Hapenny

by Jo Walton

The book is a mystery thriller set inside an alternative history in which the United Kingdom made peace with Adolf Hitler in 1941.

In 1949, Britain has slid into fascist dictatorship. When a bomb explodes in a London suburb, Scotland Yard Inspector Peter Carmichael is assigned to the case. He finds a web of conspiracy and a plot to murder both Britain's new Prime Minister and Adolf Hitler during the latter's Friendship visit to London. Carmichael's professional ethics became compromised during a previous case involving the aristocratic and political establishment, which may affect his ability to handle the case at hand.

Life is complicated for Viola Lark as well; she abandoned the upper-class environment of her family and lost touch with her five very different sisters (who are inspired by the real-life Mitford sisters) when she chose to become an actress. Viola is given the role of a lifetime and has hard decisions to make since she becomes caught up in family politics.

The first "Small Change" novel, Farthing, was released in August 2006 by Tor Books. A third novel in the series, Half a Crown, came out in September 2008, also from Tor.