Possibly my favorite read of the year! For fans of WWll Historical Women’s Fiction & Mystery, Julia Kelly has created a must read!

Evelyne Redfern is a strong and intelligent woman working in Churchill’s London underground war rooms (CWR) hired to help find a mole and ends up with a murder mystery to solve.

The historical facts, likable characters and storyline made this a most enjoyable and hard to put down read. Some might describe it as a cozy mystery with a solid plot, but it is much more than that!

I highly recommend reading A Traitor in Whitehall!

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press for an eArc of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Pub Date: 03 Oct 2023

Evelyne Redfern is serving her country by working in a London munitions factory in 1940 and really dislikes it. Rooming with her best friend Moira (an aspiring actress) both Evelyne and Moira are upper class girls who have learned to make their own livings after earning parental disapproval: (Moira) or lacking parental interest (Evelyne). Evelyne makes do however in her free time by reading any British mystery she can find and feels that she could actually solve mysteries if she had to.
Thus begins an engrossing new mystery that looks to be the beginning of a series. Evelyne bumps into a friend of her parents, Mr. Fletcher -- she last saw him when she was nine years old -- and he tells her that if she'd like to make a change in her work to come see him. The interview sends her into the British Civil Service as a typist in the newly created Cabinet War Rooms (CWR) which are all underground. Typists work 3 days on and 2 days off, staying in an underground bunk room while they are working and, like all those in the CWR, are sworn to secrecy about what goes on there.
Within the first week Evelyne comes across a dead body, and she is met with her first actual murder mystery. There has also apparently been a leak and some information is getting out to the Germans. Evelyne should probably let herself be interviewed by the Investigators and go meekly back to her typist job but of course she is not that sort of woman. This was a fun book to read and hopefully there will be a second book to follow.

I really wanted to like this historical novel. It takes place in World War II London, inside Winston Churchill’s underground cabinet war rooms (the CWR) just as Germany begins its bombing campaign known as “the Blitz.” What could be more potentially exciting? Unfortunately, despite its historic and dramatic setting, “A Traitor in Whitehall” is actually no more than a cozy mystery—a “whodunnit”—and not a very compelling one at that.

The novel begins well enough. Heroine Evelyne--a near-orphaned university graduate working a deathly dull job at a munitions factory--has just been hired by a family friend to work as a pool typist/stenographer at the CWR. Before she even has a chance to acclimate to her new surroundings and co-workers, she stumbles onto the body of another typist stabbed to death. Military police detectives quickly decide this to be no more than a crime of passion. But Evelyne suspects something more sinister. Highly independent and intrepid, and a lover of mysteries and detective fiction, she begins to investigate, ultimately joining forces with co-worker David Poole who has been assigned to catch a traitor “leaking” information to the Germans. So, the hunt is on for a murderer and a mole. Whether they are one and the same, or have any connection, is anyone’s guess.

It’s an interesting premise, but the resulting story seemed more a tepid soap opera than the “clever “Agatha Christie-esque mystery” promised on the cover.

For one thing, the stakes never seem very high. Yes, someone’s leaking information, but the quality of that information doesn’t seem all that vital. And yes, someone is murdered, but she’s so thoroughly disliked by all her co-workers that it’s a challenge to become immersed in who did it or why.

The range of suspects is large and includes a number of Evelyne’s fellow typists, none of whom we get to know very well and all of whom are difficult to keep straight.

There are few important inter-character relationships—and none to get really excited about.

Main character Evelyne, while clever and likable—maybe even admirable to some--often strains credulity. For example, it’s hard to believe that someone just beginning work as a typist in Mr. Churchill’s CWR would or even could become the de facto lead investigator into a murder on the premises, especially in a place where chains of command and doing what one is told and not acting outside the scope of one’s duty are necessities. Evelyne is repeatedly told to cease her investigation, and yet she persists.

Author Julia Kelly does not make the fullest or best use of either wartime London amidst “The Blitz” or Churchill’s underground complex. In fact, we barely see Churchill much less any of his more famous cabinet members such as Lord Beaverbrook or Anthony Eden. While we are told that the CWR produces blizzards of paper, that’s about all we learn about the place where some of the most momentous decisions of the war were made. And while there are scenes involving the bombings, and citizens taking shelter, almost no mention, if any, is made of the overriding threat faced by everyone: namely that the Germans may soon invade and occupy Great Britain.

Readers looking simply for a light, mildly entertaining mystery may well enjoy “A Traitor in Whitehall.” But those hoping for an exciting historical novel involving a legendary world leader attempting to save his nation from defeat and ruin—and a citizenry facing imminent occupation and withstanding all manner of dangers, hardships, and sacrifice--may wish to look elsewhere. Two and a half stars rounded up to three.

My thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for providing me with an electronic ARC. The foregoing is my independent opinion.

Julia Kelly's newest novel, A Traitor in Whitehall, is the first novel in a new mystery series, titled the Parisian Orphan series. There is a murder, treason, the Blitz, a suggestion of romance, humor, and a plucky English heroine. This series has a lot going for it, and I enjoyed it very much. The beginning of the novel after the novel starts off a but slowly, but that is to set up some very necessary background information about the heroine of this novel.

Evelyne Redfern is the Parisian Orphan of the book series. To solve a murder and expose the identity of a treasonous mole, she pairs up with a handsome partner, David Poole. A lifetime spent reading English mysteries has seemingly prepared Miss Redfern to solve a murder. At first this seems like a routine cozy mystery, but A Traitor in Whitehall is far more than a cozy mystery. It is murder, espionage, and treason all in one enjoyable and fun-to-read novel. Redfern and Poole are cast as a new Nora and Nick Charles, with just enough humor to make the story even more interesting. I don't know if Kelly had in mind recreating the Charles team, minus Asta, but that is what she has accomplished.

A Traitor in Whitehall is both serious and humorous. I can already imagine the BBC series based on this series of novels, since the end of the novel suggests a series in the making. As Poole keeping reminding Miss Redfern, American mysteries are much more serious and far less fun than English mysteries. Kelly makes it clear that Poole is wrong.

Thank you to the author and to St Martins Press for this ARC, in exchange for my honest review. Obviously, I enjoyed this movable and look forward to subsequent books in this series. Thank you also to NetGalley for helping me connect to so many new and enjoyable authors.

A delightful, classic English murder mystery set during the chaos of WWII London. It's 1940 and independent-minded Evelyne Redfern has landed a job as a typist in the government's secret underground war HQ. Working alongside cabinet ministers and even Prime Minister Winston Churchill, she quickly becomes embroiled in the murder of fellow typist Jean. But how can someone have killed her in a secure facility where everyone is carefully vetted? A lifelong fan of mystery novels, Evelyne ends up collaborating with gov't official David Poole, who is investigating the strange underground world of the war HQ. Soon it's Holmes and Watson, with Evelyne and David arguing about who's the brighter investigator. But who dunnit?

I found this a delightful read, very entertaining, and seemingly quite accurate to the era and situation in 1940 London during the very beginning of the Blitz. In more than one spot you will have to rev up your suspension of disbelief that Evelyne proves so wily and ingenious as she becomes more and more central to the investigation, but it's worth the effort. Recommended.

Thank you to @netgalley and @MinotaurBooks for this ARC. Evelyne Redfern has been recruited to work for the war effort under Churchill. On only the second day of work, she finds a dead body and leak within the network. With help of Mr. Poole, an unlikely coworker, they try to get to the bottom of the mystery. Cute story and love Julia Kelly's first mystery! #ATraitorinWhitehall #JuliaKelly #StMartinsPress #MinotaurBooks #October2023

I just loved this book! A Traitor in Whitehall is a fantastic historical mystery, set in World War II London, at the time of the Blitz. The character of Evelyn Redfern that Julia Kelly has created is both an intelligent, resourceful woman, and an excellent amateur detective. She has a new job as a typist in the underground cabinet war rooms of Winston Churchill, and soon finds that all is not as it seems. I loved that Evelyn was an avid reader of mystery novels, and that the story mentions many of the famous mystery writers of that time period. It is not often that a book pays such a wonderful tribute as this one does. The character development throughout the book is excellent. This is a well-researched book, with a complex, puzzling mystery. It captivated me from the first page and kept me guessing until the end! I hope that this becomes a series. I would love to read Evelyn's future adventures! A thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for my advanced copy. The opinions of this review are my own.

Being honest here, Julia Kelly’s writing is not slaying me. This genre, London, WWII, is typically one of my favs and I’ve literally read at least 50 or so novels set in this era. Unfortunately, I’ve yet to read anything by Ms. Kelly that strikes me as anything other than trite. This latest is no exception, but it will be the last one I bother wandering into. The characters are all pathetically cliched and unrealistic, the dialogue is silly and the plot is ridiculous.

Nutshell summary: Evelyne Redfern is a young British gal, raised in Paris. She comes from a dysfunctional, yet somewhat privileged family. Somehow she received a uni education. She is living in a woman’s boarding house, working in a munitions factory. Out of the blue, at a party obviously, an old family friend recruits her for a job as typist/spy to work at Whitehall. Once she gets started there, she is first on scene to discover a murder of a coworker. She then somehow is taken into the confidence of a male coworker/investigator/secret agent and yet being absolutely n body special, she takes over the investigation, yada yada yada. It’s just so fantastically far fetched. The dialogue includes conversations between the two investigators, discussing highly confidential information at restaurants and other public places. And the murder investigation is all mushed up with the leak/traitor sub-plot…. The entire thing is a mess. It truly doesn’t come close to other books tackling the time period, events, or personalities. Sorry.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for providing me with the ARC in exchange for a timely review.

1940, London, historical-novel, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-setting, cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth, bibliophilia, The Blitz, secrets, traitor, blackmail, friendship, friends, friction, family-history, murder, murder-investigation, double-agent*****

She witnessed a murder before the book was at 1%!
Then the story does a backtrack into her earlier life and her current placement in a highly restricted area where she is subject to the Official Secrets Act. Pick up thread of murder and she is voluntarily seconded to a man higher in the pecking order than the military investigators (who are a bit dim and predisposed in their conclusions). They form a respectful alliance and do their own investigating/sleuthing. I hope that this turns into a series!
I requested and received an EARC from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Deep down underground scores of men and women work to protect England's secrets during World War II. Evelyne Redfern is approached to work as a secretary. Shortly after she begins her job, a woman is found murdered. Evelyne, with her love for mystery, decides to investigate. Because of the secrecy of their jobs, Evelyne realizes the murderer has to be someone inside the bunker, leaving a very limited group of suspects. Evelyne is quick witted and has an eye for solving the case. Looking forward to more of her adventures.

“A Traitor in Whitehall” is a mystery by Julia Kelly. I have to admit, I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to get with this book - but I found myself, after a few chapters, really getting into this. I found the play of Evelyne off of David to be fun banter. There were a few red herrings, some minor backstabbing, all with the background of WWII happening in London. I’m hoping this is the first in a series because I really want to follow these characters (and some of Evelyne’s friends) through more adventures.

I have read all of Julia Kelly's books, they are all good. this is the start of a series, if you like cozy mysteries, you will love it looking forward to more books in the series.

I enjoyed this book a lot and hope it is the first book in a series. Evelyne (the main character) is funny and smart with a tragic/notorious past and it makes for a good backstory! There is so much historical fiction set during World War II, but this story makes you feel like you are there and while you are trying to figure out the mystery, you're also feeling the devastation of London being bombed (and food shortages, etc).

It did feel like Evelyne was the main character and everyone else was clearly a sidekick or supporting character, which is true, but I would have appreciated learning more and hearing more from some of the other characters to add to their profiles. But, if this book is the first in a series, that is something that can hopefully be continued in the next book(s).

Overall, a well done new addition to the World War II historical fiction mysteries!

Our heroine, Evelyne Redfern, is recruited by a family friend to work as a typist in Churchill’s Cabinet War Rooms during the height of WWII and the London Blitz, with the caveat that she report back to her father’s friend. Soon after she starts, one of her fellow typists is murdered and it is also revealed that someone is smuggling out state secrets from one of the government’s most secure locations. As a devoted mystery/detective book reader Evelyne of course is determined to solve the murder, but she is also drawn into investigating who is the mole inside the CWR and if the two cases might be related, teaming up with the handsome Mr. David Poole who has been tasked by Intelligence to uncover the traitor.

I’ve visited the Cabinet War Rooms on a couple of occasions during trips to London so I could perfectly visualize the setting for the novel. Evelyne is a plucky, charming character and I hope that this is start of a new series by author Julia Kelly and that we will see her future work in British Intelligence in a series of upcoming books.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Evelyne Redfern is asked by Mr. Fletcher, an old acquaintance, to take a job as a secretary in the prime minister's office. Mr. Fletcher is really asking her to be the ears of the office, however, and Evelyne takes the job.

The first week, Evelyne finds one of her co-workers from the copy room dead with a knife in her throat. The detectives ensure that is was an act of passion or jealousy, but Evelyne doesn't agree. She starts investigating behind the scenes and runs into David Poole, who is investigating a mole in the department. The two are reluctant to team up, but realize that is the only option to figure out both of their cases.

I liked this book. It was a historical mystery based around the WWII time period. Since I like historical fiction, especially books about WWII, this book was right up my alley. This book took off right away and didn't let up until it was over. It was almost like a "Who done it" type of book where Evelyne and David were constantly interviewing suspects, but the difference was that it was based around an old time period with an entirely different take then most books. While I did guess a bit about who did it, the final revelation caught me off guard a little bit.

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author, or more from this series as it seems like it isn't over yet!

If you like cozy mysteries with the addition of historical fiction this book is for you. Our heroine is recruited by a friend of the family to work in Winston Churchill's cabinet war room during WWII. They suspect that one of the women who work typing up classified information is up to no good. Evelyne is charged with finding out who the spy is. After just a few days Evelyne finds one of her fellow workers murdered. There are many suspects! Evelyne is a voracious reader of mysteries and she uses all of what she has learned to find out who the murderer is. David Poole who also works in the cabinet room is in charge of the investigation. Although David tries to keep Evelyne out of the investigation he soon learns that she is a natural investigator and soon they are working together. There are many suspects and you will be kept guessing until the end. I have a feeling this might not be the last time Evelyne and David get together to solve another mystery. I also liked the description of how the workers lived during their shifts. Many books have been written about the women who were essential to Britain during the war, but not the day to day life.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur books for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I love all of Julia Kelly's books. This is the first time I have read an ARC of hers. There were a lot of typos and missing words, but the story was great. Can't wait for the sequel.

Thanks to Katie Holt & St, Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book It was an excellent read with a great plot set in London during World War II when the Germans were bombing nightly. The murder of a member of the typing pool plus the specter of treason bring two individuals together to investigate the crime. The twists and turns made it a fun read and characters were well developed in WWII London. Can’t spoil the ending but enjoyed it thoroughly.

I thoroughly enjoy reading well-researched historical fiction. Add a mystery to the mix, and I am over the moon. This is author Julia Kelly's first foray into mystery writing. Being well acquainted with her fine historical writing, I had every expectation that this was going to be a wonderful read. I am delighted to report, that it was all that and more.

Miss Evelyn Redfern, "The Parisian Orphan" by newspaper accounts, is the adult daughter of Sir Reginald Redfern, a member of the Ton, who wanders to all corners of the earth with little to no interest in his daughter. However, being so well connected does have its perks as Evelyn is recognized by one of her father's school chums, Lionel Fletcher. Mr. Fletcher offers Evelyn the opportunity to meet which turns out to be a government job interview of a highly secretive nature. Through Fletcher's governmental duties, he is in need of an insider's observations of the goings on in the C.W.R. - Cabinet War Rooms - Churchill's underground war bunker. Evelyn is hired in for the C.W.R. typing pool. Shortly after her arrival, a fellow typist is found murdered. Being the armchair sleuth that she is, Evelyn is convinced that she could manage the investigation better than the local police who are obviously out of their element. Meanwhile, David Poole, assistant to the Minister of Information, has a mission of his own - finding the mole within. Could the mole also be the murderer? Evelyn and David make a tenuous alliance to work together in sussing out the clues. Their gender roles are constantly challenged as Evelyn chafes at the bit. Can they make this work? Will they be able to work it all out? Only time will tell.

Ms. Kelly has done a spectacular job of laying out the groundwork for this new mystery series. Her prose is elegant and at times, quite humorous. The research which went into this book is herculean and well delivered throughout the story. The tension builds gradually holding the reader in thrall until the story resolves itself into a most satisfying conclusion. If well-researched historical fiction with a mystery built in appeals, then I highly commend this book to you.

I am grateful to author Julia Kelly and her publisher, Minotaur Books, for having provided a complimentary uncorrected digital galley of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: October 3, 2023
ISBN: 978-1250865489
No. of pages: 304

For the most part this was an interesting beginning of a series. The setting in London during WWII and Churchill's war cabinet is well-known and well-portrayed. Although I enjoyed the independent heroine, I found the premise of her telling the PM's aide what to do lacking credibility. and somewhat cringe-worthy.