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The Bordeaux Bakery: A Heartbreaking WW2 Spy Thriller; Inspired by True Events in Nazi-occupied France
Not yet published
Expected 30 Jan 26 In Nazi-occupied France, courage is the most dangerous weapon.
As the church bell tolls midnight, Marie-Louise Dumontier scrambles from a small boat on to dry land somewhere near St Tropez, in Nazi-occupied France. Recruited as a courier for the Bordeaux SOE network, the timid British agent must find courage she’s never known. There is no choice. Soon she's working undercover in a bakery, delivering vital intelligence to Jack, the wireless operator, leading missions to sabotage German targets, and is passionately in love. War has finally awakened something in her; she feels truly alive for the first time in her life.
Meanwhile, a young, destitute Jewish refugee, Eve Abelmann, faces agonizing choices in Nazi-occupied Bordeaux; submit, flee, or starve. Will she survive?
When Marie-Louise and fellow agent, Emilie, take huge personal risks that could compromise the local resistance, the ambitious and cruel Gestapo officer, Fischer, already suspicious about the enemy network operating in Bordeaux, soon picks up the scent. In a world where silence saves lives and betrayal is just a whisper away, all three women must try to silently endure their own sacrifice and heartbreak as Fischer closes in.
From the streets of Bordeaux to the forests in the Dordogne, where Maquis guerrilla fighters wage their clandestine war against their occupiers, The Bordeaux Bakery delivers a sweep of authentic characters, each dealing with their own human weaknesses and fears while living each day under the cloud of almost inevitable arrest, brutal torture and death.
For readers who love The Nightingale, Charlotte Gray and the After Dunkirk series —The Bordeaux Bakery is a compelling thriller inspired by the true story of the British agents sent to Bordeaux to help grow the local resistance during its Nazi occupation. C rafted from meticulous research, it is a tale of espionage, endurance, loyalty and betrayal, and the extraordinary courage of women at war.
The Bordeaux Bakery is the second novel by Kate Duprez. Its sequel, The Bordeaux Betrayals, continues this enthralling story.
Meanwhile, a young, destitute Jewish refugee, Eve Abelmann, faces agonizing choices in Nazi-occupied Bordeaux; submit, flee, or starve. Will she survive?
When Marie-Louise and fellow agent, Emilie, take huge personal risks that could compromise the local resistance, the ambitious and cruel Gestapo officer, Fischer, already suspicious about the enemy network operating in Bordeaux, soon picks up the scent. In a world where silence saves lives and betrayal is just a whisper away, all three women must try to silently endure their own sacrifice and heartbreak as Fischer closes in.
From the streets of Bordeaux to the forests in the Dordogne, where Maquis guerrilla fighters wage their clandestine war against their occupiers, The Bordeaux Bakery delivers a sweep of authentic characters, each dealing with their own human weaknesses and fears while living each day under the cloud of almost inevitable arrest, brutal torture and death.
For readers who love The Nightingale, Charlotte Gray and the After Dunkirk series —The Bordeaux Bakery is a compelling thriller inspired by the true story of the British agents sent to Bordeaux to help grow the local resistance during its Nazi occupation. C rafted from meticulous research, it is a tale of espionage, endurance, loyalty and betrayal, and the extraordinary courage of women at war.
The Bordeaux Bakery is the second novel by Kate Duprez. Its sequel, The Bordeaux Betrayals, continues this enthralling story.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication January 30, 2026
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About the author
Kate Duprez
3 books1 followerA new voice in historical fiction, Kate Duprez writes for all who love reading about the many ‘ordinary’ women and men who have shaped history by performing extraordinary deeds. Her novels, The Warsaw Messenger, The Bordeaux Bakery, and its sequel, The Bordeaux Betrayals are inspired by several of the British agents who operated undercover in Nazi occupied Europe during WW2.
She works part time, enabling her time to research and write. She loves to travel and enjoys an outdoor lifestyle in beautiful New Zealand.
She works part time, enabling her time to research and write. She loves to travel and enjoys an outdoor lifestyle in beautiful New Zealand.
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Review of advance copy received from Author
Received this book from the author in exchange for a review.
I have read other novels with the World War II setting, and this one is another. Each Novel gives a different perspective on the trials of the people who endured the hardships that were caused by the War, and each has been informative.
While it is obvious that these historical stories do have components of actual historical facts in them, it is up to the author to draw the reader into the narrative by creating believable characters and situations. This has been done successfully, and it was heart wrenching to read some of the story, as seeing the hardships and situations endured by just trying to eek out a living was tough to imagine.
As the FMC expressed, decisions and actions in a time of war are often far different than that which would occur during time of peace (not a direct quote - simply a memory/impression).
It always tears at my emotions to read these stories, although I keep going back to them. It is crucial to remind oneself of what took place, to hopefully prevent a recurrence. I would never wish that we become too comfortable in our current lives that we forget there are those in the world that still endure hardships.
This story takes place in Bordeaux, France, where an agent sent by the British is assigned to work with a team there to collect information about the Germans and what they are doing in the area. Her cover is to work in a bakery (hence the name of the book), and also to perform whatever duties the team designates. During her time there, she is forced to make decisions that would not be part of her former experiences while living at home with her parents. She is torn, at times, with second guessing her options.
Her fellow team mates each have their own dilemmas, and it weaves into a story that leaves the reader struggling at times to work through the implications and whether (from a distance) you feel that the best choices have been made.
It is a story that leaves the reader emotionally charged, and is worth the effort it takes to read. I thank the author for the opportunity to review it.
I have read other novels with the World War II setting, and this one is another. Each Novel gives a different perspective on the trials of the people who endured the hardships that were caused by the War, and each has been informative.
While it is obvious that these historical stories do have components of actual historical facts in them, it is up to the author to draw the reader into the narrative by creating believable characters and situations. This has been done successfully, and it was heart wrenching to read some of the story, as seeing the hardships and situations endured by just trying to eek out a living was tough to imagine.
As the FMC expressed, decisions and actions in a time of war are often far different than that which would occur during time of peace (not a direct quote - simply a memory/impression).
It always tears at my emotions to read these stories, although I keep going back to them. It is crucial to remind oneself of what took place, to hopefully prevent a recurrence. I would never wish that we become too comfortable in our current lives that we forget there are those in the world that still endure hardships.
This story takes place in Bordeaux, France, where an agent sent by the British is assigned to work with a team there to collect information about the Germans and what they are doing in the area. Her cover is to work in a bakery (hence the name of the book), and also to perform whatever duties the team designates. During her time there, she is forced to make decisions that would not be part of her former experiences while living at home with her parents. She is torn, at times, with second guessing her options.
Her fellow team mates each have their own dilemmas, and it weaves into a story that leaves the reader struggling at times to work through the implications and whether (from a distance) you feel that the best choices have been made.
It is a story that leaves the reader emotionally charged, and is worth the effort it takes to read. I thank the author for the opportunity to review it.
Displaying 1 of 1 review