Betrayal at Blackthorn Park by Julia Kelly is a mystery which is taking place in England during 1940, while London is being bombed. Evelyn Redfern couldn’t believe the difference when she returned from her training. The city was a shambles. She was called to work immediately to go to a place called Blackthorn Park and investigate missing components to weapons being built there. It was supposed to be over night. That’s all. Her handler was to be her former partner, David Poole. Neither of them was happy with the assignment, but it was all arranged. She was to pretend to be the cousin of a woman who lived there and stay in her cottage. She and Poole made a plan after they carefully studied all the blueprints they had. When she got there, more was going on, including a murder, a clever one. Poole came down immediately and they started investigating together. It was all very hurried because Churchill, himself, was coming on Thursday to view weapons exhibitions and it was Monday. There couldn’t be any problems.

Evie is a terrific character. The product of a mother who loved her and a father she hadn’t seen in years. He sued for custody simply to hurt her mother and when she died, she no longer heard from him. She went to live with her aunt, well, except when she was at boarding school. She was the perfect person to work on spying missions and investigations. She had just finished her training and was anxious to begin. David Poole is also an excellent character. He is a more seasoned agent and ready for promotion, although he loved being in the field. The plot was quite good: war always provides plenty of fertile material for crime. Evie really wanted to go overseas, but realized she had to earn her stripes. As always, it was all about money, which they quickly learned. It was a good read, full of twists and turns and people who weren’t who they seemed to be. Thanks, Julia Kelly!

I was invited to read Betrayal at Blackthorn Park by St Martin’s Press. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #JuliaKelly #BetrayalAtBlackthornPark

The second installment in this most enjoyable historical mystery series brings us to Blackthorn Park, in 1940, where weapons are being developed for use during the war. Evelyn is on her first official mission for the Special Investigations Unit, sent to uncover a possible theft of materials. When a murder occurs, the investigation begins with many red herrings and characters. Kelly dies a great job combining history and mystery with humor and absorbing story lines. I am looking forward to the next installment. Recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Title:  Betrayal at Blackthorn Park  
Author: Julia Kelly  
Genre:  Historical fiction, mystery
Rating:  4.5 out of 5

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.

I’ve enjoyed all of Julia Kelly’s books that I’ve read so far, but this series is a perfect binge-read. I enjoy watching Evelyn and seeing how her mind works as she’s making connections and putting things together. It’s kind of like watching someone work a Rubik’s cube. The way she and David play off each other makes them a great pair, and I was invested in their case from the beginning.

Julia Kelly is a bestselling author who lives in London. Betrayal at Blackthorn Park is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

This is the first time I've read a Julia Kelly book and it will not be the last. What a great book! The author captivated my attention from the very beginning and it continued to the very end. The storyline was great and the characters were very well written. You can't go wrong with reading "Betrayal at Blackthorn Park". It has it all, mystery, suspense, and a great time period.

I received this complimentary copy from the publisher through Netgalley for a honest review. All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone.

A wartime whodunnit with spies, romance and witty banter. I didn’t read the first in the series but never felt lost. I enjoy historical fiction and this one offered some history with lighter content than other WW2 novels and entertaining characters. 3.5

,Great second in series, in fact to my mind better than the opener.
Evelyn’s first solo assignment with David as her handler - what could go amiss? Of course another murder mystery is about to unfold.
I felt I got to know and like the main characters with this book and the mystery itself really held my interest.
I like the author’s straightforward writing style.
The portrayal of the setting and the historical details included make this book a great choice for historical fiction fans.
Definitely looking forward to the next in series - for a new mystery and to see how the relationships Evelyn has progress.
Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC to read and review.
Love a new series to follow!

Great second installment in the Redfern mysteries! I think I’m a little in love with David myself. Thanks for the advanced copy, all opinions are my own.

Real Rating: 4.25* of five
After the four-star detail-filled atmospheric romantic thriller that was A TRAITOR IN WHITEHALL, my expectations and hopes were high for this second read featuring Evelyne and David.

I got the period details I wanted, I got the relationship development I expected (minimal), and the mystery element was interesting. But the second time is so often just a bit...samey...isn't it? We've been here, now we want something to happen. Author Kelly chose to meet that desire fairly late in the proceedings, setting us up for a sequel.

The fact that this is a romantic suspense novel far more than a puzzle-solvong one is just fine by me. Evelyne and David are well-matched, though not perfectly mated. That would get a bit dull. Instead they're given enough friction by their shared career as confidential agents of The Powerful at a tremendously consequential crossroads in history to keep their focus clear and mutual; there's an enemy to fight, a reason to keep fighting, and a lot of work to put into that fight.

Witty banter is a risky narrative strategy in a book without an explicit romance. David and Evelyne are clearly headed that way, but at times their palaver gives the future of the game away. This results in oddly reducing the tension that so many series stories rely on. Just ask Moonlighting's producers how letting that drop works out...yet, despite this (I suppose inevitable) middle space in a series being unsettled, the way Author Kelly words things is enough fun, the period evocation is so skillfully interwoven, and the history treated with such respect that I can't help but bump this fun book two of more to come up a quarter star. I'm especially calling out Evelyne's character-appropriate, but period-shocking, willingness to chafe against what she sees as unfair boundaries set for her because little is expected of her in terms of ability. This is something I suspect many intelligent people from disrespected groups and backgrounds relate to. Events transpire that give Evelyne reason to reassess her responses...sometimes training wheels save the savant from a bad fall.

All in all, a series I'm enjoying more as it unfolds. An increasingly rare experience that I genuinely appreciate.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It picks up shortly after the first book. I hope there are more books to come. Thank you, Netgalley!

Once again Evelyne Redfern and David Poole team up as investigators druing a WWII mystery. Originally sent to Blackthorn Park to investigate theft at a secret location where engineers work to invent new technology for the British government. What should have been a simple assignment becomes much more complex as bodies drop on a regular basis. This is the second in an enjoyable series for those who like historical mysteries. The chemistry between the two agents provides a bit of humorous relief during a serious time. Well written with just enough twists to keep you guessing.
Thanks to #NetGalley#BetrayalAtBlackthornPark#MinotaurBooks for the EARC.

WWII is my favorite era to read about. This book was set during that era but was not what I would consider a war book. There were mentions and things were different because of the war but it was not about the front-line battles and military. Betrayal at Blackthorn Park is a story of murder and mystery.

I love that Evelyne is the main character and she is female. She is a strong female character who holds her own in what would normally be a man’s job. She works alongside men, not taking any lip from them. She does not shy away from gruesome discoveries and jumps into the crime-solving with both feet. She works well with her handler, David, and I really enjoyed their relationship. I think there is more there than meets the eye and hope to have it expanded on in future books in this series.

This is book two in the series, but it can easily be read as a standalone. There will be more books, and I cannot wait to get my hands on them.

Evelyne is remarkably confident in her first assignment after she finishes her training. Much to his dismay David is her handler rather than a fellow field agent. A simple assessment of security at Blackthorne Park becomes a murder investigation for the two to conduct. Evelyne and David learn team work as they try to discover if there is a saboteur at work. I enjoyed the ongoing process of the two putting their heads together, splitting the work, and trusting one another

Honestly, this book has it all. Fast paced, great characters, well researched history, and a creative mystery. I was sucked in on page one and enjoyed it through the end. I liked the strong female main characters and supporting male character - they were well created, interesting and realistic. I liked their banter and intellect - it made for an interesting read. I was a big fan of her first book in the series, and was happy to have the same characters return. You can read this as a standalone, but was great as a series.

Evelyne finds herself on a quick security mission to blackthorn park. When the top guy is found dead, she soon finds herself, alone with David Poole, in the middle of a murder investigation.

Thank you NetGalley for my advanced reader copy

First, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited to get this ARC because I have a soft spot for period piece mysteries. When I realized it was book 2 in a series, I got the first book from my local library and read it first. Though I think this could absolutely be read as a standalone, I'm glad I had more context for Evelyn's past when I started this.

This was another enjoyable installment in the series. We hear a bit about Evelyn's training and get to see her undertake her first mission. As David is acting as her handler for the mission, even when he's with her, Evelyn is expected to take the lead, which was a good way to work around David being the more experienced of the two and, therefore, typically the one more likely to be lead agent. The relationship between the two remains professional for now, which I appreciate. So many mystery series - including ones I like very much - force a romance in book 1 and then try to drag it out for 5-6 books. I still think, if this series continues, they will eventually get together, but I find it far more believable that a relationship like that would take time to develop. Also, I appreciate that as two professionals they are behaving, well, professionally! Both demonstrate respect for the other's skills, and, while there are a few to-be-expected growing pains at first, each is willing to let the other take the lead when it makes sense to do so.

Kelly once again finds an interesting WWII-specific venue for her story. Last time, we got the underground cabinet war rooms. This time, we get a secret experimental weapons testing facility based, as the afterword notes, on an actual WWII research center. I like that the author seems committed to give us unique, period-specific locales in which to set her mysteries. Why bother to set a book in England during WWII unless you're going to take advantage of the settings that time and place has to offer?

The mystery moves along nicely. As with the first one, I had some pieces figured out before the reveal, but not quite how it all fit together, which is fine with me for a mystery book. I like my mysteries in the space between "so convoluted that you are never meant to solve it" and "so obvious you are left questioning the intelligence level of the main character." This one is definitely in that range.

In summary, if you like period-piece cozy mysteries, I think this will be up your alley. It's not the best one I've ever read, but it's fun, moves at a good pace, and resolves well. It seems like there are likely to be more installments of this series, and I'll be reading them, if so.

Miss Redfern has found herself embroiled in a murder mystery once again, and what an adventure it is! Written in classical British mystery style, Kelly embraces the details and clues of a masterful sleuth and presents it all beautifully. Well done!

"Betrayal at Blackthorn Park" is a captivating blend of historical fiction, mystery, and espionage, set against the backdrop of World War II. Julia Kelly introduces us to Evelyne Redfern, a freshly minted spy eager to prove herself, who quickly finds her seemingly routine first assignment spiraling into a deadly game of intrigue. What starts as a straightforward security test at a manor-turned-research facility quickly escalates when Evelyne stumbles upon the murder of the chief engineer. The stakes rise sharply, especially with Winston Churchill scheduled to visit the facility, making the case not just a matter of espionage but of national security.

Kelly does a great job balancing the tension and character development, particularly the dynamic between Evelyne and her handler, David Poole. Their chemistry is both endearing and frustrating, as they struggle to solve the case while navigating their growing attraction. The twists and turns of the mystery are well-paced, keeping the reader engaged without feeling rushed. Though some plot elements are a bit predictable, the overall story is enjoyable, making it a satisfying read for fans of historical mysteries and spy fiction.

What a fun read! Evelyne Redferne is back in this fast paced murder mystery, sequel to her first book “A Traitor in Whitehall.” This time Evelyne is on her very first field assignment, with sidekick David Poole as her handler. Evelyne is not super pleased that David is her handler but she makes do. Sent on assignment to Blackthorn Park to find out why things seem to go missing from a very important secret program, what is supposed to be a one day assignment quickly turns to a murder investigation when Evelyne hears and shot fired and finds a dead body. At first glance it appears to be a suicide…..or is it? Why would Sir Nigel, a well regarded engineer and head of the project, commit suicide? As Evelyne digs deeper, the layers of misdirection pile up and it’s hard to know who to trust at this place and on this project that could very well turn the tide of the war. To top it off, Winston Churchill is expected for a visit in just a few days and everything must be cleaned up before then.

The ever evolving relationship between Evelyne and David is a delight to read. Evelyne herself is a wonderful character; intelligent, energetic and determined to succeed in a time and place where women were not given the kind of opportunity she is. Loved the book, and am looking forward to the next one!

Second book in this series, an exceptionally good follow up with Evelyne's new assignment.
Evelyne wants to proof her worth as a field agent and is a bit disappointed when her next assignment is examining a theft in a research facility and check the security measures in place. It does not take her long to stumble into the murdered body of the chief engineer.
We have a murderer present. Is it greed or sabotage by a German spy? Our brave soldiers are losing their lives because of it. Evelyne together with her newly minted handler are trying hard to unravel the mystery.
If you have not read the first book, might I recommend you read it. This book can be read as a stand-a-lone but to get the full flavor of Evelyne and David best to read them in order.

"Betrayal at Blackthorn Park" is the second installment in Julia Kelly’s Evelyne Redfern Mystery series, also known as The Parisian Orphan series.
It can easily be enjoyed as a stand-alone novel. Set against the backdrop of World War II, the book is a historical fiction cozy mystery that is meticulously researched to capture the period's atmosphere.

The story follows Evelyne Redfern as she embarks on a mission to uncover the truth behind a theft, which quickly escalates to a murder investigation at Blackthorn Park, a secretive facility in Sussex responsible for creating explosive devices used in espionage. While there are subtle hints of a potential romance between Evelyne and her former partner-turned-handler, the primary focus remains on the mystery surrounding the crimes.

Fans of historical fiction and light mysteries will find this book enjoyable.

And the saga continues in this historical fiction mystery. Evie is now a fully trained secret agent and sent on her first solo mission with David as her handler. Set at Blackthorn Park in the English countryside, it has been converted into a secret munitions factory making special bombs that will help Churchill win the war. But there might be a thief, stealing materials that are necessary. However, what should have been a simple assignment, all of sudden there is a murder of an important person involved in the operation. Evie must now find the murderer before Churchill's visit and assure that the bomb demonstration is safe for all involved. Fast paced, this story is so interesting. Women were important and really contributed in the war and Julia Kelly brings this to light. The best is the ending, where a new mystery comes to light to Evie from her wanderlust father in the form of a safety box key. I can't wait for her next story. Many thanks to #netgalley #betrayalatblackthronpark #juliakelly for the opportunity to read and review this book.