, and brilliantly conjures a strong sense of time and place.
I don't want to say too much about the plot for fear of spoiling the impact of this story for future readers, but Lori Inglis Hall uses the events she depicts to explore the theme of the impact of the second world war on ordinary people, on those who served, and upon their families, and especially the women members of the SOE, and their shocking treatment - not only at the hands of their German captors, but also by the British government who failed to protect them adequately under the Geneva Convention during the war, and compounded this further by refusing to recognise or acknowledge their service and their bravery for decades after it. This novel pays a huge tribute to these incredibly brave women, and what they did.
It is also a story which shines a light on twinship with its intense sibling bonds and connections, jealousies and rivalries; and on themes such as the destructive nature of secrets; betrayal at personal, community and national level; and the brutal societal norms and cruel intolerances of that time, which forced individuals to live lives that are not authentic to their true selves.
This incredible, heartbreaking emotional, and tense historical novel is sure to be one of this year's 'must read' titles, and deservedly so. An out and out 5 star read, which I enthusiastically recommend!
It is an exceptional, gripping, completely immersive debut, heartbreaking and beautiful. I lived every single moment of it, emerging from its pages only to eat and sleep, so deep was my immersion and involvement with it. I devoured its 422 pages in a day and a half, feeling bereft when I got to the end, because there was nothing left to read. What a superb piece of historical fiction.
Beginning in the late 1930s and spanning the decades until 2003, it is the story of twins Tessa and Theo Armstrong, and their wartime service: Theo in the RAF, and Tessa carrying out clandestine Special Operations Executive, in occupied France.
Two thirds of the story is revealed from the perspectives of Tessa and Theo, whilst Edie, a postgraduate student researching the history of the SOE in the 21st century, brings the story up to date, drawing the threads together to reveal the twins' respective fates.
This is historical fiction at its finest. Impeccably researched and beautifully, and evocatively written by an author who maintains a pitch-perfect vibrating note of tension and peril - which often leaves you with your heart in your mouth - as skilfully as she illicits and invokes the reader's sympathy for her impeccably realised characters, and brilliantly conjures a strong sense of time and place.
I don't want to say too much about the plot for fear of spoiling the impact of this story for future readers, but Lori Inglis Hall uses the events she depicts to explore the theme of the impact of the second world war on ordinary people, on those who served, and upon their families, and especially the women members of the SOE, and their shocking treatment - not only at the hands of their German captors, but also by the British government who failed to protect them adequately under the Geneva Convention during the war, and compounded this further by refusing to recognise or acknowledge their service and their bravery for decades after it. This novel pays a huge tribute to these incredibly brave women, and what they did.
It is also a story which shines a light on twinship with its intense sibling bonds and connections, jealousies and rivalries; and on themes such as the destructive nature of secrets; betrayal at personal, community and national level; and the brutal societal norms and cruel intolerances of that time, which forced individuals to live lives that are not authentic to their true selves.
This incredible, heartbreaking emotional, and tense historical novel is sure to be one of this year's 'must read' titles, and deservedly so. An out and out 5 star read, which I enthusiastically recommend!
January 18, 2026
How to sum up this incredible book?! It’s gripping, immersive, and heartbreaking, all at once.
Cambridge, 1942: Twins Tessa and Theo were inseparable, but something changed when Tessa returned from studying in Paris. With an English father and a French mother, the twins are determined to serve during the Second World War. While Theo joins the RAF, Tessa agrees to go undercover in occupied France. Two years later, Theo returns home. Tessa does not.
Cruelly separated from his sister, Theo is determined to find out what happened to her in Paris, and why she went back. Tessa’s secrets have divided the twins - but the truth will come to light.
This is a beautifully written, haunting, heartbreaking book. Tessa’s experience in the Special Operations Executive is tense and tragic, making for unputdownable reading. Theo’s experiences, suffering both physically and emotionally as he tries to find the truth, was almost like solving a mystery. I enjoyed the elements of historical research, aided by a PhD student.
I was already fairly familiar with the SOE and the Vichy regime from my own background, but I think the writer does a brilliant job of explaining the situation in France, and the betrayals and dangers Tessa faces. The writer handles Theo’s experiences well, especially framing it around the time period, the fallout of the war, and the obstacles to finding any information. The book was raw, thought- provoking, and explored the impact of the Second World War and its effect on those who witnessed the horrors, in uniform or otherwise.
If, like me, you read and loved The Nightingale and Codename Verity, or you’re looking for your next historical read - I highly recommend this brilliant book. Thank you to the publisher for a review copy.
Cambridge, 1942: Twins Tessa and Theo were inseparable, but something changed when Tessa returned from studying in Paris. With an English father and a French mother, the twins are determined to serve during the Second World War. While Theo joins the RAF, Tessa agrees to go undercover in occupied France. Two years later, Theo returns home. Tessa does not.
Cruelly separated from his sister, Theo is determined to find out what happened to her in Paris, and why she went back. Tessa’s secrets have divided the twins - but the truth will come to light.
This is a beautifully written, haunting, heartbreaking book. Tessa’s experience in the Special Operations Executive is tense and tragic, making for unputdownable reading. Theo’s experiences, suffering both physically and emotionally as he tries to find the truth, was almost like solving a mystery. I enjoyed the elements of historical research, aided by a PhD student.
I was already fairly familiar with the SOE and the Vichy regime from my own background, but I think the writer does a brilliant job of explaining the situation in France, and the betrayals and dangers Tessa faces. The writer handles Theo’s experiences well, especially framing it around the time period, the fallout of the war, and the obstacles to finding any information. The book was raw, thought- provoking, and explored the impact of the Second World War and its effect on those who witnessed the horrors, in uniform or otherwise.
If, like me, you read and loved The Nightingale and Codename Verity, or you’re looking for your next historical read - I highly recommend this brilliant book. Thank you to the publisher for a review copy.
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January 3, 2026It's hard to believe that this serious, emotional novel is Lor Inglis Hall's first effort. It is gripping and suspenseful as it travels back to 1938 England. For probably the first time, Britain is recruiting and sending women into France as couriers and spies to support the French Resistance.
Tessa Armstrong, twin of Theo. who is in the RAF is particularly fitted for the role as she is a graduate of the Sorbonne and a native French mother. With flashbacks to their early years, you learn how close the twins are. The first portion of the book is both exciting and terrifying. The next portion of the story follows Theo, first as he is shot down over Normandy, and then as a lawyer at the Nurenberg trials.
This reads like a well=researched historical novel, yet with keen insights into the inner lives of its characters. It reveals how history can get it wrong and the efforts to find the truth of what happens in wartime and after. I deliberately did not want to reveal too much but rather to encourage the special writing of this page-turner.
Thank you, Pamela Dorman Books, a division of Penguin Random House and Net Galley for the chance to read this early copy. These are my honest opinions.
Tessa Armstrong, twin of Theo. who is in the RAF is particularly fitted for the role as she is a graduate of the Sorbonne and a native French mother. With flashbacks to their early years, you learn how close the twins are. The first portion of the book is both exciting and terrifying. The next portion of the story follows Theo, first as he is shot down over Normandy, and then as a lawyer at the Nurenberg trials.
This reads like a well=researched historical novel, yet with keen insights into the inner lives of its characters. It reveals how history can get it wrong and the efforts to find the truth of what happens in wartime and after. I deliberately did not want to reveal too much but rather to encourage the special writing of this page-turner.
Thank you, Pamela Dorman Books, a division of Penguin Random House and Net Galley for the chance to read this early copy. These are my honest opinions.
December 8, 2025
“The Shock of the Light” is an exceptional spellbinding historical fiction by Lori Inglis Hall. It is a WWII story that sheds a light on a topic I have not read before even though this is my favorite book genre.
The story revolves around twins that are inseparable until their paths diverge at University. She attends the Sorbonne where women are allowed degrees and he to Cambridge. Something devastating happens at the Sorbonne which causes a momentous shift in the twins relationship. And then the war breaks out!
He joins the RAF and she jumps at the chance to join the SOE where she is trained to become a spy and saboteur. She parachutes into France thinking she is aware of the danger but the errors and ineptitude of the powers in charge cause dire and fatal consequences for all the women in the SOE.
This is a fantastically researched, heart rendering novel dealing with the true horrors of war. It is also the story of the trauma and tragedy lived, when one twin fails to come home and seeks to find out the fate of the other. A huge wartime scandal and a decades old government cover up are finally discovered from a very surprising source.
This is a a profoundly sad but equally beautiful story that will stay with me for a long time. I wish I could give it 10 stars!
The story revolves around twins that are inseparable until their paths diverge at University. She attends the Sorbonne where women are allowed degrees and he to Cambridge. Something devastating happens at the Sorbonne which causes a momentous shift in the twins relationship. And then the war breaks out!
He joins the RAF and she jumps at the chance to join the SOE where she is trained to become a spy and saboteur. She parachutes into France thinking she is aware of the danger but the errors and ineptitude of the powers in charge cause dire and fatal consequences for all the women in the SOE.
This is a fantastically researched, heart rendering novel dealing with the true horrors of war. It is also the story of the trauma and tragedy lived, when one twin fails to come home and seeks to find out the fate of the other. A huge wartime scandal and a decades old government cover up are finally discovered from a very surprising source.
This is a a profoundly sad but equally beautiful story that will stay with me for a long time. I wish I could give it 10 stars!
January 8, 2026
The Shock of the Light is an outstanding debut and has had me in its thrall for the last few hours. It is an emotionally charged book, arousing my anger, frustration and sadness in turns. The characters and plot are fictional but the story has roots in factual accounts from the time- women working with the SOE in wartime France had little protection when things went wrong and for many it ended in them paying the ultimate price for their courage in signing up. When the war draws to a close, Theo is unable to find out Tessa’s fate- hitting continuous ‘brick walls’ built by the establishment to cover up their own deficits and thwart his search. There are hints of treachery and Theo is eventually despicably frightened off from digging any further.
All three narrative voices in this novel were compelling and I was transported through each time and place alongside them. Wonderful- my thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC. I will definitely seek out future books from Lori Inglis Hall.
All three narrative voices in this novel were compelling and I was transported through each time and place alongside them. Wonderful- my thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC. I will definitely seek out future books from Lori Inglis Hall.
November 14, 2025
Excellent! Not your usual WWII novel: this one feels more real, more personal. The storyline is gripping featuring twins, Theo and Tessa. Tessa will operate as a spy behind the lines. Theo will fly for the RAF. Along with the risks, the fear of being caught, of being betrayed they both experience, the plot goes deeper. Indeed I will remember both characters as individuals, and not only as heroes. A big achievement on the part of the author! I loved reading as well about the special bond the twins share : a beautiful bond that can make you frail. The novel is also based on this relationship, intricacies and inevitabilities. Brilliantly done.
What I found particularly intriguing and astounding was to get an insight into the way women spies were considered. After the war. Particularly when they did not come back...
A very human and powerful novel. Highly recommended!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
What I found particularly intriguing and astounding was to get an insight into the way women spies were considered. After the war. Particularly when they did not come back...
A very human and powerful novel. Highly recommended!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
November 22, 2025
Great historical fiction shedding insight into the undercover women’s resistance in WW2. Amazing story of the bond that twins share.
January 11, 2026
I received this book as a proof copy from Ink and Ember as part of the ambassador program! There are a surprising amount of some fantastic historical fiction coming out this year!
This was the one proof where the blurb hadn’t caught my attention out of the rest of the proofs I received. However, this meant that I did severely underestimate just how good this book is!
Learning about the roles of women in WWII has been a big passion of mine- underappreciated, little known, much covered up. This book aims to represent this reality for the brave female resistance fighters. And by it did a brilliant job!
We follow Tessa, a twin who has French and British roots. We begin with what seems to be a rather difficult period in Tessa’s life- the first of that she doesn’t tell her twin Theo about. It seems that it begins with the first secret that tears the twins apart and sets this incredibly emotive story into motion.
Tessa is a fabulous character. Intelligent, determined, defiant, loyal, fierce, and most importantly, brave. We watch her journey into becoming a courier behind enemy lines in France. We watch as she has near misses, terrifying encounters and accusations of betrayal, all whilst doing her best to do her duty as a spy. We follow her journey all the way until she is captured and suddenly, we swap to her twin’s perspective- Theo.
I’m not normally a fan of having more than one POV, but this was done beautifully. We see the struggles Theo encounters as a gay man. We see the mystery surrounding Tessa and what exactly happened to her. We watch as he does his best to track his sister and to believe that she’s still alive. We see what happens as the British government fail to do their duty in protecting these women, and instead cover it up for fear of scandal. We see him try over and over to get justice for Tessa and to find out what exactly happened. It’s emotional, gritty and frustrating and we feel Theo’s pain all the way through.
It’s not until much later on when a researcher takes a chance on Tessa that all the secrets unravel. It is clear that Tessa was failed time and time again by the British government and reading as the cover ups unravel is heartbreaking. It’s hard to believe that is accurately based on what the real female spies experienced and this makes it all the more emotional.
I thoroughly enjoyed this, but the reason that it’s not a 5 star, is that I would have liked to have seen more on what exactly happened to Tessa.
This was the one proof where the blurb hadn’t caught my attention out of the rest of the proofs I received. However, this meant that I did severely underestimate just how good this book is!
Learning about the roles of women in WWII has been a big passion of mine- underappreciated, little known, much covered up. This book aims to represent this reality for the brave female resistance fighters. And by it did a brilliant job!
We follow Tessa, a twin who has French and British roots. We begin with what seems to be a rather difficult period in Tessa’s life- the first of that she doesn’t tell her twin Theo about. It seems that it begins with the first secret that tears the twins apart and sets this incredibly emotive story into motion.
Tessa is a fabulous character. Intelligent, determined, defiant, loyal, fierce, and most importantly, brave. We watch her journey into becoming a courier behind enemy lines in France. We watch as she has near misses, terrifying encounters and accusations of betrayal, all whilst doing her best to do her duty as a spy. We follow her journey all the way until she is captured and suddenly, we swap to her twin’s perspective- Theo.
I’m not normally a fan of having more than one POV, but this was done beautifully. We see the struggles Theo encounters as a gay man. We see the mystery surrounding Tessa and what exactly happened to her. We watch as he does his best to track his sister and to believe that she’s still alive. We see what happens as the British government fail to do their duty in protecting these women, and instead cover it up for fear of scandal. We see him try over and over to get justice for Tessa and to find out what exactly happened. It’s emotional, gritty and frustrating and we feel Theo’s pain all the way through.
It’s not until much later on when a researcher takes a chance on Tessa that all the secrets unravel. It is clear that Tessa was failed time and time again by the British government and reading as the cover ups unravel is heartbreaking. It’s hard to believe that is accurately based on what the real female spies experienced and this makes it all the more emotional.
I thoroughly enjoyed this, but the reason that it’s not a 5 star, is that I would have liked to have seen more on what exactly happened to Tessa.
November 13, 2025
Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for a review copy of this novel. Powerful and moving are words that immediately come to mind when describing this novel. Though the setting, the Second World War lends itself to powerful novels it’s very much down to Hall that the novel’s power is carried. Big concepts like the French resistance and women who worked behind the scenes drive the novel, but there are also other ideas like loyalty, romantic and family relationships, especially those of a sibling, as well as loss, rape that loom large too. Big ideas but well handled.
Two twins, Tessa and Theo are the central characters. Siblings, one impulsive and the other cautious, but who are so close they can immediately know and understand the thoughts of the other, until Tessa goes off to Paris to study at the Sorbonne. After her return, Theo knows she’s changed and something happened to her that he can’t discover. But war interrupts the brief time after her Sorbonne sojourn and Theo becomes an RAF pilot and Tessa stuck typing for the war office. Until a family friend who Tessa finds distasteful manages to secure her a change from her boring typing to something far more adventurous because of her perfect French and her mother’s French birth – to act as a courier behind enemy lines. Theo is posted meanwhile to Africa, completely ignorant of Tessa’s role. The distance becomes more than geographical as the war years go on and Theo must confront the changes in the world as well as his own life.
The author explains at the end that the story was inspired by the real group of women who risked their lives behind the lines, not officially recognized or enrolled in the British forces so if they were captured they couldn’t be treated as soldiers but would be treated at the whim of the Nazis. Many of their acts of bravery were swept under the carpet to avoid a scandal. Their contribution was only belatedly recognised and some not at all. A powerful fact added to a very powerful novel. As a women’s historian this novel provided extra appeal, perhaps, and led to the hope that this might be a novel that would be included in many must read lists in and out of educational institutions. Really a must read.
Two twins, Tessa and Theo are the central characters. Siblings, one impulsive and the other cautious, but who are so close they can immediately know and understand the thoughts of the other, until Tessa goes off to Paris to study at the Sorbonne. After her return, Theo knows she’s changed and something happened to her that he can’t discover. But war interrupts the brief time after her Sorbonne sojourn and Theo becomes an RAF pilot and Tessa stuck typing for the war office. Until a family friend who Tessa finds distasteful manages to secure her a change from her boring typing to something far more adventurous because of her perfect French and her mother’s French birth – to act as a courier behind enemy lines. Theo is posted meanwhile to Africa, completely ignorant of Tessa’s role. The distance becomes more than geographical as the war years go on and Theo must confront the changes in the world as well as his own life.
The author explains at the end that the story was inspired by the real group of women who risked their lives behind the lines, not officially recognized or enrolled in the British forces so if they were captured they couldn’t be treated as soldiers but would be treated at the whim of the Nazis. Many of their acts of bravery were swept under the carpet to avoid a scandal. Their contribution was only belatedly recognised and some not at all. A powerful fact added to a very powerful novel. As a women’s historian this novel provided extra appeal, perhaps, and led to the hope that this might be a novel that would be included in many must read lists in and out of educational institutions. Really a must read.
October 11, 2025
British secret agent Tessa Armstrong’s behind-the-lines mission in World War II occupied France gets off to what seems a very bad start when she freezes for a second before jumping from her plane and ends up a good distance from the drop site. A fortuitous thing her hesitancy will prove to be, though, with how her fellow agents are massacred almost as soon as they hit the ground by waiting Germans in an apparent betrayal by a mole in the ranks of the undercover operation.
Lucky to be alive Tessa is, but now very much on her own.
Caught up, too, in the war is Tessa’s twin brother, Theo, a pilot in the RAF who sees a fellow aviator whom he has come to love shot down and then, when his own plane is downed, ends up on the ground with a badly injured leg.
More fortunate than Tessa he is, though, with how (spoiler alert) he ends up in the hands of friendly partisans and in short order is rescued by friendly forces and mustered out of the service and returned to England, albeit with his injury which will trouble him for the rest of his life.
As traumatic for him as the physical injury, though, is worry over what happened to Tessa, something the reader will come to know more about than Theo through sections devoted to Tessa, though even the reader will not know until the novel’s very end exactly what became of her.
A captivating read it all makes for as well as an illuminating presentation of not-so-well known aspects of the war’s aftermath, including, in a scene that particularly affected me, how women who consorted with the Germans had their heads shaved and had insults and swastikas painted on their bodies (men who’d collaborated were shot) and perhaps most disturbing, how the British government initially refused to release missing women’s names to the Red Cross for not wanting to draw attention to the fact that women had been sent behind enemy lines.
Lucky to be alive Tessa is, but now very much on her own.
Caught up, too, in the war is Tessa’s twin brother, Theo, a pilot in the RAF who sees a fellow aviator whom he has come to love shot down and then, when his own plane is downed, ends up on the ground with a badly injured leg.
More fortunate than Tessa he is, though, with how (spoiler alert) he ends up in the hands of friendly partisans and in short order is rescued by friendly forces and mustered out of the service and returned to England, albeit with his injury which will trouble him for the rest of his life.
As traumatic for him as the physical injury, though, is worry over what happened to Tessa, something the reader will come to know more about than Theo through sections devoted to Tessa, though even the reader will not know until the novel’s very end exactly what became of her.
A captivating read it all makes for as well as an illuminating presentation of not-so-well known aspects of the war’s aftermath, including, in a scene that particularly affected me, how women who consorted with the Germans had their heads shaved and had insults and swastikas painted on their bodies (men who’d collaborated were shot) and perhaps most disturbing, how the British government initially refused to release missing women’s names to the Red Cross for not wanting to draw attention to the fact that women had been sent behind enemy lines.
December 5, 2025
If like me you have read WW2 books such as “The Nightingale”, then you will definitely enjoy “The Shock of the Light” which tells the story of female SOE agents during the Second World War.
Tessa and Theo are twins and extremely close. When war breaks out Theo joins the RAF, flying Spitfires and Tessa works as a secretary in the Foreign Office despite her Sorbonne degree. However it becomes clear that the twins have lost some of their closeness’s, particularly after Tessa’s time in Paris in the late 1930s. Both have secrets but are fearful to reveal them to each other.
When Tessa is recruited to the SOE due to her fluency in French, Theo and their parents cannot be told because of the secrecy of the work.
The first part of the book is told from Tessa’s point of view and is extremely atmospheric, convincingly conveying her life as an agent in war torn France, the fear of betrayal being ever present.
After the war Theo tries to find out what has happened to his beloved sister but to no avail until Edie, a PHD student researching the SOE women, meets up with him and decides to look into what life was like for Tessa during the war and why she did not return to her family as a heroine.
Theo has almost lived his whole life not knowing about her last days as he has been too scared to find out and it takes Edie, an outsider, to help him gain some closure.
I loved the two main characters in the book and the fact that they were twins made it all the more interesting. They were both compassionate and brave, living through difficult times with extreme fortitude.
This is an extremely well researched and compelling first novel. The author knows just how much factual information to put in to the book without slowing down the plot. I will certainly be looking out for any further novels by Lori Inglis Hall.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advanced copy.
Tessa and Theo are twins and extremely close. When war breaks out Theo joins the RAF, flying Spitfires and Tessa works as a secretary in the Foreign Office despite her Sorbonne degree. However it becomes clear that the twins have lost some of their closeness’s, particularly after Tessa’s time in Paris in the late 1930s. Both have secrets but are fearful to reveal them to each other.
When Tessa is recruited to the SOE due to her fluency in French, Theo and their parents cannot be told because of the secrecy of the work.
The first part of the book is told from Tessa’s point of view and is extremely atmospheric, convincingly conveying her life as an agent in war torn France, the fear of betrayal being ever present.
After the war Theo tries to find out what has happened to his beloved sister but to no avail until Edie, a PHD student researching the SOE women, meets up with him and decides to look into what life was like for Tessa during the war and why she did not return to her family as a heroine.
Theo has almost lived his whole life not knowing about her last days as he has been too scared to find out and it takes Edie, an outsider, to help him gain some closure.
I loved the two main characters in the book and the fact that they were twins made it all the more interesting. They were both compassionate and brave, living through difficult times with extreme fortitude.
This is an extremely well researched and compelling first novel. The author knows just how much factual information to put in to the book without slowing down the plot. I will certainly be looking out for any further novels by Lori Inglis Hall.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advanced copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Shock of the Light is an emotionally rich, carefully researched World War II novel anchored by a powerful sibling bond. Twins Tessa and Theo feel convincingly intertwined from the first pages, making the novel’s central loss resonate long after the war story itself unfolds.
The wartime sections are especially strong. Tessa’s work with the Special Operations Executive brings tension and moral complexity, while Theo’s experiences as an RAF pilot, and later as a wounded, grieving veteran, are rendered with sensitivity and restraint. Theo’s identity as a clandestinely gay man in a period when homosexuality was criminalized adds another layer of quiet danger and injustice, and Hall handles this aspect of his life with care rather than melodrama.
The novel’s dual timelines largely work, particularly the postwar storyline involving Edie, a PhD candidate researching the SOE. Her partnership with the aging Theo provides a moving frame for uncovering Tessa’s fate and exploring how grief reshapes a life over decades. That said, the contemporary sections occasionally slow the novel’s momentum, especially when compared with the immediacy and emotional intensity of the wartime chapters.
Where the book truly shines is in its portrayal of love - between siblings, between comrades, and in the redemptive connections that can arise unexpectedly from shared loss. While not every narrative strand carries equal weight, The Shock of the Light is a thoughtful, affecting novel about courage, secrecy, and the long shadows cast by war. Fans of character-driven historical fiction will find much to admire here.
Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for providing me with a copy of this book. It will be published on March 17, 2026.
The wartime sections are especially strong. Tessa’s work with the Special Operations Executive brings tension and moral complexity, while Theo’s experiences as an RAF pilot, and later as a wounded, grieving veteran, are rendered with sensitivity and restraint. Theo’s identity as a clandestinely gay man in a period when homosexuality was criminalized adds another layer of quiet danger and injustice, and Hall handles this aspect of his life with care rather than melodrama.
The novel’s dual timelines largely work, particularly the postwar storyline involving Edie, a PhD candidate researching the SOE. Her partnership with the aging Theo provides a moving frame for uncovering Tessa’s fate and exploring how grief reshapes a life over decades. That said, the contemporary sections occasionally slow the novel’s momentum, especially when compared with the immediacy and emotional intensity of the wartime chapters.
Where the book truly shines is in its portrayal of love - between siblings, between comrades, and in the redemptive connections that can arise unexpectedly from shared loss. While not every narrative strand carries equal weight, The Shock of the Light is a thoughtful, affecting novel about courage, secrecy, and the long shadows cast by war. Fans of character-driven historical fiction will find much to admire here.
Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for providing me with a copy of this book. It will be published on March 17, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Twins Tessa and Theo have always been close but as they age, life and secrets start to come between them. It is World War II and Theo has been called up to join the RAF, leaving Tessa desperate to do more to help. The twins are half French and the opportunity comes up for her to join the Special Operations Executive and work undercover in France, a country she loves and which has played an important part in her life. The rest of the book is taken up with her wartime life and the lifelong repercussions of the conflict for both twins.
I don’t want to say any more about the plot as the twists and turns are so compelling and engrossing I don’t want to spoil them in any way. Suffice to say, this is a wonderful book with two very believable, very likeable and very human main characters and a really superb sense of time and place. There are so many books and films set in the Second World War that it’s very hard to find anything original to say about it, but the author really manages to make it all feel very fresh, to concentrate on an area that is not well covered and to always remind you that although we know very well what course the war will take, those at the time did not and the ever present sense of fear and the privations of everyday life are beautifully done.
I was completely gripped from the first page to the last and it’s incredible to think this is a debut novel. There is an enormous amount of research behind the story (and it was fascinating to see afterwards just how much was based on fact) but it never gets in the way of the storytelling and I can’t wait to see what the author does next. Huge, huge recommendation.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.
I don’t want to say any more about the plot as the twists and turns are so compelling and engrossing I don’t want to spoil them in any way. Suffice to say, this is a wonderful book with two very believable, very likeable and very human main characters and a really superb sense of time and place. There are so many books and films set in the Second World War that it’s very hard to find anything original to say about it, but the author really manages to make it all feel very fresh, to concentrate on an area that is not well covered and to always remind you that although we know very well what course the war will take, those at the time did not and the ever present sense of fear and the privations of everyday life are beautifully done.
I was completely gripped from the first page to the last and it’s incredible to think this is a debut novel. There is an enormous amount of research behind the story (and it was fascinating to see afterwards just how much was based on fact) but it never gets in the way of the storytelling and I can’t wait to see what the author does next. Huge, huge recommendation.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.
November 25, 2025
Twins Theo and Tessa grew up in Cambridge to a French mother and English father. As children they were inseparable and had their own understand of each other, blocking out even their parents, but when Theo goes to Cambridge university, Tessa decides to go to the Sorbonne to study. All is well until her third year when Theo finds something changes in his sister and he no longer understands her as he used to.
Then the reality of World War 2 is on them and Theo joins the airforce, flying spitfires. Tessa is initially employed as a secretary, but she is bored and somewhat jealous of her brother's active role in the war and she pursues an opportunity to join the SOE. With her fluency in French she is well suited to the role and she takes on the training without her family's knowledge.
The first half of this novel is essentially Tessa's story of growing up and the war. The plot then jumps about a bit as it follows Theo, then there is a more recent section when a PhD student, Edie, begins to try and track down Tessa's story and makes contact with Theo.
This is a well researched novel, telling what I think must be in very realistic detail what it must have been like for Theo and Tessa at the time. I really enjoyed Tessa's section then the story of Edie's search for Tessa's history is very moving, but the section in between jumped around rather and was a bit slow and drawn out.
Having said that, it is a haunting story, of love, loss, grief and resilience and moving reminder of how much some gave up for our freedom in the 1940's.
With thanks to Netgalley, Team HarperFiction and Lori Inglis Hall for an arc copy in return for an honest review.
Then the reality of World War 2 is on them and Theo joins the airforce, flying spitfires. Tessa is initially employed as a secretary, but she is bored and somewhat jealous of her brother's active role in the war and she pursues an opportunity to join the SOE. With her fluency in French she is well suited to the role and she takes on the training without her family's knowledge.
The first half of this novel is essentially Tessa's story of growing up and the war. The plot then jumps about a bit as it follows Theo, then there is a more recent section when a PhD student, Edie, begins to try and track down Tessa's story and makes contact with Theo.
This is a well researched novel, telling what I think must be in very realistic detail what it must have been like for Theo and Tessa at the time. I really enjoyed Tessa's section then the story of Edie's search for Tessa's history is very moving, but the section in between jumped around rather and was a bit slow and drawn out.
Having said that, it is a haunting story, of love, loss, grief and resilience and moving reminder of how much some gave up for our freedom in the 1940's.
With thanks to Netgalley, Team HarperFiction and Lori Inglis Hall for an arc copy in return for an honest review.
December 31, 2025
9/10
I have read more great books this year than I have in any other year I can remember. So what a better way to end this year (it’s December 30) then breezing through this one heck of a debut novel.
Let me start off by saying that I’ve read more than enough WWII books than one person needs. I’ve read nonfiction and fiction. I’ve read so many that I try to avoid them now.
So many resistance fighter novels all tend to blend together.
I’m not sure why I decided to read this book. Maybe because it’s being released on my birthday. Maybe because it’s more about the bond between twins than it is about the war.
Whatever the reason, I read it and I’m a better person because of it.
Theo and Tessa are twins. They grew up in the UK but also spent a bunch of time in France (their mother is French).
When the war comes around, Theo joins the RAF and heads out to fight evil. Tessa does what Tessa does.
No matter how far apart they are, nothing is stronger than their bond.
But wars change people.
And that’s kinda where the book begins to kick into a higher gear.
This is not only a hugely compelling story, but it’s very well written and really well researched. In fact, it kinda borders being historical fiction. I learned a lot of things about the war that I hadn’t known before - despite the insane amount of books I’ve read about it.
I’m not going to spoil the book for you, so let me just say that if this doesn’t win lots of awards, there’s something wrong with this world.
#netgalley #theshockofthelight
I have read more great books this year than I have in any other year I can remember. So what a better way to end this year (it’s December 30) then breezing through this one heck of a debut novel.
Let me start off by saying that I’ve read more than enough WWII books than one person needs. I’ve read nonfiction and fiction. I’ve read so many that I try to avoid them now.
So many resistance fighter novels all tend to blend together.
I’m not sure why I decided to read this book. Maybe because it’s being released on my birthday. Maybe because it’s more about the bond between twins than it is about the war.
Whatever the reason, I read it and I’m a better person because of it.
Theo and Tessa are twins. They grew up in the UK but also spent a bunch of time in France (their mother is French).
When the war comes around, Theo joins the RAF and heads out to fight evil. Tessa does what Tessa does.
No matter how far apart they are, nothing is stronger than their bond.
But wars change people.
And that’s kinda where the book begins to kick into a higher gear.
This is not only a hugely compelling story, but it’s very well written and really well researched. In fact, it kinda borders being historical fiction. I learned a lot of things about the war that I hadn’t known before - despite the insane amount of books I’ve read about it.
I’m not going to spoil the book for you, so let me just say that if this doesn’t win lots of awards, there’s something wrong with this world.
#netgalley #theshockofthelight
January 21, 2026
Tessa and Theo are twins and have a close relationship, they are both half French. The twins are always there for each other until they are separated when Theo goes to study at Cambridge and Tessa goes to France and study at the Sorbonne to study.
The second world war breaks out, and Theo decides to do his bit for the war and joins the RAF. Tessa becomes bored at home and decides to join the SOE. But it doesn’t start well when she is missing the target of the parachute jump and ends up in the hands of the Germans. But she was the lucky ones as the others in the group all ended up dead.
Theo ends up injured and ends up going home to Cambridge, but no one knows where Tessa is until she has been accused of being a traitor and ends up dead.
Years later Edie is studying for a PHD about the SOE in WW2, especially what happened to Tessa. She contacts Theo and together what happened to Tessa. Was she a traitor like they said she was?
Thank you, Harper Collins, for copy of the shock of the light. The is a very enjoyable debut historical novel. I have read a lot of historical novels, but this was a bit different to others that I have read. This is an emotional read about love and loss of someone you love. And it is historically accurate, I like the character of Tess, which was in the first half of this story, but I personally thought her story was far too short. I thought there could have been more of it. I also thought towards the end the story line was too drawn out and unnecessary. 4 stars from me.
The second world war breaks out, and Theo decides to do his bit for the war and joins the RAF. Tessa becomes bored at home and decides to join the SOE. But it doesn’t start well when she is missing the target of the parachute jump and ends up in the hands of the Germans. But she was the lucky ones as the others in the group all ended up dead.
Theo ends up injured and ends up going home to Cambridge, but no one knows where Tessa is until she has been accused of being a traitor and ends up dead.
Years later Edie is studying for a PHD about the SOE in WW2, especially what happened to Tessa. She contacts Theo and together what happened to Tessa. Was she a traitor like they said she was?
Thank you, Harper Collins, for copy of the shock of the light. The is a very enjoyable debut historical novel. I have read a lot of historical novels, but this was a bit different to others that I have read. This is an emotional read about love and loss of someone you love. And it is historically accurate, I like the character of Tess, which was in the first half of this story, but I personally thought her story was far too short. I thought there could have been more of it. I also thought towards the end the story line was too drawn out and unnecessary. 4 stars from me.
November 22, 2025
What a fabulous book. I am sure it will be a great success when published early next year and I’ll be reminding you all to go and buy a copy!
Tessa and Theo are twins, born in the 1920s to a pacifist father and a French mother. They grow up inseparable until their paths diverge at University, Theo to Cambridge and Tessa to the Sorbonne, where women could get degrees in the 1930s. Something awful happens to Tessa, which shifts her relationship to Theo, and then war breaks out.
The story which unfolds from this point is astonishing, and based on research the author has completed about British women sent behind enemy lines. Tessa returns to France to pass information back to England. She never returns to Theo after the war.
A PhD student, Edie, comes to Theo when he is much older and is researching Tessa. Will this give him a chance to find out what happened to her? Theo has lived a complicated life, personally and professionally and has never been able to find out what happened to his beloved twin.
This is a meticulously crafted, beautiful book, which doesn’t shy away from the horrors of war, but also has love at its heart. It made me cry, which is always a sign that I am immersed in the lives of the characters. Wonderful.
Thanks to Harper Fiction for the ARC of this book.
Tessa and Theo are twins, born in the 1920s to a pacifist father and a French mother. They grow up inseparable until their paths diverge at University, Theo to Cambridge and Tessa to the Sorbonne, where women could get degrees in the 1930s. Something awful happens to Tessa, which shifts her relationship to Theo, and then war breaks out.
The story which unfolds from this point is astonishing, and based on research the author has completed about British women sent behind enemy lines. Tessa returns to France to pass information back to England. She never returns to Theo after the war.
A PhD student, Edie, comes to Theo when he is much older and is researching Tessa. Will this give him a chance to find out what happened to her? Theo has lived a complicated life, personally and professionally and has never been able to find out what happened to his beloved twin.
This is a meticulously crafted, beautiful book, which doesn’t shy away from the horrors of war, but also has love at its heart. It made me cry, which is always a sign that I am immersed in the lives of the characters. Wonderful.
Thanks to Harper Fiction for the ARC of this book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Moving, raw and emotional, and disturbingly credible.
The characters and story are fictional but so true to life, and with autobiographies, Leo Marks’s for one, and extensive research, the truth is coming to light which has been hidden for so many years. This book portrays perfectly the way these people lived at that time. It is atmospheric in description which is so vivid; and the prose and dialogue flow seamlessly, it is a joy to read.
Twins Theo and Tessa, growing up so close in their childhood years they almost know each others thoughts, until an unexpected event in Tessa’s life forces her to go her own way for a while. And then the war intervenes and she is recruited to the SOE to work underground with the resistance movement in France. Lost at this point to her beloved family and reported as ‘missing’ when the war is over, Theo does his best to find out what happened to her but wherever he turns he is met with a brick wall – very oddly no-one knows anything. Many years later along comes Edie researching the roles of women in the SOE, for her PhD, re-opening and bringing new life to the search.
A novel that lingers long after the final page, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Thank you so much to Lori Inglis Hall, The Borough Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of this book.
The characters and story are fictional but so true to life, and with autobiographies, Leo Marks’s for one, and extensive research, the truth is coming to light which has been hidden for so many years. This book portrays perfectly the way these people lived at that time. It is atmospheric in description which is so vivid; and the prose and dialogue flow seamlessly, it is a joy to read.
Twins Theo and Tessa, growing up so close in their childhood years they almost know each others thoughts, until an unexpected event in Tessa’s life forces her to go her own way for a while. And then the war intervenes and she is recruited to the SOE to work underground with the resistance movement in France. Lost at this point to her beloved family and reported as ‘missing’ when the war is over, Theo does his best to find out what happened to her but wherever he turns he is met with a brick wall – very oddly no-one knows anything. Many years later along comes Edie researching the roles of women in the SOE, for her PhD, re-opening and bringing new life to the search.
A novel that lingers long after the final page, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Thank you so much to Lori Inglis Hall, The Borough Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of this book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This gripping and enthralling story covers several decades chronicalling the lives of two close, inseparable twins, Theo and Tessa. They grow up in a loving family spending time both in France, their mother's native country and England,their father's. This dual nationality plays a key part in Tessa's life- from studying at the Sorbonne to joining a secret group of trained female spies in the second world war.
Theo also has his place in the war in the RAF and for the first time they are completely separated.
I learnt such a lit from Tessa's story about the role of women in the war. The author has done a huge amount of research into the special forces organisation that recruited women, trained them secretly then sent them into danger. Tessa, herself, knows that once in France and working as a spy, the chances of her ever seeing her beloved brother or England again, are very slim and each day brings new dangers.
The book is pacy; thrilling in parts, sad in others; there is romance and humour along the way. The characters are believable, the sense of place is very vivid and remains with you long after you finish reading.
This is a very satisfying read and highly recommended.
Thankyou Netgalley and the author for introducing me to an aspect of the war I was not familiar with and for letting me meet such fascinating characters.
Theo also has his place in the war in the RAF and for the first time they are completely separated.
I learnt such a lit from Tessa's story about the role of women in the war. The author has done a huge amount of research into the special forces organisation that recruited women, trained them secretly then sent them into danger. Tessa, herself, knows that once in France and working as a spy, the chances of her ever seeing her beloved brother or England again, are very slim and each day brings new dangers.
The book is pacy; thrilling in parts, sad in others; there is romance and humour along the way. The characters are believable, the sense of place is very vivid and remains with you long after you finish reading.
This is a very satisfying read and highly recommended.
Thankyou Netgalley and the author for introducing me to an aspect of the war I was not familiar with and for letting me meet such fascinating characters.
October 29, 2025
2025 has been a fine year for literary fiction and "The Shock of the Light" is one of the best books I've read so far. It's such a moving story, so hard to put down and so tough to leave when you're done.
Twins Tessa and Theo are ready to serve during World War II. Theo joins the RAF, but Tessa is stuck in a secretarial job until her French fluency attracts the attention of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and is sent into occupied France as a courier. One of the twins will return, and one will not.
Lori Inglis Hall draws a powerful portrait of wartime France and England--shabby, scrappy, proud, and frightened. The chaotic post-liberation return of concentration camp survivors is heart-rending. Women in the SOE also faced British government denial that women had been part of the spy network. This meant that they did not qualify for special treatment as prisoners of war.
There are some threads left dangling which tempt this reader to hope that there could be a sequel. Oh, I would love that! And once you finish this novel, so will you.
Many, many thanks to Pamela Dorman Books, NetGalley and Edelweiss for a digital review copy of this remarkable book
Twins Tessa and Theo are ready to serve during World War II. Theo joins the RAF, but Tessa is stuck in a secretarial job until her French fluency attracts the attention of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and is sent into occupied France as a courier. One of the twins will return, and one will not.
Lori Inglis Hall draws a powerful portrait of wartime France and England--shabby, scrappy, proud, and frightened. The chaotic post-liberation return of concentration camp survivors is heart-rending. Women in the SOE also faced British government denial that women had been part of the spy network. This meant that they did not qualify for special treatment as prisoners of war.
There are some threads left dangling which tempt this reader to hope that there could be a sequel. Oh, I would love that! And once you finish this novel, so will you.
Many, many thanks to Pamela Dorman Books, NetGalley and Edelweiss for a digital review copy of this remarkable book
January 7, 2026
4/5
Thank you, NetGalley, for the advanced reader e-copy of this book!
Wow. That’s honestly the first word that comes to mind after finishing this ARC.
The Shock of the Light is incredibly well researched, and my hat is completely off to Lori Inglis Hall for the care and depth she brings to this story. It is deeply moving, emotionally heavy, at times horrific, and ultimately enlightening in a way that lingers long after the final page. You can feel the intention and respect behind every choice, which makes the reading experience both challenging and profoundly rewarding.
The book does start off slowly, which is why I ultimately landed at four stars, but sticking with it is absolutely worth it. That deliberate pacing lays a crucial foundation for Tessa and Theo’s story, and by the end, I could clearly see how necessary that groundwork was for everything that follows. Once it takes hold, the emotional impact is undeniable.
I’ll be highly recommending this one, and I already know I’ll be purchasing a finished copy the moment it releases. This is a powerful, thoughtfully crafted story that deserves to be read.
Thank you, NetGalley, for the advanced reader e-copy of this book!
Wow. That’s honestly the first word that comes to mind after finishing this ARC.
The Shock of the Light is incredibly well researched, and my hat is completely off to Lori Inglis Hall for the care and depth she brings to this story. It is deeply moving, emotionally heavy, at times horrific, and ultimately enlightening in a way that lingers long after the final page. You can feel the intention and respect behind every choice, which makes the reading experience both challenging and profoundly rewarding.
The book does start off slowly, which is why I ultimately landed at four stars, but sticking with it is absolutely worth it. That deliberate pacing lays a crucial foundation for Tessa and Theo’s story, and by the end, I could clearly see how necessary that groundwork was for everything that follows. Once it takes hold, the emotional impact is undeniable.
I’ll be highly recommending this one, and I already know I’ll be purchasing a finished copy the moment it releases. This is a powerful, thoughtfully crafted story that deserves to be read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Oxford Languages gives a definition of literature as “written works, especially those considered of superior or lasting artistic merit”. This novel fits nicely within that. Theo and Tessa are twins with a very close connection who take very different paths during WWII with only one of them returning home at the end of the war. The remaining twin is badly affected by the loss which remains unexplained for decades until a final encounter with the past in the 21st Century.
The author has researched the subject and writes with a good level of authenticity about the war years and the decades post war, with relatable characters and an excellent story line.I was drawn very quickly into the this book ,the war years being just before my birth and the following decades being part of my history.
Years ago when I first read Sebastian Faulks Birdsong I was emotionally affected by descriptions of life in WWI and this novel has had the same effect about the second world war and I can see Loris Inglis Hill reaching the same heights as Faulks.
I cannot praise this book too highly and as a debut novel it bodes well for future output which I will eagerly await .
The author has researched the subject and writes with a good level of authenticity about the war years and the decades post war, with relatable characters and an excellent story line.I was drawn very quickly into the this book ,the war years being just before my birth and the following decades being part of my history.
Years ago when I first read Sebastian Faulks Birdsong I was emotionally affected by descriptions of life in WWI and this novel has had the same effect about the second world war and I can see Loris Inglis Hill reaching the same heights as Faulks.
I cannot praise this book too highly and as a debut novel it bodes well for future output which I will eagerly await .
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