Thanks to netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Another wonderful read by Jennifer Ryan! WWII books set in London are always among my favorites, so it started with a big plus right there. And I'm a sucker for books with characters who are flawed, but learn and grow during the course of the book, and that is key to this book!

Mrs. Braithwaite, a rather bossy, autocratic village leader has been de-throned, when her husband divorces her for another woman. She has a secret that is being held over her head by her rival in the village, so decides to go visit her semi-estranged daughter in London so that she can tell her the secret before she hears it otherwise. Much to her surprise, daughter Betty is not at the house where she rents a room, nor does anyone seem to know her at the sewage board where she supposedly works. She decides that she must find Betty, and drafts Mr. Norris (the owner of the house where Betty boards) to help her.

The plot carries you along - I found this to be rather a quick read, because I didn't want to put it down! I wouldn't say that it's unpredictable, although there are a couple twists, but the action was interesting. And there's a bit of humor along with the certainly serious plot about Nazi sympathizers in Britain during the war - the humor mixed into a serious plot is somewhat reminiscent of the Mrs. Pollifax series). But, to me, the characters were key. I loved seeing the characters learn and grow from their experiences. Maybe it's a bit sentimental of me, but I do enjoy a book with main characters who are flawed, but become better people as they learn from life.

I loved The Chilbury Ladies Choir, so I was looking forward to reading Ryan's new novel. Unfortunately, The Spies of Shilling Lane is a real disappointment. Whereas her first novel had a lot of charm, this one just feels forced and unlikely. It's definitely readable, but the plot is completely improbable and feels as though it is a Disneyland version of some old gangster movie (or maybe even Bugsy Malone). The characters come across as caricatures, and I pictured them in my head as cartoons rather than real people. There was also a thread of sentimentalism woven throughout that felt misplaced. Is it a spy novel or a feel good novel about loving your family and community? The two don't work well together. Overall, this new effort was not nearly as enjoyable as Ryan's last novel.

I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

There was a lot going on in this book and I found it a little over the top. I enjoy historical fiction, I enjoy mysteries... this just didn't do either of those very well. I think I was expecting more of a serious read but this was pretty light and not what I was hoping for.

This was a madcap romp through London! I found it a bit silly at times but if you are looking for a light quick read I would recommend it. It is definitely not your usual WWII story. 3 stars.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The WWII London blitz forms the background for the cozy mystery, The Spies of Shilling Lane by Jennifer Ryan. Mrs. Braithwaite has been ousted from her position as leader of her village Women’s Voluntary Service and shunned because of the scandal of getting a divorce, yet her busybody tendencies remain. Part of her coping mechanism involves finding her only daughter who has moved to London to tell her this news and reveal a family secret before she hears it from a gossip.

On the train to London, she begins a perspective in her notebook that will return as she gets mixed up in the spying business, “How do you measure the success of your life?” Her first response “Social standing. Reputation. How the world sees you,” will not be the same as her last.
Betty had written five letters from London, but now is nowhere to be found. Mrs. Braithwaite enlists Betty’s timid landlord Mr. Norris to help find her, and they stumble into spying and danger.

Betty’s letters did not reveal that she has become a British spy, nor that she is involved with a handsome man. The daughter has characterized her mother as distant to all her London friends, but when twists and turns put each of them in danger, their fear makes them realize how important they are to each other. A bit of romance here and there and Mrs. Braithwaite’s last answer to her own question add interest to the story.

If you are looking to read something that will improve your intellect or cause deliberation, this is not it, but if you like a British wartime mystery with a hint of romance, this may be your cup of tea. (Pun intended.)

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I love a book with interesting characters and this book gave me those! Mrs. Braithwaite, a middle aged divorced wife and mother has really thought a lot about why and what she thinks about the world until the disappearance of her daughter forces her out of her comfort zone. She knows that people think she's cold and bossy, and she doesn't really care, or at least she thought she didn't care. But as she experience the world in London she starts to see things differently and find fortitude and heart she didn't know she had.

Along the way she finally gets to know her daughter and makes a new "friend" in Mr. Norris Together these three will fight Nazi influence in London. Sounds like a stretch there right, but it works. The plot is well paced, the writing his concise and thoughtful. My only negative feeling as that too much of the story continues on after the climax about 80% through the story. I would have liked better of some of the following plot points were worked in to the the story.

For readers who like authors Amy Stewart and Elizabeth Berg, I think this one will be a win.

British tale of Daring-Do at it's best!

Set during World War II, this is a rather extraordinary story with ordinary people called to do their best and in impeccable British tradition draw themselves up by their boot strings and sally forth, umbrellas at the ready(metaphorically speaking).
Mrs. Braithwaite, a self important village doyenne, finds herself drummed out as head of the local Women’s Voluntary Service, and takes herself to London to find her daughter Betty.
Betty though has disappeared and Mrs. Braithwaite will let nothing stop her pursuit of her daughter. She even evangels her daughter's timid landlord, Mr Norris to help her.
Their quest turns up all sorts from black marketeers to nazi sympathizers.
Mrs Braithwaite throws her energies into the search for Betty like an avenging Miss Marples with a healthy dose of Hyacinth Bucket, or maybe Boedica, and Mr. Norris comes into his own.
These two gutsy eccentric characters find their mojo, rescue the missing Betty and bring down a spy ring, along with a few other pluses.
A weaving of events that leads to an amusing and captivating read with moments of intense revelation. But then what can you expect from the author of "The Spies of Shilling Lane?" Why, nothing less than the exceptional!
Indeed this is the very human side of wartime on the Homefront with some added humor and a few surprising extras.

A Crown Publishing ARC via NetGalley

4 stars for a light, enjoyable mystery/ romance/character study.
The blurb sets the premise of the story: "Mrs. Braithwaite, self-appointed queen of her English village, finds herself dethroned, despised, and dismissed following her husband’s selfish divorce petition. Never deterred, the threat of a family secret being revealed sets her hot-foot to London to find the only person she has left—her clever daughter Betty, who took work there at the first rumbles of war. "
It is March, 1941 and Mrs. Braithwaite arrives in London only to find her daughter missing. She sets out to find her and recruits some unlikely help:
Mr. Norris, Betty's landlord, a rather timid accountant who is appalled at this blustering harridan ordering him about.
Some criminals who have it in for 5th column fascists.
How Mrs. Braithwaite and Norris rescue Betty from the fascists and rekindle a mother daughter relationship made for a pleasant read. Fans of the author's previous book, The Chilbury Ladies' Choir will like this one also. There is very little violence and no murders, so cozy mystery fans will enjoy it.
One quote : "But the conversation seemed to have tipped Mr. Norris into a thoughtful mode and he said rather philosophically, 'When people you care for die, something inside changes and you become a different person. Some say that you take on a part of them yourself, that everything you loved about them is enveloped within you, that you have a responsibility to keep them alive in your heart, whatever it takes."
Thanks to Jennifer Ryan/Crown Publishing/Net Galley for sending me this book. #TheSpiesOfShillingLane #NetGalley

THE SPIES OF SHILLING LANE by Jennifer Ryan (The Chilbury Ladies' Choir) is a work of historical fiction (World War II era) with a strong element of mystery. The cast of distinctive (if somewhat stereotyped) characters is anchored by Mrs. Braithwaite, a well-meaning, but rule bound matron (I kept thinking of Hyacinth Bucket from the British sit-com Keeping Up Appearances). Ousted from local village leadership of the Women's Voluntary Services (WVS), she travels to London to commiserate with her adult daughter, Betty. Upon arriving, she learns from the landlord, Mr. Norris, that Betty is missing and then the adventures really begin. Kidnapping, government secrets, breaking and entering, black market goods, fascist activity, treason and espionage are all involved.

With a fairly high number of convenient coincidences, THE SPIES OF SHILLING LANE is an entertaining, although sometimes almost farcical, lark. Given the wartime setting, there are also reflective moments: "Sometimes you have to feel grateful for what you have, see the good and only the good. We only have one life. One chance for happiness. And sometimes we forget that we can actually choose whether we want joy or cynicism. Let's pick joy." THE SPIES OF SHILLING LANE received a starred review from Library Journal and Ryan has left open the possibility of a sequel which could also be fun for anyone looking for a "cozy" mystery.

Loved “The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir”, so I was very excited to read this book. I was not disappointed! This is the story of Mrs. Braithwaite who in the midst of WWII, is in the middle of a personal crisis being shunned by the village ladies after her divorce, then discovers that her daughter Betty who works in London, is missing. Of course, Mrs. Braithwaite hops on a train and heads straight to London, and that is when things really begin. With the help of Betty’s landlord, Mr. Norris, Mrs. Braithwaite makes her way through war torn London searching for clues to Betty’s disappearance. Without giving too much away, there are Nazi sympathizers, local black market thugs, MI5, several kidnappings and rescues, AND a lot of personal revelation and growth. Mrs. Braithwaite forges a new ‘family’ during her big London adventure. I truly enjoyed this book, and think it could easily become a series.

Jennifer Ryan’s The Spies of Shilling Lane wasn’t quite what I was expecting but ultimately I found it to be an enjoyable read. My expectation was that the book would be a mostly serious read and instead discovered myself reading what amounted to be almost a caper, though one with very serious overtones, many precarious and dangerous situations, and many lessons. 

The book is set in 1941 London with blackouts, bombs falling, fascists and, of course, spies. The main characters are Mrs. Braithwaite, a formidable and unlikable woman, at least at the beginning of the book, her daughter Betty and Betty’s landlord, Mr. Norris. The interactions between these three characters, particularly Mrs. Braithwaite and Mr. Norris and Mrs. Braithwaite and Betty, as well as the personal growth each experiences form the emotional nucleus of this book. 

Betty, unbeknownst to Mrs. Braithwaite and Mr. Norris, is a spy. At the book’s outset, Betty is missing and Mrs. Braithwaite takes it upon herself to locate her. As the book continues, there are a series of adventures, usually perilous, misunderstandings, and a great many twists and turns. Mr. Norris is brought into these early on, recruited against his better judgement and will, by Mrs. Braithwaite. 

Ms Ryan does an outstanding job of addressing many issues, including women’s rights, snobbery and the intricacies of familial relationships in an entertaining fashion. What I didn’t like as much was that the book seemed to drag at times and be a bit repetitive as perils and adventures seemed to repeat themselves. 

I enjoyed this book and recommend it but want to caution that it is very different in tone from the wonderful The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir, so if that’s what a reader is looking for, said reader may be disappointed. Three and a half stars.

I was given a free copy of this book by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated and the opinions stated are solely my own.

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

Humorous historical novel about a mother daughter relationship set in WWII.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book via Netgalley but all opinions provided are my own.

I really enjoyed Jennifer Ryan’s The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir so I was excited to see where she went with her second book.

There’s a lot of heart in this WWII historical fic read.

On the surface, it’s about a matron, Mrs. Braithwaite, recently left and divorced by her husband and now deposed as leader of the Women’s Voluntary Service, as she journeys to and across London looking for her semi-estranged daughter Betty. She wants to reveal a family secret to Betty, but the problem is that her daughter is missing and evidently wrapped up in something much larger than Mrs. Braithwaite would have ever expected.

Her companion on the search is Mr. Norris, an unassuming middle-aged man who supposedly isn’t brave at all, but who turns out to be more than equal to the tasks demanded of them as they search for Mrs. Braithwaite’s daughter.

Both characters respond to the dangerous situations they’re faced with with resourcefulness and courage, proving again and again that there’s more to them than what they and others thought. The mystery surrounding who’s behind Betty’s disappearance is nicely done, as Ryan shows again and again how strong women are and how they can and do rise to the occasion.

There were times when the narration felt heavy-handed, particularly in terms of sentimentality, but overall I appreciated how characters came together in the story—largely due to the most unlikely character herself, Mrs. Braithwaite.

I was excited to read this new book by Jennifer Ryan since I so enjoyed The Chilbury Choir book. She has a knack for taking ordinary people’s lives and making them compelling and real. The war really did touch so many lives, in ways that we don’t even consider. This is also true for this new book. Seems to me that there could be a sequel in the future! It was so heart-warming for Mrs. Braithwaite to discover herself and find that she could be a kind, generous, courageous and loving woman. I love the group of people banding together to form a new “family”.

Jennifer Ryan, author of "The Chilbury Ladies' Choir", now brings us another entertaining, over the top, yet thought-provoking read in "The Spies of Shilling Lane". It portrays significant shifts in the ways women began to see themselves, and be seen by others, after the war to end all wars.

The lead, Mrs. Braithwaite, proves unlikable at first, but we learn to understand what made her the way she is and to respect her ability to adapt and grow into a better person. This happens through her involvement in rather farcical espionage shenanigans, involving her estranged daughter and her retiring landlord - he also changes significantly by the end of the novel.

Jennifer Ryan’s lovely, gristly, involving mystery about a British matron who becomes an investigator in the wake of a humiliating divorce petition, The Spies of Shilling Lane is a surprisingly cozy mystery that’s presided over by a pushy heroine who’s a touch Miss Marple, a pinch Jessica Fletcher and a whole lot of amusing.

The intensely strong-willed Mrs. Braithwaite is on a train from Ashcombe Village to visit her beloved daughter, Betty, in London for the first time since the war broke out.  In truth, she’s also trying to avoid the teeming drama of her own social circle.  Once upon a time, she headed the local Women’s Voluntary Services and was the center of every happening.  But Mrs. Braithwaite has now been exiled, a social pariah after her husband sued her for divorce making some untoward claims in his petition.  She hopes Wandsworth Common will provide a respite from her difficulties, but when she arrives for her visit it’s the middle of the Blitz, bombs are dropping everywhere, and her daughter is missing.  In the chaos it’s likely she’s been trapped, injured or killed somewhere else in the city according to Betty’s landlord, the nervous Mr. Norris.

But Mrs. Braithwaite doesn’t believe that her daughter is truly gone.  Love of Betty and her love of mystery novels collide within her soul; if no one else wants to find her child then she knows the duty falls to her.  From morgues to hospital wards to seedy pubs, Mrs. Braithwaite combs Wandsworth Common for some clue as to her daughter’s whereabouts.  Dodging bombs, thugs and fascists, dragging a somewhat smitten Mr. Norris along with her every step of the way, she’s determined to produce results.  But Betty’s personal life turns out to be highly complicated – and highly dangerous.  Many men wanted her, and not just for her beauty.  When she finds a coded letter in her daughter’s drawer Mrs. Braithwaite knows that she’s plunging herself into great danger, but a mother’s love –and her stubbornness –force her to press on.  Is she in over her head?

Mrs. Braithwaite is hard to like at first – a snob, concerned with social classes, being a person of import and keeping the old ways alive, a contrast to Betty’s yen for education and rebellion and Mr. Norris’ desire for peace, quiet and simplicity.  As she learns Betty’s secrets – and tries to protect the one secret she’s been hiding from Betty -  Mrs. Braithwaite’s mind begins to open up, and her opinions begin to change.  The journey from one point to the next in her development is a great one.

I really liked Mr. Norris and the foil he makes for Mrs. Braithwaite.  He’s described by another character as “a man who wouldn’t say boo to a mouse”, and so he remains – well, to a degree.  The two of them even begin to form a relationship that leans toward romance and begs for further novels to be written about them.

Ryan’s portrait of life in the London of the Blitz is incredibly interesting and well-researched.  We go underground during a bombing session, and into the nightmarish, bloody aftermath of the morning after.  Rationing and its attendant frustrations, manipulations and ugliness are addressed and handled with thought, as are pre-WWII attitudes about sex, women in the workplace and childbirth.

The mystery at the center of the novel is solved with surprising speed and then the novel becomes a different sort of tale – like a serpent, it slithers between being a spy thriller, a suspense novel and a cozy mystery. All the while, it keeps at its heart a warm core of interpersonal relationships.

The Spies of Shilling Lane is one of my favorite mysteries of the year thus far.  It’s a fun, cozy delight of a mystery with an unusual heroine and thrills to spare that’s both a lot bloodier – and a lot more cheerful – than you think it will be when you first pick it up.

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This novel seemed very serious on the outside but it turned out to be a cozy mystery/spy novel. This novel tried to be so many things that it didn't really excel at anything. It featured mystery, romance, espionage, small town issues, a history of World War 2, a look into London during World War II (both with the bombings and the fascist groups that tried to take hold), and so much more. It jumped around and had major continuity errors within the plot and characterization. A lot of it seemed far fetched and hard to believe and just when you thought it was over, another issue popped up. It made me laugh at its ridiculousness and shake my head. Overall, the novel was a mess and didn't achieve its desired effect.

Delightful! This is a sort of cozy thriller set during WWII with spies and fascists and all sorts of things. Yes it's a tad hokey in spots but I defy you not to root for Mrs. Braithwaite and Mr. Norris by the end! Mrs. Braithwaite is searching for her daughter Betty, who lives at Mr. Norris' and, as it turns out, works for MI5 chasing, in this instance, fascists. Mrs. B enlists Mr Norris in her hunt and the two of them emerge from their respective shells- her hard one and his softer and quieter. Mrs. B has a big secret in her past that you won't learn until deep in- keep reading and you'll understand her better. There are some terrific characters, some slightly convoluted plots, and one heck of a harrowing scene when the church where Mrs B, Mr. Norris, and Cassandra are sheltering takes a direct hit from a bomb. You'll learn a bit about the Nazi sympathizers in the UK during WWII and MI5's efforts again them but you'll also get a good story about a woman changing her attitude toward herself and others. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.

At first I was very annoyed with one of the main characters of this book, Mrs. Braithwaite, because she is a very unhealthy version of an Enneagram 1 (I myself am an Enneagram 1). But, through the book you see her grow as a person into someone who care more about people than image and perfection. She becomes less judgy and more helpful.

I love the Mother/Daughter element to this book and the older character being a star of the plot. I was rooting for all the right people! The mystery keep me intrigued throughout and I was delighted by the ending.

I was really looking forward to this novel after reading “The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir”. Unfortunately, I had difficulty progressing through this book. It just didn’t hold my interest. The characters and dialogue seemed forced and developed slowly. The book was okay, but it isn’t one that I’ll be heavily promoting.