A great addition to the Evelyne Redfern series that is filled with mystery, intrigue, and hints of romance. Evelyne and David must use all of their sleuthing skills to investigate a murder which could change the path of the war. A thrilling and engaging read.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Evelyne Redfern is such a wonderful character and I was thrilled to read the latest installment of Julia Kelly's series. Part mystery, part WWII historical fiction, Betrayal at Blackthorn Park follows Evelyne and her newly appointed handler David Poole as they are sent to handle an easy mission that turns into a murder mystery and so much more. There is great chemistry between the two characters and the story is filled with suspense and action that takes place during the London blitz. Highly recommend and I can't wait to read the next installment.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

Quick and fun read. Heroine is smart (way smarter than me!) and has an amazing memory. The author was very careful to remind us of who characters were and of clues the MC had learned that tied into the story (though I still had trouble keeping track of who everyone was). The mystery was clever. I didn't read the first one but thought this one could stand alone.

My thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC via netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks much to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this ARC! I, for one, loved this book! I thought that it was an interesting look at history while also keeping me entertained throughout the novel. I didn't predict who the murderer was and that's my favorite way to read a book! This book had charm, wit and intrigue. I look forward to reading more in this series!

Betrayal at Blackthorn Park is the second book in the Evelyne Redfern Mystery series by Julia Kelly. (I swore the name of the series was "The Parisian Orphan" on the first go round, but I guess that didn't flow smoothly off the tongue.) I absolutely loved the first book; I adored this one, but the story wasn't as exciting to me, though it was still an excellent mystery. However, the character development was awesome, so this is a series that will definitely be a favorite of mine!

In November 1940, former typist Evelyne Redfern has recently graduated from an intensive training program for spy work. She's eager to use her training to do her part in helping Britain win the war. When she learns her first mission is performing a simple security test at Blackthorn Park, a requisitioned manor house in the Sussex countryside, she can't help but be a bit disappointed; after all that rigorous training, THIS is her new assignment?! She's also not thrilled that her handler will be David Poole, a fellow agent. The aggravating man is a combination of being both straight-laced and dashing all at the same time. Evelyne soon realizes that Blackthorn Park is more than meets the eye, however, and an upcoming visit from Winston Churchill means that security at the secret weapons research and development facility is beyond important. When Evelyne discovers Blackthorn Park’s chief engineer dead in his office, she realizes her seemingly bland assignment has become very complicated. Evelyne and David must use all of their skills to discover who is responsible for the man's death and uncover much that could change the trajectory of the war.

I have come to love historical mystery and thrillers, and I know I will be following this great series until it ends (which I hope doesn't happen for a long, LONG time!). Evelyne Redfern is a heroine you can't help but root for. Her early childhood was heartbreaking. She was in Paris with her parents, and they were having a custody fight over little Evie. Evie loved her mother more than everything, but her mother died, possibly by suicide, and her distant father immediately shipped her off to school, with her Aunt Amelia being the only family member to care for her. Evie had become a typist working for the war office, but after she solved a murder she was sent to spy school. She worked with David Poole on the previous murder, and now he was working as a handler, and his first assignment was Evie. Both were disappointed with their new assignments; Evie wanted to test her skills as a spy, not investigate a possible theft, and David wanted to remain a field agent. One thing Evie didn't like about her new career is that she couldn't tell Moira, her best friend and roommate, where she was sent to or what she was doing. When Sir Nigel, Blackthorn Park’s chief engineer, was found dead at his desk, it first appeared to be a suicide, but it turned out he was murdered. Evie and David kept that detail from the other Blackthorn Park workers, until a new death occurred. The mystery became a rush to find the killer before the visit by Winston Churchill; they couldn't allow the Prime Minister to be put in danger! I thought I figured out the culprit, but I was mistaken. The ending turned out to be very exciting and satisfying. I just adore Evelyne and David. Their first case together was fraught with tension, but they are now more comfortable working together. The suggestion of an attraction between the two is definitely present, and I hope to see a progression in future books. All of the supporting characters were well written, but two stood out: Evie's Aunt Amelia, her only familial contact, and Constable Lee, an eager young man who wanted to assist in catching the murderer to advance his career. I can't wait to see what Evie and David do next to help the Allies win the war.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Betrayal at Blackthorn Park is a delightful cozy mystery and the second in the series featuring Evelyn Redfearn.
Newly trained as a spy, Evelyn is eager to help the cause in the precarious time of 1940 England as it is bombarded by German bombs. She falls into a mystery involving the clandestine manufacture of powerful bombs, and uses her intuition and dogged investigative skills to find the culprit who is tampering with the process. Meanwhile, her current boyfriend, David Poole, is suddenly assigned as her handler, complicating their relationship.
Evie is a likable protagonist—she is plucky, smart, and determined in spite of the challenges she faces to gain respect as a female spy in WWII London. When she and David work together as partners in crime-solving, they exhibit a “Nick and Nora” vibe.
Kelly is a good storyteller—the prose flows nicely and keeps the reader engaged in the plot. The conclusion leaves a large hanging clue—just begging for a sequel—and I can’t wait to read it!!

Thank you to Minotaur Press and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

Courtesy of Minotaur Books/St.Martin's Publishers and Netgalley, I received the ARC of Betrayal at Blackthorn Park by Julia Kelly. Second in a WWII series about Evelyne Redfern and David Poole, no longer amateur sleuths, having trained with the Special Investigative Unit of the SOE, this mystery novel finds them assigned to a weapons development and testing facility to look into reports of theft. The case progresses to a death to be investigated, with a looming deadline of a visit by Churchill. Interspersed with authors and titles of mystery books, this well written novel has compelling characters and a great storyline. Highly recommend!

This is the second mystery in the Parisian Orphan series. The series 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. The audiobook is narrated by Marisa Calin and she gives a lovely voice to Evelyne’s latest adventure. While the mysteries are self-contained, I recommend that you read A Traitor in Whitehall for character background especially as it pertains to Evelyne’s background, friends and professional situation. The series takes place during World War II and I find the lighter fair (if you can consider a murder mystery lighter) to be a refreshing take on the time period.

This story finds Evelyne at the end of her espionage training as she is given her first assignment to test the security at Blackthorn Park, a manor house in Sussex requisitioned to be used as a facility for the manufacture of clandestine weapons. Evelyne is joined in this assignment by David Poole on his first operation as a handler and both are juggling their feelings about this latest assignment and what it may mean for their careers. Evelyne quickly stumbles into a murder and must assess whether the victim was killed due to personal or professional reasons and how those reasons might contribute to her investigation.

I find Evelyne to be quite a savvy and interesting character. As her partner in the investigation, I find David a worthy colleague that sparks my curiosity to know more about him. There were quite a few suspects to choose from at Blackthorn manor with simple, contentious and amorous relationships all over the place. I enjoyed watching the plot unfold and trying to figure out the culprit or culprits. I’ll definitely follow along on Evelyne and Mr. Poole’s next adventure.

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

Is is great to get another mystery involving Evelyne and David, newly minted spies for Britain.

Evelyne is initially disappointed in her first assignment, and wary of having the attractive David Poole as her "handler". The assignment immediately becomes more complicated when Evelyne walks in on a recently murdered corpse, and needs to use her skills, and commanding presence to figure out whodunnit.

This is a fun series with an interesting historical setting and a strong dash of romance and I can't wait to read more.

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

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC: A well written historical novel and mystery. It's the second book in a series, but stands alone. The characters are well developed. The author has a dry sense of humor. Recommended.

This is the second book in the 'Parisian Orphan' series, but it stands well on its own. It's an exciting mystery set in England during WWII, filled with intrigue, witty banter, and satisfying twists. There's a hint of romance between the main lead characters, but it feels natural to the story, and doesn't overwhelm the plot.

I enjoyed this book, as well as the first one, and look forward to reading more.

Betrayal at Blackthorn Park is another well written historically based novel by Julia Kelly. A sequel to Traitor in Whitehall, both Evelyn and David return working as a spy team to solve a possible theft at a secret research facility where new weapons are being developed. Of course Evelyn stumbles upon a dead body and she and David are thrust into the center of the investigation. It did take me a while to keep all the male personnel at Blackthorn straight at first but they each provided a suspicion of possible suspects..
Evelyn once again proved to be a force to reckon with, especially given the time frame she is living in as she took over immediately, much to the chagrin of many of the males there. Her personality continued to evolve but my hope of a romance between she and David seems a distant possibility.
Hoping there will be a third book very soon!
Many thanks to Julia Kelly, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this glimpse into espionage in the days of Winston Churchill, published on October 1.

I loved Evelyne, and her sassy spunky qualities. She is a perfect female protagonist for the time. She is borderline rude after having been polite to everyone but especially with any male characters. She is clever, intelligent, and believes in doing the right thing. Her relationship with David shows that there is an obvious growth there that I missed because I had not read the first novel, but that makes me want too even more.

I didn’t suspect the killer! I thought there was something shady and off about the individual, but it wasn’t being the murderer. I thought it was someone else, for the exact discovery that Evelyne made, and that makes the novel, and its plot well thought out.

Overall, I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars.

A good historical mystery series has become my catnip in recent years and Julia Kelly has created a great one that I find so entertaining. Betrayal at Blackthorn Park is the second in her Parisian Orphan series and I love spending time with Evelyne (and David).

Here’s the book’s description:

Freshly graduated from a rigorous training program in all things spy craft, former typist Evelyne Redfern is eager for her first assignment as a field agent helping Britain win the war. However, when she learns her first task is performing a simple security test at Blackthorn Park, a requisitioned manor house in the sleepy Sussex countryside, she can’t help her initial disappointment. Making matters worse, her handler is to be David Poole, a fellow agent who manages to be both strait-laced and dashing in annoyingly equal measure. However, Evelyne soon realizes that Blackthorn Park is more than meets the eye, and an upcoming visit from Winston Churchill means that security at the secret weapons research and development facility is of the utmost importance.

When Evelyne discovers Blackthorn Park’s chief engineer dead in his office, her simple assignment becomes more complicated. Evelyne must use all of her—and David’s—detection skills to root out who is responsible and uncover layers of deception that could change the course of the war.

When I read books like this, I think about all the things that happened during World War II that we’ll just never know about. So many layers of secrets, not to mention the Official Secrets Act that actually prevented people from talking about what they did during the war for decades - if they even talked about it at all. It’s been fascinating to see books like Kelly’s being published. They take the bits that have been shared and declassified and turn them into entertaining - and enlightening - stories.

Kelly is a very good historical writer so I always feel like I’m right in the time period with the character while also never feeling like I’m inundated with unimportant details. It’s not an easy balance to strike, as I know from all the historical books I read, so I always appreciate Kelly’s skills with turning her vast research into a compelling narrative.

The mystery in this one was intriguing and I wasn’t sure who the killer was, or if there were more than one, or what their motivation was. The staging of the murders was clever (diabolical, but clever) and it showed off how good Evelyne and David are at their jobs. I think I struggled a little with the motivation of the murders but I suppose, in wartime, no one can be counted on to act rationally.

Betrayal at Blackthorn Park was just what I expected - and needed - from Julia Kelly’s second historical mystery novel. I’m thoroughly enjoying this series and can’t wait for the next installment.

In case you missed my review of the first book:

Review: A Traitor in Whitehall
Kaley
·
October 18, 2023
I’ve been happily reading Julia Kelly’s historical fiction novels since the publication of The Whispers of War in 2020 - which I LOVED (review here). I’m always excited when she has something new being published but I was especially excited when I learned her 2023 release would be a historical mystery.

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*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Minotaur, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

WWII mystery. In this book, former typist Evelyne Redfern has completed her training as a spy and is sent on her first mission. While her first mission is supposed to be an easy one, of course things become complicated. I enjoy the historical setting, the slow-burn romance developing between Evelyne and her colleague David, and the intelligent and resourceful protagonist.

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

This is the first book that I have read by this author and I will continue to read her books. A read with twists and turns that you will think that you are on an amusement park ride. Characters who clash throughout the story and you keep track of their interactions. A death at Blackthorn Park and a visit from Winston Churchill will have you on the edge of your seat to keep up with the action..
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the Publisher and leaving a review by my own accord.

It is rare that I love the first book in the series (and really dislike the second . A Traitor at Whitehall was. 4.5 ⭐️ read for me so I was so excited for this book ! But … This second book in the series was honestly meh at best . I kept having to walk away from it because nothing much was happening and Evelyn was just annoying and David who was suppose to be the seasoned spy was nothing more than a sidekick detective at best .

My rating 2.5 ⭐️

Honestly in rounding up to 3 ⭐️ only because I loved the first book 🤦‍♀️

“Betrayal at Blackthorn Park” by Julia Kelly is such a page-turner. It's got everything: romance, historical vibes, and a whole lot of secrets. Picture yourself in a posh English countryside estate, and you're already halfway there.

Kelly’s writing is like a paintbrush on canvas—so detailed, you can almost smell the roses in the garden. The characters? Super interesting. They've all got layers and hidden agendas that keep you guessing. The main character’s journey is a wild ride, full of twists and turns as she digs into her family's past.

What I loved most is how the book mixes an exciting plot with deep emotional moments. Themes of trust and betrayal are handled really well, making you think about the grey areas in life.

If you're into historical fiction and mysteries with a touch of drama, this book is right up your alley. It keeps you hooked till the last page.

A twisty little murder mystery in the historical setting of WWII Britain. I liked the book. There were times when the story slowed down but was still enjoyable. There was obviously a prequell story that I missed so a few places were a bit confusing, but didn't really detract from the story.

Thank you Netgalley, Minotaur Books and Julia Kelly.
This is the second installment in the series and I loved it just as much as I did the first.
Evelyn has graduated from her training as a spy and is sent on her first solo mission.
I love the good old detective work, clues and mischief they get into.
Evelyn is a wonderful character.
I surely hope the series continues
Highly recommend
4 stars