It’s 1944 and Justine Byrne is working on a product assembly line in New Orleans to pay her bills after both her parents, famous physicists are killed in a car accident. Because her father taught her to weld, her experience is invaluable to her boss, who relies on Justine to repair the conveyer belt and other parts of the line that keep failing. Justine starts to realize that maybe these aren’t just normal wear and tear issues, but sabotages, which leads her to think about what they are actually making. With more questions than answers, Justine sets out to find the truth.

I love historical fiction - it’s my favorite genre, so this book suited me perfectly. With the mystery and a little romance added in, The Physicists’ Daughter was fabulous. I loved the suspense and action, along with the female friendship bonds Justine formed. This is one of the best books I read this year and it’ll stick with me for some time.

An intriguing WWII novel set in a New Orleans factory in 1944. I loved MC Justine, a STEM heroine and orphaned daughter of physicists, who taught her physics and welding and how to think critically.

Working in a low-level job in a factory that produces boats, plus other weird objects in the secretive Carbon Division, she takes notice when asked to weld parts that often seem to fail. And when a crane falls and kills a co-worker, she begins to think sabotage is afoot.

Is there anyone she can trust? Is there a Nazi spy in their midst, undermining the factory's efforts to support the war?

At times, slow pace hampered the story, yet I found myself cheering Justine on as she uses her STEM skills to puzzle out this mystery and protect her country and co-workers. Highly recommend for lovers of strong women in historical fiction, whose roles make a difference in the world.

Thanks to the author, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.

#ThePhysicistsDaughter #MaryAnnaEvans
#poisonedpenpress #NetGalley #WWIImystery #mysterynovels #historicalmysterynovel #NewOrleansNovel #STEMheroine #bookstgramcommunity

4 women and science stars

What happens when you put a smart and capable woman to work in a New Orleans factory during WWII? Justine Byrne is the daughter of two physicists, her parents are gone now, but she was brought up to love science and her dad even taught her to weld. Those skills could come in handy for her job. However, at the factory she just works on the assembly line, but occasionally she gets to “fix” some parts that keep failing. Justine can easily see that the parts have been tampered with and she suspects someone at the factory of sabotage.

She lives in a boarding house and is finally making a few friends and she’s asked out on a few dates. She's smarter about science than she is about men.

Justine is super curious about the top-secret parts of the factory and turns to her aunt who is also a scientist to try to puzzle through what they could be building. She has no idea who to trust with her suspicions and she is in danger herself.

I found this one to be well written and suspenseful. Plus, I love to read about smart women! There are some great themes of friendship and family and loyalty to your country in this one.

This book took place during ww2 in New Orleans, Justine is working in a factory doing what she can to help the war effort when the factory is being destroyed by insiders she doesn’t know who she can turn to. This is a remarkable story about doing what you can in a world that is not accepting.

It's complicated, and so well written that the story kept me engaged throughout! I wasn't sure about Mary Anne Evans as I haven't read any of her other works, but I'd certainly look at reading another if it's in a similar vein to this one.

The context of the story is New Orleans, 1944. Women are key members of the workforce with so many men at war. So many mundane but critical tasks are undertaken on a daily basis. Both the on-and-on (long hours of grunt work) and the dedication of all is evident. Also, the incredible mind of the protagonist is on display. Her unique personal history contributes to her value, as well as her becoming curious about what she is seeing around her. She asks different questions. Equipment failure? Sabotage?. Who does she confide in about the possibility of spies being in their midst? Why is her long-standing 'aunt' behaving so strangely?

This is also a story of friendship; sharing, confiding, misunderstanding, loyalty and trust. I wonder what that means for the next in this historic mystery series?

My thanks to #Netgalley Poisoned Pen Press and the author, Mary Anna Evans, for my advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

1944 New Orleans and Justine is working in the carbon department of a factory making parts for the war effort. She has no idea how the parts will be used but hopes her efforts will aid the men fighting the German menace. It's a male dominated world and between her not very nice boss and the various men at the factory harassing her daily, her upbringing helps her do her job. Both of her parents were physicists and they taught her quantum physics, welding and so much more. It's her sharp mind that allows her to notice the strange things going on in the factory. Too many parts are breaking and she is one of those repairing them. Sabotage comes to mind and then one day a crane collapses killing one of her co-workers. Justine wants answers but who can she trust? If she does prove there is sabotage what will she do with the information? There is a lot at stake and her life may be in danger.
I enjoyed following Justine as she searched for answers, made friends and works on the war effort. She is a wonderful character. The mystery kept me completely engaged, start to finish. Mary Anna Evans writes what she knows. She says Justine is "a little bit Rosie-the-Riveter and a little bit Bletchley Park codebreaker." and I couldn't agree more. My thanks to the publisher Poisoned Pen Press and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

A WWII mystery, yes. but a different sort of story. Justine, an orphan whose parents were both physicists, is working a low level job in a New Orleans factory supporting the war effort. She's muddling along when an accident in 1944 shakes things up- was it the result of sabotage? Mudcat, a Nazi spy, offers a different perspective as Justine sets out to find the truth. It's not as zippy as it could be but it's still a good read. Liked Justine. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

The Physicists’ Daughter by Mary Anna Evans 4 stars

Justine Byrne is a factory worker in Louisiana during WW II. At the factory she is recruited to work in the secretive “Carbon Division” and is constantly called upon for extra work on machinery because she can weld. However, a crane accident that kills one of the workers makes her suspicious of the breakdowns in the Carbon Division. Is there a saboteur at work? The factory is vital to the war effort and things are getting dicey. Can the daughter of two scientists put all the clues together to find the saboteur and discover what is so vital about the “Carbon Division”? Before the story is over, Justine will face danger and intrigue. But the burning question is – Will she survive?

This appears to be the beginning of a probable series featuring Justine Byrne. Part historical novel, part mystery and maybe a bit of romance thrown in. I like the main characters and their interaction with each other. Justine is a multi-talented individual; not only with practical skills (i.e. welding) but intellectually (mathematics, physics, and chemistry). The supporting cast are equally talented in their own way. I hope that this will be a series, because the skills Justine has would be useful even during the Cold War.

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC.

This was an interesting historical mystery! I really enjoyed the main character and her personality. I loved watching her form friendships and navigate relationships that she's never had before. I also found the mystery to be so interesting! I loved it all!

The Physicists' Daughter is quite a break from author Mary Anna Evans' Faye Longchamp series about an archaeologist in Florida, and she handles the World War II setting with aplomb. Justine and her newly found best friend Georgette Broussard give readers a taste of what Rosie the Riveter had to contend with in war-time factory work, but it's not all work and no play. Justine, whose life has always centered on education and the mind, learns how to jitterbug and how to deal with the men buzzing around her like bees-- with the help of Georgette, that is.

Other characters, like Mavis, whose job doesn't begin to cover the loss of her husband's wages now that he's fighting in the war; Georgette, my favorite character who comes from a poverty-stricken background out in the bayous of Louisiana; and Justine's Aunt Gloria (is she or is she not paranoid?) keep the story moving as the reader tries to guess the identity of the spy in their midst.

An extremely dangerous scene at the end is compelling, and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that my deductions weren't entirely correct. All in all, The Physicists' Daughter is a fast-paced tale filled with plenty of interesting characters and World War II flavor.

The Physicists' Daughter by Mary Anna Evans. Pub Date: June 7, 2022. Rating: 3 stars. In this WWII based novel, the reader is taken to New Orleans inside a factory where secret parts are created. The main character, a brilliant female named Justine, starts to wonder what exactly she is making and why there was a random crash of a crane that killed one worker. She is a woman of immense talents including welding, in which she uses to her advantage to seek out justice and figure out what exactly is happening in the factory. She suspects sabotage during a time of war. Honestly, I liked this novel but did not love it. It was slow with some scenes that were too technical and take away from the main focus of the novel, but I appreciated a new spin on the WWII historical fiction genre. I really enjoyed the setting of the novel with a spotlight on females in the workforce during WWII to help with the war efforts. Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #netgalley #poisonedpenpress #thephysicistsdaughter

The Physicists’ Daughter is an orphan, but she’s a grown woman, working at a factory making secret who-knows-what to help the war effort. Having been raised by two deeply scientific parents, she has trouble relating to her peers. This sounds a lot like Lessons in Chemistry, but with a completely different approach and outcome. This is a thriller, and a mystery, although we are given a few more clues than Justine gets thrown at her. We get some insights into one, or more, people who may be goodies, baddies, or something in between.

This is a masterfully constructed web of deceit and withheld information. The most interesting part of the clue-laying lies with Justine’s clandestine visits to her estranged aunt, who seems just a little bit paranoid. And just because she’s paranoid, doesn’t mean that people aren’t out to get her – and to Justine through her.

And Justine does make friends – through the unlikely joint interest in maths – of a girl with little or no schooling who is as bright as they come. The balance of plot that runs through both of their lives helps to keep this tale from the dry, uninteresting one it could have been, to a vibrant, girls-still-want-to-have-fun even in the war years. With the threat of a defeat looming over US heads, everyone wants the work the women make–or do they?

I had one quibble: the code Justine solved was too easy (the author made too long an explanation of it). Then I remembered that I’d used the same code in an MG book. I just assumed every boy and girl knew of it by age 10. Maybe they don’t get educated in these things these days. Anyway, Justine had translated the code into letters from pin pricks in a panel to get to the easy bit. So she’d passed the real test first.

So, yet another excellent book from my reading list this year. The Physicists’ Daughter is a truly interesting, intelligent, historical mystery with a touch of romance. I’m looking forward to the author’s next book (which may be a sequel).

The Physicists’ Daughter
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Historical Fiction
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 6/7/22
Author: Mary Anna Evans
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Pages: 272
Goodreads Rating: 4.00

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing a digital copy of the book for me to read in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: New Orleans, 1944. Sabotage. That's the word on factory worker Justine Byrne's mind as she is repeatedly called to weld machine parts that keep failing with no clear cause. Could someone inside the secretive Carbon Division be deliberately undermining the factory's war efforts? Raised by her late parents to think logically, she also can't help wondering just what the oddly shaped carbon gadgets she assembles day after day have to do with the boats the factory builds…

When a crane inexplicably crashes to the factory floor, leaving a woman dead, Justine can no longer ignore her nagging fear that German spies are at work within the building, trying to put the factory and its workers out of commission. Unable to trust anyone—not the charming men vying for her attention, not her unpleasant boss, and not even the women who work beside her—Justine draws on the legacy of her unconventional upbringing to keep her division running and protect her coworkers, her country, and herself from a war that is suddenly very close to home

My Thoughts: The historical part of this book was well written and provided an accurate glimpse what it was like then. Some of the story involves a technical aspect and the author does an excellent job of detailing this. The story is narrated by Justine mostly, but there are other narrators, two spies, you just don’t know where they exactly fit into the story yet. Justine’s character was courageous, strong, brilliant, and the depth in the characters was amazing; I also adored the connection between Justine’s an Georgette. The author’s writing and the plot of this book was complex, intriguing, and absolutely engaging. The first third was a bit slower setting up the characters and setting the scene, but it does speed up and end being a page turner. I found the story very intriguing and one that I enjoyed immensely reading. I would definitely read other books by this author.

I just don’t think this one was for me. Overall I didn’t dislike this book but due to the subject matter it was hard to enjoy it.

"I know how to make my subjects agree with my verbs, but talking like you talk would make it sounds like I think my family and the way they talk ain't respectable enough."

The Physicists' Daughter (yes, multiple physicists) is a slow-burn, but ultimately worth ploughing through the first quarter of the book, historical fiction espionage/suspense story set in New Orleans in 1944. I love reading WWII historical fiction, and this one was just such a different setting, that made me really excited for it. In the story, we meet Justine Byrne, orphaned daughter of two physicists, who, because of her welding skills, has a job at the Carbon Division of Higgins Industries. As accidents are happening in the factory more and more, Justine starts to realize that sabotage is at play.

It took me a while to get into the story. The first quarter to third of the book was mostly the author setting the scene, and it nearly made me put the book down. However, the story got more interesting and I was so happy I decided to finish it. First and foremost, nerdy me absolutely loved the physics/engineering education that was infused into the story. I think the explanations of radio, radar etc. were integrated into the story in such a way that it was believable and subtle enough. Secondly, while enjoying all the characters in this book, I especially enjoyed the relationship between Justine and her co-worker Georgette. Coming from very different backgrounds, ending up in the same factory and dealing with similar issues, their bond is a special one. Finally, I loved the structure of the story. Parts told from the saboteur's perspective, parts told from the spy trying to stop the saboteur, and the main story told from Justine's perspectives made for a diverse read, and one that kept the reader guessing as to who each of the characters alongside Justine actually was. Such a fun way to write a story!

Justine Byrne was taught welding, trained by her parents. She was given a job at Higgins Industries Carbon Division. She and the people in the division were making parts designed by others that they never saw assembled into anything.

Justine is young and lovely and two suitors are attempting to win her heart. One is a spy placed by Germany prior to WW II. The Higgins Plant was hidden in the bayous of southern Louisiana. There was an airfield next to the plant where the top-secret parts were made.

Supervisors at the plant were men with infirmities that kept them from being enlisted in the military. They were usually self-important oofs who lorded over everyone, particularly the women. They made life miserable for the better-looking girls.

Saboteurs were sent in by the Nazi’s to find out what was being made at the plant and also to slow or stop production.

This tale of the valiant efforts by women hired in all war industries, showed the ability of women to do jobs formerly only held by men. The women were being paid more than they had ever been paid before, the same wage as a man. Six, ten to twelve-hour days left them only Sundays to rest and prepare for the following week. The book is very well written and I could not put it down! 4.5 stars – CE Williams

Anticipated pub: 7 June

I read historical fiction far less than other genres and I'm not sure why. I really enjoyed this story. I did a hybrid of audio book and ebook and was fully immersed in Justine's mission of discovery. I loved Justine and Georgette's relationship; that two women from such different backgrounds can connect, learn so much from each other and form a friendship. I think this was one of my favorite aspects of the book. I liked the other characters as well. We get alternating view points from two we know are "spies" but we don't know which character they are in the broad story. I found this well-written, quick paced, descriptive and all around a great read. There is an air of mystery which kept me turning pages in a rush.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy to read and review.

I found this book to be incredibly smart. Very interesting at times, but I have to admit a few times I was lost. It seemed quite technical for me.
I loved the story line and the historical aspects of this novel.

An insightful And intriguing look at the women working behind the scenes in WW2. Justine is the type of quiet character who exudes intelligence, strength, and unknown talents/skills. I love the many scientific references and the way all the details provided along the way culminate at the end. The intrigue angle with an unknown spy kept me guessing! The triangle was perfectly balanced and I couldn’t quite pin down who was on what side. I enjoyed seeing Justine flourish under the power of friendship with women like Georgette and Mavis. The Physicist’s Daughter checked all the boxes for me and I highly recommended it to all who love WW2 stories with intelligent characters, mystery, math and science, and a slight romantic angle.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

I thought this book was a fascinating historical fiction about welding and secret parts being built in a factory set in New Orleans during WW2. I liked the strong, intelligent female characters along with some questionable co-workers. The main character, Justine, relies on her smarts she learned through her now deceased parents when she suspects sabotage at the factory. I loved some of the technical aspects, coding, the sleuthing, and a little romance. The story was well thought out and well written. Thank you, NetGalley, and the publisher for the ARC.