A Traitor in Whitehall - Historical Fiction Review

Goodreads:  A Traitor in Whitehall by Julia Kelly

Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)
Source:   Publisher 

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?

Genre: Fiction - Historical

Why I Picked This Book:  I read a book by this author last year and really loved it and this one looked fascinating.  

My Impression:  Evelyne is quite an interesting character.  Her early life was overshadowed by a nasty and very public custody battle between her parents and now her young adult life is filled with wartime service.  And through it all Evelyne keeps her beloved mystery novels close by her side.  I am heavily predisposed to like a character who loves mysteries and Agatha Christie especially.  Throw in the fact that she's tough and smart but also incredibly loyal and I'm fully sold.

The murder happens fairly early in the book but we then go back and learn more about Evelyne's background and see just how she ends up working in Churchill's war room.  I found this part fascinating as while I've read quite a bit of World War II history I've never really spent much time on this aspect of it.  

This story is much more of a mystery than the previous book I've read by this author and has a slightly cozier feel.  I'm a big mystery fan so this was an absolute delight to me but it might be a surprise if you're expecting a book with a similar feel to her previous books.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely!  Though different I've really enjoyed both books I've read by this author and am looking forward to reading more.  

Would I Recommend this Book? Definitely!  If you enjoy historical fiction or mysteries this is definitely a book you really should try!

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *