Invitation to the Blues

This was equally fascinating as its predecessor, but at the same time it was a very distinct work from Farthing. While the latter was more of a country-house mystery, this one is a political thriller, and given the inherently political nature of the setting, that allows Walton to explore a bit more of the reality of her alternate history.

As in the first novel, we're looking at an alternate England that has secured Peace In Our Time by signing an armistice with Nazi Germany in 1940. The result is not only the nightmare of a Nazi-controlled Europe; we also see the corrosive effect that reality has on democracy in England, and even in familiar bonds and the general morality of the characters we see. The “Nazis are horrible and bad for everyone” theme would maybe seem more cliched in the hands of a less-skilled author, but Walton's rich characterization and foreboding plot add a lot of richness and depth to the story.

Perhaps most importantly, though: the plot revolved around a partially gender-swapped version of Hamlet (Hamlet and Ophelia are crossed, with the other roles still being played by their traditional genders). I need this in my life, because it sounds like it would be excellent.