Another winning novel from the queen of historical fiction! I loved the Cold War timeline and the relationship of the two sisters in the book. A great read!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

I've read a few of Beatriz Williams' books, but not all. I liked some more than others. OUR WOMAN IN MOSCOW definitely tops them all. I loved the setting, the pace, and the characters. It was a real page-turner.

Twin sisters Ruth and Iris are as different as can be in appearance and temperament, but they have spines of steel and share an unshakable bond that will see them through some truly harrowing days. OUR WOMAN is a tale of what happens when men severely underestimate the women in their lives, and I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed it.

Were there a couple loose ends? Yes. (Whatever happened to Orlovsky's daughter?) Were there moments when I had to suspend belief? Yes. (Marina's part in the climax?) Did I wish there was a little more detail about the "tradecraft"? Yes. Did I still really like this book? Absolutely, yes. It was good fun, and I can't ask for more than that. 4.5 stars rounded up.

Beatriz Williams is a solid yes for me, and always a good recommendation for historical fiction readers. I really liked Our Woman in Moscow. I love the way Williams makes connections to characters from other books, even if it is just a tiny connection, because I feel like I am getting more of a story I loved. This novel boasts more espionage than I expected, and built suspense slowly yet effectively. I felt the dark, the doubt, and sometimes the relief as I read. Great for readers interested in the Cold War.

Our Woman in Moscow was so good! There’s always a place in my heart for historical fiction but especially when it’s from a time/place I don’t know a lot about.

I loved all of the characters in this book and thought their lives and decisions and motivations were completely fascinating. This is (as you may have guessed) set in part in Moscow during the Cold War and is all about spies and betrayal and the love between families. But it also has the glamour of late 1940s New York modeling scene and flips between different parts of Europe during WW2 in a series of flashbacks from different characters perspectives. Definitely recommending this one if you’re a fan of historical fic!

I thought I'd had enough of war stories - and have never liked spy stories - but wow was I wrong!

This author always delivers. Her plot and character development are thorough and paint vivid pictures on the mind of the reader.

This book keeps you turning page after page. I felt so sorry for Iris - upset with Ruth for her selfishness and strongly disliked Sasha! The ending left me wanting more!

Unfortunately, I could not make it through this book. It was too heavy for me. Too much history and too many small details. Sorry about that! I usually really enjoy this author.

Our Woman in Moscow
By Beatriz Williams

Beatriz Williams is an auto-buy author for me and her stories just keep getting better and better. I love everything she writes - as a master of the historical fiction genre, there is just so much heart put into this novel. I love that this has to do with espionage and the KGB, with the mysterious disappearance of Iris Digby, her husband and their children. Did she defect with America's most treasured secrets or is this deeper than what it seems?

I love the dual timeline and dual perspective of this story that is heartbreaking and heart wrenching. It is a story of sacrifice and espionage - and it is so exciting to read that it truly captures my attention. This immersive is read full or rich and historically accurate details which I appreciated and really enjoyed reading about. The writing is beautiful and so engaging I could not put this book down.

I am so happy to have had the opportunity to read this mesmerizing historical fiction novel.

This is fantastic and deserving of all the stars.

Excellent! Just a great spy novel that I loved. Twists and turns and never sure who is innocent. Beatriz Williams is at her best. Must read!

While I have loved other Beatriz Williams books, this was a miss for me. I feel like a lot of it was my fault as I was preoccupied while reading it. That being said, I could not keep up with what was happening, switching between the two twin sisters and the different timelines just led to a big jumbled mess in my mind. I couldn't keep up with who's sleeping with who and who's spying on who. Siiiiggggh......maybe one day I will try to re-read it.

Beatriz Williams is always my go-to author for historical fiction, particularly about areas of history with which I am less familiar. Our Woman In Moscow has the elements of a Williams' story that I love most: family, loyalty, internal conflict, and historical details that make the story feel authentic and raw.

This is a book that is inspired by the Cambridge Spy Ring that notoriously passed along secret information to the Soviet Union before many of the members of the spy ring defected to the USSR. While spy novels or thrillers have a certain allure, Williams elevates the model and makes it even more compelling. The layers in this story are endless, and just when you think you know what's coming, something surprising comes to light.

The story alternates between the perspectives of two twin sisters, Ruth Macalister and Iris Macalister Digby, and a few chapters are from the point of view of a KGB agent in Moscow. Ruth is a retired model who now runs a top modeling agency. Iris is married to Sasha Digby, a former US diplomat who is openly communist. The sisters live in different places at the conclusion of WWII, Ruth lives in New York and Iris follows her husband to Moscow when he defects. Years pass without them being in much contact, and then one day Ruth receives a postcard from Iris, requesting Ruth's help with Iris's fourth pregnancy. Rich with character development and well-plotted, this historical fiction takes a spy thriller and injects it with depth, examining family bonds and the choices we make that put our loved ones in danger.

Williams really did it again with this novel. She's the premier historical fiction writer for readers who want romance, historical details and accuracy, and family drama.

Our Woman in Moscow is another Beatriz Williams dual timeline book. Except this time, it's all the same people just different times of their lives. From just after WWII where we meet sisters Ruth and Iris, to Iris' marriage and the years in the beginning of the Cold War. Iris and Ruth haven't seen or spoken in 12 years, then all of a sudden, Ruth not only receives a postcard from Iris, but someone from the FBI is questioning Ruth about her sister. The story is complex, well written and one that you can just fall into and immerse yourself. Thank you #NetGalley for allowing me to give my voluntary and honest opinion on #OurWomanInMoscow.

My review of this book appears in Historical Novels Review issue 96 (May 2021):
Williams has a gift for taking time-honored romance tropes – doomed love affairs, rebellious ingenues, disillusioned spouses, louche aristocrats, pretend husbands – and giving them sharply focused 20th-century settings observed by brave, energetic heroines with contemporary senses of humor. Her plot-rich, passionate novels often feature the far-flung Schuyler clan of New England, presenting the adventures of a dazzling and ever-growing cast of strong, fiercely intelligent women through the entire 20th century and beyond.
Her latest outing introduces the Macallister sisters, Iris and Ruth, whose story begins in Italy at the start of World War II and culminates in a harrowing attempt to extract Iris from Soviet Moscow in 1952. The two sisters alternate points of view; cynical, take-charge Ruth commands the 1952 plotline, while romantic Iris recalls her 1940 decision to tie her fate to her charismatic lover, Sasha Digby, a diplomat who becomes one of a high-ranking group of Anglo-American spies accused in the 1950s of betraying their nations’ secrets to the Soviets. A mysterious operative, Sumner Fox, has spent years tracking both sisters and offers Ruth a chance to save her sister’s life. The cynical Ruth, however, isn’t sure whose side of the Cold War he’s on, and must risk everything for the only person she has ever loved.
This is Williams at the top of her game. She handles multiple points of view brilliantly, and the propulsive plot doesn’t get in the way of her ability to make the inner lives of her heroines vivid and realistic. The balance between glamour and grit, humor and heartbreak are perfect, making this is an entertaining adventure for romance and spy-thriller fans alike.

Review will be posted on 6/18/21

The year is 1952 and Ruth Macallister works at a Manhattan modeling agency. Things are pretty good for her until she receives a mysterious postcard from her estranged twin sister, Iris. The postcard is requesting her presence in Moscow, where Iris lives with her family. You see Iris left the UK two years ago very mysteriously along with her diplomat husband and her children. Most people think they defected to Moscow and that her husband, Sasha, was a double agent. Enter government agent Sumner Fox who starts questioning Ruth and asking if she has heard from Iris. After she spends more time with Sumner, she becomes more honest with him and they team up to extract her sister from Moscow. Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams is a compelling spy thriller filled with romance, adventure, and family drama.

I loved the character of Ruth right off the bat in Our Woman in Moscow. Williams knows how to write such fun, spunky heroines; I was immediately drawn to Ruth's story. I like how Williams has readers get to know both Ruth and Iris by taking us back to their summer in Rome. That was the summer Iris met Sasha Digby and her life was forever changed. Iris ended up staying behind in Rome once their summer was over, which pretty much sealed the deal for her.

Ruth hasn't talked to her sister in years, but after receiving a postcard from her, she knows something is up and so does counterintelligence officer Sumner Fox. Sumner is everything you could want in a literary hero and I was a big fan of his character. He and Ruth go undercover to extract Iris and Ruth poses as his wife. It's a brilliant match up and I really enjoyed these two in Our Woman in Moscow.

Iris isn't as compelling (at first!) as her twin sister, Ruth, but as Our Woman in Moscow progresses, I was really invested. Parts of the story really break my heart for Iris, but as she becomes more confidant, I became more interested in her secrets and her tumultuous relationship with Sasha. Iris definitely presents herself as one way, but offers much more than I was expecting.

Williams provides an engaging spy thriller in Our Woman in Moscow. Fans of Williams won't be disappointed. I loved the espionage in combination with the family drama and the Cold War setting. Also, avid readers of Williams's novels will enjoy the appearance of certain characters from her other novels.

Beatriz Williams, Our Woman in Moscow, is not one I will soon forget. Williams writes with such unending ease that she makes you want to spend just "one more" page on the couch. You really can't get up when you are reading her books. That is at least, the way I feel. And that is the best gift an author could possibly have in their arsenal. If you are a historical fiction fan, you will absolutely love this one. I have no doubt that this is going to be beloved by many!

In the autumn of 1948, Iris Digby vanishes from her London home with her American diplomat husband and their two children. The world is shocked by the family’s sensational disappearance. Were they eliminated by the Soviet intelligence service? Or have the Digbys defected to Moscow with a trove of the West’s most vital secrets?
In the autumn of 1948, Iris Digby vanishes from her London home with her American diplomat husband and their two children. The world is shocked by the family’s sensational disappearance. Were they eliminated by the Soviet intelligence service? Or have the Digbys defected to Moscow with a trove of the West’s most vital secrets?
This was a very intriguing book about a subject I knew very little about. I was fascinated with the spy intrigue and the double lives these people lived. This is definitely a 5 star read.

Honestly, when I first read the description of Beatriz Williams’ Our Woman in Moscow, I wasn’t sure what to think. I love all things Beatriz, but a Cold War spy novel? Beatriz, are you sure about this?

It turns out she was sure, and Our Woman in Moscow and the story of twin sisters Ruth and Iris shows once again how amazingly talented Beatriz Williams is. As a reader who isn’t normally all that interested in the Cold War, the KGB, and spies, (sorry to fans of all that, but it’s just not my thing) I was completely riveted. Our Woman in Moscow is classic Beatriz Williams. An addictive plot, completely lovable characters, and a satisfying conclusion.

To start, I loved Ruth, the sassy narrator, and her sister Iris! This book is loosely based on the Cambridge Five spy ring back in the 40's which I had heard about in passing but hadn't paid much attention to. The author does a good job with a sense of atmosphere around the characters' time in Europe and Moscow.. I liked the back and forth chapters through time relating how things started and got to the point where the characters ended up in the climactic final chapters - I'm just not sure how I feel about those final chapters. A couple wholly implausible things happen that threw off the ending for me, but I thoroughly enjoyed the time that I spent with this book and the characters until then.

Wow, I loved this book! It was one of the best historical fiction books I have read in a while. I was immediately intrigued by Iris and Ruth and their stories. I was often listening with bated breath as their stories went back and forth and through time.

Thanks to William Morrow for an advanced copy of Our Woman in Moscow!

Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams was my most anticipated book of 2021. Beatriz Williams is my FAVORITE author and her historical fiction is like no other! This one blew me away and I didn't want to put it down!

I loved the 1950s early Cold War spy element of the book!. Her writing transports you to Italy, England and Moscow. Wonderful characters and writing. I was happy to see the ties to the Schuyler family, you know a character from one of her past books is going to show up in a minor role!

This book in the viewpoint of two sisters Ruth and Iris and we alternate a little between 1940, 1948 and 1952 to learn more about why Ruth has all of a suddent received a postcard from her sister. Iris disappeared along wth her American diplomat husband in 1948 from their London home. It was believed her husband defected to Moscow. Now Ruth is posing as the wife of a counterintelligence officer to try to extract her sister and her family...

This was loosly based on the Cambridge Spy Ring where secrets were traded to the Soviet Union before they defected. I love how in-depth Beatriz Williams is on her research and now I'm going to go learn more about the Cambridge Spy Ring!

If this isn't one your radar it should be!

Beatriz Williams’s latest of her alluring historical fiction novels, Our Woman in Moscow follows American twins Ruth and Iris Macallister as they cope with family and espionage in the 1940s and 1950s. Four years after Iris vanished from her London home with her diplomat husband and their young children, Ruth receives a postcard from her estranged sister. The twins haven’t spoken in over a decade, but Iris has suddenly requested Ruth’s presence in Moscow. Partnered with counterintelligence agent Sumner Fox, Ruth seeks to uncover the truth behind Iris’s marriage and bring her sister to safety.

Williams superbly creates an intricate web of narrative and character development, although the novel does occasionally lack a certain level of depth and has some unresolved or forced storylines. The book reads at a steady pace as details of Ruth and Iris are revealed. There is never a true “ah-ha” or “holy sh!t” moment - perhaps it was purposefully written this way - but the disclosure of secrets will compel you to devour every page.

While Her Last Flight remains my favorite of Williams's books, Our Woman in Moscow is a recommended novel for those intrigued by Cold War espionage, family drama, and strong women. Williams continues to release novels at a pace that shocks me, and I am always thrilled to pick up her newest book and be thrown into an elaborate tale.

Thank you to William Morrow, HarperCollins Publishers, and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.