THE LAST NIGHT IN LONDON by Karen White
Karen White loves to tell stories, and she loves the city of London. So in her latest novel THE LAST NIGHT IN LONDON she gives her readers a story that will hold them fascinated and sets it in London. It is a perfect combination since she adds in a variety of romantic entanglements and uses World War II as her backdrop.
The book takes place in two time periods. One part of the story takes place in 2019 and the other part takes place in 1939 – 1941. In the modern story a young woman named Maddie Warner is living in London and doing research for an article she is going to write about her distant relative Precious Dubose. Precious lives in London and is nearing 100 years of age. She was a model in pre-war London and the article is going to incorporate pictures of some of her clothes from that era as well as tell a part of Precious’ story.
The wartime story centers on Precious and her roommate Eva. The actions taken by the two women have an impact on the lives of the characters in the modern day story. There is a mystery of sorts that is created and its resolution occurs in Maddie’s story.
White spent seven years of her life living in London and her love for the city is clearly shown in the relationship Maddie and Precious have with it. You almost feel the city come to life as White describes different locales.
White has written good stories in the past but this one is one of her best. She fills it with romance and passion, drama and death. When you are reading the part of the story set in 2019 you don’t want it to stop. The characters are so interesting and the plot so absorbing. Then with the turn of a page you are swept up in the excitement and thrills of pre-war London and you want to stay there indefinitely. But then White forces you to switch again and this continues throughout the book. This type of back and forth could work against the story but in White’s hands it works.
Karen White is a thorough writer, nothing seems rushed and no detail is too much. She is in control of it all and for this reason the writer can relax and enjoy the story knowing it is going to be complete and satisfying.
THE LAST NIGHT IN LONDON is a story that needs to be brought to the big screen or at least streamed as a series. It has traces of all the great war movies of the forties and fifties. If ever a book created a video in my mind it is this one. Karen White has done it again so make sure you don’t miss out.
THE LAST NIGHT IN LONDON is published by Berkley. It contains 480 pages and sells for $27.00.
Jackie K Cooper
www.jackiekcooper.com
