What do you think?
Rate this book
Wren Jane Beacon #3
Wren Jane Beacon Runs the Tideway
After proving her abilities and bravery at Dunkirk, the next step for Wren Jane Beacon was to run a boat with an all-Wren crew and this third book in her saga sees Wren Jane assigned to a boat on the River Thames as part of the Royal Naval Auxiliary Patrol during the Blitz. Jane and her loyal Wren team survive fire and blast, challenging seamanship demands and acting as Admiral’s barge to emerge with flying colours. Their successful service on the river takes away the final doubts and prejudices of higher authority to promise the opening of a new world for women.
But below the appearance of day-to-day running Wren Jane and her team are also tasked with keeping their eyes open for signs of espionage and this leads them deeper and deeper into danger as they get closer to the truth. Penetrating the closed world of the dockside gay community to get beyond them to the actual spies, Jane and her crew find themselves in acute peril as those spies hit back, kidnapping some and injuring others with booby-trap devices.
Against the backdrop of her work and adventures, Jane falls utterly in love with the naval officer she rescued at Dunkirk and later met at Buckingham Palace. The youngest son of a Marquis is not her mother’s idea of a suitable partner nor does Jane suit the ambitions of the Marchioness but love, sex and some gentle blackmail cements this relationship to see them engaged. Under the pressures of wartime the move from falling in love to marriage was quick. ‘Live for the day for you may be dead tomorrow’ was the overriding attitude of those desperate days and the pioneering young Wrens on Jane’s boat live it to the full.
But below the appearance of day-to-day running Wren Jane and her team are also tasked with keeping their eyes open for signs of espionage and this leads them deeper and deeper into danger as they get closer to the truth. Penetrating the closed world of the dockside gay community to get beyond them to the actual spies, Jane and her crew find themselves in acute peril as those spies hit back, kidnapping some and injuring others with booby-trap devices.
Against the backdrop of her work and adventures, Jane falls utterly in love with the naval officer she rescued at Dunkirk and later met at Buckingham Palace. The youngest son of a Marquis is not her mother’s idea of a suitable partner nor does Jane suit the ambitions of the Marchioness but love, sex and some gentle blackmail cements this relationship to see them engaged. Under the pressures of wartime the move from falling in love to marriage was quick. ‘Live for the day for you may be dead tomorrow’ was the overriding attitude of those desperate days and the pioneering young Wrens on Jane’s boat live it to the full.
229 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2018
About the author
D.J. Lindsay
4 books6 followersI have a full bio on my website
www.wrenjaneb.co.uk
Try that if you are interested.
www.wrenjaneb.co.uk
Try that if you are interested.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 12, 2019
Many thanks to author DJ Lindsay for sending me a paperback copy of this novel. What follows is my honest review.
This book is the third novel in the Wren Jane Beacon series set in England during the Second World War. While it can be read on its own, it will mean more to the reader if read in sequence with the other two books – Wren Jane Beacon Goes to War and Wren Jane Beacon at War.
In the first two books. Jane Beacon had broken down many barriers for women in what was typically a very masculine field of service. Her natural love of being on the water made learning how to work on the boats along the coast of England an excellent fit for her and her willingness to stand up for herself served her in very good stead.
The third book in the saga is a little different than the first two in that Jane is moved from her comfort zone on the coast to work on the River Thames as part of the Royal Navy Auxiliary Patrol during the time of the London Blitz. Before reading this book I knew next to nothing about the work of this particular group and it was quite fascinating to learn more about this aspect of service during the war. D J Lindsay has done his usual excellent job of researching the field he is writing about and it shows in the telling of the story.
After Jane has spent some time in training under supervision as she learns about work on the Thames. Jane and several of her female cohorts are assigned to work together on the river and it is a true learning experience for all of them including Jane. Although she is comfortable on the water, it quickly becomes evident that she has much to learn about what it means to be in charge of a crew and all the mundane things that go along with that. She makes mistakes along the way but is open to learning and the women of her team have a respect for each other that lets them move past minor issues and continue to be a cohesive unit.
All of the women who work together are aware that what they are doing on a day to day basis will influence what will happen for other women who wish to follow in their footsteps. Their aim is to “do their work properly and well and get on with it regardless”. The work was not always easy and conditions could include working while air warfare took place overhead. Returning readers will be pleased to find that familiar characters such as Punch and others return as part of the crew of the boat Kittiwake which the Wrens are responsible for running.
Being a novel set during wartime, there is also loss that the women face. Jane has one particularly difficult loss that triggers her PTSD and leaves a lasting impact on her.
In book 2 Jane had fallen in love with a naval officer, David, the youngest son of a marquis, that she had rescued at Dunkirk. In this book their relationship continues to grow though often from a distance. It is not with out issues as neither family totally approves of the match however an engagement does take place. Her fiancé’s brother Arthur (a rather lecherous fellow) is involved in “secret” work and approaches the women of the Kittiwake to do some undercover work on his behalf to try and find out why dead bodies keep turning up in the local waters. This work is not without risk and provides some real excitement through out the book as the women end up serving as “bait”. Their efforts lead to Jane receiving shrapnel injuries and finding herself once again in a hospital bed and pondering where her future will take her. Marriage is clearly in her future but she is determined that it will not stop her from fulfilling her destiny.
This was a book that definitely held my attention and kept me reading. The author, as usual, also included a lengthy bibliography for those who wish to dig deeper into the subject matter. I look forward to hearing more of Wren Jane Beacon’s experiences down the road and in the meantime heartily recommend the series and this book to those who like a good WW2 yarn filled with historical detail.
This book is the third novel in the Wren Jane Beacon series set in England during the Second World War. While it can be read on its own, it will mean more to the reader if read in sequence with the other two books – Wren Jane Beacon Goes to War and Wren Jane Beacon at War.
In the first two books. Jane Beacon had broken down many barriers for women in what was typically a very masculine field of service. Her natural love of being on the water made learning how to work on the boats along the coast of England an excellent fit for her and her willingness to stand up for herself served her in very good stead.
The third book in the saga is a little different than the first two in that Jane is moved from her comfort zone on the coast to work on the River Thames as part of the Royal Navy Auxiliary Patrol during the time of the London Blitz. Before reading this book I knew next to nothing about the work of this particular group and it was quite fascinating to learn more about this aspect of service during the war. D J Lindsay has done his usual excellent job of researching the field he is writing about and it shows in the telling of the story.
After Jane has spent some time in training under supervision as she learns about work on the Thames. Jane and several of her female cohorts are assigned to work together on the river and it is a true learning experience for all of them including Jane. Although she is comfortable on the water, it quickly becomes evident that she has much to learn about what it means to be in charge of a crew and all the mundane things that go along with that. She makes mistakes along the way but is open to learning and the women of her team have a respect for each other that lets them move past minor issues and continue to be a cohesive unit.
All of the women who work together are aware that what they are doing on a day to day basis will influence what will happen for other women who wish to follow in their footsteps. Their aim is to “do their work properly and well and get on with it regardless”. The work was not always easy and conditions could include working while air warfare took place overhead. Returning readers will be pleased to find that familiar characters such as Punch and others return as part of the crew of the boat Kittiwake which the Wrens are responsible for running.
Being a novel set during wartime, there is also loss that the women face. Jane has one particularly difficult loss that triggers her PTSD and leaves a lasting impact on her.
In book 2 Jane had fallen in love with a naval officer, David, the youngest son of a marquis, that she had rescued at Dunkirk. In this book their relationship continues to grow though often from a distance. It is not with out issues as neither family totally approves of the match however an engagement does take place. Her fiancé’s brother Arthur (a rather lecherous fellow) is involved in “secret” work and approaches the women of the Kittiwake to do some undercover work on his behalf to try and find out why dead bodies keep turning up in the local waters. This work is not without risk and provides some real excitement through out the book as the women end up serving as “bait”. Their efforts lead to Jane receiving shrapnel injuries and finding herself once again in a hospital bed and pondering where her future will take her. Marriage is clearly in her future but she is determined that it will not stop her from fulfilling her destiny.
This was a book that definitely held my attention and kept me reading. The author, as usual, also included a lengthy bibliography for those who wish to dig deeper into the subject matter. I look forward to hearing more of Wren Jane Beacon’s experiences down the road and in the meantime heartily recommend the series and this book to those who like a good WW2 yarn filled with historical detail.
November 4, 2018
The third book from this author and wren jane beacon falls deeply in love and hopefully becomes a naval wife. WW2 is still very much going on and jane is still very much part of it in her job. another very enjoyable story by this author, that all war saga readers will enjoy. its best to read the other two first to see janes amazing journey. i loved the way i am pulled into the characters as i keep on reading. loved it
March 23, 2021
In "WREN JANE BEACON RUNS THE TIDEWAY", Jane finds herself reassigned. The Royal Navy is beginning to come round to the notion that women may have a useful role in its ranks after all. Jane is sent from Dover to London, where she is assigned to a boat on the River Thames as part of the Royal Navy Auxiliary Patrol. She is given training on how to run one of the boats. The idea is that if a WREN can show that she's capable of running a boat, then perhaps a crew of WRENs can be trained to operate as an integral part of the Auxiliary Patrol in the Thames Estuary.
Jane passes yet another test and is put in command of a ship of her own, with 4 other WRENs. Between December 1940 and May 1941, as London itself is subjected to nightly bombing attacks by the Luftwaffe, Jane and her crew endure a variety of experiences that will leave the reader amazed and breathless.
All in all, "WREN JANE BEACON RUNS THE TIDEWAY" is a well-told, compelling story that comes highly recommended.
Jane passes yet another test and is put in command of a ship of her own, with 4 other WRENs. Between December 1940 and May 1941, as London itself is subjected to nightly bombing attacks by the Luftwaffe, Jane and her crew endure a variety of experiences that will leave the reader amazed and breathless.
All in all, "WREN JANE BEACON RUNS THE TIDEWAY" is a well-told, compelling story that comes highly recommended.
March 13, 2026
Brilliant follow on after the excitement of the earlier book
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews