Justine is working in factory in New Orleans in 1944. She's working on mysterious parts that are for the war effort, parts no one tells them anything about. And strange things keep happening at the factory. Machines breaking in ways they shouldn't. So, she decides to investigate.

I love WW2 fiction, but I rarely read books that take place in the US during this era. Justine is an orphan, but before their death, her parents were physicists (hence the somewhat clunky title of the book), and they taught her to think like an academic. Which means, she's realizing that things aren't adding up. So, unable to trust anyone, she tries to solve the accidents (which she thinks are sabotage) all by herself.

Justine is a strong female lead, and the book tackles a not-so-often side of WW2. But I found the book very slow to start, where I had to force myself through the first third of it. If you like a good slow burning book, this is for you! But I like more action in my books, so it fell a bit flat for me.

I was provided an ARC copy of this book through Netgalley. My thanks to the publisher and the author for providing it to me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this mystery, set in and around a defense production plant in New Orleans in 1944. Our heroine, Justine, uses her quick, agile brain and scientific knowledge imparted by her physicist parents to figure out that accidents in the plant are actually sabotage. Parts of the book are written from the point of view of both the German saboteur and the American agent trying to stop him, but the clever use of aliases means we have to figure out who is who alongside Justine.

Very clever plotting, a main character who proudly uses her intelligence and skills, and a set of well-drawn characters make this an enjoyable read. I hope it’s the first in a series.

World War II, a super smart young woman and spies.
I found it weird how Justines parents didn’t prepare her for the real world. How can you raise a child like this? Especially back then when children had to grow up much earlier than today.

I found out pretty early who the spies really were but it was still fun to continue reading to see how the author resolved everything.

1944, historical-fiction, historical-places-events, historical-research, Louisiana, sabotage, suspense, suspicion, misogynistic-era, mystery, thriller, stalking, family-dynamics, friendship*****

Totally believable atmospheric with very engaging characters.
Justine may be anachronistic in her time, but so were her mother and godmother. Justine's finest trait? Her willingness/compulsion to teach her interested friend with no high school education all about the arcane things about RADAR and radios. Same friend (while pointing out serious educational disparities) helps her with nuanced interpersonal skills.
When do "accidents" become sabotage and "poor workmanship" become something sinister when it keeps happening in a war manufacturing plant?
Is it really paranoia if someone is actually stalking you?
I found the story and the writing riveting and insightful. Loved it!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

An unputdownable historical fiction centered around the secretive Carbon Division in a manufacturing plant in New Orleans during WWII. The physicists' daughter Justine first deals with her parents, then suspects sabotage in the plant where she is working, putting her in harm's way. This book keeps you on the edge of your seat needing to find out what is going to happen how it happens and who is behind what is going to happen. The author did a fantastic job with this book, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction set in WWII in America.

This book was not for me.

- It took way too long to get started and nothing really happened for the first quarter of the book.

- There was SO MUCH telling and no showing at all.

- The beginning especially suffered from a lot of stage setting in the form of explanations, descriptions and tedious backstories.

As an avid historical fiction reader, I am constantly consuming books that are set during WWII. Mary Ann Evans has mastered the ability of using this time period in a new and unique way in her book. The main character is admirable and what many women would've hoped to be during this time: knowledgable in all things that women weren't expected to know.

Definitely the biggest draw to this book is the blend of the historical fiction and mystery genres. Readers can expect to find themselves on edge trying to figure out who Justine should trust.

While I haven't read other books by this author, I'm definitely interested to see what else she has created!

I really enjoyed this historical fiction so much so I would recommend it to all. The story was well written as it was well plotted out. I enjoyed the mystery factor in this book. I have not read many historical fiction /mystery combined books before. I was unable to out this one down. I would definitely add this one to your TBR.

My first book to read by this author but definitely not my last! Such a gripping novel that made it hard for me to put his book down once I started it. Highly recommend!!

Book received for free through NetGalley

So so so good. I was pulled into the book the second I started reading it and couldn’t put it down. Love the characters and everything! Can’t wait to read more!

I was attracted to this book when I read the author describing her main character as “a little bit Rosie-the-Riveter and a little bit Bletchley Park codebreaker.”

This historical fiction mystery is set in the Higgins Industries factory in New Orleans in 1944, and as the book opens, the main character, Justine Byrne, suspects there’s an industrial saboteur at her work. It’s confirmed when an accident in the secretive Carbon Division kills a co-worker and injures others. The remainder of the book focuses on Justine’s aim to uncover the traitor and clarify the purpose of the oddly shaped carbon gadgets she’s assembling. Is she helping to build something that will end WW2? While reading about Justine defending America’s most unlikely military target, readers are immersed in the setting and the meticulously crafted atmosphere the author has created.

I loved the suspense and the tension created when Justine doesn’t know who to trust. It puts the reader on high alert when they know what’s at risk. Is it another government? Her boyfriend? A co-worker? A spy? Are they watching her? Is she a target? I think this novel stands out for me because of the main character’s background and the ability it gives her in finding answers. She has a unique position in that she knows more than she’s letting on and relies on the fact that women aren’t taken seriously; therefore, she can go undetected as she investigates.

I was spellbound during the ciphering section. It fascinated me. I’m also still recalling the banner in the factory and smiling; “The Guy Who Relaxes Is Helping The Axis!” The author is to be commended in bringing historical fiction lovers something new and unique!

I did struggle with the introduction of the spy code-named Mudcat and noticed that these sections did drag the prose down a bit. Regardless, I’m anticipating a sequel and loved the refreshing analytical approach to solving a wartime mystery.

I was gifted this advance copy by Mary Anna Evans, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

The Physicists' Daughter was an interesting historical fiction mystery. The setting of the book was unique in that it is set during WWII in New Orleans at a factory making top secrets parts as well as boats and airplanes. The story includes technical writing at times which was a bit high level for me. Clearly, the author has done quite a lot of research. Our main character Justine has had an unusual upbringing as her parents trained her from childhood in things like mechanics and welding, Justine is inquisitive, smart, and friendly. I like how she took the initiative to figure out what was happening at the plant when accidents started to happen.
Fans of WWII historical fiction will enjoy this one as it is an immersive and well-plotted story.

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced review copy.

Having never read this author before I was grateful to be given the opportunity to read this book. Well researched by the author with a main character that isn't the standard. The plot took me a while to get to grips with as novels set in the war are not my usual genre.
Excellent plot, very well written and thought provoking.

I read about 20% of this book before giving up. It was just interesting enough to keep me reading that far but not enough to make me want to finish. I kept hoping it would get more interesting but it did not. Since I did not finish I think it would be unfair to the author to write my review online

A wonderful historical mystery in an unusual setting…

Mary Anna Evans has written a wonderful historical mystery, set in an intriguing time and place. Most World War II books are set in Europe, or the Pacific Islands, or Asia, where the active fighting took place. Evans, however, has chosen to tell her tale in the US, at a factory in Louisiana that mostly makes boats for the war effort, but also has a new Carbon Division that makes some top-secret gizmos that nobody knows anything much about. And along with the unusual setting, Evans’ heroine, Justine, is also a bit different. As the daughter of not one, but two physicists - note the position of the apostrophe in the title! – during an era when women were not taken seriously as scientists, she dreams of also being a physicist herself.

However, Justine’s hopes end when the death of her parents in a car crash leaves her without the financial means to go to college. So instead, she puts some of the skills she learned from her parents (reading drawings, machining, welding) to use by getting a job at the Higgins plant in the Michaud area of New Orleans. Something’s not right at the factory, though, and rather than being able to work steadily on assembling her bits of the mysterious gizmos, she keeps being asked to fix machinery that is breaking down. Justine begins to suspect sabotage, and her suspicions are furthered even more when an apparent “industrial accident” kills a co-worker and badly injures two others. What follows is a fascinating story as Justine uses all her wits to figure out what’s going on, and what she can do about it once she does. And also, of course, what the gizmos are for. Along the way she makes a number of friends among the other women working at the plant, and also attracts the attention of two very different men, but isn’t sure who she can really trust. Could the saboteur be her new best friend, or her supervisor, or maybe one of her two beaux?

Even without the mystery, though, The Physicists’ Daughter would be enjoyable reading, just for its fascinating and clearly well-researched wartime background: ration coupons for gas and food, slogans (“The Guy Who Relaxes Is Helping the Axis”), code-breaking, the Higgins factory itself - all come to life. And Evans’ writing is crisp, and moves the story along at a breakneck pace that makes The Physicists’ Daughter hard to put down.

Finally, on a personal level, I resonated with Justine’s concerns about losing her well-paying, if slightly boring, factory job, and finding herself relegated to being a housewife/mother, when eventually all the men would come home from the war. This is exactly what happened a couple of years later to my high-school valedictorian mother, who wanted to be a doctor, but wasn’t able to get into the pre-med classes she needed in college because the returning GIs had preference. So that part of the book really hit home for me.

I have no hesitation with giving The Physicists’ Daughter five stars, and I have my fingers (and toes) crossed, hoping there will be a sequel. And my thanks to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, and to NetGalley, for the advance review copy.

Really solid mystery/thriller. This should accumulate many good reviews, which should not be a surprise since the author has a very good track record. Good stuff.

Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book!

This was a fascinating read! I enjoyed the portrait of a woman, written like a realistic person that I could actually see breathe, talk, move, and act in the world.

I want more. This is an incredible jaw-dropping mystery thriller no one will want to put down even at the end.

The Physicists' Daughter by Mary Anna Evans is a great historical fiction that has mystery, suspense, and an addictive plot that kept me interested.

This book takes place in New Orleans during WWII, and our main character, Justine, works in a factory that has seen some questionable “mishaps” as of late. With this product being used directly to help the troops fighting the war, these malfunctions could place lives in danger. Justine is on the hunt to find out.

Using her unconventional childhood, education, and intelligence, she investigates to find the culprit. Is it just a series of flaws, is it sabotage, does it involve espionage and potential government threats? The deeper she looks into it, the more complicated and risky it becomes. Can she save the day?

I really enjoyed the mystery component and that the main character is not “run of the mill”. The pace, plot, and character cast were interesting and enjoyable.

I would definitely read more from this author in the future.

4/5 stars

Thank you NG and Poisoned Pen Press for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 7/02/22.

WWII fiction but set on the home front of New Orleans in a factory. I loved Justine because even for the time period with women working nontraditional jobs she’s not your typical female. But that works in her favor to figure out what’s going on.