Betrayal at Blackthorn Park offers a light and easy mystery, perfect for a relaxed read. Set against the backdrop of World War II, the novel follows Evelyne Redfern, a newly minted spy, as she navigates the complexities of her first field assignment at the secluded Blackthorn Park.
While the premise is intriguing, the execution leans towards the gentle side of mystery. The plot lacks the gripping twists and turns that characterize a suspenseful thriller. The investigators, Redfern and Poole, are likable characters but somewhat one-dimensional. Despite hints of a potential romantic spark, their relationship remains platonic.
One of the novel's weaknesses lies in its repetitive nature. While beneficial for readers who may have missed a detail or two, this characteristic can diminish the element of surprise. While reassuring, the consistent pace and predictable plot progression may not keep readers on the edge of their seats.
The historical setting provides a rich backdrop, and the author's attention to detail adds authenticity. The ending, though predictable, offers a satisfying conclusion, tying up loose ends without resorting to overly dramatic or gruesome scenarios.
Overall, Betrayal at Blackthorn Park is a pleasant and undemanding read. It's perfect for those who enjoy a gentle mystery with likable characters and a historical setting. While it may not be the most mind-bending thriller, it offers a comfortable and enjoyable escape.

I’m enjoying this series.
I like the good old fashioned sleuthing without modern amenities.
I like how Evelyne has grown in her role and her confidence as a field operator.
I also enjoy the presence of David Poole by her side and am eager to see if anything develops.

Great mystery, didn't figure it out until the hero and heroine (the heroine was first) figured it out. Overall well written historical fiction with a great detective story. Loved the story line and the characters were well developed. It's sometimes hard to read a mystery that's not obvious and this fits the bill.

I have been provided with a review copy of Betrayal at Blackthorn Park from NetGalley for an impartial review. Awwww this was such a cute story. I was just captivated by everything that was taking place. It was just so easy to get into these characters lives and you just can't help but fall in love with them. I can't wait to see what's next from this author.

This is one of those stories that great for a quiet snowy afternoon by the fireplace. I really like the characters and there is enough drama to keep things interesting. A must read for any one who is an Agatha Christie fan.

Betrayal at Blackthorn Park is the second book in the series following Evelyne Redfern and the first were she’s a full fledged agent having just completed her training. For Evelyn’s first assignment she is tasked with a simple security test at Blackthorn Park and then to return back to London to write her report. Only it didn’t turn out to be a simple assignment when gunshots got off and a man is found dead at his desk in an apparent suicide. Evelyne again teams up with David Poole as they investigate to uncover what is happening at Blackthorn Park ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit.

I liked seeing Evelyne embracing her roll as a new agent head on and how reluctant David was to be her handler and jumped at the chance to join her in the field. The two of them work really well together and I’m excited to see where this series heads next.


Thank you @minotuar_books and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback

I really loved the first book in this series so I was very excited to be sent Betrayal at Blackthorn Park in exchange for my review. The characters are so interesting and really make me want to follow their adventures. I love the backdrop of WW2 and how the war effort adds to the story. I hope there are more of these because they are so fun!

I found it a little hard to get into this one but once I was about 40% of the way through I was invested. Excited to see where the series is going (a cliffhanger!).

I loved this book; once I started reading it, it was hard to put down. Having read the previous book in the series, A TRAITOR IN WHITEHALL, it was exciting to find Evelyne Redfern and David Poole back together on a new case. After having successfully completed months of training to be a member of Winston Churchill’s top secret spy organization, Evelyne is assigned to a new case under the supervision of her new handler: David Poole. It seems that some irregularities have been reported at a special weapons research facility on the Blackthorn Park estate in Sussex. It appears that someone has been stealing supplies and Evelyne’s job is to determine who is behind it.

While David stays behind in London, Evelyne sneaks into the research compound and is immediately confronted by the apparent suicide of the research facility’s top engineer, Sir Nigel Balram. Through Evelyne’s eyes, however, something doesn’t add up. Her first look at the so-called suicide scene things don’t add up. When she relates her findings to David, he decides to join her in Sussex and thus her new handler is again her investigative partner.

Before all is said and done, Evelyne uncovers evidence of treason as well as a second so-called suicide. To this point, no one outside of the investigative team know that they were not suicides, but rather murders. By keeping that fact secret, they were able to find the clues leading to an arrest.

The author does a superb job of dropping the crumbs necessary to lead us through this maze of intrigue, murder, and treason to a great conclusion. Along the way there are sufficient “red herrings” to keep the reader guessing.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a great detective investigation mystery. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for giving me access to this book with the promise of a free and fair review.

Julia Kelly places Evelyne Redfern in harm's way as a government agent looking into missing items at a facility manufacturing weapons for World War II in Betrayal at Blackthorn Park. Two murders staged as suicides affected men in charge of production of bombs, etc. Evelyne and her partner need to find out who is responsible before Churchill visits the facility. Excellent wartime mystery.

After working with David in the last book Evelyne goes off to train for a secret service. Her first assignment is to go to Blackthorn Park and investigate thefts that have been reported. On her first reconnaissance she hears a gunshot and finds a body. At this point David steps back in and they investigate the death.

I am really enjoying the growing relationship between David and Evelyne. This one is not exactly a cozy mystery. I didn't find any of the many characters particularly quirky and I wish I had kept better track of all the names. This didn't grab me right from the get like book #1 but it pulled me in quick enough.

I would like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital copy.

I've been reading Julia Kelly's books for a few years and love her historical fiction stories. Last year she branched out with a mystery series. I wasn't sure if I would be as happy with it as I am with her stand-alone novels. I completely enjoyed A Traitor in Whitehall and was excited to read the next book in the series, Betrayal at Blackthorn. It did not disappoint.

I really like the main characters Evelyne Redfern and David Poole. They work well together and while the series is named for Evelyne and she takes the lead on the investigations, I feel like they are very much a partnership. And they have real chemistry.

Of course, I like the time period as WWII is my favorite time period to read about. I guess Evelyne and David could be sent into Europe, they are currently investigating on home front and it gives the reader insight into the war efforts in England.

This book is set at an engineering lab. I find it funny that the lab was set up in a country manor. Are there no labs at Oxford or Cambridge? Since Kelly's literary roots are in historical fiction, I'm sure it is historically accurate.

I do like how she weaves history and mystery together.

Speaking of the mystery - it is well done. It is intricate enough to keep your attention but not so convoluted that you can't figure it out. I figured out who did it before it was revealed but not the motive.

If you are looking for a fun book with great characters, then make sure you put this book on your list. (You don't have to read the first book but they are both such great reads, I don't know why you wouldn't read them both!)

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Monday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2024/11/betrayal-at-blackthorn-park-by-julia.html

In November of 1940, Blackthorn Park is anticipating a visit from Prime Minister Winston Churchill, which means everything must be ship-shape. But the Special Operations Executive (SOE) has been notified of possible theft at this clandestine weapons research, development and manufacturing facility, and the head of operations sends in Evelyne Redfern, just returned from a rigorous training session. It is her first mission as a fully-fledged agent; a one-night reconnaissance mission, in which she is tasked to look around but not do any formal interviewing and report back the following evening. Her partner, David Poole, has been reassigned as her handler, a stinging rebuke after their last foray together, but instead of everything being as it should be at Blackthorn, Evelyne walks straight in on the suspicious death of the chief engineer, Sir Nigel Balram. Poole immediately resigns as her handler—the work does not suit him—and together they uncover strange goings-on at the base, including newly developed barnacle bombs with faulty timers.

Kelly has created an ambience true to the times with two protagonists who work side-by-side without interference from personal feelings. The attraction is there but hums along quietly in the background. The interwoven previous history is so subtle as to barely be noticeable, but we learn more about Evelyne, her emotional struggle with necessary dishonesty to her best friend Moira, and her eagerness to prove herself in her new career. Written in a crisp straightforward manner which perfectly suits the procedural way in which Evelyne and David conduct their investigation, this is the second standalone novel in an excellent series. It ticks all the right boxes for a WWII SOE murder mystery.

Another win from Julia Kelly in my books.

Continuing where the previous story left off, Evelyn is now a trained field agent helping Britain in the war. Her new handler is to be David Poole, the agent who she partnered with in the first instalment of the series. Their partnership is full of tension, banter and creative genius.

Sent to Blackthorne Park on her first seemingly simple assignment, Evelyn can't help but be annoyed at how innocuous her assignment seems to be. Upon her arrival, she realizes, however, this assignment isn't as simple as it first seemed - the dead body she found was her first clue - and David jumps back in the field to join her.

If you like cozy historical mystery that has that pays homage to the works of Agatha Christie that our MC adores, full of intrigue and romantic tension, a touch of feminism and whit, I think you'll like this one a lot.

While it could potentially work as a stand alone, the reader would benefit from having first read the previous book in the series.

Rating: 4/5
I received an eARC & audio for my honest opinion.

This is book two of the Evelyne Redfern series, I did not read the first book, and I have no issues with understanding what was going on, or the characters. In this book you will meet Evelyne Redfern who has a new assignment, she is to go to Blackstone Park and evaluate their security. See Blackston Park is a place where explosive devices are designed and built for the British forces during the war, but when Evelyne gets there, she discovers a dead body. It appears that the man has killed himself, but something doesn’t seem right, could it have been murder? With the help of David Poole, her handler, can they find out the truth behind this murder and before others might die.

I really enjoyed this cozy historical mystery; it had a little bit of romance in it, mystery, suspense and just an overall fun and easy read. I found the plot to be well developed and the pace to be perfect to getting to know the characters and still see the plot is moving forward. I liked that the author did add in a few twists and turns in the plot, it kept you on your toes, but what I loved the most was that Evelyne was the main character in this book. You will see a strong, determined female character. I liked that you could see the characters developing throughout the book.

I found the characters to be likable and easy to connect with. For me it was really about Evelyne's character, but I loved the banter between David and her. I enjoyed getting to know these characters and seeing what was important to them and why it was. I loved seeing a strong female character from WW2 doing some spying and being a baddie at it, she believed herself and her abilities that she learned. I found hers and Davids’s chemistry between these characters to be chef's kiss, can I hope that the author will develop more between these characters in later books.

I did receive the audio as well and I thought Marisa Calin did a great job narrating this book. I would recommend the audio or the book to anyone. For this being my first historical fiction mystery book, I really enjoyed it.

I want to thank NetGalley & St. Martins/Macmillan for the opportunity to review this book.

Great story of WWII spying and espionage as our favorite girl, Evelyn’s , returns and is quickly involved in a murder! Newly trained as an agent she’s sent for routine security check at Blackthorne Hall, where scientists are developing war weapons. She disappointed that it’s not more of an assignment but then… murder!
Julia takes us on a great tale of mystery, intrigue and underhandedness. Throwing in a little budding romance is the icing on the cake!

Evelyn Redfern is back with another mystery. This time she partners with David to solve a murder that happened in the secret Blackhorn Park. We get more into Evelyn’s backstory this time too and the book ends, just as the first did, with a cliff hanger.

All in all, this is a mystery set during 1940, before the USA got involved and the world was just starting to discover what Germany was trying to accomplish.

Superbly done.

A story full of intrigue, mystery and romance.
I enjoyed reading this historical mystery.
I do have to say, it was a bit slow at times.
If you are a fan of spies and witty banter along with a dose of romance, this is a book you should read.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

An interesting read but rather plodding. Not much in the way of history with this on, some interesting science, but nothing that really reached out and grabbed me. Had to keep going back to it to finish it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars

[ thank you @minotaur_books for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own! ]

PUB DATE: October 1st, 2024 (out now!)

THOUGHTS:

I was so excited to continue with book two in this series! It can easily be read as a standalone if you haven’t read book one yet!

This historical mystery was entertaining and I loved being back with Evelyne & David. There’s just something about their adventures that I’ve grown to love and that potential chemistry happening?! I’m here for it! 👏🏼

There were many suspects and twists that constantly had me trying to figure out who did it. I was definitely stumped. And how the book ended? I’m really curious of what’s going to happen in book three now!!