Butterflies – beautiful creatures which conjure up images of hot summer days. But not these butterflies. Grimsby, June 1943, butterflies brought death and destruction to the town. An evil anti-personnel bomb tested for the one and only time on this Lincolnshire fishing town.
Grimsby is at the heart of this book, and by following two families through WW2, we follow the journey the town took alongside them. Lawrence Street was where they lived, a quiet cul-de-sac not far from the docks. Jessie and Tom Williams, their sons Frank and George, and daughter Peggy. Next door lived the Tomkinsons, Bert, Marion and their son Joe, known to everyone as Ratty.
By the end of the war, Tom and Bert are successful businessmen, brought about by George and Ratty and a remarkable find they made as messenger boys during the blackout.
Into this mix is added the local spy, Hairnet Jackson, who had his own particular reasons for betraying his country, and his mysterious disappearance after the Butterfly Raid.
The Americans arrived and Lt Col Elroy Baker stood centre stage and directed operations.
All these threads weave together while the butterfly bombs unleash their terror. Were they all found and destroyed?
The last page answers the question… Secrets, Lies and Butterflies!