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

#ATraitorinWhitehall is delightful. I really enjoyed Evelyne's journey from typist to detective, esp. since she was so keen to be one! Everything was authentic - the wartime setting (loved reading about life in the CWR), the characters, the mystery and its conclusion.

This was Ms. Kelly's first mystery, and I hope she writes more!

P. S. Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC.

I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. This was my first book by the author, and I loved it. It reminded me of the Maggie Hope books by Susan Elia MacNeal. I hope that this will be the beginning of a new series, and I'll be sure to continue reading it. The author did a great job bringing to life the atmosphere of the time period, and she created an interesting cast of characters and a clever mystery. I appreciated learning more about the need for secrecy when working for the British government during wartime, and the stress it created. Inspired by this book, I look forward to reading Kelly's previous books. I highly recommend this book to mystery lovers.

This is the first book by Julia Kelly that I’ve read, and I have to say I’m impressed and very much enjoyed
A Traitor in Whitehall by Julia Kelly.

This was a great read with well developed characters and very interesting relationships.
The story itself was engaging and I didn't want to put it down!
It’s well-written with great characters.
The mystery was engaging with phenomenal historical elements.
After reading ATIW I will defiantly pick up this writer's next book.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Thank You NetGalley and Minotaur Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Wow! I just finished A Traitor in Whitehall by Julia Kelly. What a rollicking ride! In fact, I was so pleased to get this ARC from NetGalley, I stopped reading a brand new mystery by a bestselling author. I was completely engrossed in this story from the first page.

This is Julia Kelly’s first mystery, but I have enjoyed her historical fiction in the past. The setting, historical references, and characterization are as spot on as her earlier novels. I also learned lots of tidbits of life in London during the Blitz, such as the use of sunlamps in the bunkers.

In this case, Evelyne, the main character, is the child of a British playboy aristocrat and a French party girl. As an adolescent, she was caught in a fierce custody battle between her parents and the subject of tabloids. Now an adult, a chance meeting with an acquaintance of her father leads her to be a typist and an observer in the Cabinet War Rooms as there have been leaked secrets. When she stumbles upon a murdered colleague, her intelligence and vociferous mystery reading help her solve the case.

She is partnered along the way with a mysterious government official. No real romance yet, but plenty of banter. Any mystery reader will love the arguments between the two about the merits of American mysteries versus those of British authors. Actually, all the dialogue among the characters is witty and fun to read.

This is the first book of a series, and I will be eagerly awaiting the next. In fact, this was one book i did not want to end.