This was hard to put down, this is a great mystery with a bit of some suspense. Can’t wait for the next book.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Level Best Books, in return for an honest review. While the second book in this series, it is easily read as a standalone. Widowed Fiona Figg is a file clerk in the WWI British forerunner to their foreign intelligence office. For the second time, she’s offered a chance to undertake a mission beyond making tea for the boys in the office. Before heading to Paris to monitor Frederick Fredericks, a possible spy that she encountered in the first book, she fills her suitcase with disguises, including wigs and hats, so she’s prepared for any eventuality except many that she actually encounters. Beyond her mission, she deals in several other plots, including one with Mata Hari. She’s also more modern in her dealings with work and the opposite sex, being frustrated with her usual role as the ‘tea and filing lady’ who’s assumed to have little skill or intelligence. That allows the author to explore some of the challenges and changes of life in 1914-1918 England in fun ways.
While I liked the premise of this book, the heroine was a bit annoying for me as I look at her with a 2021 perspective. There was lots going on in the book and it got a bit too much as she donned disguises, got into scrapes, got out of scrapes aided by her co-worker and all-around nice guy. Some of that is the woeful lack of preparation afforded to women at the time (that’s the 2021 perspective at work). Some is the story layers by the author. There is a 3rd book coming. I’m hoping Fiona grows into a solid, interesting character who sticks around for quite some time.

The plucky perkiness and perilous missteps of the Perils of Pauline meets the spy trade in this light and luscious tale of a file clerk with a penchant for fine hats, expensive apparel she can’t afford, and a bevy of disguises, wigs, and facial hair. She is much more adept at fooling herself than she is at fooling others but never allows missteps to be her last steps. A thoroughly fine romp that will take your mind off the dire news of the day. Famous spies and double agents of history litter her path toward justice for country and individuals. Delightful.

High Treason at the Grand Hotel by Kelly Oliver. I am not a big fan of detective and spy novels where the hero/heroine is a klutz and falls into his/her discoveries. This was such a novel. It is World War I and England is running short of men to do some of these jobs, leaving only one choice. Fiona is sent to Paris to follow a suspected German spy. That is her assignment: follow. She can't do it. She assumes disguises, puts herself and others in danger, albeit she does solve a serial killer crime and does come across some important information, but it is all dumb luck. She loses it as quickly as she finds it. Fiona is intelligent but she leaps before she looks and hopes for the best. She has good intentions, but not good sense.

One high point in the novel was Oliver's description of the execution of Mata Hari that was moving and historically accurate. Oliver's description and portrayal of Fiona's friend, Clifford Douglas, is comically extremely entertaining, although it is his character who continually bails Fiona out of messes she fins herself in. He is much more than the buffoon he appears to be, no matter how amusing he appears to be. The plot is based largely on reality and real people from the time period. It is a decently written book, it is the character to whom I object. Others may not feel the same way.

I was invited to read a free ARC of High Treason at the Grand Hotel by Netgalley. All opinions contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #hightreasonatthegrandhotel

Entertaining spy story set mostly in Paris, 1917. Interesting characters including Mata Hari. Lots of laughs.
I requested and received a temporary free ebook copy from Level Best Books via NetGalley.

I received this book as an ARC via NetGalley.com

She's back! Fiona Figg is on the case - it is Paris - 1917. Sent by the War Office, she is still on the trail of the Black Panter. She is supposed to observe and behave. However, if you know Fiona, that is not her style.

She has her "get-ups" and starts to investigate and ends up in a few situations as the book progresses.

Can she obtain enough information on the Black Panther to help the War Office? Or will she end up getting into more trouble then she bargained for? Only time will tell.

Miss Fiona Figg was a divorced and widowed woman. Her x-husband died in her arms. She started as a file clerk for Room 40 which eventually becomes MI5. It is 1917 the first world war, so many men have gone to the front only women are left. She was to follow Fredrick Fredricks in Paris. He was believed to be a spy. She loved using disguises although her boss told her no. She was witty, funny but she also felt for people. Frederick was tall, dark and handsome, have you heard that before? He was a friend of Clifford Douglas who was British and worked for the War Office. Fiona once compared him to her pet Beagle with big eyes and talked constantly. It kept my attention very easily. It was engaging, and humorous but it had tear sections, too. She seemed to always be in hot water. The characters were wonderful. I highly recommend this mystery and spy Novel.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

This is a quirky, fun murder mystery that takes place in 1917. We follow Fiona Figg, sorta widow, sorta divorcee, as she tries her hand at being a spy, chasing the elusive Frederick Fredericks. Along the way Fiona gathers her information by wearing crazy costumes, solves another murder, and meets some thoroughly entertaining individuals. If you are a fan of the cozy mystery, humor in your spy novels, and fun historical fiction this is for you.

I received this book from NetGalley which I appreciate. However, I was unable to get into the book. I didn't particularly care for the main character and didn't really care what happened to her or to the story. I think part of the problem was that the ARC hadcompletesentencessmasheduptogether like this example which made it extremely hard to read. And, though I thank the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to view this prior to publication, I probably won't read others of this series. I can't say I won't recommend it to someone else because I realize it just didn't fit my taste.

A highly entertaining story of espionage and murder in Paris during World War I. Fiona Figg, a filing clerk, turned sometimes English spy, is tasked with surveilling a suspected German spy. Fiona has perseverance and a love of disguise which works…though not always as well as she thinks. She reminds me Pink Panther but smarter and not as slapstick.

There’s a pinch of romance, real historical people who fit in well with the story (it doesn’t feel forced), adventure, twists and plenty of humor. It is sure put a smile on your face and cause some laughter. I haven’t read the first book in this series but I plan on correcting that soon.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'd say this was more a 3.5/5 than a 4, but I enjoyed it enough to bump it up as I couldn't give a half star.

I struggled to get into this initially - it felt very obvious to me from the incredibly heavy-handed use of Anglicisms that the author wasn't actually British. At first I thought this was going to make the book incredibly hard to read because it drew me out of the reading experience, but luckily once Fiona reached France a) the Anglicisms dropped off and b) the plot became greatly enjoyable.

I haven't read the first book in this series, but didn't feel that that stopped me from enjoying this book - the important points were rehashed as one would expect in a continuation of a series. This was a very enjoyable quick read. The plot moved at a good pace, Fiona's narration and her internal monologue were incredibly entertaining. I don't know if I would ever feel compelled to re-read this book (I rarely do, to be fair), but I would definitely be interested in picking up any future books featuring Fiona Figg.

High Treason at the Grand Hotel is the second installment in the Fiona Figg series by Kelly Oliver. I would call it a cozy historical mystery, similar to the Maisie Dobbs series or the Dandy Gilver series. Fiona Figg is an amateur spy/detective during WWI. In this novel, she is sent on a mission to Paris.

I haven’t read the first book in the series, and while I think it would help to learn more about some of the major characters (Fiona herself, as well as her friend Clifford), the author does a great job of providing background so this novel can stand on its own. I found the book entertaining and sometimes funny, but there are also some very serious scenes. I was interested to learn that several of the characters are based on real people, which lends some depth to the story. I also appreciated Oliver’s efforts to empower and represent women throughout the novel.

The book left me wanting in some respects — I felt that Fiona accidentally helps more than she does intentionally. She bumbles around and makes frequent mistakes and misjudgments. She gets sidetracked. Ultimately, she does solve some of the mysteries introduced in the book, but her successes seemed to hinge more on coincidence rather than her own skill. I also felt that Fiona’s boss, Captain Hall, was portrayed unrealistically in his unreliability and his refusal to have a coherent conversation with his agent. Frankly, I found the relationship between Captain Hall and Fiona to be the most frustrating part of this novel! Perhaps that was intentional on the author’s part as the dynamic forced Fiona to work more independently that she may have otherwise.

Overall, I felt this was a fun read, filled with memorable characters. I plan to add other books in this series to my to-read list.

Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley and Level Best Books.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

Fiona Figg is back in another delightful historical mystery. She is sent to follow up on the notorious Black Panther and not to wear any of her normal disguises. In essence not to stand out or get too close to her target.

But soon she will wear many disguises, as she finds herself caught as a bellboy hanging over a dead countess body with a bloody knife. Will she be able to save herself without her identity being discovered or will she be a victim of the guillotine?

I received a copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review. High Treason at the Grand Hotel is the second title featuring file clerk turned spy Fiona Figg set during the later part of WWI. I have not read the first book (but plan to), but I never felt lost as events from the first book were adequately detailed.

This adventure finds Fiona traveling to Paris to keep tabs on her nemesis, Frederick Fredericks, who she believes to be a spy known as the Black Panther. Although her assignment is to just keep tabs on him, her penchant for uncover work and disguises quickly finds her embroiled in several other plots including a missing maid and befriending the infamous Mata Hari. I liked Fiona and appreciated her spunk and determination, but there were several times where I found her love of disguises to be a bit much. The various plots are interesting in addition to the focus on Fredericks, but at times it felt like there may have been one too many things going on. The author does a good job of providing the reader a feel of wartime Paris as well as the beginning of the shift in society of women entering the work force and the upcoming tensions with men when the return from the war.

Overall, I found this to be a fun, fast read that kept me interested throughout to see what mischief Fiona would get up to next. The book does a good job of setting up the next book and I look forward to reading it. I recommend this to anyone looking for a WWI set cozy mystery to curl up with on a cold winter's day.

I grabbed HIGH TREASON AT THE GRAND HOTEL for its splendid cover, WWI setting in Paris, and protagonist Fiona Figg as a British spy. Starting slow, it caught fire as she follows suspected agents for the Germans, including the infamous Mata Hari. Will Fiona uncover the truth before more Allied ships are sunk by the enemy? And what about that sexy soldier who consoled her after the death of her husband? A fine hf-mystery for those intrigued by Great War spydom and a worthy #2 in the Fiona Figg series.

4 of 5 Stars
Pub Date 05 Jan 2021
#HighTreasonattheGrandHotel #NetGalley

Thanks to the author, Level Best Books, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.

High Treason at the Grand Hotel by Kelly Oliver is a winner.

It is a historical novel with just enough to grab you until the very end. How can you not like a book about a British spy?

Highly recommend!

I wasn't particularly taken with any of the characters, but did, after awhile, get involved in the story.

Such a charming and thrilling read, one I didn't want to end! Seriously, it has everything a stellar book requires yet it is not overdone. The author is very skilled at using historical details (do read the afterword), developing fabulous characters and situations. Additionally, her sense of humour is just incredible. This is one of those books I felt an immediate affinity with. It's non-stop pure enjoyment. The very thought of the next in the series, the third, fills me with anticipation.

In 1917, Fiona Figg, a young woman in her 20s, is a file clerk who has done spying jobs on the side. Well, in this book she has spying down pat! Not only that but she is quirky, clever and much more than fluff. She has lost her husband so has had to deal with intense grief and this depth contributes to her character. To her delight she is sent to Paris to uncover secrets about Frederick Fredricks and packs disguises, just in case. Things go awry early on her trip but her quick thinking and friend Clifford wrangle her out of dicey messes, time after time in several locales within Paris.

Beautifully-written unexpected twists and turns abound like crazy as she inveigles and discovers far more than Fredrick's dealings. The subplots are just as fabulous. I really get a sense of the characters in this thoughtful book. Despite the challenges, Fiona doesn't take herself too seriously, yet there is so much substance everywhere you look. Each personality is portrayed so very well, even the minor ones.

If you don't pick up this Historical Fiction book, you truly are missing out. It is such a treat! You will find mysteries and touches of romance punctuated by incredible historical details which made me feel I was back in Paris. Food, building and clothing descriptions are lovely.

My sincere thank you to Level Best Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated.