Member Reviews

I love reading books about brave women and Pam Jenoff deftly delivers an exciting historical fiction novel about women working with the SOE as spies during World War II.

Eleanor Trigg, the woman who recruited and ran the ring of female agents, is one of three voices in the story. Eleanor was a woman ahead of her time and very organized and dedicated regarding her work.

Marie, one of the women recruited by Eleanor, was a young mother on her own who was attracted to the job by the money it paid. Marie was not fully aware of the danger involved when she signed on, but soon proved herself worthy of the task required.

Grace, a widow who stumbles upon an abandoned suitcase while on her way to work, becomes involved with the lives of Eleanor and Marie through her attempts to locate the owner of the suitcase.

This is a fascinating story and while it’s not the first WWII female spy novel I have read, it was interesting and new and kept me engaged throughout. Historical fiction readers and those that enjoy stories set in World War II will not want to miss this latest novel by Pam Jenoff.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Park Row/Harlequin Trade Publishing for allowing me to read and advance copy and give my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

An amazing book that takes place in wartime France and London in 1944 an in New York, Germany & France in 1946.

Grace who is late for work due to a hit and run auto accident has to go thru Grand Central Station on her way to work., She stumbles over a suitcase that's jutting out from under a bench with no one around to claim it

She looks inside for some inside for some means of identifying the owner and discovers a packet of photographs of 12 women. She takes them with her. The suitcase has the name Trigg written in chalk on it.

A special branch of the Royal Air Force , the Special Operations Executive is comprised of women who ar sent to France to sabotage the Germans.

Marie is recruited because she speaks fluent French,, she becomes a radio operator sending and receiving transmissions from London.

When Grace goes back to the station after work she discovers the suitcase is gone and no one knows what happened to it..

Later as she is watching the news she hears the story about a hit and run accident and the British citizen named Eleanor Trigg who was the victim.


Marie meets Josie while they are undergoing training before being sent to France and later meets up with her in France, she is part of the tam of operatives (agents) she'll be working with.


Grace learns Eleanor was in charge of the SOE's program of female agents..


Marie is forced to flee from the flat she's living in and working in and takes refuge in a safe house where she Scan only stay a few days safely. She returns to the flat to destroy her radio and is arrested. and then made to send transmissions worded by her captors (Germans).


After realizing that Marie's transmissions are missing crucial personal codes and that several agent are missing., Eleanor is fired and is informed there will be no search for the missing female agents who are presumed dead and of whom no trace of them will be found..


In 1946 Eleanor is summoned to SOE headquarters where she learns 7 of the girls were killed immediately upon arriving in concentration camps. The other 5 are missing and presumed dead.

She is asked to go to France and find out how the operation was discovered and how they were caught.

Before leaving she goes back to the SOE training building and retrieves a metal box which contains personal items of each of the female agents which they had to leave behind..


Eleanor.learns that someone at SOE headquarters betrayed the women. Someone knew their radios had been captured but continued to send transmissions containing false information in order to trip them up into revealing their plans.


Marie is taken to a French prison an finds Josie as the prison is being emptied an the women are transported to the camps. Josie has managed to smuggle a hand grenade an pulls the pin on it , flinging Marie out of the rail car.


Eleanor leans that a German officer has information about the fat of the women so she go to Dachau to see him an he tells her that 4 of the girls were supposed to arrive at the camp but only 3 actually did and he has no idea what happened to the missing woman. He hands her the key to a Swiss bank safe deposit box which Eleanor discovers holds documents pertaining to the radio transmissions that were sent form London after they knew the radios had been captured by the Germans..


When she confronts the director of the SOE with this he tells her why they sent the transmissions and that he issued Josie a VISA for travel to the United States.


Eleanor asks Marie to meet her at Grand Central Station however Marie is delayed an Eleanor is killed before they can meet.


Marie comes to grace's apartment to tell her about the missed meeting and shares candid photographs of the agents. She reveals she took Eleanor's suitcase.

She gives a testimonial about what happened with the radios and transmissions and it is given to the British Parliament. She is to be given a George's Cross for her heroics.


After that Grace leaves Marie to leave a life of peace

Was this review helpful?

I read a lot of historical fiction and I had read “The Orphans Tale” by Pam Jenoff and really enjoyed it. I most recently read “The Light Over London” by Julia Kelly which was about the Brtitish “gunner girls” who worked atop London’s rooftops calculating the firing of anti-aircraft guns.

This novel drew me in from the beginning, it was a quick, satisfying read with characters that I could root for. The story starts in 1946 Manhattan when a young woman, Grace, comes across a suitcase in Grand Central Station. She is running late for work but looking inside the suitcase she sees the photographs of 12 young women in uniforms and on a whim takes them with her. When she returns the next day for the suitcase, it is gone. She decides to try and learn who these women are and their fate. She is a recent widow, her husband killed while in training for the Army, the war is still a very real part of her life, even though it is officially over.

Eleanor Tripp was working closely as a secretary for the Secret Operations Unit (SOE) an agency in London which was created to sabotage German efforts in France, all presumably for the invasion of Normandy within a few months. Eleanor convinces the Director that women would be the most useful as they could blend in with French women, particularly if they spoke French fluently. Soon a plan was formulated to train the women that were hand picked for this job, they were dropped into France, expected to find a safe house and transmit information back and forth from London to their locations within France, they were extensively trained in radio transmissions. Ms. Tripp was in charge of the entire women’s corp of volunteers and cared deeply about the girls.

Marie is one of the group of women dropped into French territory, alone, with little to go on besides her instincts and a map. She makes it to a safe house with the help of the leader of the entire operation in France, known as Vesper (his real name is Julian). Marie begins her work of transmitting messages until she starts noticing messages that seem inconsistent and incorrect to her. Within weeks she will find out the reason. Julian and his cousin Will tell her that there is something very wrong about the operation, someone has betrayed them, but who? Is it one of the girls, someone back in London? Marie is told to get out of France, but her pilot, Will, never shows up for the planned extraction.

The story is told from the POV of Eleanor, Grace and Marie and they are all equally interesting. The more I read, the more I enjoyed the book. I don’t want to reveal any more of the plot for fear of spoilers but it was definitely a great story. The author’s note doesn’t tell us how much of the book is based on fact, perhaps that will come out when the book is published in January.

I found a lot of interesting information on the following website, if you care to explore more:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/soe_01.shtml

I think most fans of historical fiction will enjoy this book with yet another example of how much women contributed to the war effort.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.

Will also post to Amazon upon publication. Also posted to Edelweiss and Facebook.

Was this review helpful?

WWII has finally ended but instead of the happiness she always hoped for, Grace Healey finds herself sad and alone. After losing her husband in a horrible accident Grace could not bare to go home to Connecticut and face the pity pouring out from her friends and family. She rents a room, gets a job and decides to virtually reinvent herself in NYC. While walking through Grand Central on her way to work one day, Grace stumbles upon a suitcase left behind by a traveler. In addition to finding the owner’s name she discovers photographs of beautiful women that don’t look much older than herself. In an effort to return the items and evade facing her own personal heartbreak, Grace begins an investigation to find out who Eleanor Trigg really was and why she has carried these photographs across an ocean. As she unravels a complicated female ring of undercover agents, Grace realizes she must get to the bottom of this puzzle to find peace for Eleanor, her mysterious girls and her own future. Filled with love, friendship and incredibly brave women, favorite author Pam Jenoff creates another fabulous novel taking us back in time. Well written, exciting and absolutely unputdownable.

Was this review helpful?

I'm sure the cover art alone will make readers pick up this book! And when they do, they'll find themselves drawn into an engaging, fast-paced story. My one qualm about this was some grammatical errors in the French portions - for example, I've never heard the phrase "Au Francais" (sorry for the lack of accents), rather "En francais" when reminding someone to speak in French. I'd recommend having a French-speaking editor comb over this one before final publication.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for an advanced read in exchange for this review.
I loved the Orphan’s Tale and was excited to read Pam Jenoff’s latest. It did not disappoint.
Grace Healy cuts through Grand Central Station one morning on her way to work. She finds an abandoned suitcase. Curious, she opens it up to find pictures of a dozen women. She takes the photos as her curiosity becomes bigger and bigger. She learns that they belonged to Eleanor Trigg, a leader of secret female agents deployed to London during the war. She finds herself drawn to their stories and begins to investigate further.
This story is told through 3 POVs – Grace’s, Eleanor’s and one of the female agents, Marie. Jenoff does an excellent job of building suspense and mystery, while not making it over the top. You really get a feel of who each character is. I’m not sure how accurate any of the historical information is, but it does make for a good story! Jenoff addresses this in her author’s note, however. Overall, a strong, historical read with solid female leads!

Was this review helpful?

This is a good addition to the WWII-era books, which are some of my favorite historical reads. I found this book to be enjoyable overall, though the pace was a bit slower than I would have preferred. Jenoff’s book is a nice tribute to the many women (specifically female British operatives) who served during WWII. There is a nice mix of action, mystery, and romance. The reader gets three different POVs: Grace, Eleanor, and Marie. All the women are from different backgrounds, but they are working for the same cause. The characters, however, aren’t equally developed. I was surprised that info wasn’t provided on the research angle (in an author’s note), as I’m used to that in similar historical books.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley, but I wasn’t required to leave a positive review.

Was this review helpful?

During the WWII, the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) created the F Section networks in France. According to Wikipedia, these networks “were tasked with the assignment of gathering information about the enemy and relaying said information to the SOE headquarters in London.” These networks work deep into enemy-occupied territories and their missions were extremely dangerous.

The Lost Girls of Paris is based on true events and tells the story of some fictitious members of the F Section and their fate. Eleanor Trigg has proved herself with the SOE and has earned the confidence of the Director. Her proposal to create a female secret agent branch to help the F Section in their efforts to bring liberation to occupied France is approved. She personally selects and trains the women and deploys twelve of them in France. The Network is compromised and none of them makes it back to London, so it seems. Eleanor is soon dismissed, but she does not stop searching for the truth about what happened to the women and who betrayed them.

This nail-biting novel will not spare your emotions. You will travel with the spies and feel their fears and root for them in times of danger. Well-written and exciting, this novel brings vivid images of the war and how in this time of despair, courageous men and women did all they could to defeat the enemy. A must-read.

Thank you Harlequin and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this thrilling book. The Lost Girls of Paris will be available at your favourite bookstore on January 29, 2019.

#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #book #books #booklover #bookish #bookreview #bookdragon #bookaholic #reading #readersofinstagram #instaread #ilovebooks #bookaddicted #bookishcanadians #thelostgirlsofparis #pamjenoff #fiction #historicalfiction #historical #wwii

Was this review helpful?

A young woman finds an abandoned suitcase in Grand Central Terminal. As she learns more about the owner of the suitcase and the story behind the photos contained within it, she embarks on a tale of courage and the great strength of women during World War II. Inspired by true events, I was amazed by the determination of the women and men sent to Europe to aid the partisans in their fight against the Germans. A well written tribute to the unsung heroes of WWII who bravely and gallantly risked their own lives to save the lives of thousands. I highly recommend this book!

Was this review helpful?

Pam Jenoff, the author, is very emphatic that this is a work of fiction, but one wonders if there is an element of truth in it. A 1940's story of 12 English girls lost in France, their London leader, Eleanor, and the American woman, Grace who finds their 12 photos in an apparently abandoned suitcase in Grand Central Station. Grace is curious who these women are even as she is at the same time trying to deal with her own life problems. This was a difficult book to put down.

Was this review helpful?

In 1946 in Manhattan, a woman on her way to work discovers a suitcase left beneath a bench in Grand Central Station. She opens the suitcase to look for identification and takes out a packet of pictures. When she goes back to put the pictures back in the suitcase, it is gone. She then goes on a mission to find the women in the photographs and deliver them to their rightful owners. The story alternates between Grace in 1946, and WWII, where a group of young women is trained by Eleanor Trigg to go to France and try to pass as locals where they will serve as radio operators and couriers for the allies. Those were the women in the photographs.

This book was both fascinating and horrifying. The author set the scene and developed the characters so well that it all felt real. I could not put it down. Definitely a must-read for all of the historical fiction fans!

Was this review helpful?

Wow! What an amazing journey Pam Jenoff has taken us on!

Eleanor Trigg recruited a group of women that would become an important part in the war against Germany. They were trained rigorously to infiltrate occupied France without detection and transmit messages back to London.

These women were beyond brave -they faced certain death if caught and they all knew it. Yet they still went, still believed in the cause. From teenagers to mothers, these women sacificed everything.

The adventure had me sitting on the edge of my seat for most of the novel. The detail the author put into describing the surroundings and feelings of the characters made me feel as if I was part of their team. I can't imagine the terror these women felt! In an age where technology is so readily available to us (I don't go to Walmart without my phone), it's unimaginable how these women went blind into enemy territory and got the job done! From sleeping in sheds to hiding in safehouses to being arrested. And with no contact with their loved ones! Absolutely mind-boggling. It certainly puts things into perspective.

As the first book I've read this year, it's going to be a very tough act to follow! Well done Pam Jenoff!

Was this review helpful?

The Lost Girls of Paris is a beautiful story you don't want to end, you want to know more and let the story continue. You want to follow those who are left and cheer for them. This story of brave young and sometimes desparate woman who at the same time are confident and compassionate winds together wonderfully towards the end like a fine spool of thread. It's a story of woman who are recruited and quickly taught to go to Paris from New York in 1944 to send secret and secure radio transmissions to save the lives of military men fighting German soldiers. The bond and friendships these few women make is unbreakable as they become heros for each other. I loved this book and will recommend it like crazy! Thank you #ParkRow #TheLostGirlsOfParis # NetGalley.com #PamJenoff

Was this review helpful?

Just when I say I'm done reading WWII books one like this comes my way. When I saw it was Pam Jenoff I knew I had to try it and I'm so glad I did. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-galley to review.

This is the story of women spies during WWII. I told myself if I want immediately grabbed I wouldn't keep reading. Thankfully, I couldn't stop reading. Pam Jenoff had a way of making historical fiction quick reads. She doesn't get bogged down in details and the story is alive with suspense and thrill. I was kept on the edge of my seat.

I will be recommending this to adult patrons and book clubs, even if they say, not another WWII book, I'll say trust me this is worth your time.

Was this review helpful?

I'm a sucker for stories of unsung women heroes, and I had high hopes for this book, where one of the characters was a fictionalized version of Vera Atkins. The Lost Girls of Paris has three timelines, following Grace who stumbles upon a suitcase in 1946 New York, Eleanor at SOE in 1943 London, and Marie in the field in 1944 Paris. I think it might have been a stronger story without the addition of Grace, focusing just on the tensions of SOE sending women into occupied France. Nevertheless, it was well researched and a compelling read.

Was this review helpful?

Pam Jenoff is a master at writing historical fiction about WWII. She finds these unique stories about strong women who exhibit strength, bravery, and heroism during difficult times in our past. This is no exception.

Grace Healey lost her husband and needs to find herself away from her family and on her own. Grace's world changes when Eleanor Trigg, the leader of female secret agents in London, left her suitcase in the train station in New York City and Grace found twelve photographs inside. The novel flashes back and forth from 1944 to 1946 until you make it to the present day with Grace searching for answers on who Trigg and the ladies were. A group of trained women who risked their lives to be couriers and radio operators in France go missing or are killed due to unidentified reasons while they were out in the field. There are so many plot twists that aren't foreseen that you won't want to put it down.

The Lost Girls of Paris will be another home run and I could totally see this as a movie in the near future. I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All Opinions are my Own.

Was this review helpful?

This book has a good premise: the women who worked the secret radio transmissions in France ahead of D-Day. However, the book follows 3 women, one of whom has nothing to do with this part of history, and the story becomes disjointed because of the format. The characters are not very well developed, either. The prepub e-version did not have any author's notes, so I couldn't tell how much of the book was based on real events or people. If we had just followed Eleanor and Marie, the story might have been better.

Was this review helpful?

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

WWII novel that intertwines personal stories with those of their service in war. It characterizes strong women and their resilience.

Was this review helpful?

I am such a fan of this author. The last two books were amazing. What makes me such a fan of the author is the way that the author can make each book such a strong character driven story infused in time periods that transport me back in time as if I was living everything that the characters are experiencing throughout the whole story. Sadly, I struggled to find that strong emotional connection this time.

The three women Grace, Marie, and Eleanor are good each in their own ways. However, none of them really commanded the story or their parts like I wanted them to. Well I just did not experience it this way. Out of the three women; I found Eleanor to be the leader and not just because she was a leader of a secret organization. Next it was Marie and finally Grace.

The overall story was good but I did not fly through it like I normally would. Still, I do encourage readers to pick up a copy of this book as well as other books from this author.

Was this review helpful?

AWESOME BOOK!! I am a big fan of WWI and WWII historical fiction books and this one is definitely one of my favorites, it did not disappoint. This is the second book I have read concerning how the women stepped up to the plate as secret agents and radio operators during the wars and held their own in a man’s world. These women were dropped into the thick of things and did a tremendous service to their country. I found the research done on this book was excellent, true to form and very informative. Yes, this is historical fiction done in a superb fashion.
The story is told in alternating chapters between Marie, a special operations agent and Grace, a young widow trying to find her way after her husband was killed in a car accident before he ever arrived in combat. The writing is excellent with great character development, and a well thought out storyline. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and highly recommend, big 5*****’s.
I was given an advanced copy from Harlequin Trade Publishing through Net Galley for my honest review, I would give this one a high 5****’s. Excellent read.

Was this review helpful?