Her Last Betrayal

HER LAST BETRAYAL by PAM LECKY follows on after Her Secret War, but it can easily be read as a stand alone. It is a gripping story of courage. Sarah Gillespie has been seconded to MI5 in London to try and find her father, an avid member of the IRA, and stop him before he does any more harm.
She and American naval Lieutenant Tony Anderson are sent into Wales, disguised as Dougie Fisher and his secretary Catherine Cavendish, to check out the munitions factory at Glascoed and find Jim Gillespie and his sidekick Jenny McGrath who were last seen in Wales.
With a bad start to her relationship with Anderson, German moles in MI5, and the war generaly bringing out the worst in human nature, Sarah does not know who to trust.
It is good to come across characters from the first novel, for example Sarah’s bubbly friend Gladys and her cousin Judith, who works for the Home Office and has troubles of her own. I like the author’s portrayal of emotions and her understanding of the pressures of war torn Britain in 1942 and 1943.
I am not going to tell you any more as I do not want to spoil things for you. It is a great read for anyone who enjoys WW11 stories.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Avon Books. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

This is a great book for spy lovers. A novice MI5 is paired with an American who has previous experience.
It is personal for Sarah Gillespie, because it is her father they are after. Intrenched in the IRA, Joe Gillespie will side with anyone whom he believes will aid his cause, even the Nazis.
The story is well written, full of suspense, betrayal, and suspicion as the spies wonder just who is a double agent and who they can trust.

"Ireland might still be neutral, but Sarah Gillespie was not."

This book was so so soooo much better than the first one and I've read it in less than a day. It was a total page turner and I've enjoyed it immensely, really looking forward to any other future installments from this series.

"Sarah smiled sadly, welcoming back the old bedfellow: revenge. It was all that was keeping her going."

After agreeing to work for MI5, Sarah moves to London where she gets the chance to form a better connection with her cousin Judith and to continue the friendship she had developed with Gladys, as she also chooses to follow Sarah to England's capital. After a short training with MI5, she and her new partner, Tony Anderson, are sent to Wales for a secret mission where Sarah learns to question everything and everyone, especially after discovering a mole in their midst.
It's not only a book about espionage during the WW2, but also about dealing with loses, understanding love and finding friendship and comfort even when everything seems hopeless.

"Life would be easier if the baddies wore badges, wouldn't it?"

I liked a lot Sarah's relationship with Gladys and Judith. It was a nice touch that lightened the atmosphere and it portrayed a beautiful female friendship between the three girls, showing how, even in times of war, life goes on and things have to follow their natural course. It was funny and light, with girlish scenes and talks.

'I even contemplated burning some of your awful dresses.'
'You would be doing me a favour.'
'I aim to please,' Gladys said with a bow.

Something that definitely heated thing up a bit was the new character: Tony Anderson. Completely opposed to working together, despising each other and exchanging taunts constantly, they were not really an enemies to lovers trope came alive but close enough. It was beautifully written, the way their relationship evolved from deep mistrust and competitiveness to admiration, respect and maybe the tiny blooms of love. Their story is definitely not over and I'm wondering if the author meant to leave us with an open ending or if more books will follow.

'We have to grab happiness when we find it.'
'Are you always this philosophical when you drink brandy?' she asked, when what she really wanted to ask was had he found any happiness with her.

The best part of the book, however, was Sarah herself. She really did evolve a lot, the war giving her tougher skin and sharpening her instincts and wits. She may have lost her innocence, but, even after everything she went through, she still kept a way of believing in goodness, even when learning to look at everything with caution.

"At this rate, working for MI5 was going to destroy her fate in human nature. Trusting anyone was proving to be a fool's game."

Something I didn’t like was the death of a certain character, who will not be named. It was an important enough character in the first book to make this sudden death feel rather pointless and cruel, meant just as another blow at Sarah. But it also gave me the impression the author wasn't sure what to do with the character, that it had outlived its usefulness and death was the quickest option. Just my personal feelings on this matter, but I'm still hoping for a plot twists in future books where I'm proven wrong about this.

'So, what kind of day have you two had?'
Judith laughed. 'Dull as dishwater!'
'Boring as hell!' Sarah joined in.
'You two have been up to mischief, I can just feel it.'

It's a great quick read, with emotions and strong character, spying, plot twists and betrayal at the very center of things. Very enjoyable and definitely worth a chance.

Just as good as the first book! I hope there are more adventures with Sarah to come as she navigates through WWII as a spy for England and finds her happy ending.

I didnt realise that this was a sewuel so I read this as a standalone and it took nothing away from the story. I really enjoyed this book, it is set in a period of history that is heavuly written about and yet this didnt feel like recycled material. It was a fresh interesting storyline that was well written with well developed characters. I really enjoyed this book.

This book was sent to me for review by Netgalley…war torn nation…mystery and intrigue…female protagonist who wants to help…friends…the setting is familiar in WWII books…enjoy this one.

Another great book by Ms Lecky! Couldn’t wait for this sequel to Her Secret War and really hope there will be more parts to the series.
The story follows on from Sarah’s life in Her Secret War. Sarah has travelled to London to join the MI5 in the hunt for her father. She is out for revenge for her sister, her ma and herself.
There is a new character introduced Tony Anderson, an American serviceman on secondment to MI5. Sarah and he become partners in the hunt for her father and their initial dislike for each other soon changes.
There is so much to like about this book- the espionage and spy rings with the intrigue and mystery; the camaraderie between all the workers within MI5; the sisterly relationships with Sarah’s cousin Judith and her friend Gladys; and the growth of Sarah’s character throughout the story.
A really enjoyable read.

“Ireland might still be neutral, but Sarah Gillespie was not.”

Author Pam Lecky’s unique lens with which to view WW2 allows her historical fiction to stand above many others in the same genre. When we think of wartime fiction, Ireland and the IRA rarely, if at all, enters our thoughts. The sequel to Her Secret War, this narrative continues with Sarah Gillespie’s story. She now works for MI5 alongside US Naval Intelligence officer and undercover agent, Lieutenant Tony Anderson as they track down IRA members who are helping British fifth columnists and Abwehr agents enter and exit the UK. Her dangerous missions created tense moments as one of the team is revealed to be a German mole.

Although I didn’t care for the girly sections with her cousin Judith and friend Gladys, I did note that they were important in Sarah’s character arc. I loved following the development of Tony and Sarah’s relationship; finally, an author who shows us that not all relationships are love at first sight.

Full of suspense, betrayal, secrets and danger, this sequel has a wider scope than the previous one. Yes, it’s about espionage and yes, it’s about the wartime experience, but it’s also about learning to cope with stress and loss as well as learning to rely on close friends and learning to balance work with romance. I don’t think Lecky has completely mined this untapped part of wartime history and I suspect we’ll see more of Sarah and or Ireland’s role in wartime history. I sure hope so, as she has created a niche for herself with a unique setting and descriptive, tension filled prose. I’m sure I’m not the only one who believes this author could write great mysteries or thrillers.

I was gifted this advance copy by Pam Lecky, Avon Books UK, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

This was a good and entertaining read! I had read the first novel Her Secret War, had enjoyed it and when I saw the next book as an ARC on NetGalley, I quickly requested it! In this second novel, we meet Sarah again as an M15 agent looking for her IRA father for revenge.... I learned quite a lot about IRA doings with the Nazis, which I was not aware of! A lot of action, with many questions answered only at the conclusion evolved in a very good plot. Romance is in the air (for me a bit too much!), the two main characters involved were predictable in that regard, but did not disturb the story line. I will definitely read more books written by Pam Lecky!
Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this novel for free in exchange for an honest review!

A gripping and thrilling tale about one woman’s bravery in WW2 Britain. The writing was INCREDIBLE! I’ve never highlighted so many sections of a book before, but there were just so many beautifully written passages that I knew I indeed to save to come back to.!

Her Secret War book # 2

The story in a few words:

London 1941

After an air attack that killed her family, Sarah Gillespie leaves Ireland to join the British Secret Service to bring them justice. Partnered with Lieutenant Tony Anderson, Sarah embarks on a dangerous mission that brings them to the black mountains of Wales. The mission is to try and find her father, an avid member of the IRA and his sidekick Jenny McGrath before more havoc is unleashed. But there is a mole lurking among the MI5 agents working for the Nazi....Who is he and who can be trusted?

My thoughts:

Even if this is a sequel to “Her Secret War”, it stands well by itself and continues with another mission for our heroine.

Although a fiction it has a bit of everything and is a captivating read full with suspense, betrayal, secrets, danger, espionage and a tad of romance all neatly wrap up in intrigue. We also learn about the IRA workings with the Nazi from a deferent angle: the Irish vantage point.

Vividly said we follow these two characters through panoply of close calls, dodging bullets, even being taking hostage. For most part, the author has left behind the mundane day to day life we had in her first book and replaced this with intrigue and suspense. Sarah has grown nicely and is well define. I love the cocky personality given to the Lieutenant and how Sarah handled him...oh... maybe the Lieutenant has won Sarah’s heart?...

What an exciting read that kept my attention throughout, a page-turner no doubt. Well-said, well-done.

So much excitement as we rejoin Sarah Gillespie and her daring exploits whilst she seeks revenge for her father’s betrayal.
Colonel Everleigh has managed to persuade Sarah to stay on for another mission with MI5 . With Sarah’s Irish connections she is invaluable to the outcome, the only drawback is that she has to have a partner Lft Anderson who has very set ideas about Sarah which she hopes to set straight. They set off for Wales on a mission only to discover double agents, traitors and not forgetting danger.
I think this is the quickest I have ever read a book, I just couldn’t put it down.
Read i, you won’t be disappointed.

After losing her family to a Nazi bomb attack back home in Ireland, Sarah Gillespie joins the British Secret Service to bring them justice. Partnered with American undercover agent Lieutenant Tony Anderson, Sarah embarks on s dangerous mission that takes her from war-torn London into the black mountains of Wales. But when one of her team is revealed to be a German mole, and enemies begin to close in, what price will Sarah have to pay to save her country - and herself?

There's lots of information about the IRA and their dealings with the Nazis. Sarah is working for MI5. Her father was involved with the IRA. Sarah is trying to come o terms with the disappearance/presumed death of her boyfriend. She is partnered with an American Intelligence Officer, Lieutenant Tony Anderson. I liked that we were learning about the Irish perspective during WWII. The pace is steady throughout with elements of danger, secrets, suspense and betrayal. I did enjoy this book a little more than I did the previous book in the series, Her Secret War, even though they were both good books to read. Do yourself a favour, if you haven't already, read the books in the order they are written in. You won't be disappointed.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #AvonBooksUk and the author #PamLecky for my ARC of #HerLastBetrayal in exchange for an honest review.

The Mission

Exciting and suspenseful this story is a fast paced page turner. Espionage, spies and danger all around. Even when you don't know if you can trust your partner on a mission...who can you trust?

Once again we join the Irish girl from the tracing factory Sarah Gillespie on another dangerous mission for the British secret service. She is sent to Wales paired with an obnoxious American Lt. Tony Anderson. She soon learns there is a mole on the team, but who could it be? Is it Anderson or someone else?

We follow her on her mission through close calls, faked identities, and even a bit of romance. She's sassy, independent and always gets herself into trouble. Dodging bullets, following spies and working undercover she brings a lively and spirited presence to the story.

I enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend it.

Thanks to Pam Lecky for writing an enjoyable story, to Avon books U.K. for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me.

I wasn't aware that this was a sequel, but not reading the first novel didn't detract from my reading enjoyment. Yes, this is yet another WWII historical fiction, but it comes at it from a unique (at least to me) vantage point, the IRA's involvement in pro-Nazi activities. Was entertained and also felt like I learned a little. Recommended

HER LAST BETRAYAL
by Pam Lecky
Avon Books UK, Avon
Pub Date: Apr 14

Her Last Betrayal is a compelling sequel in the WWII series about Irish-born Sarah Gillespie, forced to become an MI5 agent to help track down her father, an IRA member suspected of aiding pro-Nazi sympathizers in the UK.

She's paired with Lieutenant Tony Anderson, an American spy, and together they undertake a hazardous assignment that covers embattled London and the Welsh mountains. Only Sarah finds herself deeply suspicious, even of Tony, with whom she begins to feel something more than collegiality.

What I especially love about this series is the Irish vantage point of the war, nearly unique in the genre, and so beautifully handled. The character development is strong and true, and I found the action-packed narrative held my attention. I wanted to know if Sarah and Tony would identify her father as an enemy, what the impact would be if he were caught, and if Tony could, indeed, be trusted.

Can't wait for the next book in this absorbing series!

Thanks to Pam Lecky, Avon Books UK, Avon, and NetGalley for the digital ARC. All opinions are mine.

#HerLastBetrayal #PamLecky #AvonBooksUk #NetGalley #IrishWWIIfiction
#IRAinWWII #historicalfictionnovels #bookstagramcommunity

Sarah is a Mi5 operative during the Second World War. She is Irish but very good at her tasks for the secret service. This is not the first time Sara is involved in an adventure but you don’t need to have read the first as this one can stand on its own. However her last betrayal is so exciting and well written that you will want to read the first adventure Sarah had. In her last betrayal Sarah has to work with an American to find out if Sarah’s traitorous IRA father is still alive and if so what problems he poses for the British war effort. We soon realise along with Sarah that he is but it is such a well constructed story it keeps you guessing right until the end. Sarah has lost her love but will the American secret agent become closer to her if there is another story about her and I hope there is. The role of the Ira in the Second World War has not been covered in many stories so Pam Lecky has presented the situation really well. It has been well researched and told. This is an exciting spy story set the dangerous time of war.

I rely on Historical Fiction books to shock me, to surprise me, to teach me. Most important of all, I want the story to make me think and learn. Her Last Betrayal had me googling for more information. Her Last Betrayal had me sitting in silence, tears falling. I don't know how the members of MI5 and SOE were able to do what the did. I didn't realize how challenging it was for them. Total respect to the unsung heroes of WW2.

Her Last Betrayal was an action packed spy novel. The story had me on the edge of my seat, not only because of the action but because of the betrayals. I doubted the honesty of so many characters. If I could doubt the integrity of characters, how in the world could those on a real mission during WW2 trust those that were supposed to have their backs? My mind was blown more than once by the direction the story took. I can't tell you how many times I was left thinking, "I didn't see it coming."

Sarah Gillespie hadn't planned on joining MI5. She kind of fell into it. She was kind of pushed into in the book Her Secret War a story of espionage at Supermarine. She has impressed members of MI5. Now they need her help to find her father, a leader in the IRA working with the Nazis.

She will be risking everything to take down the man that abandoned her and her sister during the bombing of Dublin. Adding to the dangers is the conflict with her partner in the mission, an American called Anderson. She had to prove herself to him over and over again making for a lot of drama.

The mission will be dangerous. The struggles will be many. The suspense is a nail biter. Sarah's doubts plague her. Who can she trust? Who can she get to listen to her? All of this made for a book that had me hooked. I couldn't put it down. When I reached the end; I could only hope that Sarah and Anderson will be paired together again for another wild ride.

Sarah Gillispie is back! after her sister is killed in a bombing, Sarah moves in with her uncle and aunt in England where she captures the attention of the British Secret Service who recruit her for a mission involving none other than the father she thought was dead!
Much more action and intrigue, secrets, and betrayal in this second installment that keeps the pace moving and makes a very interesting story. Also we learn about the Irish perspective on WWII, something I have not seen very much. Don't worry, this works well as a stand-alne so if you missed the first you can still follow Sarah's adventures!
Thank you to the publishers at Avon books and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.

Story of a young English woman who is partnered with an arrogant American guy to infiltrate and get information on a possible IRA and German connection.

Mainly set in 1941 London during WWII, Her Last Betrayal is a gorgeously written Historical Fiction loaded with secrets, sorrow, espionage, spying, danger and relationships. The less common Irish perspective on the war is particularly interesting.

Sparks fly between Irish spitfire Sarah Gillespie and cocky American Lieutenant Tony Anderson as they are partnered up to join the British Secret Service for a special assignment in Wales. At first Sarah is defensive in her thoughts and actions but the reader sees her mature throughout. A double agent, Sarah's friends and fascinating characters Jim and Jenny come into play which adds fascinating layers. Watching cultural interactions with fun differences always fascinates me. I really like the espionage aspect and historical bits interwoven throughout.

Though a sequel in the series, this book can be read as a standalone without any problem. A few "old" comfy characters have returned and new ones introduced. If you are a Historical Fiction fan, you will most likely enjoy this series very much.

My sincere thank you to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this fabulous book.

Sarah Gillespie’s father left her and her younger sister for dead following a Nazi bomb attack on their home in Dublin. She is persuaded to join MI5 and moves to London where she is partnered with the arrogant Lieutenant Tony Anderson a US naval intelligence officer. Their dangerous mission is to track down her missing father a prolific ruthless IRA member colluding with Nazi sympathisers so that he can be brought to justice for his atrocities. The mission takes Sarah and Tony to the Welsh mountains having received intelligence that her father is there. A mole is soon uncovered betraying Sarah and leaving her struggling to trust anyone. She sometimes wonders if she can even trust Tony who clearly doesn’t believe women should be working for the intelligence services until she proves otherwise to him. A totally absorbing read and fast paced storyline. It has everything. Suspense, spying, intrigue, mystery and a smattering of romance. A nail biting, gripping book that had me absolutely hooked from the first page. I didn’t realise until I’d finished it that it’s a sequel to Her secret war which I am now about to read. Clearly works well as a stand alone read. I do hope there’s a third one in the pipeline. My thanks to Avon HarperCollins and netgalley for the opportunity to read this outstanding book

4.5* out of 5

Well, I knew there was going to be a second novel after reading Lecky’s previous book, “Her Secret War” and I was right. Now I’m thinking this could end up being a trilogy, but that’s neither here nor there at this point. I already liked Sarah from the first book and having the chance to learn more about her was a pleasure. This time, Sarah’s been moved to London only to end up taking on a mission that brings her to Wales. Since this book continues almost immediately after the last one, there’s not much we need to catch up on, and while this is a sequel, I can see that if you haven’t read the first one, you might not feel like you’ve missed out on much – but I think it would be better to read the previous book first, since it is very good.

Now, one of the things that I liked about Sarah is that she wasn’t ever intending to be a hero, and only wanted to get away from Ireland and the death and destruction she left behind. The added bonus for her was that she was never a sympathizer with Ireland’s neutrality in the war, and that helped motivate her to join up with the war efforts of the British. Part of that was due to the fact that she lost her sister and father in that Nazi bombing, so well described in the first novel. We also understand that Sarah is still new to the espionage business, and Lecky makes sure that she doesn’t make Sarah too good at her new job, but she also makes sure we see that Sarah has more of a talent than she realizes.

To fully explain the set-up in this novel, I’d have to reveal a spoiler from the first one, so let’s just say that some information comes to Sarah that makes her even more angry, and even more anxious to prove that she has no Irish Republican sentiments, and is loyal to the British in their fight against the Axis. With America now in the war, we get a new character with Lieutenant Anderson, who is suspicious of Sarah and not happy with having either a woman or an Irish person as his new partner. This mutual distaste between the two should signal tall readers of the start of a well-used trope we’ve seen many times in romance novels. However, this thankfully isn’t the centerpiece of this book, which would have made it far too romantic for my taste.

Instead, we get several nail-biting scenes that though we are sure our main protagonist will survive (you don’t kill off your hero until you’re ready to end the book – or series, as the case may be), we do wonder how she’ll get out of these tight spots. Lecky also throws us some red herrings and casts suspicions in several different ways, so that we’re never really sure if the people working with Sarah might actually be working against her at the same time. Now, I figured out who the mole was through a very tiny slip of the tongue by that character, which Sarah didn’t catch when it happened. I was sure Lecky put that in there as a clue for both the readers and Sarah, so I was a bit surprised that this never gets mentioned again. But other than that, I thought the plot was very nicely thought out, and worked well for the story as a whole. I also felt that Lecky did a very nice job of setting the ending of this book up for a third book in the series, but with a touch less of a cliff-hanger than her first book.

Again, as I said, I still really like the character of Sarah, and I also liked Anderson long before Sarah did. However, I think Lecky had Sarah second guessing herself a bit too much in this book than she needed, along with one other thing that felt out of character for a good Catholic girl like Sarah. There’s also the open question of Paul, Sarah’s love interest from the first book, which I think Lecky will need to address in the next installment (sorry, can’t say more…). Overall, this was a very enjoyable and surprisingly fast read (even for this dyslexic). For all this, I think it deserves a very warm recommendation with four and a half stars out of five. I’m sure this will appeal to lovers of WWII historical, women’s fiction, who don’t mind a touch of romance mixed with suspense on Britain’s home front.

Quite an enjoyable and intriguing book as you tried to work out who you could trust and who you couldn't! Good characters too that you enjoyed from the off.

A gripping WW2 story of bravery, love and treachery. When Irish-born British Secret Service agent Sarah Gillespie and American undercover agent Lieutenant Tony Anderson first meet as partners they don't think much of each other. As they work together in London and rural Wales, things change. I couldn't stop reading it! Just had to find out whether they both survived, especially when Sarah met her traitorous IRA father.