About the Book
Cambridge, 1942. Twins Tessa and Theo had always shared everything – until the summer Tessa spent studying in France. She hasn’t been the same since. But before Theo can find out why, he is recruited by the RAF and disappears into the skies.
Determined to carve her own path, Tessa joins the clandestine Special Operations Executive, slipping into the shadows of occupied France. It will be dangerous work, but France is the home of her greatest love – and her darkest secret. Tessa has many reasons for wanting to return.
Two years later, Theo comes home. Tessa does not.
Format: Hardcover (432 pages) Publisher: The Borough Press
Publication date: 12th February 2026 Genre: Historical Fiction
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My Review
One of the many things I admired about this novel is how both Tessa’s and Theo’s motivations for the actions they take seem absolutely understandable. Tessa’s experience in France (although the author cleverly withholds every detail initially) changes her outlook but means for almost the first time there is something significant she can’t share with her brother. Both sense a change in the bond between them. There’s a distance where there was none before. It’s an unsettling feeling given the turbulent events unfolding in the world.
A necessary part of Tessa’s preparation for her role in the Special Operations Executive is adopting a new identity. For her, it’s not a challenge so much as a way to put recent events behind her. ‘Tessa in this world is Marianne, a new person with no ties, no obligations. No roots.’ The detail of Tessa’s training for her undercover mission felt completely authentic and are obviosuly based on meticulous research. What I hadn’t grasped before was the consequences for women such as Tessa if they were captured because they would not be afforded the status of prisoners of war. It made their role even more precarious and we see how chance – both good and bad – plays a part in Tessa’s story. It also reminded me once again of the courage of those in occupied France who joined the Resistance or who shielded its members.
Theo’s role as an RAF pilot is equally hazardous, a fact brought home to the reader early on. An event he witnesses stays with him forever, bringing the feelings of guilt that survivors often experience. I found Theo’s story utterly compelling. The author manages to pack many different elements into it, such as changing social attitudes, yet they never feel superfluous or irrelevant.
Theo’s search for answers about Tessa’s fate brings him up against a brick wall of denial, obfuscation and downright deceit. His reluctance to stop asking awkward questions brings serious personal consequences, only adding to suspicions there are things the British govenment simply don’t want known. It’s only decades later the full story is revealed, shedding light on a real life historical injustice. What I found particulary moving was Theo’s misplaced feelings of guilt. His anguish at the fact he stopped asking questions, his regret that he didn’t press harder for answers or didn’t ask the right questions.
The Shock of the Light gripped me from the start and didn’t let me go until the final page. It’s a remarkable debut.
I received an advance review copy courtesy of The Borough Press via NetGalley.
In three words: Compelling, moving, authentic
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About the Author
Lori Inglis Hall was born and raised in Leicestershire, and now lives with her family in East Sussex. Her first novel The Shock of the Light explores the relationship between twins Tessa and Theo, who are torn apart by the trauma of war. She holds an MA in History and previously worked in politics and the arts.
Connect with Lori
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