It's June 1944, shortly after Normandy, and the English are anxious to secure a small airstrip close to the front line in France. In the course of a few days, we are privy to the lives of several people. There's Colonel David Clarke, who is preparing his troops for the invasion; his young wife, Gwen; and her lover, George, a member of the Royal Air Force. In France, there's Martine, struggling to keep her small farm going, and her lover, Otto, a German soldier who has to decide if he is going to desert. Also in France is the sadistic SS officer, Jochen Peiper, who, despite the fact that victory is in sight for the Allies, is determined to do anything necessary to reach his goal. Interestingly, as Jones tells us, Jochen Peiper was a real German SS officer tried for war crimes, and she deftly uses the mystery surrounding his death as a stepping-stone for another of her truly spellbinding military novels. --Maria Hatton Copyright 2006 Booklist