Based on the description and cover I expected a grittier mystery but this is more cozy. Evelyne loves detective novels and is a likable Mary Sue. Evelyne’s frank discussions with near strangers—and in public places—were implausible, especially given the time period and the official secrets act. Loose lips sink ships and all that. People just open up to her and tell her their secrets. You have to suspend disbelief and it feels low stakes throughout.

1940 Evelyne Redfern is recruited to work as part of the typing pool at P.M. Churchill's secret underground bunker and spy on the others. Soon she discovers a body in the sun treatment room. As she is so clever in discovering the murderer before the reveal in the mysteries she reads (except Christie) she teams up with David Poole and investigates.
An enjoyable cozy ww2 mystery, though I didn’t really take to Evelyn plus as a supposed lover of books she cracked the book's spine.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

After devouring The Last Garden in England I was delighted to see a new offering by Julia Kelly and A Traitor in Whitehall was equally fantastic.

Set in WWII London, Evelyn Redfern is working in Churchill’s War Room doing her part to aid in the war effort. A typist and a lover of detective fiction, she will use both of these skills to solve a murder and uncover a treasonous mole within the agency.

The historical atmosphere was so accurately written I could practically hear the bombs going off. Plenty of red herrings kept me guessing and now I impatiently wait for the next book in this series.

I'm a fan of Julia Kelly's other books and I'm glad she is branching out and doing some historical mysteries as well. I recommend A TRAITOR IN WHITEHALL for fans of the Maisie Dobbs and Maggie Hope series. I really like Evelyne and the story kept my interest. My one minor complaint is the pacing feels a bit slow. I love how the author evokes the time period, and I adore how Evelyne relies upon the mysteries she reads to help solve real-life mysteries. I look forward to the next entry in this series.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy to read and review!

Imagine historical fiction Mets cozy mystery. A charming heroine working in Churchill’s War Rooms. I enjoyed the setting as I don’t believe I’ve read a WW2 historical fiction novel that brings in those underground workspaces.

Definitely an entertaining read with an ending that caught me by surprise.

My thanks to Net Galley, St Martin s /Minotaur, and the personal invitation I received to review this excellent book.

If you like ww2 historical fiction and murder mysteries, this combines the best of both worlds. Evelyn Redfern is recruited by one of her father s friends to work in the typing pool for Winston Churchill at Whitehall. When one of the typists is murdered, Evelyn, and David Poole attempts to.find out whodunit, but are led into paths of blackmail, and treason.

Highly recommend this. Intelligent and well written.

A new tale of mystery and espionage during World War II, in the government offices at Whitehall, London. For those of us who relish reading tales of life during the Blitz, this one gives a good feel for life for Londoners at that time. Lack of sleep, fear of losing homes and/or lives of self and loved ones, transportation routes disturbed, rationing. It's all here.

But the story itself revolves around the government workers on all levels attempting to continue their efforts to effectively wage war against threats from Germany; both from the air and from those around them. Our heroine, Evelyne Redfern, changes jobs from a munitions factory line to the typist pool under Whitehall, working for the government. It doesn't take long before there's dead body, possible treason, and dual investigations into all of this. Evelyne, a lover of fictional mysteries, ends up right in the middle of everything working with a fellow from the Ministry of Information. Of course, the investigations and her new relationships with many new coworkers, as well as her long-time friends and relatives are the meat of this story.

Evelyne comes with an interesting background that may or may not play a larger role in the projected series, but my favorite personal attribute is her love of reading, especially the Golden Age of Detective Fiction authors that I have loved over the years. She doesn't just say she loves reading, she actually carries a book when she goes place, and reads whenever she gets the chance (even in the air raid shelter). I love it and relate.

This was my first Julia Kelly novel, but I am confident that I'll be reading more; especially the continuation of the series.

I have been waiting to read about Evelyne Redfern for a while after hearing the author share snippets of the new series in her newsletters. I was taken on a journey back into behind the scenes world of Winston Churchill's Cabinet War Rooms (CWR). An historical mystery set in London during WW2 with Evelyne becoming involved with the undercover world of espionage and spies to help Britain win the war. I could really picture the typists, cabinet ministers, Royal Guard, etc. doing their jobs in the CWR and having taken a tour of the CWR a few years ago, the descriptions felt realistic.
The book begins by explaining Evelyne's backstory as a infamous youngster in the 1920s and the layers of the Evelyne and the mystery are carefully revealed within her new typist job in the CWR. Then, she is recruited to be a spy for a different agency by a friend of her father's, whom she doesn't have see anymore. There are two plotlines going on in this book and you are not quite sure how they are connected until the end. One involves a murder in the War Rooms and the other has secrets being shared with the enemy.
There were many supporting characters in the story, but each had a unique story of their own and I had little difficulty keeping them straight. Evelyne is a reader and names numerous books she is reading or had read and they were fun to keep track of and look up. One book even played a role in breaking the mystery case she was working.
If you are a fan of mysteries, empowered women, London, and WW2, I recommend this book and can't wait to revisit with the characters in the next book in the series.
Thank you St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: October 3, 2023
Julia Kelly’s newest foray into historical fiction, “A Traitor in Whitehall” features intrigue, suspense, clandestine meetings, treason and murder, all set in London during World War Two.
Evelyne Redfern’s family is notorious. Her father, Reginald Redfern, is known for being an adulterer and a cad, betraying Evelyne’s mother after a highly publicized custody trial that left Evelyne sent to an all-female boarding school and leaving her mother behind. Now, Evelyne’s mother is dead and her father has, for all intents and purposes, disappeared from her life. Evelyne is doing what she can to keep her last name, and her family history, a secret from those around her, working a mundane job in a munitions factory to help the war effort. But when a friend of her family’s offers her a position in the basement of Whitehall, part of the secret war rooms of Prime Minister Churchill, Evelyne quickly becomes involved in a murder investigation much like the ones she reads about in her beloved detective novels. Not only has Evelyne’s colleague been murdered, but there is a mole in Whitehall, someone who is secretly sending confidential information to the enemy, and Evelyne is convinced the two may be connected.
“Traitor” is the first in a new series by Kelly, which becomes apparent as the novel reaches its end. Unfamiliar with Kelly, this was my first experience with the historical fiction novelist, but Kelly is now an author that will immediately be added to my “one-to-watch” list.
Evelyne is the sole protagonist in the story and she’s an instant charmer. Full of poise, bravery and intelligence, it is easy to see why she immediately gains the interest of secret government officials. Her independence from a childhood of dealing with life on her own adds its own elements of likability to her character, and she is easy to sympathize with as she tries to deal with the recent death of her beloved mother. Plus, she’s a devout reader, always carrying a book with her and eager to share her opinions on her favourite novels, and you can’t help but form an instant bond on that factor alone.
The novel flows seamlessly and it was so engrossing that I reached its end without realizing it. Kelly pulled me right in with her descriptive settings and dramatic storyline. There are multiple suspects right from the start, but I was still left guessing until the final pages, when all of the powerful twists and turns led to a gripping reveal of the murderer that was both unexpected and believable. Consider me a new fan of Julia Kelly’s historical fiction and I am eager to see what comes next for Evelyne and her friends!

An excellent thriller, gripping and fast paced that I could not put down! Evelyne Redfern is an upper class Englishwoman, doing her bit for the war effort by working in a munitions factory when she's recruited by one of her father's old friends to ferret out a leak coming from the Prime Minister's War Rooms. Shortly after starting, one of the other women in the secretarial pool is murdered, and Evelyne has to use all her wits to both find the leak, and avoid becoming the next victim. Assisted by an ambiguous minister's aide, David Poole, Evelyne must use everything at her disposal to uncover the mole and prevent the enemy from discovering the secrets of the War Rooms.

While Julia Kelly has on multiple occasions written about World War II, in A Traitor in Whitehall she shifts from straight historical fiction to historical mystery headlined by Evelyne Redfern, an astute young woman from a notorious family. Bored with her job, she can't help but be intrigued with an old acquaintance of her father's recruits her to be a spy in Whitehall. She quickly ends up with even more than she bargained for when one of the other young women in the typists pool ends up murdered - and she's the one to find her. Knowing Jean wasn't well-liked and feeling offended by the inspectors' dismissive attitude about her interest because of her gender, Evie decides she's going to do some investigating of her own. She pairs up with David Poole, who has secrets of his own, but quickly begins to respect Evie's investigative skills. The pair begin to realize that Jean's death may be part of a bigger problem - a mole that's been leaking information. The story is well-plotted, and in some regards is somewhat of a locked room mystery. Theoretically no one is supposed to get in or out, meaning the person who killed Jean is someone they work with. There's also a large number of suspects, multiple people with motives. There's almost too many characters to try and keep straight. The ending itself is plausible and satisfying, and sets up well for future books in a series, but there never really felt like there was a big 'twist' moment where something was revealed that I wasn't expecting. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a fun historical mystery that somehow managed to have cozy mystery vibes even while set in Whitehall during the beginning of the Blitz of WWII. I really enjoyed the setting and the characters. Evelyn and David Poole were magnetic and I loved their interactions as they solved the murder mystery and found out who was sending classified information to the Nazis. The mystery plotline itself was a little slow, with most of the focus on the characters and their stories. But I enjoyed the characters so much that I hope she writes another book in this series, so we can see what they get up to next!

Thanks to Minotaur Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This historical fiction tale is based upon the early days of WWII and has a bit of mystery and suspense added in for a fantastic read! Mis Evelyn Redfern is an infamous young woman who was the subject of a very nasty and public divorce. She bumps into an old friend of her mother's and finds herself working in the typing pool of Churchill's Cabinet War Room with the objective of reporting back the general goings on. Then, a fellow worker is murdered and Evelyn finds herself teamed up with David Poole, the assistant to the Minister of Information to solve the crime.

This is a well researched story and I found it very accurate and believable. The characters are well developed, likable and intriguing. I think this will be the start of a new series and am excited to read the next installment!

Highly recommend.

Evelyne Redfern meets David Poole when she is recruited to work undercover for Prime Minister Churchill. Assigned to work underground in cramped quarters while searching for moles releasing strategic war information, on her first shift she discovers a murdered coworker. David, a handsome Ministry investigator, agrees to her assistance in the homicide investigation where she uses skills learned from reading mysteries. Together Julia Kelly’s protagonists face twists, turns and a couple of red herrings in this world of lies, blackmail and treachery. Together they weave their own “cozy mystery,” calling for a sequel.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.
I really liked this historical mystery! It was well written, with a lot of interesting characters. In 1940 England, Evelyn Redfen is working as a secretary in Prime Minister Churchill's War Room. Things are going well until she discovers the dead body of one of the other secretaries. Who murdered her and why? Evelyn, along with the minister's aide, David Poole, work together to solve the crime. Good mystery with lots of twists and turns!

Evelyn finds herself plunged in the world of Prime Minister Winston Churchills cabinet war room in 1940 England. It isn’t long before she finds herself settling into her new role as a secretary. When a co-worker is found murdered, Evelyn must us her amateur sleuthing skills to find the killer. But doing so puts her in the crosshairs of the cagey minister’s aide who seems determined to stop her. That is until she learns his true role, rooting out a mole. With her quick wit, sharp eyes, and determination, will Evelyn be able to figure out who’s been selling England’s secrets and catch a killer?

This was a cozy historical fiction mystery. The book was full of intrigue and interesting characters. I really loved the main character, Evelyn. She was so strong and brave and well developed. This one is the start of a series, so it included lots of world and character building. Personally, I could have opted for a little less in that regard as I tend to prefer my books to be plot focused. I did enjoy the elements of historical fiction that the book drew from. It is always interesting to read about different points in history through fictional characters, and this one did not disappoint in that regard. I did enjoy the ending and am excited for the next book in the series.

If you are looking for historical fiction with a cozy mystery intertwined, then check this one out.

Thank you to the publisher St Martin’s Press, @stmartinspress, and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Additional links will be added closer to publication day

For those who love historical fiction, especially WWII and a women's point of view this is a good read.
The heroine is Evelyn Redfern and in the course of the book we learn her backstory which was very interesting.
She is a appealing heroine , spunky and intelligent.
We meet her working in a munitions factory, living in a boarding house with several other women involved in various wartime pursuits.
She is given the chance to work in the typing pool at Prime Minister Winston Churchill's cabinet war rooms. Before she can even settle in there is a murder to solve.
There are many , many characters in this book and it was a little challenging to keep them straight from the outset. Evelyn's involvement in the investigation seems a bit of a stretch.
The book includes romance, espionage and a murder mystery - a great combination but it falls a bit short of some other WWII historical fiction.
I do hope this may be a start of a new series as I would love to know more about Evelyn and how her career progresses.
Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books/St. Martin's Press for the ARC to enjoy.
3.5 starts rounded up for Goodreads purposes

London, the Blitz, a murder, a mole, female friendship, love affairs- this book has it all!

Evelyne Redfern had a difficult childhood with her parents divorcing, a nasty custody battle, and ultimately her mother's early death when Evelyne was 13. She was shipped off to boarding school by her father and spent most of her school holidays with her Aunt Amelia.

It's now 1940 and Evelyne is living in London with her school friend Moira as WWII and the Blitz of London make their daily life difficult. She has no contact with her father, but she runs into one of his old friends at a party. Mr. Fletcher has an intriguing job offer for Evelyne and she finds herself working in the Cabinet War Rooms (CWR) as a typist with a secret mission to find whoever is passing information from CWR to the Germans. Shortly after starting work, another girl in the typing pool is murdered and suddenly Evelyne finds herself with more to investigate than just a mole. Using her knowledge gleaned from the many mystery books she's read, Evelyne partners up with another CWR worker, David Poole, and together the pair try to solve the mystery.

I've read several other Julia Kelly books and really enjoyed them, which is why I picked this one up. This one is quite a bit different than her others. And that's not a bad thing at all. This really is a classic mystery with some historical fiction thrown in. I loved reading this. I wasn't able to figure out the mystery by the end, which to me is the sign of a great story. Evelyne and David were both great characters. I liked that we got so much insight into Evelyne and what makes her tick and that she was such a strong, independent woman. I also enjoyed some of the minor characters like Moira, Irene and Joscelyn.

It seems like this might turn into a series and I'm so excited for that. I can't wait to see what further adventures Evelyne and David have. I'd also love to see a spin off book about Aunt Amelia! Thank you @netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

A Traitor in Whitehall is an enjoyable whodunit during the early days of WWII which will appeal to all Historical Fiction and Mystery fans.
Intrepid Evelyne Redfern, an infamous child of divorce aka the Parisian Orphan, now grown up and is ensconced in a munitions factory for the war effort. Soon though, her talents land her in the Secret Underground of Whitehall where she quickly is moved from typist to inside informant. Her job - collect information and observations as a mole is on the loose and selling wartime secrets to the Germans.
I enjoyed the many characters/suspects both male and female that are all underground for a variety of reasons. There is an Agatha Christie Vibe to it all. A little romance is actually a bit of fun during the stress of bombing and insecurity that is certainly felt by all. I also can see how our main character Miss Redfern and her cohort David Poole could be thrown together again for more wartime mysteries. This has the makings of a wonderful historical fiction/mystery series.

As an #smpinfluencer I want to thank Minotaur Books for access to an early copy via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this story of the secret underground bunker where the war effort was being fought. When I was finished, I sure wouldn't have wanted to work there, but it gave a great idea of what these people were going through to defeat the evil that was overrunning Europe.
We put faces to these people and I could just picture fresh on the job Evelyne, and she is putting her sharp mind to work, in more ways than one.
There is a slight romance beginning, but it is so beginning you really don't realize. David Poole and Evelyne are in some was thrust together and end up feeling each other out in the quest for answers to a murder, and the leaking of secrets.
You soon find yourself ducking the bombs that are rocking their underground conclave, and then we see the destruction!
The answers come, was I surprised, yes, but some were questionable in the beginning, but this does become complex, but there is an enemy to be fought.
Now I can't wait for the next book in this series!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher St. Martin's Press, and was not required to give a positive review.