Thanks to Netgalley and Crown Publishing for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review.

After reading The Chilbury Ladies Choir back in March, I knew I wanted to read the author's second WWII era novel that is being released in June 2019. Jennifer Ryan's Mrs. Braithwaite is another nominee for favorite character of 2019.

Ousted from her local WVS ( Women's Voluntary Services) branch and treated like a pariah since her husband divorced her and left her for another woman, Phyllis Braithwaite decides to take herself to London to visit her daughter, Betty. Although the two don't have the best relationship, Mrs Braithwaite feels she just needs to see her daughter. Imagine her surprise when she arrives at Betty's boarding house and learns Betty hasn't returned! Investing the reluctant aide of Betty'S landlord, Mr. Norris, Mrs. Braithwaite launches a desperate search. An adventure ensues as the two soon realize that Betty may have run into some shady characters.

I really loved this one because it was completely different than its predecessor and leaned a little more towards a fictional action adventure. Also, I am really enjoying the fact that authors like Jennifer Ryan are actually giving us characters that aren't solely in the 18-29 age bracket. If I have learned anything from growing up and watching Golden Girls and Murder She Wrote reruns, it's that women over 50 are not to be toyed with and they WILL get the answers. I just loved the way Mrs. Braithwaite handled everything, including poor Mr. Norris. I think even Winston Churchill would have stepped aside for Mrs. Braithwaite. As for my rating of 4 instead of a 5, I did feel that the book was about ten chapters too long and I was a little less enamored by Betty's sub story.


Publication Date 04/06/19
Goodreads Review 01/06/19

Jennifer Ryan is the author of <em><a href="http://bookshelffantasies.com/2018/04/21/audiobook-review-the-chilbury-ladies-choir-by-jennifer-ryan/">The Chilbury Ladies' Choir</a>, </em>one of my favorite reads of the past couple of years -- and she strikes gold yet again with her newest novel, <em>The Spies of Shilling Lane. </em>Here, we meet the intimidating Mrs. Braithwaite, pushed out of her leadership position with her village women's volunteer corps after one too many criticisms and commands aimed at the other women. Feeling utterly rejected, Mrs. Braithwaite decides to go visit her 21-year-old daughter Betty, who left the village to take up a clerical position in London, seeking excitement and a sense of purpose during wartime.

However, when Mrs. Braithwaite arrives at Betty's lodging house, she finds out that no one has seen her daughter in at least four days, and while no one else seems particularly panicked, Mrs. Braithwaite is sure that Betty must need rescuing. And nobody stands between Mrs. Braithwaite and her daughter! She sets out to find her daughter, coercing poor Mr. Norris to help her out, and uses her cyclone energy to push, demand, and bully people into giving her information.

It turns out that her motherly instincts were indeed correct and Betty is in trouble, of a sort that Mrs. Braithwaite could not have anticipated. And despite the tumultuous, strained relationship between mother and daughter, Mrs. Braithwaite charges into action to save Betty, only to end up needing saving in return.

What follows is a rollicking adventure, full of can-do spirit as well as intrigue and double-crossing. Mrs. Braithwaite is an absolute delight as a main character. How many books do we get to read that feature a 50-something-year-old proper Englishwoman as an action hero? She is just a force of nature, and will not let anyone stand in the way of her taking care of her daughter. Of course, Betty is far from helpless, as Mrs. Braithwaite learns, and between the two of them, we see a pair of strong women whose courage makes a difference in the British war effort.

<em>The Spies of Shilling Lane</em> has a light-hearted feel at times, as the action sequences aren't simply smooth Jame Bond maneuvers, but rather are full of errors and accidents and fumbling about. Mrs. Braithwaite and Mr. Norris are such an unlikely pair of secret agents, tracking down clues, picking locks, and befriending the local criminal element, all in pursuit of a rather nasty bunch of evil-doers. At the same time, the reflections on the mother-daughter relationship, the pressures of societal expectations, and the damage that can be done by overbearing family members are all well described and add resonance to the characters' feelings and reactions.

It's also incredibly harrowing and moving to see the air raids and the devastation that results, and I first found myself really loving Mrs. Braithwaite because of her interactions with an injured young woman whom she discovers as she's searching for Betty.

All in all, I'd say that <em>The Spies of Shilling Lane</em> is an excellent look at remarkable women during wartime. There are plenty of moments that made me smile, as well as scenes of tension and suspense. Mrs. Braithwaite is so delightful -- I'd love to read about more of her adventures!

If you enjoy women-centered historical fiction, definitely check this one out!

A cozy and charming WWII spy novel? Why yes, it can be done, if the writer is Jennifer Ryan, the author of The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir. The novel centers around Mrs. Braithwaite a newly divorced, middle aged woman who has just be fired from her position as head of her local Women’s Voluntary Society. With her bruised ego and sense of injustice, she heads to London to see her estranged daughter Betty. However, when she arrives at Betty’s boarding house she soon discovers that her daughter has been missing for four days and nothing has been done to find her. Mrs. Braithwaite then enlists Betty’s reluctant landlord, mild mannered Mr. Norris, to find out where Betty has gone. The detecting duo soon discover that Betty is working as an agent of M15, investigating a group of fascists who are trying to recruit spies and saboteurs and may having fallen into their hands. While, dashing through war-torn London, dodging bombs and rescuing others, Mrs. Braithwaite learns lessons about the true measure of success and happiness.

This is a fun read, with engaging and eccentric characters. With twists and turns and quiet humor the story comes to a satisfying conclusion while leaving the possibility of Mrs. Braithwaite and Mr. Norris teaming up for a sequel!

Meet Mrs. Braithwaite and Mr. Norris. She is a recovering village busybody and he is a mild-mannered landlord. When Mrs. B comes to London looking for her daughter Betty, she meets Mr. N at the house where Betty was renting a room. To solve the mystery of the missing daughter, the two join forces and forge ahead into danger with some comical consequences. I find it refreshing to have our heroine and hero be such unlikely rescuers while being of middle age and total rookies at the spy trade. If you are looking for a clean and somewhat humorous, yet informative view of the way the BUF infiltrated Great Britain during WW II, then this is your book.

Thank you to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this historical novel in exchange for an honest review.

Having read & enjoyed Jennifer Ryan's previous work, The Chilbury Ladies' Choir, I was really looking forward to this title! As I started reading, I realized I didn't really remember too much of the CLC (other than liking it), but this does not affect the readability of this book at all - it can definitely be read as a stand-alone. (Although I rather hope it's the beginning of a new series, especially as the ending was left wide open for a sequel!)

For a book about a missing daughter during the Blitz of London during WWII, Jennifer Ryan managed to somehow keep the tone light enough to be thoroughly enjoyable without *making light* of the war. Mrs. Braithwaite's journey to self-reflection seemed totally genuine, as did Mr. Norris' own journey to changing his routine and standing up for himself and others. Not everyone who made a significant appearance had a fully fleshed out character, but in my opinion everyone that needed one had a backstory that fit into their actions and helped explain who they were as a character and how they related to other people.

Some of the "mystery" surrounding the disappearance of Mrs. Braithwaite's daughter, Betty, is probably not too difficult for the discerning reader to discover ... but I was so caught up in the joy of reading that I totally missed some of the smaller reveals (although I generally had my suspicions). Overall, I thought this book was completely lovely and will definitely be recommending it to bookstore customers and friends alike!

(Also, please, please, please - a sequel!!)

A bit of a tongue-in-cheek type of book. The author is witty and entertaining but I was expecting something a little more serious. Thank you for the review copy.

Thanks to netgalley for the eArc for review. Unfortunately this book and I didn't get along. I was expecting a heavier read, something more hard-hitting, but I was left feeling like these characters lacked depth. The Characters came across very one dimensional and bland, and the arcs were so predictable.

There were parts here and there that I didn't mind, but a lot of the dialogue felt juvenile, or forced. Especially the way Betty's romance is explained. By 80% things felt wrapped up and then there's another "twist" if you will? But I was so bored by that point I just started skimming (which is a rarity for me). I'm sad to say this story just missed the mark for me. I wish it has been marketed more as a Sherlock Holmes wannabe mystery?

I thoroughly enyoyed this gem of a story. A divorced woman (and her unwilling sidekick) decides to try to mend her relationship with her distant daughter and they stumble into more than expected!

I really enjoyed this novel based in London during WW2. The character development was excellent, the mystery was easy to follow but complex enough to keep you guessing, and there was a good mix of humour and seriousness. I highly recommend it!!

I did not like the overbearing Mrs. Braithwaite so it was difficult for me to get immersed in the story line. A woman who puts status, accomplishments and one’s station-in-life above all else, she’s hard to warm up to. She eventually examines what makes a successful life and considers status verses a loving family and well….just being a good and kind person. I plowed ahead hoping it would interest me more.

She left her village to search for her daughter Betty in London. The setting is London during WW II. The descriptive writing placed me in London and I could imagine the scenes.

Unfortunately our main character put me off so much that I had to make myself read more. Eventually I skimmed as I no longer cared what happened to Mrs. Braithwaite or the meek landlord Mr. Norris.

I very much enjoyed The Chilbury ladies Choir but this one didn’t grab me. If you check my link you’ll see I couldn’t put Ryan’s first book down. This had the opposite effect on me. Obviously from the reviews I am in the minority.

Much thanks to NetGalley for allowing me read this advanced copy. This will be published June 4, 2019. I was not compensated for my review and opinions are mine.

So fun and unputdownable, this new novel by Jennifer Ryan plunks the reader down into World War II London while bombs are falling and spies could be anywhere, trying to help the Nazis invade England. When Mrs. Braithwaite is forced out of her women’s group in her tiny village due to her general unlikability, she heads to London to try to fix her relationship with her daughter who has gone missing. Highjinks abound and readers who love both historic fiction and characters like Agatha Raisin will love this novel.

The best way to describe this book is the word “caper” a grand caper. We have the main characters, Mrs. Braithwaite and Mr. Norris acting as amateur sleuth detectives in trying to find Mrs. Braithwaite’s daughter Betty. The daughter lives in London and evidently, she is not actually working in the profession or career her mother has been told and she has come up missing. This is a light hearted escapade of the two lead characters traipsing off to find the bad guys and foil the villains.
Unfortunately, I got lost between several things, the historical fiction for one. This book is not really about anything historical nor does it recite any actual events of the war other than the blackouts, the bombings and the bomb shelters. I also felt there were quite a few coincidences that probably did not happen due to Mrs. Braithwaite or Mr. Norris’s investigative skills.
But on the upside, the book has pleasant interactions between Mrs. Braithwaite and Mr. Norris, this relationship was very enjoyable to follow. As far as Betty goes, I never cared for her attitude and her priorities were not in the right place. I do think Betty and her mother did come to understand and appreciate each other a little bit better.
So, for this one, it’s a 50/50 chance. If I could, it would be 3.5 stars but I’ll round it up to 4 since I did enjoy picturing Mrs. Braithwaite in some of her unfortunate situations. I can see she would have struggled with them.
This one gets 4****’s. I was given an advanced copy from Crown Publishing and Net Galley for my honest review.

Fun and sweet, but contains too much spy stuff. The Spies of Shilling Lane by Jennifer Ryan was completely different than what I expected going in. I was expecting an emotional historical fiction read about the Blitz in London, and while I did get that to some extent, this book had far more humor and spy activities than I expected. Parts of it were emotional, but mostly I found this to be a lighthearted spy caper that made me smile.
Mrs. Braithwaite is our main character. She’s an overbearing, controlling, vocal leader in a small community. Her husband divorces her, and her village ostracizes her and so she heads to London to tell her daughter some important news. She discovers that her daughter, Betty, has gone missing, and so Mrs. Braithwaite teams up with Betty’s landlord, the quiet Mr. Norris, and they search the streets of London looking for Betty. Turns out that Betty is a spy working for MI5, and this is where the book begins to lose its believability. But you know what? It didn’t matter to me; I put my reservations aside and just went with the plot and the adventure and enjoyed myself!
I will say that I found this read hilarious. Mrs. Braithwaite has so many great scenes: from standing up to the local criminals, to wielding her handbag with gusto, to hiding in the bushes on a stakeout. And through it all is the mild-mannered Mr. Norris who feels a duty to help search for Betty, but doesn’t want to get involved in anything too extreme. I loved the relationship between Mrs. Braithwaite and Mr. Norris. It was so sweet and charming, and I loved how they each helped the other discover life. It was quite lovely.
The one character that I felt was lacking development was Betty, Mrs. Braithwaite’s daughter. I never connected with her character, and she didn’t draw me in. I’m not a fan of spy stories, and when she appeared in the story it became more spy oriented, and I’m sure that had something to do with my lack of interest. All of the double agents, various characters, and general mystery just weren’t believable nor did I find it all that interesting. I wanted to get back to Mrs. Braithwaite and Mr. Norris bickering about spam vs sausages.
There were some emotional moments. As this is set in London during the Blitz, we get some scary bombing scenes, there’s a young lady at a hospital that Mrs. Braithwaite befriends, and one of Betty’s roommates has a sad story. Mr. Norris and Mrs. Braithwaite each have their own sadness that they are dealing with, but even though there is a lot of sadness, there is also a lot of joy and laughter. Even though I wasn’t a fan of the spy stuff, I’d absolutely love to read a sequel to The Spies of Shilling Lane, and I hope someday to see these characters again!

Bottom Line: A lighthearted spy caper with great characters!

This is a very light mystery about World War II. A bossy woman is ousted from her women's club so she goes to London to find her daughter. She, her daughter, and her daughter's landlord get caught up a group of English Nazi's. Highly improbable but still fun read.

The story opens with Mrs. Braithwaite being demoted from the head of the Women’s Voluntary Service (WVS). She is upset and stunned that she has been treated this way. She has recently divorced her husband and now finds her life in turmoil. She decides a visit to London is long overdue to visit with her only daughter Betty.

Upon arriving in London Mrs. Braithwaite meets Mr. Norris, Betty’s landlord, and learns that she has been missing for four days. She is shocked that no one has reached out to her to let her know of her daughter’s absence. She decides to take matters into her own hands and sets out to find her daughter, dragging with her a very apprehensive Mr. Norris.

The two main characters are polar opposites. Mrs. Braithwaite is cold, outspoken, and a force to be reckoned with. Mr. Norris is quiet, nervous, and prefers to keep to himself. These two characters were my favorite part of this book. Mrs. Braithwaite seemed to have no idea there was a war going on. When she dragged Mr. Norris out after dark to hunt for her daughter, with no regard for their personal safety, I knew these two would be a very interesting duo. They were an absolute delight together and it was a joy to see how they rubbed off on each other.

The story started off strong, but the further I got into it the crazier the story got and I just could not find the storyline plausible. That being said this book is a quirky, humorous read, with two unlikely character coming together as partners in crime.

In a world where a brown purse is a lethal weapon, Mrs. Braithwaite is queen. This bossy, brash, and intrusive character somehow makes her way into your heart in this light-hearted adventure. If you are expecting a sequel to The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir (TCLC), you will be disappointed. This is more of a spin-off centered around just one of the Chilbury personalities. The book is written in a traditional novel format unlike TCLC which is a selection of letters and diary entries. The book is enjoyable with a plot that while implausible is fun. As in TCLC Ryan creates lovable characters. I was especially drawn to Mr. Norris, a nervous, meticulous, and kind-hearted bachelor who discovers his own courage. I would recommend this book for someone looking for an amusing, relaxing read.

I enjoyed Ryan’s first novel, The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir, and expected this would be similar, since it’s also about women in World War II England. Espionage, a spy versus spy plot that is over the top crazy, with lots of twists and turns, bad guys, life-threatening dangers, and everyone racing all over England, while getting soaked by the constant rain, racing into bomb shelters to get the best spots, trying to get the grocer to give one a real piece of meat and not a sawdust-filled sausage. Mrs. Braithwaite, head of the WVS in her local village, is deposed after her husband divorces her. She travels to London to find her daughter, Betty, and share with her some long-hidden truths.

Mrs. Braithwaite’s quest to find her daughter makes her rethink her life. She finds Betty's boarding house, and moves in on Mr. Norris, upsetting his carefully regulated life. She can't find Betty, and soon realizes Betty's job at the sewage works is not her real job, but is working as a spy. The other residents of the house are equally shady. We are introduced to high officials in the Fascist party and those who support Hitler and his Nazi party. Through it all, Mrs. Braithwaite, with Mr. Norris in tow, barge all over London and upset almost everyone with whom they come in contact.

I can see this being made into a Masterpiece show.

This was a unique thriller, set in London during WWII. I thought Mrs Braithwaite was a current day Mrs Fletcher, from Murder She Wrote, but with a bad disposition and personality. She has alienated everyone, including her daughter Betty, who has taken off to work in London. When Betty suddenly disappears, Mrs Braithwaite takes off for London, and the search begins.
This is a espionage thriller, with enemy infiltrators, kidnappings and intrigue.
It has a slapstick way about it, with its tongue in cheek humor and dialogue.
Jennifer Ryan is a skilled storyteller, with interesting likable characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and appreciate the ARC from #NetGalley and
#PenquinRandomHouse.

After the heavy reading I’ve been doing lately, I needed something a bit lighter. A book set in London during the Blitz centered on a mother looking for her lost daughter, such as Jennifer Ryan’s The Spies of Shilling Lane, doesn’t seem like the most obvious choice. But from the first chapter, I knew I was going to be entertained. Mrs. Braithwaite, the primary protagonist of the novel, is the epitome of the British battle axe. She is so bombastic and domineering that she has just been kicked out of the Women’s Volunteer Service in her village. Her spirit isn’t always a detriment. It turns into an asset when she discovers that her daughter, Betty, has gone missing and no one else is willing or able to do anything about it. Mrs. Braithwaite doesn’t hesitate before she goes looking and badgering others into helping.

The cover of The Spies of Shilling Lane, like the book description, is also a bit of a red herring. Both lead us to think that this book is going to be more harrowing and serious than it actually is. From where I sat, however, The Spies of Shilling Lane turned into an audacious farce as Mrs. Braithwaite, the increasingly less hapless Mr. Norris, and the enterprising Betty end up chasing each other and various ne’er-do-wells around London. They rescue, lose, re-rescue each other more than once and end up becoming heroes in the process.

I don’t want to say too much more about the plot because, for one thing, there’s too much to re-cap and, for another, it would ruin the fun of all the twists and turns—and the possibly unintentional comedy of the plot. Instead, I’ll say that I really enjoyed being inside the head of a battle axe…a lot more than I thought I would. I know that Mrs. Braithwaite would drive me insane if I ever encountered her in real life. In fiction, though, I loved the way that she made room for herself in any room she found herself in. It also helps that Mrs. Braithwaite learns to unclench over the course of the novel. At the beginning of The Spies of Shilling Lane, Mrs. Braithwaite writes that success in life is all about social standing and the perception of others. She returns to the question periodically, giving a different (and more humane) answer each time. It’s strange how mortal danger can turn out to be just the thing one needs to reexamine one’s priorities.

As I read The Spies of Shilling Lane, I wished that someone would buy the rights to the novel and turn it into a mini-series or a movie. This book is highly cinematic and full of potential for humor. (I’m still not sure if it’s intended to be that way. I don’t really care.) I suspect that other readers might find it too unrealistic or ludicrous, but I was massively entertained by this book. Other readers might also enjoy this book, too, if they don’t take it too seriously and just let themselves getting swept up in Mrs. Braithwaite’s wake. You just know that things will end up all right if she’s in charge. You will end up with a few bruises, of course, but you’ll more or less survive the experience.

After going through a divorce Mrs Braithwaite goes to London to visit her daughter. When she arrives at her daughter's flat she discovers she is missing. Mrs Braithwaite sets out to find her daughter while Germany is bombing London during WWII. Along with finding her missing daughter Mrs Braithwaite finds herself and realizes life does not end just beacause you get a divorce.