About the Book

Book: Shetland Sunset

Author: Linda Shenton Matchett

Genre: Christian Suspense

Release Date: January 18, 2026

Bonded by a cause but an ocean apart, will their love survive a world war?

After months in Norway helping his cousins with their fishing business, American Askel Westgard seems trapped when the Germans invade until he has a chance to get back at the Occupiers as part of the Shetlandsgjengen, or Shetland gang, a group of fishermen who transport weapons and equipment from Shetland to Norway under cover of darkness. Unfortunately, the beautiful Norwegian woman he’s just met refuses to join him in safety. Will he ever see her again?

Distraught when the Germans overrun her beloved Norway, Tonje Bondevik refuses to take the occupation sitting down. She joins the fledgling resistance movement, deriving great satisfaction distributing the underground newspaper and performing acts of sabotage…until the day the Nazis come looking for her, and she must flee for her life. Perhaps she should have listened to the handsome Norwegian American when he offered to take her to Shetland.

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About the Author

Linda Shenton Matchett writes happily-ever-after historical Christian fiction about second chances and women who overcome life’s challenges to be better versions of themselves.

A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry (of Star-Spangled Banner fame) and has lived in historical places all her life. She is a volunteer docent and archivist at the Wright Museum of WWII. She now lives in central New Hampshire where she explores the history of this great state, immerses herself in the imaginary worlds created by other authors, and drinks copious amounts of tea.

More from Linda

Shetland, also called the Shetland Islands, is an archipelago of about one hundred islands, with fewer than twenty being inhabited. Originally a base for Norwegian Vikings, Shetland came under Scottish rule when King Christian I pledged the island as part of his daughter’s dowry when she was betrothed to James III of Scotland. The island continues to feature an intriguing mix of Norwegian and Scottish heritage in customs, language, and celebrations. Interestingly, Shetland is geographically closer to Norway than Scotland.

The Shetland Bus is the nickname for a World War II clandestine operation during which fishermen smuggled supplies, weapons, radio operators, and agents into occupied Norway and ferried refugees out of Norway to Shetland and England. From 1941-1945, two hundred missions were carried in winter because of the nearly twenty-four hours of darkness that occurred during those months, but that meant crossing in rough, unforgiving seas. Additionally, the risk of being caught by German aircraft or patrol boats was high, and forty-four members lost their lives.

Authors get their ideas and inspiration from many sources, and I learned about the Shetland Bus from an episode of Shetland, a modern-day BBC mystery show that featured a fictional cold case associated with the “bus.” I was able to read multiple memoirs and autobiographies and watch oral history interviews with Shetland Bus participants. It is my hope that Shetland Sunset honors the brave ordinary men who did extraordinary things.

Interview with the Author

Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

I am blessed to often hear from my readers either via email in response to my newsletter or in my Facebook readers’ group. A couple of years ago, I was attending a brunch, and a woman stopped by and asked me if I was Linda Shenton Matchett. When I said yes, she shared that she’d read most of my books and that the stories had meant a lot to her. That was a wonderful experience.

Do you read the genre you write? Why or why not?

I write historical romance because I love history, so about eighty percentage of what I read is historical fiction or historical romance – just about every era except Medieval. When I’m outlining a book, I don’t tend to read WWII fiction because it ends up feeling like work, like I have to take notes. Weird, huh? I read some contemporary romance because there are several authors I really like in that genre.

How did you come up with the title for your book?

Shetland Sunset is part of The Resistance Chronicles, a series that follows siblings who join various resistance groups in Scandinavia and northern Europe. Because the fishermen traveled during the winter months when there was nearly twenty-four hours of darkness, and the book is set early in the war when no one was sure who would be the victor, I wanted to convey the sense of doom and gloom. As the series progresses, the titles become “brighter,” and the last one is Danish Days.

Do you participate in writing challenges on social media? Why or why not?

I have a monthly goal that I set for myself, but I do occasionally participate in the writing challenge on a FB writers page I’m part of to see if I increase my output.

Is your writing space pristine or organized chaos?

My space is a little of both. I’m blessed to have an office dedicated to my writing. The desk holds my computer and printer, a stack of project folders, and some research books, so I would call it pristine. The rest of the room is organized chaos. On the bookshelves items that have special meaning are tucked among the books, and there are lots of shelves on the walls with (lots of) items as well.