Review: A Traitor in Whitehall

I’ve been happily reading Julia Kelly’s historical fiction novels since the publication of The Whispers of War in 2020 - which I LOVED (review here). I’m always excited when she has something new being published but I was especially excited when I learned her 2023 release would be a historical mystery. A Traitor in Whitehall is the first in a new series and I absolutely devoured it. It was so good!

Here’s the book’s description:

1940, England: Evelyne Redfern, known as “The Parisian Orphan” as a child, is working on the line at a munitions factory in wartime London. When Mr. Fletcher, one of her father’s old friends, spots Evelyne on a night out, Evelyne finds herself plunged into the world of Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s cabinet war rooms.
However, shortly after she settles into her new role as a secretary, one of the girls at work is murdered, and Evelyne must use all of her amateur sleuthing expertise to find the killer. But doing so puts her right in the path of David Poole, a cagey minister’s aide who seems determined to thwart her investigations. That is, until Evelyne finds out David’s real mission is to root out a mole selling government secrets to Britain’s enemies, and the pair begrudgingly team up.
With her quick wit, sharp eyes, and determination, will Evelyne be able to find out who’s been selling England’s secrets and catch a killer, all while battling her growing attraction to David?

I’ve been learning more about what kinds of mysteries I enjoy as I’ve been reading more and more of them. I don’t always love amateur sleuths but this one worked for me. I think because I could tell Evelyne was being groomed for working as a spy for the government during the war. Truthfully, that’s one of my catnip stories - show me a book about a female spy during World War II and I’ll grab it right out of your hands. The mystery itself was, I felt, well-written. I was always a step behind Evelyne and David and had no idea how it was going to all wrap up and that’s the way I like it. I was invested and intrigued the whole way through.

The description hints at a romance between Evelyne and David but don’t let that detract you if you’re not a lover of love stories. A frisson of attraction is there but it is so not the point of this story. I have a feeling they tucked that in there to appease the (mostly female) readers of the current historical fiction fad (you know, the types of books I love!). I liked the inclusion of the will-they-won’t-they because, for most people, love is a part of life and it made the story feel more authentic. Am I hoping they get together romantically in a future book? Absolutely. Will I be mad if it doesn’t happen in the next one? Definitely not. I’m here for the history and the mystery, not the romance!

Evelyne was a great character to spend time with. She had a past that was intriguing but she didn’t let it bother her or get in her way. She was smart and had a wonderful and loyal best friend. She was thrust into a wild situation and handled it well - and when she struggled, she learned from her mistakes. I cared about her so much by the end of the novel and I’m so glad this book is just the first in a series. I cannot wait to read more about Evelyne and see what she gets into next.

If you’ve read Kelly before, you know she’s a great writer of history. She never falls into the dreaded info dump trap and always manages to make you feel like you’re right there in the story with the characters. The novel starts near the beginning of WWII and I found it weirdly difficult to know that the bombing that’s begun during this story is only going to get worse for the characters. I also enjoyed the peek into Churchill’s War Rooms because I’m planning on visiting when I’m in London later this year.

As I’ve been writing this review, I’ve realized something: this book reminded me a little of Iona Whishaw’s Lane Winslow mystery series, which I absolutely ADORE. It’s well-written with a focus on history and a well-crafted mystery. The main character isn’t actually an investigator but she has a background/future in spying and other types of sleuthing. And she’s smart and someone who you love to read about. So, if you’ve enjoyed Whishaw’s novels, you might want to consider Kelly’s latest.

I loved A Traitor in Whitehall so much and am really glad Julia Kelly decided to try her (talented) hand at historical mysteries. I can’t wait for the next book in the series. Fans of mysteries will enjoy this novel just as much as historical fiction fans will. Pick it up - you won’t regret it!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Minotaur, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Raging Storm

Having recently-ish realized how much I enjoy reading mysteries, particularly of the crime variety, I jumped at the chance to start reading Ann Cleeves’ Two Rivers series when it started with The Long Call. I enjoyed the first book (review here), the second a little less so (review here), but I was still interested in reading The Raging Storm, book three and published in early September. It didn’t quite live up to my expectations and, sadly, I don’t know if I’ll continue with the series.

Here’s the book’s description:

When Jem Rosco - sailor, adventurer and legend - blows in to the local pub, The Maiden's Prayer, in the middle of an autumn gale, the residents of Greystone are delighted.
The whole place has a strange, unreal quality, the village that time forgot. Backed by a worked-out quarry, with a shingle beach and a north-facing quay, there's little to recommend it to tourists.
When Rosco disappears again, they think nothing of it; that's the sort of man he is. Until the lifeboat is launched to a hoax call-out and his body is found in a dinghy, anchored off Scully Cove, a place with legends of its own.
This is an uncomfortable case for Venn. Greystone is a stronghold of the Barum Brethren and he came here as a child. Faith and superstition mix as another body is found in Scully, and Matthew finds his judgement clouded.
The wind continues to howl, and he realizes that his own life is in danger.

The mystery - paired with the descriptions of the town where the murder took place - was what kept me reading The Raging Storm. I was intrigued and wanted to know how Rosco ended up dead and Cleeves was spinning a tale that kept me guessing. There was just enough tension to keep me on my toes without being too intense (I read mysteries, not thrillers, for a reason!).

Even though I read mysteries for the, well, mystery, I still like to feel invested in the characters. With this one, it honestly could have been any nameless, faceless cops who were solving the case. The three officers who were investigating could have been anyone and felt so incredibly two-dimensional, and that includes Matthew Venn, who’s the anchor of this series. It’s hard to criticize Venn sometimes since he seems to have some well-hidden and well-managed anxiety, past trauma, or something similar that keeps him from connecting with people. Unfortunately, in writing, he comes across as standoffish and it’s hard to care about a character like that. Not that we need to care about the characters but I think that’s a hope of Cleeves, that we’ll be so invested in Venn and the mysteries he solves that we’ll keep coming back for more.

Honestly, I don’t have much more to say about The Raging Storm. I wanted to like the latest novel from Ann Cleeves but it came up short in many ways. Maybe someday I’ll try another of her books but, for now, I’ll take a pass on any further Matthew Venn novels.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the Canadian distributor of this novel, Publishers Group Canada, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own*

Review: More Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up

I happened upon Alexandra Potter’s novels when her book Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up was published back in 2020. I thoroughly enjoyed it (review here) and was so excited when I learned there would be a follow up book. More Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up was published here in Canada in early October and I devoured my egalley in July. It was such a great read!

Here’s the book’s description:

There is no magical land you finally arrive at where everything is figured out, fixed and sorted. Life, like us, is a sum of moving parts, and if we’re lucky, we get to keep f**king up, figuring it out and laughing in the face of it all.
Nell’s back. Her life still isn’t going to plan. And she’s still asking the big questions and getting none of the answers. Like, for

1. Why is falling in love so easy, but staying in love so hard?

2. What do you do when your friendships are put to the ultimate test?

3. Can we ever really live in the moment and leave the past behind?

4. When everything goes tits up, do you fall apart or jump on a plane to LA with Cricket (an eighty-something widow and your BFF)?

5. And when all else fails, will celebrity-scented candles, smashed avocados and Instagram filters save us?*

But first, Nell has some more confessions . . .

* #onlyjoking #sortof #LOL

Being able to reunite with Nell was an absolute joy. I loved her when I first met her in the first book and reading this one was like when you get together with a friend you haven’t seen in awhile but you immediately pick up where you last left off.

It was interesting to read a book that was set during lockdowns, now that we’re getting further removed from that time. The first time I read a fictional story that referenced the pandemic I was completely put off - I wasn’t ready to have that time invade my reading time. I think I’m more accepting now, plus Potter did an exceptional job of making it real but not a scary reminder of what we all went through.

I find Potter’s books exceptionally difficult to review and I think part of it is because the stories mimic real life so much that it would be like trying to write a review of the last year of my own life. There are highs and lows, just like you’ve likely had in the last year or so. You have great friends whose lives have also had ups and downs and you want to be there to support them but it can be hard sometimes, especially when your life looks a lot different, and, hello, pandemic. What I’m trying to get at is, there’s a lot of heart and soul in this book. You’ll laugh, nod in agreement, cringe in embarrassment, and maybe even tear up a time or two. None of the emotions will hit you especially hard but packaged together they create a wonderful story that’ll leave you with a warm glow.

If you haven’t yet read Alexandra Potter’s books, you’re missing out. More Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up was a great read - it’s a well-written novel that’s full of characters I adore. What’s not to love? I can’t wait to read whatever Potter writes next!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the Canadian distributor of this novel, Publishers Group Canada, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own*