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 Lost English Girl

I’ve been reading Julia Kelly’s books since 2020 and I always eagerly await her latest release. This year she gave us The Lost English Girl, which was published back in March of this year. I know I’m going to get a well-researched and well-told story from Kelly and while this new one didn’t quite live up to my high expectations, I enjoyed it and was very invested in the characters and their lives as they tried to make it through World War II with as little hurt - emotional or physical - as possible.

Here’s the book’s description:

Liverpool, 1935: Raised in a strict Catholic family, Viv Byrne knows what’s expected of her: marry a Catholic man from her working-class neighborhood and have his children. However, when she finds herself pregnant after a fling with Joshua Levinson, a Jewish man with dreams of becoming a famous Jazz musician, Viv knows that a swift wedding is the only answer. Her only solace is that marrying Joshua will mean escaping her strict mother’s scrutiny. But when Joshua makes a life-changing choice on their wedding day, Viv is forced once again into the arms of her disapproving family.
Five years later and on the eve of World War II, Viv is faced with the impossible choice to evacuate her young daughter, Maggie, to the countryside estate of the affluent Thompson family. In New York City, Joshua gives up his failing musical career to serve in the Royal Air Force, fight for his country, and try to piece together his feelings about the family, wife, and daughter he left behind at nineteen. However, tragedy strikes when Viv learns that the countryside safe haven she sent her daughter to wasn’t immune from the horrors of war. It is only years later, with Joshua’s help, that Viv learns the secrets of their shared past and what it will take to put a family back together again.

Kelly’s latest few books aren’t for readers who want fast, action-packed historical fiction. Her books are quieter and focus on more of the day to day impact of historical events, in the case of The Lost English Girl it was World War II, instead of the flashy, big moments we all know about. I personally don’t mind that at all but I know some readers expect a faster paced historical fiction and I’d advise them to try other authors instead of Kelly.

Viv’s family drove me up the freaking wall. I cannot stand any story where the female main character is completely controlled by their family. It gets really hard when there’s a time or cultural difference and I try to keep my expectations in check but, oof, I struggled with this one. I hate that women had no powers, that they had to report to their father and then their husband, and that women like Viv, who found themselves unexpectedly pregnant, were shamed (hell, some women are still shamed nowadays). It enrages me, quite honestly. So, it’s no surprise I was totally rooting for Viv as she tried to make a life for herself and her daughter that didn’t include her parents. I desperately wanted her to succeed.

I had a feeling that this book was going to rip my heart out and it most definitely did. But I wasn’t as sure that Kelly would put it back together again. Eventually my assumption was proved correct and the characters had to work hard in the post-war chaos to put their family back to rights. (Is that vague? Good. I was trying to be. Read the book to see what I’m alluding to!)

The Lost English Girl isn’t just a book about how World War II affected the people of Liverpool. It’s about families - made and found - and motherhood. There’s pain and loss, of course, it’s a book set during war, but there’s hope, too. Julia Kelly has written another interesting and emotional novel and I’m already looking forward to what she writes next.

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Last Dance of the Debutante

I first read Julia Kelly back in 2020 when I devoured her novel The Whispers of War. Her latest offering was The Last Dance of the Debutante which was released in Canada in November of last year. I didn’t have the chance to read it until earlier this year but it was a perfect book to read in a month that seemed like it lasted forever. It’s a slow paced historical fiction but it was a delight to read.

Here’s the book’s description:

When it’s announced that 1958 will be the last year debutantes are to be presented at court, thousands of eager mothers and hopeful daughters flood the palace with letters seeking the year’s most coveted invitation: a chance for their daughters to curtsy to the young Queen Elizabeth and officially come out into society.
In an effort to appease her traditional mother, aspiring university student Lily Nichols agrees to become a debutante and do the Season, a glittering and grueling string of countless balls and cocktail parties. In doing so, she befriends two very different women: the cool and aloof Leana Hartford whose apparent perfection hides a darker side and the ambitious Katherine Norman who dreams of a career once she helps her parents find their place among the elite. But the glorious effervescence of the Season evaporates once Lily learns a devastating secret that threatens to destroy her entire family.

I think this one will really appeal to fans of The Crown, especially the first couple of seasons. England has emerged from war and is rebuilding. Times are changing and the “way things have always been done” isn’t cutting it anymore. The way Lily and her friends view society is vastly different than how their parents look at the world and I enjoyed reading as the young women found each other and started to form (and vocalize) their own opinions.

I just know that some people will say that this book is boring and “nothing” happens. The story is a bit slower, to be sure, but this isn’t a historical fiction set in wartime. The tensions present in the plot are a bit different than fighting for your life. But that doesn’t make the story less important. Kelly provides an incredibly interesting and well researched look at what life was like at a very specific time and place in history.

The “devastating secret” that Lily learns was a bit…much, perhaps. I think this was Kelly trying to up the tension and I don’t know if it quite accomplished her goal. It allowed for Lily to get some answers which she desperately needed and there was a satisfying, “Oh!” moment as it all came together. It added to Lily’s growth, which I was really invested in. I loved her as a character and that really helped me enjoy the story overall.

If you want a historical fiction novel that offers a glimpse of a time in history that isn’t often explored, The Last Dance of the Debutante is for you. I enjoyed Julia Kelly’s novel and am so excited for what she writes next.

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Last Garden in England

Julia Kelly's The Whispers of War was a favourite of 2020 so I was very much looking forward her 2021 release, The Last Garden of England. It did not let me down!

Here's the synopsis:

Present day: Emma Lovett, who has dedicated her career to breathing new life into long-neglected gardens, has just been given the opportunity of a lifetime: to restore the gardens of the famed Highbury House estate, designed in 1907 by her hero Venetia Smith. But as Emma dives deeper into the gardens’ past, she begins to uncover secrets that have long lain hidden.
1907: A talented artist with a growing reputation for her ambitious work, Venetia Smith has carved out a niche for herself as a garden designer to industrialists, solicitors, and bankers looking to show off their wealth with sumptuous country houses. When she is hired to design the gardens of Highbury House, she is determined to make them a triumph, but the gardens—and the people she meets—promise to change her life forever.
1944: When land girl Beth Pedley arrives at a farm on the outskirts of the village of Highbury, all she wants is to find a place she can call home. Cook Stella Adderton, on the other hand, is desperate to leave Highbury House to pursue her own dreams. And widow Diana Symonds, the mistress of the grand house, is anxiously trying to cling to her pre-war life now that her home has been requisitioned and transformed into a convalescent hospital for wounded soldiers. But when war threatens Highbury House’s treasured gardens, these three very different women are drawn together by a secret that will last for decades. 

As the description indicates, this novel stretches over three time periods. I really liked that we got a sweeping story with a magnificent garden at the centre of it. The world of gardens and how they were designed for those grand houses in England hadn't ever been something I had thought about and I found it really interesting. I liked reading as the garden was planned, seen in all it's glory, and then in decay as it was being brought back to life. That was how Kelly intended the story to be connected but it got a bit lost in the 1944 timeline. That's not to say I wasn't interested, as I absolutely was. I just think, at some points, it read like two different books that just happened to have the same garden. The 1907 and present day storylines, on the other hand, were woven together really well as it was the beginning and the end (plus a rebirth) of the garden. Emma was determined to figure out Venetia's original plan and I loved reading as she dug into the history of Highbury House's garden.

All the characters - and there were a lot of them - were engaging and I was intrigued at how they were all connected through the years. I cared about each woman and wanted only the best for them. I was worried when they found themselves in impossible situations and rooted for them to find their Happily Ever After, whatever that may have been. 

Kelly spent the most time on the 1944 timeline, which is not surprising as there were three characters featured in that section and given her history of writing WWII era novels. I've read novels about land girls and the big houses that were turned into hospitals (possibly even in the same novel before) but Kelly still managed to make it a fresh and interesting story that kept me turning the pages until the end.

The Last Garden in England isn't perfect but it is perfectly entertaining. I enjoyed every minute I spent reading Julia Kelly's latest novel and thought of it often when I wasn't reading it. This one is for the historical fiction fans who want to get lost in a whole other world - a world full of flowers and secrets.

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

Review: The Whispers of War

 

You know that feeling when you read a new to you author and absolutely adore the book and are so excited because you know they have at least one other book in their backlist you can also enjoy? That happened to me way back in March (remember March?) when I read The Whispers of War by Julia Kelly. I had heard of her Light Over London (I love historical fiction so of course it had been on my radar) but hadn't read it so I jumped at the chance to review her new one, which came out in January of this year (I really don't remember January). And friends? It was so great.

Here's the synopsis:

In August of 1939, as Britain watches the headlines in fear of another devastating war with Germany, three childhood friends must choose between friendship or country. Erstwhile socialite Nora is determined to find her place in the Home Office’s Air Raid Precautions Department, matchmaker Hazel tries to mask two closely guarded secrets with irrepressible optimism, and German expat Marie worries that she and her family might face imprisonment in an internment camp if war is declared. When Germany invades Poland and tensions on the home front rise, Marie is labeled an enemy alien, and the three friends find themselves fighting together to keep her free at any cost.

Featuring Julia Kelly’s signature “intricate, tender, and convincing” (Publishers Weekly) prose, The Whispers of War is a moving and unforgettable tale of the power of friendship and womanhood in the midst of conflict.

I know what you might be thinking, though. Do we really need yet another WWII novel? Haven't we read all the things we could read about that period of time? No, as it turns out. At least, not for me (and remember, every reader is different). 

As is the in thing these days, this book has a dual timeline. Marie's granddaughter, Samantha, tells the story in present day while Marie, Nora, and Hazel each tell a portion of the past. In a way I'm kind of tired of all of the authors choosing to write stories in two time periods but what I really like about it is how it helps me relate to the story a teeny bit more. I don't know what it's like to live through WWII but I'm learning details about it right along with the character in present day. 

What set this book apart from some of the other WWII era books I've read was how much it centred on three female friends. Particularly three women who weren't in active duty. The friendship between Nora, Marie, and Hazel was so delightful to read - how they met and stuck together through some of the hardest years and experiences imaginable. The three of them were found family and they cared for each other deeply and fiercely. One can only hope one finds friends like that in their own lifetime (and I like to think that I have...you know who you are!).

The novel's story was especially interesting to me because it showed what the average woman was doing at the start of the war and how they managed their lives as the war began. Just as I love reading what it was like at home in Canada during the wars, I also appreciate learning what it could have been like for women in England. Not only were the men of London going off to fight but their city would, eventually, be targeted by bombings. They were physically closer to the action and may have felt like they could do more for the war effort than the women in North America.

Finally, I have to note that I was reading this book as the North America was falling apart because of COVID-19. I had been on a last minute vacation to Scotland and was supposed to start a new job on March 17 but couldn't because of said vacation (I started a week later, thank goodness). So, instead of working, I read and The Whispers of War was one of the books I picked up while I had to self-isolate (which was only recommended the week after I returned home and had already been out...it was a weird time). I knew it would be a comforting read but I didn't know how comforted I would be by it. I'm so pleased that I have such a fond memory of this book when everything was such an absolute shitshow.

The Whispers of War will be a historical fiction title I recommend for a long time to come. Though perhaps it might just be until Julia Kelly's next novel, The Last Garden in England, is released next year. I'm already so excited to read it.

*A copy of this novel was provided by the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*