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Fire Casts No Shadow
Caroline Whall hides behind a mastery of disguises and illusions, trying to make a name for herself while disappearing around every corner. Struggling against her own disability, she cajoles, connives, and conceals whatever she needs to support and aid in the resistance efforts against the brutal German invasion of France during World War II. Tempting death and torture at every turn, she gives up her identity and risks everything to complete her mission and survive.
Captain Arlo Sherwood sees two sides of this war from the cockpit of his Lysander. As an RAF member of “Churchill’s Secret Army,” he flies deep into enemy territory to drop agents and supplies into the waiting arms of the French underground, but a deeper commitment on the other side of the Channel puts more than his own life in peril. The innocents—the children whose families and lives have been destroyed—need him and his plane to bring them out of France and to safety.
Gratitude leads to fascination when Arlo continues to cross paths with the mysterious “Limping Lady of Lyon,” but he is not alone. An obsession with Caroline by the head of the Gestapo is quick to make her the most hunted agent in the region and leads to her escape mere minutes ahead of her capture. But even Arlo’s love and insistence, as well as the SOE’s refusal to send her back into France on what can only be called a suicide mission, cannot keep her from returning to finish her fight.
Captain Arlo Sherwood sees two sides of this war from the cockpit of his Lysander. As an RAF member of “Churchill’s Secret Army,” he flies deep into enemy territory to drop agents and supplies into the waiting arms of the French underground, but a deeper commitment on the other side of the Channel puts more than his own life in peril. The innocents—the children whose families and lives have been destroyed—need him and his plane to bring them out of France and to safety.
Gratitude leads to fascination when Arlo continues to cross paths with the mysterious “Limping Lady of Lyon,” but he is not alone. An obsession with Caroline by the head of the Gestapo is quick to make her the most hunted agent in the region and leads to her escape mere minutes ahead of her capture. But even Arlo’s love and insistence, as well as the SOE’s refusal to send her back into France on what can only be called a suicide mission, cannot keep her from returning to finish her fight.
226 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 23, 2025
About the author
Lisa A. Olech
14 books199 followersLisa is an artist/writer living in her dream house nestled among the lakes in New England. She loves getting lost in a steamy book, finding the perfect pair of sexy shoes, and hearing the laughter of her men. Being an estrogen island in a sea of testosterone makes her queen. She believes in ghosts, silver linings, the power of a man in a tuxedo, and happy endings.
Lisa would love to hear from her readers.
Lisa would love to hear from her readers.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 22, 2026
Lisa A. Olech has crafted something extraordinary with Fire Casts No Shadow a WWII story that transcends genre conventions to deliver breathtaking humanity and suspense.
Caroline Whall emerges as a fully realized character whose disability becomes strategic advantage. The "Limping Lady of Lyon" isn't inspiration she's a woman who cajoles, connives, and conceals whatever the mission demands. Olech refuses to romanticize resistance work. This is survival at knife's edge, where one misstep means torture and death. The tension never relents.
Captain Arlo Sherwood provides perfect counterpoint flying children to safety while falling for the most dangerous woman in occupied France. Their connection feels earned, inevitable, and heartbreaking. The Gestapo's obsession with Caroline is chilling and methodical, making her escapes "mere minutes ahead of capture" utterly breathless.
The ethical complexity of Caroline's final decision returning despite it being called a suicide mission is where this novel transcends entertainment and becomes literature. Real courage isn't fearlessness; it's refusing to let fear win when others need you.
Olech's prose is elegant, her pacing relentless, her research meticulous. This honors the real SOE agents who sacrificed everything. Fire Casts No Shadow isn't just excellent historical fiction it's essential. Unforgettable, devastating, and profoundly human.
Caroline Whall emerges as a fully realized character whose disability becomes strategic advantage. The "Limping Lady of Lyon" isn't inspiration she's a woman who cajoles, connives, and conceals whatever the mission demands. Olech refuses to romanticize resistance work. This is survival at knife's edge, where one misstep means torture and death. The tension never relents.
Captain Arlo Sherwood provides perfect counterpoint flying children to safety while falling for the most dangerous woman in occupied France. Their connection feels earned, inevitable, and heartbreaking. The Gestapo's obsession with Caroline is chilling and methodical, making her escapes "mere minutes ahead of capture" utterly breathless.
The ethical complexity of Caroline's final decision returning despite it being called a suicide mission is where this novel transcends entertainment and becomes literature. Real courage isn't fearlessness; it's refusing to let fear win when others need you.
Olech's prose is elegant, her pacing relentless, her research meticulous. This honors the real SOE agents who sacrificed everything. Fire Casts No Shadow isn't just excellent historical fiction it's essential. Unforgettable, devastating, and profoundly human.
Displaying 1 of 1 review