A prolific author with more than 60 novels to her name has written a World War Two tale.

Ely author and great grandmother Mary Nichols’ latest novel, Escape By Moonlight, is out in hardback and paperback.

Set in World War Two, it is the story of two girls, Elizabeth de Lacey and Lucy Storey, both from the Norfolk village of Nayton, the one wealthy and privileged, the other the daughter of the local stationmaster, poles apart but linked by war and the men they love.

Elizabeth is holidaying with her maternal grandparents in Haute Savoie in 1939 when war breaks out.

Along with her aunt, Justine, she becomes involved with the French Resistance helping allied airmen and escaped prisoners of war over the Swiss border, which becomes more and more risky as Germany takes over the whole of France. Lizzie’s life is one of secrets, betrayal and danger.

In England, Lucy works for her bullying father at the Nayton railway station. Her days are brightened with when she meets Jack de Lacey, Elizabeth’s half brother, but there is class prejudice and a mystery surrounding Lucy’s past to overcome before they can find happiness.

It takes Jack’s other sister, Amy, a hospital nurse, an inquisitive evacuee, a German bomb and an explosion on the railway line to bring everything to a head in Lucy’s world.

Mrs Nichols first novel was published in 1981. She has written a host of critically acclaimed books, including The Summer House (2009), which reached the long list for the RNA’s Romantic Novel of the Year Award.

She said: “Writing for me is an addiction. I am not happy if I haven’t got a book on the go and if my readers enjoy what I have written, that is an added bonus.”

Escape by Moonlight is published by Allison and Busby and is available for £7.99 from Toppings book shop.

More details of her extensive work can be found on www.marynichols.co.uk