Just absolutely loved this novel! The characters are so well developed and their personalities well defined. Evelyne Redfern is a tenacious, intelligent, and a woman who knows her own mind and takes no prisoners. She is terrific! The story line unfolded creatively. I look forward to reading the next book in the series of “The Parisian Orphan.” # ATraitorInWhitehall, # St.Martin’sPress.

A Traitor in Whitehall by Julia Kelly was a wonderful mystery thriller. Evelyn Redfern is hired as a typist in Prime Minister Churchill’s war rooms during World War Two. They are a group of basement offices that served as the center of Britain’s war effort. Evelyn, along with other typists, works round the clock transcribing coded messages that may be important to the war.

She has not been there long before she finds a murdered girl. Someone in the offices is committing treason by sending the Germans information about the military strategies and plans that the British government ministers discuss in secret meetings. Typists take notes which are then transcribed. These actions are treasonous, but it could be anyone at Whitehall who is pilfering the information.

Because Evelyn reads mysteries and thrillers, she is determined to find out what she can about the murder and the sabotage. Her sleuthing includes working with a minister’s aide to find the answers. I enjoyed this novel and couldn’t put it down because the author wrote in such an exciting way that kept me involved. I love Julia Kelly’s books and have read quite a few of them.

Thanks to the author and publisher for an ARC of A Traitor in Whitehall and the opportunity to offer a review. My opinion is solely mine.

I have long been a fan of Julia Kelly's historical novels and was curious to see how she would handle a mystery. Well, move over Maisie Dobbs, there's a new sleuth in town, albeit an unwitting one.

Set in London in 1940, just as the Blitz was beginning, Evelyne Redfern was recruited from an ordnance factory to work as a typist in the Cabinet War Room, the bunker underneath 10 Downing Street and headquarters of Churchill's war machine. After only a day or so on the job, she stumbles over the murdered body of one of her co-workers, setting off a chain of events leading to the hunt for a mole inside the Prime Minister's own inner circle. Evie accidentally teams up with a handsome MI5-type agent, David Poole to ferret out the murderer and the traitor.

A Traitor in Whitehall is an entertaining yarn that employs enough plot twists to keep the reader guessing. Lovers of Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs and Susan Elia McNeil's Maggie Hope won't be disappointed. Evie is smart, funny, gutsy and determined to succeed in a man's world. I thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Kelly's first foray into the historical mystery genre. I hope it won't be her last.

A well done murder mystery set during WW2. The plot and characters are well developed and the story will keep you in suspense. A interesting read and I hope the author plans on doing further books with the main characters. This could be the start of a great series!

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

"I could go without many things during a time of war, but I could not abide the thought of being without books."

#ATraitorinWhitehall is delightful. I really enjoyed Evelyne's journey from typist to detective, esp. since she was so keen to be one! Everything was authentic - the wartime setting (loved reading about life in the CWR), the characters, the mystery and its conclusion.

This was Ms. Kelly's first mystery, and I hope she writes more!

P. S. Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC.

I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. This was my first book by the author, and I loved it. It reminded me of the Maggie Hope books by Susan Elia MacNeal. I hope that this will be the beginning of a new series, and I'll be sure to continue reading it. The author did a great job bringing to life the atmosphere of the time period, and she created an interesting cast of characters and a clever mystery. I appreciated learning more about the need for secrecy when working for the British government during wartime, and the stress it created. Inspired by this book, I look forward to reading Kelly's previous books. I highly recommend this book to mystery lovers.

This is the first book by Julia Kelly that I’ve read, and I have to say I’m impressed and very much enjoyed
A Traitor in Whitehall by Julia Kelly.

This was a great read with well developed characters and very interesting relationships.
The story itself was engaging and I didn't want to put it down!
It’s well-written with great characters.
The mystery was engaging with phenomenal historical elements.
After reading ATIW I will defiantly pick up this writer's next book.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Thank You NetGalley and Minotaur Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Wow! I just finished A Traitor in Whitehall by Julia Kelly. What a rollicking ride! In fact, I was so pleased to get this ARC from NetGalley, I stopped reading a brand new mystery by a bestselling author. I was completely engrossed in this story from the first page.

This is Julia Kelly’s first mystery, but I have enjoyed her historical fiction in the past. The setting, historical references, and characterization are as spot on as her earlier novels. I also learned lots of tidbits of life in London during the Blitz, such as the use of sunlamps in the bunkers.

In this case, Evelyne, the main character, is the child of a British playboy aristocrat and a French party girl. As an adolescent, she was caught in a fierce custody battle between her parents and the subject of tabloids. Now an adult, a chance meeting with an acquaintance of her father leads her to be a typist and an observer in the Cabinet War Rooms as there have been leaked secrets. When she stumbles upon a murdered colleague, her intelligence and vociferous mystery reading help her solve the case.

She is partnered along the way with a mysterious government official. No real romance yet, but plenty of banter. Any mystery reader will love the arguments between the two about the merits of American mysteries versus those of British authors. Actually, all the dialogue among the characters is witty and fun to read.

This is the first book of a series, and I will be eagerly awaiting the next. In fact, this was one book i did not want to end.