Oh my! This book is a winner! Great story set in London in WW2. The Official Secrets Act prohibiting people from sharing their work experiences with friends, families, and lovers. Interesting, likeable main characters. And some background mystery surrounding Evelyne Redfern. Was someone responsible for her mother's death? And what is the deal with her glamorous, always absent father, Reginald Redfern? Questions to be answered in a future book, I hope!

A Traitor in Whitehall by Julia Kelly is the first installment in what will be the Paris Orphan series of books. Set during World War II, this first book is a very entertaining read for anyone who likes mysteries and offers an introduction to the main character — mystery buff, Evelyne Redfern. Miss Redfern reads detective stories all the time and is, more than, anxious to put her skills to the test as she encounters a real-life mystery that she is sure she can solve.

Well-known as the Parisian Orphan and the subject of many articles from the age of ten until thirteen, Sir Reginald Redfern’s daughter, Evelyne was the subject of a custody battle between the knight and a French prostitute. Her mother dies of an accidental overdose although Evelyne clearly doesn’t buy that theory and we can almost sense that this may turn out to be one of the mysteries that Evelyne may attempt to solve in another book.

One evening as Evelyne and, her roommate, Moira are leaving the Ritz after an evening out, Evelyne (who works in an ordnance factory) is approached by Mr. Fletcher who is a friend of her parents. He gives her his business card and tells her if she’s interested in a change in her job, to come see him the next day.

She decides to explore this offer further and withstands an interview that is designed to determine her ability to keep secrets. With that hurdle cleared, Evelyne accepts a position in Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s typing pool in the cabinet war rooms under Whitehall where she is to take note of “anything that might be untoward or out of place.”

Evelyne begins her new job with five mystery novels under her arm (her job requires her to live in the bunker for three days with two days off) and an unexpected encounter with a murder victim that will have her joining forces with Mr. Poole who has been tasked with a different investigation.

Author Julia Kelly has created a character in Evelyne Redfern that readers will want to follow as she puts her amateur detective skills to good use. After all, what mystery reader doesn’t fancy themselves a detective at some point?

Scheduled publish date: October 3, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this ARC.

Loved this one! This is probably one of my top favorite historical fiction books that take place during WW2!!! Loved the plot of this one! Right from the first page you are thrust into the action and adventure that this book will take you through! The story developed really nicely with a very well executed ending! The characters were interesting and well written and I loved their development as the story progressed! Loved the historical elements of this story and how well they were written and showed the time period! Loved the relationship between the two main characters and how well they worked together as a team! Loved this one and definitely recommend if you enjoy historical fiction novels, WW2 books, cozy mystery stories, and stories with amazing characters and plot!!!

I got a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

The Traitor in Whitehall by Julia Kelly was so good! If you are looking for a mystery mixed with historical fiction and a side of spy, give this one a read. So many readers I know love Kate Quinn books, and this novel is in the same vein. Excited to see it develop into a series!

[arc review]
Thank you to Minotaur Books for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
A Traitor in Whitehall releases October 3, 2023

3.5

- first in a series
- WWII setting
- murder mystery
- bookish fmc playing detective

Evelyne Redfern has just started a new position as a typist, working in a secret underground bunker for Churchill. She has been asked to keep an eye out and monitor for things that seem out place.

Just a few days into her new job, as Evelyne is heading to the sun lamp treatment room, she stumbles across a dead woman who also happens to be the least liked person in her department.

This was a fun mystery and I really liked the underground setting as it added this closed-door claustrophobic feel that differs from most WWII spy novels with female protagonists.

There were a few things that made this less solid in characterization for a spy novel which ultimately impacted my overall rating:
When the alarms for the warning system went off, I thought it was odd that Evelyne, who was still very fresh to the job, knew more about what to do than the Corporal/Sergeant who were questioning her and would be higher ranked.
Additionally, a lot of characters questioned early on in regards to how she landed this position if she didn’t really have the ideal job prerequisites, which makes it more plausible for her to seem like a plant.

“I could go without many things during a time of war, but I could not abide the thought of being without books.”

This is a great introduction to a new historical mystery series. It is set during World War II, and you can tell the author has made the story historically accurate. She’s researched the time period and has spent a lot of time getting all the details correct. The book has the twists and turns we expect from a mystery. Our heroine is a voracious reader of mystery novels and has paid attention to how investigations are handled. So, our heroine turns out to be a much better investigator than many of the male characters. She is definitely a better investigator, who because she is female, can go places where she is not suspected. A definite must read for fans of Julia Kelly.

Evelyn Redfern comes from a notorious family that had Evelyn in the middle of a child custody case.

When her mother died, and her father didn’t want her, she became known as the Paris Orphan.

To ease her situation, Evelyn found solace in reading mysteries.

It was good she liked to solve mysteries, because as she was working in Winston Churchhill‘s Cabinet War Rooms as a secretary, she became involved in the investigation of a murder of one of her fellow typists since she was the one who found her dead.

Evelyn and David Poole teamed up to do investigating .

It dragged on a bit, but we had the pleasure of being treated for a longer time to Ms. Kelly's descriptive writing and enjoyable story line. 4/5

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Evelyn is working in a munitions factory when she runs into a friend of her parents she hasn’t seen in years. He offers her a job in a secretive capacity as a typist while asking her to report anything she thinks is off. Finding a murdered typist and being locked in the room with the body could be called off. She teams with a gentleman to find the killer.
Goodreads

Everything has to be precise for a spy novel to be believable and Julia Kelly has once again put all the pieces in place with her meticulous and extensive research.

It starts with Miss Evelyne Redfern who was spotted by one of her father’s friends, Mr. Fletcher. He was hoping she had spy capabilities in the early 1940s. She was curious enough to meet with him to find out what he had to offer.

She was interested in his proposal and signed a document of secrecy. From there she became a typist as well as someone who was able to privately monitor the system in the Cabinet War Room. It was an underground bunker in London where critical, timely decisions were made. Winston Churchill sometimes worked from this secured shelter.

Right away, Evelyne found herself witnessing a murder and of course, she screamed for help as someone locked her in the dark room with the dead body. She needed to get out and find whoever did this to a typist she just met.

There’s always a romantic side of a good mystery and Mr. David Poole helped her get out. She wasn’t sure at first what to think. Was he a killer? She was determined to find out where there was a leak and what she could do to help. She was a bright, quick thinker and observant of her surroundings but not sure who to trust.

This book hits all the marks of a cozy mystery. I felt like I was going through a maze trying to figure who was the traitor. The characters are just as anyone would expect from this period of time. Towards the end, it was a tad predictable but that was okay as the plot moved quickly. I can’t wait to find out what happens next with the series.

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy of this advanced book with an expected release date of October 3, 2023.

A great opener in what promises to be an enjoyable historical mystery series set in London during WWII. In 1940, Evie secures a job as a secretary in Churchill's underground war cabinet rooms, but when she discovers the dead body of another secretary shortly after starting the job, Evie is drawn into the murder investigation. She teams up with a mysterious government aide, David Poole, and together they work to uncover the tangled secrets of their coworkers while trying to find and expose the person who is selling government secrets. Evie is a great character, headstrong, smart, and determined. David was more of an elusive presence, but hopefully his character will be fleshed out more in the next book. There is clearly some attraction between the two leads, but Kelly is smart to let it it play out over time rather than rushing anything in this first book in the series. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for a digital review copy.

The Cabinet War Rooms in London were occupied by the most important government officials and Prime Minister Winston Churchill during WWII and became the nerve center of Britain's war machine. I have visited the war rooms and it was very interesting to see the small well fortified rooms where so many of the important decisions were made. A Traitor in Whitehall involves a murder and information that is being sold to the Germans from the War Rooms.

Evelyne is working at a munitions factory in London when she is recruited to be a typist in the War Rooms. She's a well written character who always has a book - usually a mystery - in her hands and doesn't appreciate being made to fell 'less than' by the men she encounters at her job. She has a past that was well known throughout the land due to a very public custody fight between her Parisian mother and her jet set English father and was referred to as the Parisian orphan. It's a nickname that people she meets still remember and even though she has put her past behind her, people still bring it up. Just as she's getting used to her new job in the typing pool, she discovers the body of one of the other typists dead from a knife in her throat. She also finds out that there is a mole working in the War Rooms that is passing critical information to the enemy.
She's pretty feisty and starts asking questions to the point that the man investigation the security leaks agrees to let her work with him. She and David make a good team and together work on both the murder and the security breach. She's great because if he ever tries to treat her as 'just a woman' she comes back at him with a reminder of how crucial she is to their investigation.

So we have Evelyne with a past that everyone knows about, an addiction to mystery stories and a growing attraction to David, working to catch a killer and a traitor and sometimes putting her own life in danger.
She's a great character and I loved her inquisitive mind and the fact that she always has a book close at hand.
The story line is dramatic and moves along at a good pace. There are several suspects and finding out who the bad guy (s) are kept me guessing until the end.

I was quite excited when I found out that this is the first book in a new series called Persian Orphan. Evelyne and David are both characters that I want to read more about and to follow their exploits during war time in England. I hope it isn't too long of a wait for book 2!

3.5 stars.

This one reads like a historical fiction cozy mystery. It was easy to read but it was quite slow-paced and not a lot happened until nearer to the end. It did have a good ending.

This is a light historical fiction read with a likeable main character but there were not enough twists or red herrings for me.

I love this author’s usual historical fiction reads but this one was not my favourite. Nonetheless, it was a pleasant escapist read.

Thanks to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

4.5 stars

I received a complimentary Kindle e-book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to Julia Kelly, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I had sworn off WWII books, but how could I not read about the Cabinet War Room and the London Blitz combined with a mystery? No, I had to read this novel! This book was a great read and so much fun to try (focus on trying) to solve the treason and murder that occurred in this novel.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and look forward to more in this series! A hint is the subtitle, The Parisian Orphan. YEAH!

Definite RECOMMEND

Evelyne Redfern finds herself with an opportunity to make a huge impact during the war and help sniff out a potential leak/mole in the underground war room's of Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Immediately after taking the role, one of Evelyne's coworkers in murdered, and Evelyne is the one to discover her. Evelyne's love of detective novels makes her a perfect fit to take on the role of sleuth, finding clues and getting others to open up to her. She partners with David Poole, shares a few of her secrets and findings, and they quickly take off in leading their own investigation.
This is a fast-paced read as Evelyne displays her intellect and leadership.

Evie Redfern is working at a munitions factory in London in the mystery set in 1940. She is a university graduate who had been working in advertising before the war began. As a child she was known as the Parisian Orphan because the custody battle between her English father and French mother made headlines. After her mother's death when she was thirteen, her father dumped her into an English private school and more-or-less abandoned her.

One evening Evie meets Mr. Fletcher who was a friend of her parents during their Parisian days. He offers her a job working in the Cabinet War Rooms in the typing pool. He wants to get an undercover viewpoint of what is going on there. Very soon after her arrival, she discovers the body of one of her fellow typists and, not having a high opinion of the men sent to investigate the murder, decides to investigate herself. After all, she has had the experience of reading countless mysteries by such luminaries as Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers.

She also finds herself working with David Poole who has been sent to investigate a number of leaks that have made their way to Germany. It seems apparent to both of them that the murder and the leaks are related.

The story was well written and engaging. I liked the World War II setting complete with nightly bombings, ration books, and other privations. I liked Evie's intelligence and curiosity. I liked the way she worked with David Poole and the banter between them.

Since this seems to be the start of a new series, I am looking forward to more adventures for Evie and David.

Introducing readers to the captivating world of the Evelyne Redfern series, the first installment delivers the cozy mystery vibes. Evelyne Redfern, with a scandalous background for her time, emerges as a remarkably resilient character unfazed by society's judgments. She is hired as a typist in the Cabinet War Rooms, but her work is upended when she stumbles upon a dead body on the way to her mandatory sun lamp treatment. The stage is set for a thrilling whodunnit that will keep you guessing until the very end.

It’s a study in relationships, betrayal, and blackmail. While I enjoyed the story, I can’t help but question whether people would readily divulge so much information to a fellow employee, especially when they had something to hide. It just seemed a little too convenient. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the story enough that I am looking forward to the next instalment. 3.75 stars.

It also makes me want to revisit the Cabinet War Rooms when I am next in London.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

With a scandalous history thanks to her parents' sensational divorce proceedings, it’s no surprise Evelyne Redfern had to become a strong, independent young woman in the aftermath. What is surprising, to her anyway, is that after crossing paths with a former friend of the family, she finds herself working as a typist in Churchill’s underground, top secret war rooms just as the war heats up in England. And then, after only a few days on the job, she stumbles upon the freshly deceased body of the least liked person in the typing pool. Secreting away a piece of evidence, craftily aligning herself with the intriguing David Poole who is investigating treasonous activities, and using her uncanny ability to get people to talk to her, Evelyne conducts an investigation worthy of her favorite British mystery authors. Reminiscent of the Maggie Hope (Susan Ella MacNeal) and Stella Bled (A.W. Hartoin) series, with a bit lighter tone, this series is one I’m going to look forward to reading.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, Netgalley, and the author for early access to this well-written mystery..

Evelyn was working at a munitions factory in 1940, when she meets one of her father's friends. He suggests that she could come work for Winston Churchill's war cabinet, and she jumps at the chance.

Within a few days of starting work in the underground bunker, as a typist, she finds one of her fellow typists dead - stabbed in the neck. She is determined to find out what has happened. She is wary of David Poole, a minister who is interested in her activities, until she eventually teams up with him, investigating the murder and the leaks of important documents to the Germans. Set during the Blitz, Evelyn must keep her work secret from her friends, and she must work to keep herself safe from the nightly bombings too.

I enjoyed the partnership between Evelyn and David, and I hope this is the start of a series. I know this book was a different genre than the rest of Julia Kelly's work, and I thought it was good.

I look forward to reading more from this author.

Evelyne is curious and determined, and I loved her! She is going to get to the bottom of the mystery she faces! I loved the mixture of historical fiction with a mystery so much! Each of Julia Kelly’s book is wonderful, and this is certainly no exception!

This book feels like the first book in a series. I don't know if a series will be written or not but it is a good start to it. Evelyne Redfern loves to read mystery novels. She has Moira as a best friend and flat mate. Her parents are notorious. There was a huge custody battle over her leaving her with the name Parisian Orphan. She is summoned to the office of Mr. Fletcher who offers her a job at the Churchill war rooms as a typist. He wants her to keep her eyes and ears open for a mole who is leaking information to the enemy. In her second day of work she finds the dead body of a fellow typist, Jean. Evelyne decides to take matters into her own hands and try to find the killer. David Poole is a Minister's Aide, there to also find mole and now to solve the murder. The story takes off from there with both David and Evelyne questioning possible suspects. It is a fun read and the characters are very likeable. I did find it a little slow in the middle. The beginning introduces the characters and the ending is great. I would recommend this book if you are into historical novels with a twist of murder!!
Thanks to #netgalley, #minotaurbooks and @juliakellywrites for an ARC of this great book