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Villa Normandie
May 1944.
The Normandy coastal village of Caillons is under German occupation, its villagers struggling to survive.
With her husband forced into compulsory service for the German Reich, Jeanne Dupré, mother of two adolescent daughters, risks everything to lead the local Resistance cell.
Life becomes even more dangerous with the arrival of British agent Daniel Benedict. He needs Jeanne's help to complete his mission, vital to Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings.
But Jeanne is suspicious that they are not fighting for the same outcome.
Their joint foe is Jürgen Graf, a Nazi oberleutnant set on wiping out the local Resistance. Aware that a spy is at large, Graf is on a ruthless mission to hunt Benedict down.
With the help of a network of Catholic priests, Benedict penetrates the heart of the Nazis’ defences against Allied invasion, the Atlantic Wall.
As the lives of Jeanne and Benedict become increasingly intertwined can they stay true to themselves? Will they have to sacrifice all in their fight for freedom..?
‘Villa Normandie’ is a moving historical novel, presenting an accurate picture of life under Nazi occupation. It is thoroughly detailed, meticulously researched and vividly authentic - depicting the turbulent world of the French resistance and the struggle of the French people for freedom.
The Normandy coastal village of Caillons is under German occupation, its villagers struggling to survive.
With her husband forced into compulsory service for the German Reich, Jeanne Dupré, mother of two adolescent daughters, risks everything to lead the local Resistance cell.
Life becomes even more dangerous with the arrival of British agent Daniel Benedict. He needs Jeanne's help to complete his mission, vital to Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings.
But Jeanne is suspicious that they are not fighting for the same outcome.
Their joint foe is Jürgen Graf, a Nazi oberleutnant set on wiping out the local Resistance. Aware that a spy is at large, Graf is on a ruthless mission to hunt Benedict down.
With the help of a network of Catholic priests, Benedict penetrates the heart of the Nazis’ defences against Allied invasion, the Atlantic Wall.
As the lives of Jeanne and Benedict become increasingly intertwined can they stay true to themselves? Will they have to sacrifice all in their fight for freedom..?
‘Villa Normandie’ is a moving historical novel, presenting an accurate picture of life under Nazi occupation. It is thoroughly detailed, meticulously researched and vividly authentic - depicting the turbulent world of the French resistance and the struggle of the French people for freedom.
367 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 23, 2015
76 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Doherty
5 books20 followersKevin Doherty is the author of the novels Landscape of Shadows, The Leonardo Gulag, Villa Normandie, Charlie's War, and Patriots.
Landscape of Shadows is set in a small French town in Nazi-occupied France. Two German troopers are assassinated. The town's mayor faces a terrible choice: surrender the headstrong and beautiful Resistance fighter to whom he is secretly giving refuge, or let the German commander execute ten innocent citizens in her place.
The Leonardo Gulag takes us to the heart of Stalin's regime of terror when a brilliant young artist is forced to make perfect forgeries of the drawings of Leonardo da Vinci. It is a tale of survival against all odds.
Villa Normandie is set in Nazi-occupied France in the weeks before D-Day. It presents a vivid portrait of life under Nazi occupation and is a moving tale of the French Resistance and the struggle for freedom.
Charlie's War tells the story of a Spitfire pilot shot down in German-occupied France near a town that holds a terrible secret for him. Dare the local villagers help him - and who is the mysterious stranger who comes to his aid?
Patriots is a gripping espionage thriller set in 1980s Russia and Britain. It is a story of power politics and betrayal at the highest levels of government and the intelligence services.
Kevin Doherty has worked in advertising and marketing, has been a director of a number of major British and international companies, and has advised businesses and government agencies in Britain and Europe.
He lives in Berkshire, England, with his wife Roz. They have three sons.
Visit www.kevindoherty.com for more about Kevin Doherty and his novels, and to contact him.
Landscape of Shadows is set in a small French town in Nazi-occupied France. Two German troopers are assassinated. The town's mayor faces a terrible choice: surrender the headstrong and beautiful Resistance fighter to whom he is secretly giving refuge, or let the German commander execute ten innocent citizens in her place.
The Leonardo Gulag takes us to the heart of Stalin's regime of terror when a brilliant young artist is forced to make perfect forgeries of the drawings of Leonardo da Vinci. It is a tale of survival against all odds.
Villa Normandie is set in Nazi-occupied France in the weeks before D-Day. It presents a vivid portrait of life under Nazi occupation and is a moving tale of the French Resistance and the struggle for freedom.
Charlie's War tells the story of a Spitfire pilot shot down in German-occupied France near a town that holds a terrible secret for him. Dare the local villagers help him - and who is the mysterious stranger who comes to his aid?
Patriots is a gripping espionage thriller set in 1980s Russia and Britain. It is a story of power politics and betrayal at the highest levels of government and the intelligence services.
Kevin Doherty has worked in advertising and marketing, has been a director of a number of major British and international companies, and has advised businesses and government agencies in Britain and Europe.
He lives in Berkshire, England, with his wife Roz. They have three sons.
Visit www.kevindoherty.com for more about Kevin Doherty and his novels, and to contact him.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 6, 2024
Author Keven Doherty's novel "Villa Normandie" is the wrenching story of the Nazi occupation of the French costal town of Caillons during WWII. Told in the most explicit fashion, Kevin Doherty describes the townspeople in their most human and venerable condition, living in a state of constant fear for themselves and their families at the hands of an evil, blood thirsty Nazi officer. Central to the story is the actions of a group of local citizens who are members of the French resistance and carry out very deadly attacks and sabotage against the German occupiers at great risk to themselves.
This book is a penetrating look at the ugly domination of Europe by Nazi Germany and one that's a sad reminder of a very dark time in history.
This book is a penetrating look at the ugly domination of Europe by Nazi Germany and one that's a sad reminder of a very dark time in history.
September 20, 2024
A Normandy village under Nazi occupation on the eve of the D-Day landings, a critical moment revisited often by thriller writers. This is a worthy addition, cranking up the tension with the French husband forced to work for the Reich while his wife leads the local Resistance and a British agent requires her assistance. The local Nazi in charge is trying to locate the British agent. The threat to family and community is palpable throughout, living in unrelenting fear yet prepared to commit acts of sabotage despite a brtual crackdown. Only the ending is less dire than it might have been and sadly often was.
July 27, 2017
Well that was grim, as I suppose better fits the experience of life under German occupation than many similar romanticised thrillers that I have read. Actually one of the reasons for mt relatively low rating was the somewhat romanticised ending which seems slightly at odds with the rest of the book, that and a few frustrating inaccuracies that have been noted in other reviews.
October 5, 2021
very brave restistants
this book held my attention right from the first page, how very brave these people were. War is such a terrible state of affairs, even good people can become evil.
So much suffering was endured but good prevailed in the end.
I really enjoyed reading this war time story.
this book held my attention right from the first page, how very brave these people were. War is such a terrible state of affairs, even good people can become evil.
So much suffering was endured but good prevailed in the end.
I really enjoyed reading this war time story.
May 31, 2019
Really enjoyed this book. It was free on Kindle so I wasn’t expecting very much. I liked reading about the French resistance something I know little about. I’ll look for more books set in Normandy during WW11.
February 6, 2020
Great story
A very good Resistance story with many great twist and turns. This book is well written and well research. If you like W W 2 spy novels, this is the book for you. Thank goodness all these folks and countless others did what they did for freedom!
A very good Resistance story with many great twist and turns. This book is well written and well research. If you like W W 2 spy novels, this is the book for you. Thank goodness all these folks and countless others did what they did for freedom!
April 8, 2022
I enjoyed this novel about the French resistance. However the ending was a bit confusing and really required rereading the prologue again. Enjoyed the different points of view, including the Germans. The latter was particularly interesting in that it showed that some Germans were more ambivalent compared to how the Nazis are normally portrayed.
April 2, 2019
What an enjoyable read it was very believable the way the characters interacted with one another and the way fact was merged with fiction.
March 31, 2020
Excellent story, really moving. The characters were well drawn, engaging, the story moved very quickly and was thought provoking.
August 1, 2024
Held My Attention
Kept my attention to the end. Interesting plot, well thought out. No plot holes, or "then a miracle occured" moments.
Kept my attention to the end. Interesting plot, well thought out. No plot holes, or "then a miracle occured" moments.
January 27, 2017
Despite taking a bit of time to get into it, enjoyed this book. Interesting plotline.
February 8, 2016
I thoroughly enjoyed Villa Normandie by Kevin Doherty and have no problem in rating it 5 stars. From the start to the finish it was a real page turner. Fast paced, action filled.
Set in Occupied France during WWII, it tells the story of Resistance Fighters and their contacts, including Jeanne Dupre, Père François Lachanau and Gaspard. Daniel Benedict is a British Agent who is flown in to the area of Caillons, which is under the responsibility of Jeanne and her cell. His mission is to gather information on the Atlantic Wall situated on the coast around Caillons and other villages in the region. It is vital that the information gets through as it will affect the D-day Landings.
Lt. Graf is the brutal German soldier who has no respect for the French people, their customs and way of life. In fact, he has no hesitation in torturing and killing anyone who he thinks is, even slightly, a traitor to the Third Reich.
Villa Normandie deals with tragedy, sacrifice, fear, risks, loss, collaborators, betrayals, relationships and innocence. In a time of terror, there were many heroes, not everyone is as they seem, with some struggling as they fight with their conscience. Kevin Doherty skilfully brought all these characters to life, a very talented author.
I was sad when I came to the end of the novel, it was one of those books you want to read on. Highly recommended.
Set in Occupied France during WWII, it tells the story of Resistance Fighters and their contacts, including Jeanne Dupre, Père François Lachanau and Gaspard. Daniel Benedict is a British Agent who is flown in to the area of Caillons, which is under the responsibility of Jeanne and her cell. His mission is to gather information on the Atlantic Wall situated on the coast around Caillons and other villages in the region. It is vital that the information gets through as it will affect the D-day Landings.
Lt. Graf is the brutal German soldier who has no respect for the French people, their customs and way of life. In fact, he has no hesitation in torturing and killing anyone who he thinks is, even slightly, a traitor to the Third Reich.
Villa Normandie deals with tragedy, sacrifice, fear, risks, loss, collaborators, betrayals, relationships and innocence. In a time of terror, there were many heroes, not everyone is as they seem, with some struggling as they fight with their conscience. Kevin Doherty skilfully brought all these characters to life, a very talented author.
I was sad when I came to the end of the novel, it was one of those books you want to read on. Highly recommended.
February 7, 2016
What an outstanding book
I don't very often write reviews but this book is exceptional not only is the story so absorbing the characters they open your heart to the struggles of that period in history, there struggles just to stay alive, their courage in many cases just to get by. The risks they took in the name of freedom, you can even feel sorry for some of the occupiers .l would recommend it to any who likes both a thrilling read and also a history. l am going to read Patriots. Please Kevin keep writing such outstanding novels.
I don't very often write reviews but this book is exceptional not only is the story so absorbing the characters they open your heart to the struggles of that period in history, there struggles just to stay alive, their courage in many cases just to get by. The risks they took in the name of freedom, you can even feel sorry for some of the occupiers .l would recommend it to any who likes both a thrilling read and also a history. l am going to read Patriots. Please Kevin keep writing such outstanding novels.
February 4, 2017
Good story and interesting plot.quite enjoyed it but the author should have Done a a wee bit more research.......the isle of Lewis sits in the Atlantic,not the north sea as stated in the book!!apart from a few editorial errors it was quite a n enjoyable read.
February 8, 2016
Good
And very good if you're into WWII reading, fact or fiction. And not hard to imagine as fact. Very well written.
And very good if you're into WWII reading, fact or fiction. And not hard to imagine as fact. Very well written.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews