This was a really great whodunnit set in the 40's. The writing was descriptive and pulled you into the story. I hope there will be more with these characters.

First in a new series, a Traitor in Whitehall sends us to Churchill's underground war cabinet where sensitive information is being leaked and there's been a murder.

Evelyne steps in and secretly investigates. Evelyne is a bright young woman amateur detective. She's no stranger to the limelight, having two outre parents, now both dead, who have graced both English and French papers for scandal. She's not bowed by the attention but moves onward, trying to pave her own path.

The mystery is deeper than what we normally see, and Evelyne must keep her wits about her to solve the crimes.

Can't wait for the next book!

I have been provided with a review copy of A Traitor in Whitehall from NetGalley for an impartial review. I just loved getting to enter this world. I just loved getting to meet these characters and see what they are currently getting themselves into. This book was just a really fun read. I just lost myself in this great story and I didn’t want to put it down. I can’t wait to see what happens next from this author.

A Traitor in Whitehall apparently is Book #1 in a series - Parisian Orphan - and having read Book #1, I'm on board with queuing up for Book #2 - which is a title only for now: Betrayal at Blackthorn Park.

Our heroine, Evelyne Redfern, is possessed of a very straight up, no-nonsense and mature-for-her-age presence. She had a mother whose fond memories, usually referenced in French, was the preferred parent, although she died in Evelyne's childhood. Her papa seems to be a persona non grata, not present in her Book #1 life, but with enough mentions that I suspect/hope a future book will feature him. I enjoy those kind of hints in a series. . . dropping in people who we'll hear about later.

Set in the beginning of WWII, London, Evelyne loves detective novels and reading - so we bond right off! She starts out applying for a typing pool job, and because of her perceived potential is boosted into something quite like a Bletchley situation, and that's all you get from me. . .a great read, with all the voices in my head adopting English accents. Very cozy on a January night reading past midnight. . .

*A sincere thank you to Julia Kelly, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and independently review.* #ATraitorinWhitehall #NetGalley

Former factory worker Evelyne Redfern is given a job in Whitehall after a chance meeting with one of her father's old friends, Mr. Fletcher. Very soon after starting her new job as secretary, she comes across a fellow employee, Jean, very dead.

Evelyne loves reading mysteries, particularly by Agatha Christie, and decides to figure out who killed the young woman, especially after the lead MP assigned to the case turn out to be a chauvinistic dunderhead. Evelyne quickly ends up butting heads with David Poole, a somewhat secretive minister's aide, before she discovers he's there to ferret out a mole in Whitehall. Evelyne convinces David that they should work together, as it seems that the woman's murder is tied to the leaks of sensitive information. The two make a good team, as Evelyne is good at gaining people's trust, and can also elicit more details from female employees than David can. The MPs meanwhile, are irked that Evelyne is asking questions of her fellow employees, but quickly find that Evelyne's and David's researches are yielding genuine results, as well as narrowing the suspect pool to a few likelies.

Evelyne proves to be a fast analytical thinker, and it was such a relief that David was not only not overprotective, but quick to see Evelyne's intelligence and insight. The story proved to be a good mix of espionage and murder mystery with suspense, good character moments and dialogue, and an intriguing setup for a series, which I plan to read.

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

It’s 1940 in England, and everyone is doing their part for the war effort. Evelyne Redfern, known as “The Parisian Orphan” as a child, is no exception and works on the line at a munitions plant. Then she meets Mr. Fletcher, a friend of her father’s, and soon finds herself working in Churchill’s war cabinet rooms at Whitehall in the typing pool.

There’s a lot of security and secrecy, and when one of Evelyne’s co-workers is murdered, Evelyne begins to ask questions and investigate. Before long, she’s working with David Poole, a cabinet minister’s aide. He’s trying to discover who the mole is who is selling secrets to the enemy. David and Evelyne end up working together as their cases overlap.

Evelyne is a modern, smart, outspoken character and she’s every bit the match for David, demanding to be an equal partner in their enquiries. The supporting cast is also well developed and multi-faceted.

Julia Kelly’s research is impeccable and she makes you feel like you’re right there with Evelyne and David in 1940s London during the blitz and doing their best in the war effort. Her style draws you in and keeps you reading and trying to solve the two mysteries along with Evelyne. It’s a engaging read with history, mystery, suspense and a hint of attraction between the two main characters.

I love historical cozy mystery, this is a great example of a good start of a series.
IN 1940, Evelyne, know as "the Parisian Orphan" get a new job working in Winston Churchill's Carbine War Room (CWR) underground typing pool. Shortly after she start the job, a girl at work was murdered. Who is the Killer? Why? What is behind the killing ? Can she believe David Poole ? Is there a mole in CWR?
I loved almost everything in this book, great written, great storyline and characters, The mystery is not too complicated but good enough to make you wonder. And a background mystery is catch my eyes.
I can see this series get the potential of as good as "Maisie Dobbs series" .
Highly recommend this book. can't wait for the second book.

4 stars.

Absolutely devoured this brilliant WWII-era thriller from Julia Kelly. Great thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the advanced reader copy. Evelyn Redfern, a working aristocrat, gets plucked from her ordinary job and asked to do undercover work for a friend of her parents, who does shadow government work for the British during the war. A few days into her assignment, a coworker of Evelyne's is brutally murdered. She teams up with another coworker to get to the bottom of things. The character of Evelyne was a gem--spunky pluck, independent, not afraid to speak her mind and smart as a whip. Really enjoyed the relationship between Evelyne and David Poole, her fellow sleuth. I'm THRILLED this is set to be a series, can't wait for the next one! Highly recommend.

Very reminiscent of the Maggie Hope Mystery series by Susan Elia Macneal (who interestingly enough wrote a review/blurb for the cover). The similarities are striking - the character starting as a typist then joining the SOE - and it was definitely something in the back of my mind.

The characters were interesting and the mystery well crafted enough to keep me engaged in finding out who did what. I definitely read this one quickly. I can see how there would be comparisons to an Agatha Christie type mystery style. Set in WWII, I loved the strong FMC - with her focus on being equal partners in investigation and pushing the boundaries of what women were “expected” to do.

You can tell that the setting and context were well researched - incorporating references to what happened to London during the Blitz, as well as the different roles that women played in WWII. I'm excited that this is planned to be a series - the ending absolutely sets up another story, and I’ll definitely read them!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC to read and review!

Cozy mystery set in London during WWII. The main character is an intelligent, perceptive, and witty young woman who gets a job as a typist in Churchill's Cabinet War Rooms. She finds another typist murdered and can't resist looking into it.

I liked the main characters and the historical setting. The plot was also good and kept me guessing. This is the first in a series and I'd be happy to read more.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.

I absolutely loved this book! It was the perfect blend of history, mystery and suspense. The writing is excellent and very easy to fall into the story. I am very excited for hopefully more to come with these two!

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

Ah, a good old fashioned murder mystery, set in Churchill’s London during WWII will keep you on your toes and guessing until the end. Well written with plucky characters and subplots that keep driving the main, this is a definite read for you mystery fans out there!

This book started out as many WWII books do…..a girl joins the war effort. What is different is right as this girl starts her new job, she is locked in a room with a dead woman. Evelyn’s tries to keep calm and also starts investigating the murder, while being in that locked room.

As a reader, we get to spend days going through day to day life with Evelyn, as she helps with the investigation. I did love this!! It was almost like a cozy WWII mystery, with intrigue splashed through the text.

While this isn’t my favorite Julia Kelly book, I would say it is second.

US pub date: 10/3/23
Genre: mystery, WWII historical fiction
Quick summary: In 1940, Evelyne finds herself working in the Churchill War Rooms as a secretary. But her duties change quickly when a fellow secretary is murdered, and Evelyne finds herself tasked with finding the culprit (secretly, of course).

I love historical fiction and spy novels, so combining the two here was right up my alley. The mystery helped the book feel a little lighter - sometimes historical fiction can be so heavy!

I actually visited the Churchill War Rooms in April, and it was cool to read a story that brought them to life. Evelyne was a fun protagonist (she's also obsessed with detective novels), and I enjoyed seeing her work and flirt with fellow spy David. I thought I had everything figured out, but the ending surprised me! This is the first in the planned Parisian Orphan series (title based on Evelyne's childhood nickname), and I'm excited to read the next book!

Thank you to Minotaur Books for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis
Evelyne Redfern, trying to hide from her infamous childhood, goes undercover to assist Winston Churchill in uncovering a killer hiding within his own cabinet war room.

My Overall Thoughts
"A Traitor in Whitehall" is an intriguing novel set in World War II England in Winston Churchill’s cabinet war room. The acuity of the historical setting adds depth and richness to the story, immersing the reader in the tension and uncertainty of the era.

What I Didn't Love
While the novel captivated me with its historical setting, I felt that the character development fell short. The protagonist lacked the depth and complexity I had hoped for, leaving me craving a deeper connection with her. She had such an interesting story, but I felt I was missing a deeper inner monologue.

Potentially Offensive Content
adult situations

What I Loved
Despite the limited character development, the author excelled in creating a vivid and authentic portrayal of Churchill's war room during World War II. The attention to detail and well-researched setting brought the story to life, making it easy to envision the events unfolding in this pivotal historical period.

I Would Recommend This Book To
Cozy mystery lovers, especially those who love a good period novel, will enjoy this read.

This is the second book I have read by Julia Kelly. The first book I read by this author was The Last Garden In England. I was very interested to read this book and see what the author would do with a mystery genre novel since the previous novel I read did have a bit of a mystery element, but was not specifically of that genre and had a different feel as it was purely a historical fiction novel.

A Traitor In Whitehall is set in London, England during World War II.

I really enjoyed the setting of the novel and the characters, especially Evelyn and her love of books and reading (specifically those detective mysteries).

I appreciated how the author highlighted the fact that Evelyne Redfern faced the issue of equality in her work among the men, especially when helping with the investigation.

Julia Kelly is so amazing at writing the setting of the novel and making the reader feel like they are right there with the protagonist of the book.

I look forward to reading more books featuring Evelyn Redfern and hopefully David Poole as well and to meeting any new characters the author introduces to the reader in this series.

Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur Books for a chance to read A traitor in Whitehall by Julia Kelly. I have enjoyed the author's books since The last garden in England. This was just as good, and is the start of a mystery series. Set in England during WWII, it has a strong female lead (Evelyne Redfern), she goes from working at a munitions factory to a secretary in the cabinet war rooms of Winston Churchill.
I enjoyed A traitor in Whitehall, although time is spent on background information. This is definitely for those interested in historical mystery series. Looking forward to the next book!

I enjoyed this historical fiction murder mystery. Set during world war 2 in London. Evie becomes a spy in Winston Churchill’s war rooms and a murder of one of Evie’s colleagues takes place. Evie is tasked to solve the crime with Mr Poole. They encounter many red herrings, and twist and turns. This was a delightful read. Thank you NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I always enjoy Julia Kelly's conversational writing style and A Traitor In Whitehall is no exception! I don't normally read series books - there are few which keep me interested enough beyond the first book to entice me to read the next books. But I am looking forward to Julia's next installment in this new historical fiction mystery series!

A Traitor in Whitehall is a WWII historical fiction story featuring a young woman named Evelyne Redfern. Evelyne who is famously known as the Paris Orphan is recruited by Mr Fletcher to take a typist’s position in Churchill’s underground bunker. She’s tasked to look for suspicious activities within the typing pool because classified information has been leaking to the Germans. Within Evelyne’s first week she is sent to the Sunlamp room where she discovers the body of fellow typist Jean who has been stabbed to death. As the investigation gets underway it becomes very evident that Jean was not well liked but did anyone really hate her enough to kill her? The internal investigations seem to be going nowhere so together with mysterious Mr Poole, Evelyne sets to solving not only the motive for Jean’s murder but who is leaking classified information to the enemy. A quick read with a spunky young woman at its center. This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.