France, 1942. "I forced myself to hold his gaze. My heart thrashed inside my chest like a bird battering its wings. They knew who I was. They knew what I’d done." These chilling lines set the stage for Ellie Midwood's emotionally charged World War Two novel, "The Undercover Secretary," a tale of courage, sacrifice, and indomitable spirit.

The protagonist, Dora Schaul, has suffered immeasurable losses at the hands of the Nazis. Her loved ones have been torn away from her, leaving her in a world consumed by chaos and despair. Yet, in the face of unimaginable adversity, Dora refuses to succumb to the tyranny of Hitler's regime. The Nazis may have shattered her world, but they will not crush her spirit.

Midwood's storytelling weaves a compelling narrative around Dora, who becomes a beacon of resistance. Working in secret for the underground network in France, Dora undertakes an extraordinary mission – infiltrating the very heart of the enemy as the secretary to the Head of Gestapo, a figure synonymous with brutality and cold-bloodedness.

The tension rises as Dora daily navigates the treacherous waters of her undercover life, constantly at risk of exposure. She rubs shoulders with those she despises, serving coffee to the perpetrators of her family's demise, all the while working towards a mission that could alter the course of history – leaking the names of SS officers to the British press.

Midwood's portrayal of Dora's internal struggles and external challenges is both heart-wrenching and gripping. The juxtaposition of her daily interactions with the enemy and her clandestine mission creates a narrative that is rich in suspense and emotion. The author skillfully captures the essence of the time, the palpable fear, and the unwavering determination of those who fought against an oppressive regime.

The question of survival permeates the story, not only for Dora but for the countless lives she seeks to save. As readers, we are drawn into a world where every moment is fraught with danger, and the consequences of failure are catastrophic.

"The Undercover Secretary" stands out in the genre of World War Two fiction, offering a fresh perspective on the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unspeakable atrocities. Fans of "The Tattooist of Auschwitz," "The Alice Network," and "The Lilac Girls" will find themselves utterly swept away by this poignant and enthralling novel, a testament to one woman's courage in the darkest hours of history. Ellie Midwood has crafted a tale that lingers long after the last page is turned, reminding us of the power of hope even in the bleakest of times.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture Publisher for an advance digital copy for my advance review.

Novel Nerd Blog: https://smithareading.blogspot.com/

This was a good book! I find these accounts of valor, dedication, love, and personal bravery very interesting. I do like this author's style. Highly recommended.

Ellie midwoods books are all fantastic and this is no exception. Ellie gives a fascinating insight into a different time period and tells the stories so eloquently. She very quickly became one of my favourite authors!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

I love a well researched historical fiction book and this author always writes books that have me feeling the depths that she researches to write her books. I have enjopyed every single book I have read from this author.

Dora, has lost everything that means anything to her to the Nazi regime. As a jewish woman, she cannot see an end to this cruelty and madness. Dora figures out quite early that she has a talent to fit in wherever she needs and she decides to put that to good use and help the opposition in secret. Dora fits in where she needs to and holds tight to her convictions, she is brave and strong. Knowing that this character is based on a real person, Dora Schaul, led to google her and learn more about her.

While I feel as though I have read every book and every aspect of World War II, this book gave me a unique glimpse at another person's journey through this hard time in history. When I read a historical fiction book, I typically rate my experience by my need to google and find out more and with this one I kept finding myself wanting to learn more than what was on the page.

Dora a young woman who leaves her family in hopes of being able to create a life that they may join in the future takes a large leap of faith and the journey is epic. I found myself holding my breath and while a chapter would end, I was "flipping the pages" (read on a kindle) quickly to get into the next chapter. While at times it was difficult to read knowing there was truth underneath it all, Ellie Midwood wrote a story that needed to be shared and highlighted within this sub genre of World War II fiction.

My third Ellie Midwood read and for sure will not be my last. I love the way this author uses a story rooted in complete truth, but keeps me reading with plot and characters that I care about from early on in the book. This author is quickly becoming a must read for me and I will wait not so patiently for her next one!

Ellie Midwood is probably my favorite WWII historical fiction author, I love books based on real-life heroes of WWII and have read all of Ellie"s and loved each and every one of them up until this one. I don't know what happened with this one but it just did not grip me like the previous books have, to me it seemed like it was written by an entirely different person. This one does not have Midwood's usual style and flair. The characters did not come alive for me, there was no connection, I did not find myself invested in what happened to them at all. I only made it thru about the first 25% of the book. The beginning chapters were too l=slow for me, they just seemed to drag on and on. At one point I had to double check the cover to make sure it really was Ellie Midwood who was listed as the author, it was so far from what I have come to expect from her writing.
I know I am in the minority here and others will love it, it just did not work for me. Sorry Ellie, I am still one of your biggest fans and this one miss will not stop me from reading any future books! I look forward to whatever comes next.
Thank you to Bookouture and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

1933 to 1946. This one leaves a scar. It's impossible not to feel torn apart for Dora. An amazing strong, brave woman who learned how to put on a different skin and blend in as needed, while uncovering information with her photographic mind. What a rough road. But she made a big difference in winning the war, at a huge personal cost. Hard to put down. Excellent writing. Clean told.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
#TheUndercoverSecretary #NetGalley #EllieMidwood #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout

I LOVED this book, it was well written with a compelling and at times truly terrifying storyline and well developed characters, some of which I loved. The romance elements were both heartbreaking and heartwrenching in equal measure. A fantastic read

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love Ellie Midwood’s books and this one was no exception! The brutal honesty of what people went through during World War Two oozed from the pages, absorbing the reader into the story with every word. The story created a full circle aspect at the end in the epilogue which I loved. My favourite part of this book had to be when the stakes grew higher in the last few chapters of the book. I couldn’t stop reading the book when it got to these chapters, constantly wanting to know what happened next.

However, I found the start a bit difficult to get into as I expected more of the action and tension earlier in the book than was given. The romance between Alfred and Dora was a wonderful aspect to put into it and their work together was a great addition to the overall story. Dora putting all of her hope into seeing Alfred again fuelled the story on and the ending was heartbreaking!

I cannot wait to read more book from Ellie Midwood. She is fast becoming my favourite historical fiction author to date!

Thank you to the publisher, Bookouture, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love reading well researched historical fiction novels, particularly if they are based on a true story as this one is. The characters were so well portrayed, and despite it all being from Dora’s POV, it was easy to connect with the other characters we meet too. Dora herself was a wonderful character, strong and determined as her difficult journey from Germany to Amsterdam to France showed. This was a heartbreaking, yet inspiring story that doesn’t draw away from portraying the realities of how life was for people during such a terrible time.

I found the synopsis to be a bit misleading personally. I expected the book to have more about Dora working with the French Resistance, but the bulk of it was her backstory and how she came to be in France, seeking to join the Resistance instead. This is not a bad thing necessarily, but since this took up over half the book, I felt that I spent much of the time kind of waiting for the real story to start. Dora’s actual work infiltrating the Gestapo office seemed to go by in a blink.

The Undercover Secretary was a well written, solid read and I would recommend it to fans of the genre. I’m looking forward to checking out a couple of other books by this author since they look really promising!

I’d forgotten this was based on the true story of Dora Schaul, and it read as a fascinating story of bravery and ingenuity - to learn it’s based on actual events reminds me how some people are awe inspiring and we are all probably capable of greater things than we think. If you like strong female characters and historical settings, I strongly recommend this book.

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

Initially found the novel interesting but as I read further I found it didn’t hold me to want to read on. Once I finished the book I also felt it ended abruptly and for me it didn’t quite hit the mark, although it was informative of that era.

This was an incredible read! I don't often read a wartime novel but was somehow drawn to read this one. The cover, the title, the promise of a strong female brave enough to stand tall in the face of all odds...? I'm not sure but I'm very happy that I read this book. The main character was flushed out and my heart hurt for her at different points of the story. It really shed light on the atrocities during Hitler's regime. The pacing was superb too. I highly recommend.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

A fantastic read! Loved it!
This is not just another WWII story but one with substance. The Nazis have taken almost everything from Dora Benjamin-her family, her home, and possibly the love of her life. Determined to fight back and win, Dora joins the French Resistance and finds herself working as the secretary to one of the most notorious Nazi war criminals in history. This is a highly recommended read for those who want a WWII novel based on a brave and daring woman who triumphantly fought the massive Nazi machine.

This is the first time that I have read a book by Ellie Midwood. On of this book it certainly won't be the last.

The story, fictional is based on real events. It also makes use of real geographical locations. This helps to anchor the fiction and give the novel a sense of believability.

The book is centred around the life of Dora, who is from her life in Germany during the mid 1930s. At the time that Hitler was coming into political prominence.

I won't go into detail about the storyline for fear of spoiling the plot. Suffice to say that it deals with aspects of history which are not often covered from this particular viewpoint.

I really like the way that the author has created and developed the characters in this heart breaking book.

I will certainly look out for other books by Ellie Midwood. I give my thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for this advance copy in exchange for this review.

The first half goes a bit slowly and I honestly struggled a bit with it at the beginning, but I understand now it was all building - and shaping - up Dora to the final third of the book. Overall, I really enjoyed the writing and how the author made us care about the characters. I'm certainly looking forward to reading more about this author!
There was just one small instance in Spanish that I'm hoping is fixed in the final version of the book.

I love a well-researched historical book, whether it is fiction or nonfiction. This historical fiction book has held my interest the whole way through with its characters especially our main character, Dora.
The characters are portrayed very well, and I very much enjoyed reading about Dora's strength despite the many terrible situations she found herself in.
This is a fictionalized story of true events.
The evil characters made me shudder, I couldn't even imagine thinking of tricking them the way Dora did. She saw the torture they put men through and knowing she could be subjected to the same but yet she continues to act normal and pleasant among them while at the same time extracting and giving information right under their noses without them being any the wiser.
The author is an absolute magician with words. The way she has with words she brings out such emotion in reader. Absolutely marvelous, soul stirring book that I will read again. Have your tissues with you, this is heartbreaking!

Pub Date 19 Jan 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Midwood is fast becoming one of my favourite historical fiction authors, I've read several of her books now and they're so good.

Based on the true story of Dora Schaul, Midwood brings the story to life with her writing style and research into the era and the characters.

Dora's story is incredible and inspirational, but everything comes at a cost; you've lost everything else, would you be willing to lose your life?

The Undercover Secretary is an emotional story of love, loss and bravery.

Would I recommend it, absolutely yes, without hesitation!

Many thanks to Bookouture for my tour spot.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Undercover Secretary by Ellie Midwood tells the story of an incredible resistance heroine named Dora Schaul (known as Dora Davidsohn as well as several other aliases in this book). It’s only as I reached the end of this book that I realised that it was based on a true person and it made what she did all the more remarkable. This was a quick read and could easily be read in one or two sittings as I felt the real meaty part did not occur until the last quarter or so.

The book opens with an intriguing and intense prologue which instantly had my suspicions raised and I was eager to discover answers. A woman has been taken to a cellar and is being interrogated by a French man as she is believed to be a German spy and so the woman begins to tell her story which turns into an incredible tale of love, loyalty, daring and determination. The story does eventually wind its way back to the opening scene and things come full circle and then begin to push forward which at that point I did become fully engaged and engrossed with everything that was going on.

It’s 1933 and Dora is a German Jew who grew up with her family in Essen. When we meet her she is working in a clothes shop in Berlin having left her homeplace over a year ago. She lives in an apartment with Ashley and Amory, two men who have a cabaret show where they change gender and enjoy a side of life that Hitler will soon put firmly paid to. As the story begins in the early 1930’s it is quite some time before it reaches the war years and I did find this slow but on reflection it does give a detailed background as to the reasons why war came about and what in turn to motivate, fuel and drive Dora on through the most desperate of times. Jews were slowly being targeted as they did not fit into the new and great Germany. An incident with a German costumer means Dora is let go from her job and she finds herself returning to Essen. She feels her wings have been curtailed just as she was experiencing freedom so she does not remain there long but instead gets a one way ticket to Amsterdam to try and establish a life for herself there. I could instantly tell that Dora was restless and had an idea in her mind of what she wanted to happen in her life. The political situation was becoming increasingly uncertain and Dora had a sense of this but I admired how she stuck to her goals.

Whilst in Amsterdam she gets a job and accommodation with Heinrich, a German in hiding, and she agrees to type up Communist leaflets. Through doing this she becomes more aware of all sides, their beliefs and what they will go on to fight for. The job ‘would change the course of my entire life and turn me from vulnerable prey into a relentless hunter feared by the Gestapo themselves’. She attends Communist meetings and it’s there she meets the person who goes on to be the love of her life – Alfred. He is a speaker at the meetings and is someone not afraid to pay the ultimate price for the freedom of many. Alfred had nearly finished his training as a doctor so alongside Dora they help newly arrived refugees in need. An unexpected and perhaps somewhat dangerous visitor tasks the pair with undercover work and this is where I felt the small stirrings of what I would call the turning point of the book although as previously mentioned things really didn’t kick off until the last section. I loved seeing Dora work undercover as a maid watching and listening to everything in order to gain vital information which would help the greater cause as Fascism began to spread its shadow over Europe. Dora is dogged, stubborn and determined in her actions but I felt these qualities would come at a cost and as she grows closer to Alfred and their relationship solidifies and deepens I was apprehensive as to what the ultimate price would be.

The pair move to Paris and I found the sections set in both Paris and Amsterdam to be quite slow. Times are ever changing and Dora finds herself thinking ‘Sometimes one had to abandon one’s principles for a bigger cause’. Life for her family in Essen is reduced to one of survival and she feels guilty for leaving them behind. She tries her best to get them out of the country but as the wheels of change are turning and the power of Hitler is growing this becomes increasingly impossible and from here the book takes on an even more dark, dangerous and unsettling turn. When war is eventually declared the plot really picked up the pace and to be honest it very much needed to. From here on in my heart was in my mouth at what was unfolding and everything that Dora was experiencing. Soon Dora has lost everything to the Nazi’s but to say much more or to go into specifics would ruin the remainder of the plot but suffice to say Dora is put through the ringer time and time again. She must stay strong and fearless in the face of danger and adversity and the task she undertakes is one of sheer bravery and in my mind a quest for revenge. The scenes featuring a certain Nazi were very powerful and vivid and literally your heart is in your mouth in fear of one wrong word being said and for the game to be up. But Dora was moving the pieces of the game well but as for the ending I would never have guessed it.

The Undercover Secretary is a good read which conveys its message - that being the bravery, resilience and courage shown by one woman and the sacrifices she made and the dedication and love she showed to Alfred and of course the cause she was fighting was all worthwhile. She was committed to purging the darkness from the world and although she was only a small cog in a much bigger wheel, her role was vital, and all her actions were not futile in fact the reverse. Being completely honest, I did think I would have liked the latter part of the book to have been extended more as it was tense and riveting and really held my interest. It was edge of your seat stuff not knowing what would come with each turn of the page. As I found, the story itself started off quite slow and it’s only as I reached the section where the title comes into play that I felt did things really pick up and I became really interested in what was going.

Don’t get me wrong this was a good story (although in my opinion not my favourite by this author) but the slow start meant I didn’t engage fully with the characters for quite some time. A reduction in the details regarding the part of Dora’s life pre-war and an extension of what she went through during the war years would have been great. I understand the necessity of knowing how Dora came to be where she was during the war and the reasons for her beliefs and opinions it’s just I felt it was like a really long introduction and I was constantly waiting for the title to have meaning and the details in the blurb to come into play. The Undercover Secretary was well researched with plenty of detail which explained the different factions and the reasons which led to war and how people’s lives changed because of the actions of one mad man. If you like World War Two books with a stable and tenacious heroine than this is the book for you.

I love love love Ellie Midwood books and this one was no exception.

Dora is a strong woman who is Jewish but is working for the Gestapo giving out all the SS Officers names.

This is based on a true story and the book depicts it very well.

It's a heartbreaking story and it will break your heart and piece it together just to break it again.

Highly recommended