A Traitor In Whitehall By Julia Kelly (Parisian Orphan #1)-Summary
Goodreads summary of A Traitor In Whitehall By Julia Kelly (Review Below):

From Julia Kelly, internationally bestselling author of The Last Dance of the Debutante, comes the first in the mysterious and immersive Parisian Orphan series, A Traitor in Whitehall.

1940, England: Evelyne Redfern, known as “The Parisian Orphan” as a child, is working on the line at a munitions factory in wartime London. When Mr. Fletcher, one of her father’s old friends, spots Evelyne on a night out, Evelyne finds herself plunged into the world of Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s cabinet war rooms.

However, shortly after she settles into her new role as a secretary, one of the girls at work is murdered, and Evelyne must use all of her amateur sleuthing expertise to find the killer. But doing so puts her right in the path of David Poole, a cagey minister’s aide who seems determined to thwart her investigations. That is, until Evelyne finds out David’s real mission is to root out a mole selling government secrets to Britain’s enemies, and the pair begrudgingly team up.

With her quick wit, sharp eyes, and determination, will Evelyne be able to find out who’s been selling England’s secrets and catch a killer, all while battling her growing attraction to David?

Reason 1- Refreshing
Have you ever had a cold glass of water on a blistering hot day (OK, probably a stupid question)? Or, have you ever drank too much soda and then had some cold water? That is what A Traitor In Whitehall, by Julia Kelly, on the whole. It is a refreshing read. It is a fantastic read on any point, but especially if you want an entertaining read. Being the start of a series is a bonus. If you like the Electra McDonnell series by Ashley Weaver, you will enjoy reading A Traitor In Whitehall.

Reason 2-Characters/Strong Female Lead
Evelyn Redfern leads a cast of characters dominated by females. She is intelligent, sassy, and independent. Good luck telling her to stop once she has something to chew on. Bonus points because Evelyn is an avid reader of mysteries and always has a book to accompany her. Julia Kelly does a great job balancing people’s assumptions of readers (especially the influence they might have on amateur sleuths) with the actual truth. Evelyn isn’t some nerd with no gumption or people skills due to having her nose in a book. It is quite the opposite. Much of Evelyn’s detecting involves connection to other female characters about deep secrets that had shameful perceptions at that point in history. The supporting cast of female characters are thoroughly fleshed out without the many characters bogging the story down.

Mr. David Poole is the lead male character and his dynamic with Evelyn. Julia Kelly writes slow-burn (I’m not a romance person and found that it didn’t move too fast, nor did it impede the overall plot. I look forward to how their relationship develops. And I trust Julia Kelly with having a whole new supporting cast in book #2 in the Parisian Orphan series.

‘The killer could be waiting nearby, looking for another opportunity to strike.’ Mr. Poole leveled a look at me. ‘I find that very unlikely. If he wanted to do that, he would have killed you already.’

‘Oh, thank you very much for planting that pleasant thought in my mind.’

Reason 3-Writing
Julia Kelly’s writing flows easily while building a complex world, characters, and mystery. As the historical time would dictate, it is often a grave reality check of what the people of London lived through during World War II. However, it is well balanced with light-hearted and outright laugh-out-loud moments. A Traitor in Whitehall is the first book I’ve read by Julia Kelly, but it certainly won’t be the last.

‘Sometimes you wonder if horrible people will ever gettheir comeuppance. I suppose now I have my answer.’

Summary Review

Thank you to Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for an advanced audio arc of A Traitor In Whitehall by Julia Kelly, which releases on October 3.


Reason 4-Mystery
It is the first book in a new series, meaning there will be more build-up than upcoming entries in the series. Julia Kelly creates the setting and the lead characters’ background, mainly in the first third of the book. However, this information serves as the essential foundation for A Traitor in Whitehall and the Parisian Orphan series. This is accomplished without feeling bogged down or losing the suspense, which becomes more complex throughout the plot. There are even a couple of mysteries regarding the lead characters that I suspect will carry through the series. It adds another level of excitement for things to come.

Reason 5-WII Setting
Obviously, I didn’t live through WW II, let alone in London. I do have a minor in history, so I have a studied foundation. Julia Kelly does a wonderful job setting the scene for life in London during WW II, with detailed nuance. She conveyed the fear of air raid sirens over a long night, with citizens not knowing what they would find in the morning. Moreover, the destruction caused to extensive parts of London, including daily interruptions, is paramount to the story. Lastly, everyone makes an effort to do their part in the war with no job, seemingly small or insignificant. It shows the real-time, collective coming together of all.

Audiobook Addition:
Marisa Cailin is an excellent narrator. One point of view can sometimes be dull, but the writing, in combination with Marisa Cailin’s narration, makes for a spectacular audiobook.

This story is told in first person by Evelyne Redfern, known as “The Parisian Orphan” by many due to the media coverage of her parent’s infamous divorce and the aftermath. This was my first read by this author. The audiobook is narrated by Marisa Calin and she gives a lovely voice to Evelyne’s story. This was my first time listening to this narrator. I enjoyed her characters’ voices and the compelling tone used to describe the various aspects of the mystery and subsequent investigation. It was a captivating mystery, and I often eschewed my other books in order to listen to this one.

The story primarily takes place in the offices of Whitehall where Churchill’s cabinet met for strategic discussions concerning World War II with some excursions around London during the mystery investigation. This set the scene for the hardships everyday citizens were experiencing during this time including ration cards, spending the night in bomb shelters then carrying on with work the next day with little to no sleep, carrying gas masks, interrupted public transportation, etc.

The suspects in the investigation included some cabinet members and other ladies in the gossipy typing pool that Evelyne worked having been placed there to collect information for a third party. Evelyne is fascinated with murder mysteries especially Agatha Christie. When she comes across a dead body and feels like the detectives investigating it are missing the salient points, she immediately finds ways to involve herself in the investigations including making herself indispensable to the internal investigator, David Poole, who is looking for the source of an information leak within the offices.

I found the story entertaining and light considering the circumstances with interesting and sometimes humorous characters. I will definitely listen to the future books in the series. Recommended to historical mystery lovers.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy provided for an honest review.

This was an amazing story! It took me back to when I read the Maisie Dobbs series. I can’t wait for the next one! I listened to this and the reader was fantastic. The mystery was captivating and chair gripping. Highly recommend this!

A Traitor in Whitehall combines historical fiction with a murder mystery, and it was an engaging story!

Evelyne Redfern is a young woman during the 1940s, and she has just begun a new job working in the typing pool in the Prime Minister’s war room. On one of her first days on the job, a fellow typist is murdered, and Evelyne finds the body. She spots a note with a clue on it, and combines her cleverness and wit with the access that investigator David Poole provides to begin investigating the murder.

No one can get in or out of the war rooms without being checked by a guard, making this a fun twist on a locked room mystery. Evelyne is such a fun and feisty female character, particularly for the time period the book is set in. She is unapologetically herself. She loves mysteries and putting clues together, and she made for a fantastic heroine,

The story felt incredibly well researched, from the war rooms themselves to the air raid sirens and shelters that the characters retreat to over many evenings. I went on a google binge after finishing to see what the war rooms look like in person, as the underground bunkers are now museums. Kelly’s writing set such a great tone and was wonderful at explaining things in an easy to understand way. I’m glad this is a start of a series, I will be happy to see Evelyne again!

The narration was great, with the narrator having distinct voices for the many characters. I did get confused about who was who a few times in the beginning, as there are just an incredible amount of characters to keep up with. Once the story really got moving I was able to follow along quite easily.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A Traitor in Whitehall
By: Julia Kelly

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was thrilled to get an advanced copy of Kelly’s book which is a first in a series about Evelyn Redfern. She was known as “The Parisian Orphan.” I have loved all of Kelly’s novels and this one was no exception.

1940
While working at a munitions factory she is sharing rooms with several woman. She runs into one of her fathers friends and he offers her another job filled with intrigue.

She gets a secretary job but one of the girls is murdered. Therein lies the mystery and Evelyn wants to find out what happened to her. After all, she witnessed the murdered woman!

Interesting turn of events when she meets David Poole an aide and he gets in her way. She quickly finds out that he is looking for a traitor. They make a unique team. Will they find the traitor before anyone else is killed? I love a good mystery and Kelly nailed it. A great mystery with all the elements you want.

I look forward to more of this series. Kelly always delivers fascinating novels with a wide range of topics. Thank you Minataur books, Macmillan audio and Netgalley for these advanced copies. This novel is due out October 3, and I have preordered my hard copy. 🖤

#minotaur, #atraitoratwhitehall, #juliakelly, #minotaur, #macmillianaudio, #netgalley, #bookstagram, #bookreview, #booksconnectus, #stamperlady50

#JuliaKelly does it again. I LOVE Historical Fiction but have to admit, a lot of the storylines share some commonalities... until now. Is it historical fiction? Is it a who done it murder mystery? You'll have to find out when you read this one for yourself. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was fantastic and had me flying through this one and left wanting more.

Thank you to #netgalley and #MacMillanAudio for allowing me to listen to this #arc.

A wonderful historical fiction book based in 1940 about a women named Evelyne Redfern whom takes a job in the war room, finds a women murdered and then is lead on a chase to find the murderer.

This is a beautifully written story, audio version, that was an absolutely enjoyable historical fiction thriller!

I really liked the characters and plot. It was well written and detailed well. I always struggle with a British narrator (I don’t know why) so it made it a tad less enjoyable for me. BUT I still really liked it. Giving it a 3.75 and not a 4 star is only due to the amount of characters. When you put in many, it gets confusing to me. (Rounded up to a 4 star here!)

By the end I honestly didn’t even remember the name or position of the killer.

Overall I truly enjoyed this!!! Thank you very much for this ARC

This was a great cozy mystery that started with an unexpected twist and kept them coming! The main character, Evelyn, is plucky and determined with a zest for life that jumps right off the pages. It was a very fun locked room mystery with some great characters and twist after twist. It also felt like fall, I can’t even explain why but there was something that made it feel absolutely perfect to read as the weather changes. I’m so glad this is the first in a series and can’t wait for the next!

I did a combo of audio and digital and both are excellent options!

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the alc and Minotaur Books for the arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you have read previous books by Ms. Kelly, please note this book is nothing like her previous novels. The book is a mystery written as historical fiction during the blitz of WWII in England. The main character, Evelyn finds herself thrown into work as a typist in Churchill’s government working on top secret documents. It is in this capacity she finds herself solving the mystery of the traitor. It is a quick fun listen. I look forward to reading more in the Parisian Orphan series.

Thank you #NetGalley, #MacmillanAudio, #JuliaKelly, #MarisaCalin and #ATraitoinWhitehall for the advance audiobook for my honest review.

This was right on the line between "great story, great setting" and "ohdeargod not another regular English caught up in WWII-era spying."


Review copy provided by publisher.

A Traitor in Whitehall by Julia Kelly
Parisian Orphan #1
Narrated by Marisa Calin

1940, England: Evelyne Redfern is working on the line at a munitions factory in wartime London. Stuffing shells with powder is dull and boring work but Evelyne is happy to be doing her part for the war effort. When she is asked by Mr. Fletcher, an old friend of her estranged father, to work as a typist in Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s cabinet war rooms (the CWR), Evelyne is more than glad to take on this new job. Especially since Mr. Fletcher wants Evelyne to keep her eyes open for any irregularities at her new job.

Evelyne has been a fan of detective and crime novels since she was a young teen, hiding herself in the world of fiction and books as mother and father conducted a very public custody battle over her. This story incorporates well know crime writers and books in a clever way, as Evelyne will refer to them throughout her sneaky ferreting out of information. When she enters a reluctant (on his side) partnership with David Poole, a minister’s aide, we find that he loves detective novels, too, but to Evelyne's horror he thinks the American writers are better than the British writers.

Just a few days into Evelyne's new job there is a murder of one of her co-workers. Whether he likes it or not, Evelyne pushes her way into David's investigations of a leak in the CRW and the murder investigation. In reality this seems unlikely to happen since Evelyn discovered the body but if there was ever a WWII historical fiction that could be considered a cozy historical fiction, this is it. There is a lightheartedness to the story despite the inclusion of the real life peril all of London is experiencing with air raids, the destruction of the city and the surrounding areas, rationing, and all the terrible news of the war.

Evelyne and David's relationship goes from David being a stone wall to Evelyne's pushiness, to his accepting her help, to almost the point of her running the show. Evelyne is muleheaded, determined, impulsive, funny, and very clever and in the end David accepts her as his partner since he has taken so much abuse from Evelyne by telling people she's helping him by taking notes. The relationship between the two is friendly, funny, and respectful and I look forward to more about this pair, in the future.

I was able to read the digital version of the book while getting to listen to the audio version of the story. Marisa Calin does a very good job of narrating the story. I can see Evelyne being a good fit for what is to come in the future, with her smarts and ready to tackle anything attitude.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for this ARC.

I loved this fast paced mystery that kept me guessing until the end! I hope this is a series because I am looking forward to more! I highly recommend this book!

Synopsis: Set in WWII London during the blitz, this historical fiction novel follows Evelyne Redfern as she begins work in PM Winston Churchill’s underground Cabinet War Rooms. Soon after beginning her role as a secretary, a she discovers the body of a fellow member of the typing pool. Thus begins Evelyne’s amateur detective investigation into the murder.

Thoughts: This was such an interesting twist on a WWII historical fiction. While it took place during the war, the focus was on a murder mystery. The main character, Evelyne, was a strong-willed and intelligent woman who really impressively stood up for herself in a world dominated by men. She had an interesting a scandalous backstory, and her character growth was well done. The storyline dragged a bit for me in the middle as the investigation was ongoing, but quickly picked back up and came together satisfyingly by the end. Definitely recommend for fans of historical fiction or classic detective novels in the vein of Agatha Christie. I also had a copy of the audiobook, and the narration was excellent.

Read this if you like:
🕵🏻‍♀️ WWII setting
🕵🏻‍♀️ women in the war effort
🕵🏻‍♀️ detective novels
🕵🏻‍♀️ locked room mysteries

Thanks to @minotaur @macmillanaudio and @netgalley for the gifted copies!

Evelyne is working for British intelligence during World War II in Winston Churchill‘s war rooms. Her work there is top-secret, and she’s been sent on a mission to discover if there is a fox in the henhouse, someone supplying intelligence to the enemy. When one of the other women in her office is murdered, Evelyne decides to find the killer herself. She’s accompanied by David Poole, a mysterious man, who seems to know more than he should. As the bombs fall on, London, David and Evelyne try to find a killer, and perhaps change the course of the war. This engaging historical novel is brought to vivid life by the narrator.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing an alc 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>“I could go without many things during a time of war, but I could not abide the thought of being without books.”</I>