By day Gertrude Leigh was known as "a straight-laced, tight-lipped, somewhat humourless woman in her late-forties," the writer of a newspaper advice column called "A Word in Your Ear," but by night she was an intrepid WWII spy. In January 1936 after Leigh was taken out of commission, M15 replaced her with another female columnist from The Times: Lady Pamela More, 29-year old wife of MP Francis More, and fashion writer of a fashion and gossip feature called "Agent of Influence." Less interested in current events than she was being perceived as witty and pretty, Lady More's successful foray into the underworld of espionage, subterfuge, and surveillance surprised no one more than her own self. The shady characters she spies on are all brilliantly characterized, from Wallis Simpson and the king, to fascists and Nazis and hangers-on; and Pamela's crazy family members too are loud and colorful and entertaining.

So much more than historical fiction, pre-war intrigue, and society exposé, The Socialite Spy is a thrill to read, a snarky take on social mores and a solid stand-alone. I usually don't like series of any kind, but this isn't a cheap cliffhanger, in fact I'd be more than willing, happy even, to read the next Sarah Sigal installment!

A new author to me and a very entertaining story. A lot of world building with real characters from history combined with suspense and of course fiction.

Very entertaining and looking forward to more!

This book is very well written. I enjoyed the vibes of Britain in early 1900s. The female main character is such a good character.

A very intriguing take upon the established thinking about the Wallis Simpson Affair.
The story of Wallis Simpson and how the King of England gave up his throne for her, often reads like a true romance, two adults defying traditions and conventions, all in the name of love.
What if this wasn’t quite as it seems?. What if the British Government encouraged this love affair in order to prevent Hitler, from gaining a powerful ally? After all, some members of the establishment followed the Blackshirt movement of Oswald Mosley, and they might have preferred Hitler to rule Germany. Some were content to turn a blind eye and deny the atrocities being carried out there. The British press colluded in keeping this Royal affair secret from the British people, when it was an open secret around the rest of the world.
Would Edward the seventh have made a good King, or was he a playboy , disinterested in Royal duties and susceptible to German flattery?
Lady Pamela writes for The Times newspaper as a fashion correspondent. She feels she is worth more than the latest fashion show, the seasons colours, and wants to be more useful. She manages to interview Wallis Simpson about her fashion tastes, and because Pamela can readily mix with ‘ those in the know’ she is asked to spy upon Wallis and make friends with her and those in the upper class and establishment figures who support her.
We are thrown into the murky world of espionage and dealings with those who want the world to go in their chosen direction, regardless of how these deeds will affect Britain. Cads and Bounders alike, show their greed and naked ambition.
Fascinating debut novel, so much detail of these historical times, especially the outcome for the throne, both then and now.
A five star read. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Lume books for my advance digital copy, freely given in exchange for my honest review. I will post to Goodreads and Amazon UK .

Lady Pamela More pens the popular 'Agent of influence' column writing about fashion and high society. When she pens a column about Wallis Simpson she's approached by MI 5 to spy on her the newly crowned King Edward and report on their connections to Nazi Germany. It was an interesting story of spying and intrigue in high society at the start of WWII. It was an interesting cast of characters with Russian counts and princesses, campy drag queens, and Nazi collaborators, woven into Lady Pamela's life and stories as she spies on Wallis Simpson and others. It's an interesting historical fiction read as it's a time that I didn't know as well.

Thanks to Netgalley, Lume Books, and Sarah Sigal for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this story, the characters are very interesting and the plot leads to an era that is long gone. Spymasters, dissimulated women, royals... The Socialite Spy has a great storyline, it's well-written and grabs the attention of the reader from the beginning to the end.
I thank Ms. Sigal, her publisher, and NetGalley for the copy of this book.

Set in high society of 1936 this was an intriguing prospect. The shadows of WW1 and the Russian Revolution are still present as is the looming WW2. This is a well researched book with historical figures blending with the fictional characters. The aristocratic Socialite Spy uses her cover as a Times columnist to spy for MI5 in the high stakes gamble of removing the Nazi supporting King and his American lover. A few too many additional characters but an enjoyable read.

This book has a fantastic premise - a glamorous yet bored housewife infiltrating the royal circle at the behest of MI5, following in the footsteps of a fellow journalist mysteriously murdered, and working behind the scenes against Russians, Germans, and anyone else who might fall afoul of her notebook.

Unfortunately, I really disliked this work - it read like an incomplete draft version to me. So many points, thoughts, emotions were just thrown into dialogue as a bracketed aside, rather than demonstrating it with prose. Many storylines seemed to have no purpose - wouldn't want to spoil anything, but the events of the prologue don't return until around 2/3 of the way through.

The denouement - the abdication of the king - is nearly irrelevant. It's difficult to understand how Pamela was able to be a success, if she immediately told several people around her - barring the one person whom she could trust.

I truly just wanted more from this - it could've been so good with some more character development or a paring down of the ideas presented. Unfortunately, it's a miss for me and I wouldn't be recommending it even to someone who's fascinated by this spell of British history.

This book, about a gossip columnist turned MI5 agent was an unexpected delight. Sigal perfectly captures the breezy tone one would expect from a bored socialite, then adds just enough personal conflict to give the book some depth. I knew very little about Edward and Wallis or the fascist movement in the UK so I found this book to be very interesting.

Highly recommend.

Sadly this book didn’t deliver for me.

Lots of filler and very little plot. Too many characters, who I didn’t care for, and I would have preferred to have less characters, but better developed so that I, as the reader, could become invested in what happened to them.

I nearly DNF’d a few times, but pushed through to the end… somehow!

Sorry but not for me.

2 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

An entertaining tale of intrigue
Initially I felt this book was a little slow in developing the story but soon realised that all the very detailed background given was vital for the way the story was to evolve and then it moved along at a rapid pace.
Lady Pamela More is someone who, in her own words "knows everybody" in the upper class society of the 1930s, and there are frequent name drops to illustrate this. It turns out that beneath the gender of this society there is a web of intrigue that this she is recruited into. She proves to be very good at this role.
Real life incidents of the time are strongly featured, particularly the events leading up to the abdication of King Edward VIII.
It's a really good book read and I wonder if there is a follow up to be set in Paris?

Lady Pamela More writes a Times fashion column and is married to a nice, conventional man. She is surprised when her editor assigns her to write a lengthy column about Wallis Simpson, who is then having an affair with King Edward. This leads to her recruitment to spy on Wallis’s circle and learn who is supportive of Nazi Germany. Pamela is astonished to learn how many in society are admirers of Nazi Germany, but also that there are many who are in sympathy (and maybe more than sympathy) with the Soviet Union. Gathering intelligence may be riskier than she’d thought, with potential threats at every turn.

With this book, debut novelist Sarah Sigal adds to a long line of historical fiction about the so-called fifth column in 1930s Britain, several of which posit the notion of a civilian recruited to penetrate the inner circles of that group. While Sigal has clearly done a great deal of research, it sometimes fees that she is trying to do too much in this book, to ensure that all her research appears on the page. The cast of characters is huge, including many names that will be known to readers familiar with the period, but many others in Pamela’s personal circle. It can get to be a bit overwhelming, and the story would have been better served if some of the characters were cut.

For me, the book was a bit of a slog for its first half plus, but then the plot came together and moved in a more purposeful way. I wondered at the end if it was being set up for a sequel. If so, I will read it.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars.

A fast paced, well plotted, and full of suspense. Historical spy thriller that mixes elements of comedy of manners, social remarks and a description of how British high class considered Nazis and Fascists.
It's an entertaining and thought provoking book that I thoroughly enjoyed
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Loved the opening, loved the time-period and the real people written in but did get a bit bogged down with all the fashion stuff. It’s an entertaining tale of intrigue and high society.

I’m giving this book 4* because there’s a lot of characters and I got confused at times. Overall it was a good story with true events woven into a readable narrative.

If you want historical content with a mystery and a scandal this book is for you because it has it all.
Set around the constitutional crisis caused by the abduction of a king and his love for an American divorcee combined with the efforts of Nazi spies to infiltrate the government someone who no one would expect is needed and that Is Lady Pamela.

The Socialite Spy by Sarah Sigal is a fun read. British citizen Lady Pamela More has a successful newspaper fashion column and knows all the right people. She moves in rarified circles. Because of her circumstances, she is recruited by M15 to gather information about Wallis Simpson and her relationship with the King. What are the Kings plans? Will he abdicate for love? The abdication is exactly what some people want, and Pamela is instructed to gather as much information as she can. While doing this, she discovers much more than anyone bargained for. Added to the spy adventure is a group of fascinating people. We have Russian emigres, British citizens who back Hitler, clothing designers and lots of famous names from England in the late 1930’s. Enjoyable book.

London in 1936 was quite a place. Nearly twenty years since the Great War, but with tensions rising on the continent, it was a worrying time. I liked how this book captured the era through the eyes of those in the higher classes. The support for Hitler in the UK was shocking, but very much based on fact. The views of the new King Edward VIII is well recorded in history, and the book makes a good job of exploring this.
Lady Pamela More is a very likeable character. Posh as can be, but a very human and strong woman slightly before her time. Her popular fashion and gossip column in The Times provides her with the perfect cover when she is approached by MI5. the descriptions of the parties and those she meets along the way . I especially liked the down at heel Russian nobles and the LGBQT characters.
This is a classy and entertaining spy novel. Perhaps a little too heavy on the facts (which is understandable as the author has clearly done a lot of research), but it is a proper page turner. I'd definitely recommend it and think it would make a good book club choice.

The Socialite Spy is a very intense book. Intense, meaning, full of names, informations. It is a good book if the reader is acknowledged about the 1930s, the important people that played a big roles in the 1930s. Actors, nobles, royals, the Astors, Diane Vreeland and so on. It can be a very "stuffy", complicated and a bit "pretentious " book if the reader is not acknowledged or interested in the topic.
Extremely well written. I found it interesting, but I love the 1930s and I did extensive research due to my passion.

The Socialite Spy - Sarah Sigal

Lady Pamela is recruited as a spy to gather information on Edward VII and Mrs Simpson's relationship in the hopes of stopping any marriage or forcing an abdication. Using her column in the Times and her aristocratic social connections Pamela is invited to parties where Mrs Simpson is in attendance and also to Mrs Simpson's home as she agrees to write in her column about her fashion and style sense. Pamela encounters fascists, Communists and Russian spies and finds herself becoming increasingly paranoid about being followed and suffering the same fate as her predecessor.

In her own life Pamela is married to Francis who is older than her and suffered as a POW in World War 1 and there is a convincing story between them about the reasons she married Francis and his wanting children but Pamela not. There is also a suffragette aunt who also features prominently in the novel with her own back story.

The novel involves real people around at the time such as Diana Vreeland, Evelyn Waugh, Noel Coward, Cecil Beaton and Oswald Mosley which made the story come alive.

I felt the novel was well researched and well written. It's also a story about a woman trying to figure out who she is and what she really wants to do with her life. I liked the the main characters and loved the way the non fictional characters supported the story.

Overall I really enjoyed this novel and hope the ending means we can hear more about Pamela and Francis in future books.

Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy.