‘Mendacem memorem esse oportet.’ A liar should have a good memory. – Quintilian June 1944: In the chaos following D-Day, a British Intelligence mission in Bordeaux ends in betrayal and death. Captain B.B. Harrison and his network are destroyed; the guilty walk free and the truth is buried beneath layers of deceit. December 1979: Amid Britain’s ‘Winter of Discontent’, sixteen-year-old Benedict Harrison lives in the shadow of family lies and forgotten stories. When he’s invited to stay with his infamous Great Aunt, the artist Gail Miller, he steps into a world of secrets leading back to the war. Together, Gail and Benedict must unearth long-buried family secrets – but the key lies with one man: the moribund Victor Cross, a former spymaster. But can they uncover the truth before it’s too late? In a story of betrayal, falsehood and fragile trust, Emilion explores how the lies we inherit shape who we become…
