Shadows Behind the Scenery

"Mary Ann Noe deftly blends historical fiction, espionage, and theater in this tension-laden WWII tale, vividly capturing the hazards of wartime travel, the resilience of Londoners under siege, and the shadowy world of intelligence work." -Cam Torrens, award-winning author of The Tyler Zahn suspense novels

On stage, actors can become anybody. And Lynn Fontanne and Alfred Lunt want to use their acting skills to help a world ravaged by World War II.

Getting to a war zone itself is fraught with peril-U-boats prowling the Atlantic, planes shot down, storms on the high seas. Once safely in London, the Lunts dedicate themselves to supporting the populace by volunteering as air raid wardens and hospital orderlies, and most especially through their cathartic dramas. The tensions of wartime and constant vigilance amid crushing fear and nightly bombings leave the city reeling.

But in the most important performance of their lives, Lynn and Alfred take on the roles of spies to ferret out a suspected Nazi collaborator. He has the potential to destroy Allied secret plans for an invasion across the Channel. Invited to the suspect's isolated manor house, the Lunts play a cat-and-mouse game, teetering on a razor's edge to find proof of the man's dangerous dealings with the Germans.