The War Widow (Also entitled Dead Man Switch in Australia and NZ) by Tara Moss is a historical mystery. Billie Walker’s father passes away and she heads back home to Sydney to take over his PI business, the perfect job for a someone as smart and absolutely full of gumption as she is.

This book is full of action. If you have a life beyond books, you’ll have a hard time finding a good time to put it down. I love Billie. She’s feisty — a characteristic much needed in a male dominated work environment. I enjoyed the fact that while this book is post WW2, which is extremely popular at the moment, it’s set in Sydney, Australia, giving it a different feel. To top everything off, the cover is GORGEOUS! Tara Moss is talented and lovely and I’m glad I read this book.

Reasons I like this book:

Tons of action

Engaging plot line

Strong female lead and a great cast of supporting characters

It’s the first in a series so more adventures to come

Book Quote: “Billie was hoping to get these two alive but was feeling rapidly less stuck on the idea.”

Rating: 3.5 stars

Similar books you’ll enjoy: Girl in Disguise by Greer Macallister, The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict

#indigoemployee

Thank you PENGUIN GROUP Dutton and NetGalley for an ebook copy of this book. Thoughts are my own.

This was a wonderfully written and well-researched novel about post-war Sydney. I hope this is the first of a series, because the characters are so well-drawn and the Australian setting is so interesting, and that was certainly unknown to me.

Such an excellent book. Where do I begin? The main character, Ms. Billie Walker is badass. She’s brave and smart and is the BEST. The other characters in the book were very well written too. This book had a few trigger topics which I didn’t realize - it made the book a little hard to read but the storyline was fantastic. And the research?? Oh my gosh. As an Australian who used to live in Sydney, I got super excited about all the references and all the incredible facts about NSW in the 1940’s. This book really moved me to the point of audibly gasping and also the end sending my heart fluttering. Although this book had a few hard topics, it’s an exceptionally written book and I feel like we will definitely have a book 2. And I, for one, can’t wait for it.

A crackling series debut set in post WWII Sydney, Australia. Former war reporter Billie Walker, whose husband is MIA and probably dead, has left Europe to come home. Women have not been welcomed back into the work force but that doesn't slow Billie down. She decides to continue her late father's investigating office.

The case of a missing 17 year old boy opens a huge can of worms. Billie is a great character, smart, nervy, and very appealing. Her assistant Sam is an able partner. Billie doesn't get rattled easily, which is good since the goings on include waking up to find a dead body in her apartment, Nazis, mistreatment of young aboriginal girls, and organized crime.

I look forward to the next series entry. Billie is the classic tough but vulnerable woman, admirable and realistic. The setting is terrific and nicely drawn. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

So this book was honestly a very pleasant surprise. I’m not really sure what I was expecting but I ended up enjoying this so much!! It’s a little PI number (already a winner) about a lady investigator (double winner) in the aftermath of WWII (triple winner) IN AUSTRALIA (jackpot!!!!). There’s honestly nothing I love more than seeing historical events from a different perspective. And I knew exactly nothing about Australia re: WWII so this was definitely right up my alley.

Plus, the mystery was fun too! It definitely kept me interested and turning those pages. I was hooked through the whole thing. And (bonus) this is supposed to be a series at some point so it’s definitely one I could see myself continuing with!

My only real problem with this (and the only reason it didn’t hit 5 stars) is that the writing feels a little awkward in some places. This is marketed as an adult novel (and has some rather adult themes) but at times it felt more like I was reading a Nancy Drew novel/like it was written for a younger audience. Plus there was some weird pacing towards the end and although the ending was good, it was a little drawn out and then just... stopped? So I wish that would’ve been ~handled a bit differently and it would've had a few more paragraphs or pages of resolution.

But overall, I quite enjoyed this one! It has some really fun characters, some absolutely hilarious bits and it was honestly a good read. I would definitely recommend if you’re in the market for a fun little PI historical fiction!

Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for allowing me to read this one! It was a great way to end the year!!!

The War Widow was amazing post WWII historical fiction that revolved around Billie Walker trying to solve the case of Adin Brown’s disappearance that turns out more complicated and dangerous than she thought. It was about post war effects on country and people, perceptions, sexism, racism, war crime, grief and determination.

Writing was gripping, descriptive, and atmospheric. It was third person narrative from Billie’s POV. The switch from Billie’s POV to Adin’s at the beginning of some chapters telling what was going on with him made story tense and intriguing.

It started with Billie still coping with grief of her father’s death and missing husband, Jack, who never returned from a mission and with the fact that she most likely was a war widow. She was trying to keep her father’s detective agency afloat by taking divorce cases but things changed when she got a missing person case. What she thought simple case, a teenage getting in girl trouble turned more complicated and dangerous when person she tried to get information from turned up dead and kidnappers tried to get her off the case. I was curious to find out what Adin might have involved himself in, why he was kidnapped and tortured, if Billie could find him before it’s too late.

Characters were realistic. I liked Billie’s mother Baroness Ella von Hooft. She was smart and strong lady. I could see from where she got her charm and determination. Her mother’s lady’s maid, Alma, was not really talkative but her silent and loyal support to Billie’s mother and her family was amazing.

Sam, Billie’s secretary and assistant was a returned serviceman with wooden prosthetic fingers. He was strong, supportive and loyal. I liked him for being different from other men of those time, never felt ashamed of working for a lady and sticking with Billie all the time, taking care of her, helping when she needed most, and even defended her. I could see something happening between them if there wasn’t girlfriend in picture or missing husband or arrival of Detective Cooper. Sam and Billie made a good team and I would love to see them more in next books.

Detective Inspector Hank Cooper was interesting man. He was man of few words with straight face that hardly showed any emotion but was different from corrupt police department Billie’s father left ages ago. He knew more than he let on and I liked him for accepting Billie’s offer of professional friendship, working with her in solving the case, and believing in her. I have a feeling there will more about him in next books of this series.

Billie was amazing. She was former journalist with strong, badass and cool-headed persona. Her style and skill at sewing and her detective work was impressive. I admired her determination. She was young war widow and her mother persistent reminder about that and finding suitable man than risking her life with PI business, facing society’s disapproval and other PIs or officers not so gentlemanly behaviour didn’t stop her from running her agency and pursuing the case. I liked how author showed her vulnerability along with her strong personality and the way her character was expanded throughout the story. Her rumination about war, her life with Jack and what she lost in war, and society’s perception were thought-provoking.

Sydney of 1946- style, fashion, streets, places, and how war changed things in city- was brilliantly described. I liked how author mixed realistic and fictional aspects of history. I could see the extensive research author must have done in writing the story. I liked reading more about WWI and II and what happened after this big war and the more I read about it, the more I discover. That tagline was perfect. ‘War was over but battle has just began..’ and that wasn’t just for Billie. It was heart wrenching to read women’s condition in this era, how people treated war widows and aborigines, how women had to leave their job for men returning from war and if they had job it was low paid and insignificant and what happened to women in Ravensbrück concentration camp was blood chilling to read. I still can’t imagine how people could form hatred so deep and to such extent and how could they kill so many without remorse or regret.

There were many twists and turns. I couldn’t guess what will happen next throughout the story. Mystery was intriguing. I was surprised to see not just one but two cases when Billie’s informant talked about a foreigner taking interest in aborigine girls and something bad happening to them. The integration of both cases was smooth. There was murder, action scenes, fighting thugs, dance at club, car chase, breaking into property, and war criminals. Climax was exciting with series of events that turned from bad to good and to worst with shocking but satisfactory end.

Overall, The War Widow was impressive, intriguing, fast paced, well written and well researched historical fiction that I recommend to fans of mystery and historical fiction set in Post WW II era.

I really enjoyed this one.

The plot was fast paced and engaging. I was constantly guessing and loved following the mystery.

The writing was vivid and straightforward.

My favorite part was the main character. She was such a badass and loved her.

I’d recommend this to fans of historical fiction and mysteries!

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️½⭐️ (3.5 stars)

Billie Walker could hardly be described as doing – or being – what is “expected” for a typical Australian woman in 1946. A war reporter during the Second World War, Billie has now returned to Sydney, Australia, having lost both her father – due to his ill health – and her husband, Jack. Jack is missing, and presumed dead, making Billie and unofficial “war widow.” Being all on her own, and her mother’s fortune dwindling in the post-wartime, Billie takes over her late father’s business, a private investigation agency, and is determined to make a name for herself.

But when Billie is hired to find a missing teenager, Adin Brown, the job winds up being much more complicated than her typical cheating-husband-recon cases. Tie in her complicated relationship with the police force, a Detective Hank Cooper in particular, and her promises to help her friend/informant Shyla protect young indigenous girls from a sketchy man known solely by the name “Frank”, things become even more tangled. And Billie may just find herself in over her head…

I’ll start by saying there were a lot of things about this story that I really LOVED. In particular, I really enjoyed Billie Walker’s character. She’s feisty, confident and self-assured. She’s also incredibly independent, I would argue even by today’s standards, let alone when comparing her to the typical woman from the 1940s. But she’s by no means unladylike. Yes, she smokes, she swears and she carries a firearm. But she always remembers to re-apply her lipstick after a cigarette, and carries her Colt fashionably by attaching it to her garter.

She’s the perfect character to lead a historical mystery series set in the 1940s given the historical relevance that time period has for the women’s movement and the impacts that a post-WW-II world had on the daily lives of women around the globe. A fact Moss makes clear is certainly on Billie’s mind.

The relevant research Moss has done is utterly evident almost immediately after starting this book. Billie’s story is filled with historical references and commentary. And despite the main character herself living in the 1940s, her views on many things, the freedoms of women in particular, are so contemporary, that it’s not difficult for a modern reader to relate to her instantaneously.

Without a character like Billie at the helm, I don’t think this story would have been able to keep my interest as well as it did. I, unfortunately, found the plot a little too long and complicated to really love it as much as I wanted to. The prose was just too detailed most of the time, which took me out of the action more than was preferable. And I felt as though the story lagged unnecessarily more than once, making some plot points feel repetitive.

The ending was surprisingly abrupt for a story that took what felt like a very long time to get to that point. I wound up feeling a little unsatisfied that the story wasn’t as cleanly and elaborately concluded the same way the rest of the story had been described up until that exact moment.

Nevertheless I found this story a generally compelling first instalment for a new historical mystery series and was attached enough to the colourful cast of characters that I’m very much looking forward to the next Billie Walker novel to see where their story will go.

Thank you to the publisher, Penguin Group Dutton, for providing me with an e-ARC of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

Billie Walker, a former reporter, Jack's widow, had to return to Australia after her father died and thus remain in charge of his agency. The common cases that Billy solves are about domestic violence, unfaithful husbands, etc. One day a desperate mother arrives trying to find her son and Billy realizes that the case isn't easy at all and she's about to open a pandora's box.

The plot is interesting and well-developed, the author gives us a case that seems to be simple, but turns out to be more complex and surprising. The book reads fast and has action scenes, plus I didn't feel like it was focused on the post-war years.

The conclusion of the book made me anxious but I did enjoy it. I mean, it's the first book in a saga and the book ends with an open ending and many unanswered questions. I'm sure that they'll be solved in the next books, but cannot wait to read them.

All in all, while I did not fully connect to the main character here, I love a good series with a strong female leas so I am intrigued by this new series. I enjoyed the unique setting of post-war Sydney, which will see me coming back for further instalments in future. Moss writes well and I look forward to Billie Walker’s next case in the hope she will grow on me.

A Feisty Female PI Story

It’s 1946, the war is over. Billie Walker, former journalist, is glad to be home in spite of the sadness she feels for her dead father and Jack, her photojournalist husband, who disappeared in Europe. Billie’s mother encourages Billie to accept that Jack is dead, but Billie hasn’t given up hope.

Women in Sydney, Australia are giving up their war jobs to the returning servicemen, but Billie needs something to do. She reopens her father’s detective agency assisted by Sam Baker, a ex-soldier who is both competent and trustworthy. For a time their business is mostly divorce cases. Then a teenage boy goes missing. His mother Nettie believes he’s a good boy, but as Billie and Sam begin the search they realize that he was mixed up in some pretty nasty business and may not be alive.

Billie is tough and resilient. She’s a terrific heroine for the start of this new series. She faces danger and isn’t about to be put off. In the course of the investigation she meets DI Hank Cooper. At first she thinks he won’t take her seriously and may even try to thwart her, but they become allies. I’m sure we’ll hear more of Hank in future books.

If you enjoy mysteries with a feisty female protagonist, you’ll enjoy this look at post WWII Australia.

I received this book from Penguin Random House for this review.

This is the first installment in the Billy Walker historical fiction series set in Sydney, Australia.

When Penguin Random House reached out to me in November to see if I would be interested in reading and reviewing this book, my initial thought was “but I’m so behind reading my review books” but then I realized that it is historical fiction set in post-war 1946 Australia with a female private detective, and my answer became “yes, please”.

Billy Walker was a war correspondent during WW II, but when the war ended, she soon found herself unemployed as first priority for jobs were given to men returning from the war. Billy is very self reliant and independent and it didn’t take her long to decide to take over her deceased father’s private investigation agency. Although business was slow at the beginning, she found a niche in the market being a female investigator. Soon women became the majority of her clients with many of them wanting Billy to find out whether their husbands were cheating on them. One day a woman hires Billy to locate her missing son and the case turns out to be quite different than Billy anticipated. Her life in danger, we follow Billy as she uncovers lead after lead to try to find this young man.

I love the character of Billy. She drives fast, loves champagne, carries a gun in her garter belt and is fashion-forward, tailoring her clothing to allow her to run, climb walls, and pull out her gun quickly when needed. Quite scandalous for that time!! I always love a story about a woman who continues to push the boundaries of that glass ceiling.

I look forward to further installments of this series and adventures with Billy. Thank you to Netgalley for providing this book in exchange for my opinion.

In post-WWII Australia, private investigator Billie Walker, who is mourning the disappearance of her journalist husband, is hired to find the missing teenage son of an immigrant family. As Billie gets closer to the truth of the boy’s disappearance, she finds herself in more and more danger.

The character of Billie Walker was my favorite part of the book as she is everything I wish I could embody-confident, skilled, and calm in the face of danger. It was refreshing to read the gender flipped characterizations of the female private investigator and male assistant/sidekick. I did find the pacing dragged, but this could have been because I was reading other books at the same time therefore my reading and the momentum of the story kept being put on pause. I wanted some sort of romance , but (I think) this is the first in a series and there were a few romantic possibilities being hinted at. I longed for even just slight clues as to where her husband was but I'm hoping that will be the plot of future books.

I recommend this to those who want a badass female character written during a time when women weren’t often allowed to be badasses and fans of Jessica Jones and Agent Carter.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dutton Books for the eArc in exchange for an honest review.

My Review:⭐️⭐⭐⭐/ 5 stars
Happy Pub day to this new historical fiction/mystery by Tara Moss that takes place in 1946 Australia. It is the first book in the Billie Walker series, I presume. It is right after the war and the former soldiers are coming home to take back the jobs that women were working in the meantime. Former war correspondent, Billie Walker, now works as a PI in Sydney, who normally is tasked with finding evidence on cheating husbands. One day. Nettie Brown shows up with an alarming case - her son is missing. with the help of her assistant Sam, investigates the disappearance of Adin Brown and of his whereabouts in the last week. As she digs deeper, his disappearance links to what seems to be a much bigger secret - one that is much bigger and tied to the past and in the deep underbelly of the Australian crime underworld.

I am a sucker for 1940s-1950s historical fiction especially since this was such a slowly changing time for women after the war. Also, it was great to read about Australian history during this time! This book has been meticulously researched from the details of Billie’s sewing patterns to what kind of gun she totes around on her body. She is a true badass and such a strong female figure (especially in 1946!). The pace starts slow at first, but builds up quickly as you start to unravel the story of Adin and what had happened. It’s very dark and there are many underlying themes/issues such as racism against the native Aboriginals, especially women and children, and sexism. I loved that it kept me guessing throughout and even the minor characters hold clues or actions that have you cheering. It is very light in romance, but Billie Walker is TOO busy for romance. She is busy saving lives and doing the police’s job! :) I really enjoyed this and definitely recommend it if you are a fan of historical fiction of this time period.

Thank you to #netgalley and Duttonbooks for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Australia Post WWII. Billie Walker is back from the war, but tragically her husband Jack is missing & presumed dead.

She now works as a PI in the business her father started and one that she took over after his passing. Her days usually consists of finding proof of cheating spouses, but her new case is different, much different. This case involves a missing boy, and it takes a dark and drastic turn when she is drugged and wakes to find a dead body on her floor! She soon realizes that this case comes full circle when it involves atrocities of the past.

The War Widow is a fantastic Historical Fiction novel, and a fresh new take on all the HisFic that has come out lately. Tara Moss’ attention to detail on clothing and historical facts were not missed by this reader. I love books with strong independent women, so this was a big bonus for me – a business owner in the 1946 with a paid male assistant/partner. YES, please! I also enjoyed reading the mother/daughter relationship between Billie and Ella. Ella (who comes from Dutch aristocracy) hopes that her daughter will one day accept that she is a war widow, move on with her life and marry another, but Billie is not ready for that yet. She misses Jack, is hoping for his return, and in the meantime, is quite content immersing herself in her work. Billie Walker is hard-working, beautiful, and glamorous (in an Ava Gardner sort of way) – which is the perfect juxtaposition to the dark and mysterious world as a Private Investigator.

4.5 stars

I big thanks to NetGally and Dutton for a copy for review, a true gem and I look forward to the next books in this series.

"But then, what was the fun in doing or being what was expected?"

After spending WWII as a war correspondent reporting on atrocities she witnessed, Billie Walker returns to her native Australia where she takes over her father's private inquiry business. With her husband, a war photographer, missing and presumed dead, she has to make a living even if solving sometimes dangerous cases is the last thing someone expects an attractive woman to be doing. But as Billie says, it wouldn't be fun otherwise.

This is the first book in what will become a series and I really enjoyed it. Billie is a great character and is surrounded by an interesting cast, from her widowed Baroness mother and her war veteran assistant to the mysterious new detective in town and the Aboriginal woman she gets tips from. Most of Billie's cases involve women's divorces but when she's hired to find a missing teen, she finds herself embroiled in a deadly mystery that involves not only Sydney's upper echelon but also an old rival of her father's. Reading this book was like watching a classic detective movie, with flirty dialogue and great chases. My only quibble is that even though the the case was solved, the ending was abrupt but I'm sure we'll get some more resolution in the second book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for a copy to review.

The research that Tara Moss put into this historical fiction/P.I mystery is very evident. Her attention to detail is off the hook. Unfortunately for this reader, the story got lost in all the details. I found the minute particulars of every person, place and thing to be very overwhelming. I loved the story’s lead, Billie. She is strong and feminine and intriguing enough that I will be sticking with the series. I’m looking forward to seeing where Tara takes these characters.

Historical fiction taking place in Australia after WWII. My favorite genre of the year and this book is one of my 2020 favorites!

Billie is a private inquirer, who’s taken over after her father passed. She was a war correspondent with gruesome memories from her time as a reporter before taking on this dangerous position.

Sam is her assistant, a war veteran who has difficulty finding work elsewhere. He’s respectful and willing to be anywhere anytime Billie asks. He’s a most trusting and observant assistant who proves useful in Billie’s quest to solve her cases.

This is quite a gripping thriller that had me gasping when Billie would go out to investigate alone in the dark. All I could think about was it’s scenes like this where you expect someone to get attacked, yet she’s moving forward. As a reader, what am I to do? I have no choice but read through it and hope whatever’s waiting doesn’t make me lose sleep! Haha.

There were many surprises in this book. Events that happened seem realistic enough that I felt like I was there with Billie. I didn’t expect her to know how to see and sewed many of her outfits. I started seeing as a child, but I don’t see anything these days. I’m tempted though, to make my own clothes using a more vintage style.

A digital copy of The War Widow by Tara Moss was provided complimentary by Penguin Group Duttonwith no obligation to write a review. I give this book 5 out of 5 tiaras because it kept me engaged and guessing. I’d love for a good friend to be someone like Billie!

Thank you so much to the publisher for this gifted copy! I love historical fiction, so throw in a thriller aspect and I'm all over it.

Private Inquiry agent Billie Walker is navigating post-World War Two Australia, working not only in a "mans" industry, but also frowned upon because she didn't give up working when the men returned home from the war and needed jobs. As a previous war journalist, Billie saw her share of the horrors of World War Two, and isn't one to shy away from hard decisions or judgement. While she isn't living the housewife life, Billie is doing what she can to help the citizens of Australia and keep her mind off her MIA husband Jack, who went on an assignment during the war but hasn't been seen or heard from in two years. While Billie makes her money mostly off divorce cases, Netayna Brown inquires about her missing seventeen year old son, hoping Billie will take the case. When Billie starts investigating with the help of her secretary Sam, they quickly realize this case is much bigger than a missing teen. The adventure they end up on is dangerous and disturbing, and makes Billie realize that maybe the war isn't entirely over.

First of all, I am so in love with Billie Walker. She is a no-nonsense, independent female lead, who doesn't back down from controversy, especially if it comes in the form of an overly assertive man who thinks her place is in the home. She uses vulgar language, she smokes and drinks, she drives way too fast, and if you make her mad, you'll probably find yourself staring down the barrel of a gun she keeps on her garter. The case she investigates was very interesting, and I couldn't stop reading until it all came to a conclusion. There were so many surprises and twists in this story that I found myself unable to predict what would happen next, and I love that in a thriller. The ending was wild, and tied everything together.

The ONLY FLAW for me was that the very end was way too abrupt. With every other aspect of the story being so detailed and well thought out, it was a little disappointing to turn the last page and realize that was it. I would have loved for a cleaner ending, with more detail of where the characters were after this horrendous journey. That being send, I would still recommend the heck out of this one!

4.5 stars

Post war Sydney, Australia 1946

Billie Walker has just taken over her fathers Private Investigator business.
With a Colt revolver and assistant, Sam always at the ready, Billie is set for anything that comes her way.

Enter, Mrs. Nettie Brown who requests Billie’s services to find her son, Adin who has gone missing.
The story then evolves into a dark twisted tale of Sydney’s dark underbelly.

If you love a good Agatha Christie-esque story, willed with forties fashion and a storyline that gains speed with every turn of the page, grab the first book of the Billie Walker series, The War Widow out December 29th!

Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley for the advance readers copy.