A Traitor in Whitehall starts out slow as all the pieces and players are introduced until a key moment and then the story picks up and the pages turn quickly. It’s wartime and Evelyne is working in a munitions factory until a random meeting with an old family acquaintance leads her to a job in the typing pool in the cabinet war rooms. Still learning the lay of the land, Evelyne finds herself observing her coworkers closely until she stumbles onto the body of one of the lesser liked women. Being an avid mystery reader, Evelyne finds herself unable to leave the detecting up to the professional and her questions lead her to unlikely partner whom she solves the case with.

I liked Evelyne and I loved the tiny glimpses into her background and I know they will play an important part in this series as it progresses. I liked David and his reluctance to have Evelyne join him but also his willingness and appreciativeness to have her help. I’m looking forward to this series and think it’s going to be great.


Thank you @minotaur_books and @netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

🎉Julia Kelly is one of my go-to historical fiction authors, so I jumped at the chance to read this. And let me tell you this did not disappoint.

🎉The setting is WWll London during The Blitz, and I loved that it features a strong female heroine.

🎉This is a nice beginning to a series, and the mystery has some interesting twists and turns. There are plenty of red herrings, and the ending is clever and compelling. There is a touch of romance, but it does not take over the story. I liked that Evelyne was independent and determined, even in the face of often blatant sexism from some of the men around her.

I'm excited to see what Julia comes up with next for this series. An enthusiastic 4 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟 from me!

Thank you to @minotaur_books @stmartinspress
for the arc physical copy for review.

I liked this one so much! Intrigue. Banter. Murder. Oh my!
Evelyne meets a family friend - as a member of the British Government, she lands a job as a typist in the underground Ministry. Close quarters with several women - they all have moods and hopes for their futures.
A typist is murdered - loathed by the other women, the list of suspects is considerable.
Evelyne helps David Poole gather information. I loved their relationship.
Great book, loved the writing.

Thanks to Minotaur Books & NetGalley for a digital advance reader's copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

This was a top-notch historical mystery novel! Skillfully and accurately written, I couldn’t stop reading. I adored the charming main character, Evelyne, and was sorry when I finished the book. So glad this is the first of a coming series. Can’t wait for more!

The murder mystery is cleverly constructed, taking place during World War II just as the bombs begin to fall in London. Evelyne has been hired as a secretary in Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s cabinet war rooms (CWR), the underground bunkers where everyone has secrets and no one can be trusted. Soon after Evelyne discovers a murdered colleague, she grudgingly teams up with David Poole, who turns out to be a (handsome) undercover government agent seeking the mole who is selling government secrets.

They are an “oil and water” couple, who reluctantly admit they need each other in order to find the murderer and the mole. Although Evelyne has no formal investigative training, her passion for detective fiction sharpens her skills in solving the murder. At the beginning of the novel she tells the reader, “You see, I simply adore detective fiction. Each new story contains within it the tantalizing possibility of a puzzle so fiendishly twisted that the solution may elude me until the final pages.”

An engaging reason I liked Evelyne was how she felt about books, not just detective fiction. She makes sure to bring five novels with her for her 3-day shift in the CWR, telling the reader, “I could go without many things during a time of war, but I could not abide the thought of being without books.”

The theme of books reoccurs as David and Evelyne spar over which novels are better – American detective fiction or British mysteries such as Agatha Christie’s. These small bits give the novel extra personality and charm and kept me turning the pages.

If you’re looking for an engaging World War II murder mystery with a hint of romance and the promise of future novels, this is the book for you. I highly recommend!

I really enjoyed this historical mystery. The MC had a vital but not glamorous job, she wasn’t a super genius code breaker, just an average woman who has read a lot of detective novels.

The mystery was nice and twisty though there were a few spots where I had to go back to see how they had come to a conclusion about things.

Very enjoyable and feels like the start of a series which would be great!

A late book review

If you’re anything like me you have 250+ tabs open on your phone at any given moment - because I was looking through some of those open tabs and came across a widget invite for a book I really wanted to read but had too many other books on my NetGalley shelf (okay, I can’t comfortably have more than 6 books on my shelf, I get so stressed about having to read that I tend to not enjoy reading as much as I’m usually able to). At any rate, I found the widget in the tabs and grabbed it the day before the archive date and cheated a little- I borrowed the audiobook from my library and listened to this one.

I love a good mystery series and as a story, A Traitor in Whitehall grabbed hold of my attention from the start and held on.
* amateur sleuth
* espionage
* romance
* series starter

A little clunky in spots; it wasn’t perfect, but the first book in any series is busy laying the groundwork. Overall, I found it to be a solid series starter and I look forward to reading future titles.



Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the DRC

Intriguing. Combination of history, detective work. Takes place in the cabinet war rooms which is an intriguing place and not as well known as it should be. There were somethings that were predictable (like Patricia's secret), but some things that kept you on the edge of your seat. Strong female character and engaging read.

The setting is 1940 London and the Blitz of World War II.
I found the story intriguing with its blend of unique mystery.
I liked getting to know Evelyne and hope to get to know her even better as the series goes on. She is a strong outspoken female character.
You will get mystery, friendships, family and spies with reading A Traitor in Whitehall.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Evelyne is doing her part for the war effort by working in a munitions factory. And then an old family friend approaches her to interview. He places her as a secretary working in the Churchill War Rooms just as the Blitz starts as London. She's there not only to work, but to serve as a spy and learn who might be leaking state secrets.

It's so fitting that there's a blurb from Susan Elia MacNeal on the cover, as this reminds me of her Maggie Hope series which I also loved. It similarly starts with a plucky and smart heroine working indirectly for Churchill. It has a similar set-up, but not quite the same sense of danger.

Instead, this leans more into a cozy mystery version of a spy thriller. Evelyne loves reading detective fiction (and shouts out love to Agatha Christie!). And as she tries to solve a mystery, she works through the investigation in a way that feels reminiscent of the observational skills that would be featured by Agatha Christie.

This was such a great blend for me. I look forward to continuing the series and following Evelyne as she goes further into spying. And maybe even has a hint of future romance?! I'll read on to find out.

Thank you to Minotaur Books for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

4.5 stars rounded up

Julia Kent has a way with words for sure. She can spin a mystery and also give us a history lesson all in one. Throw in a possible love in the making and you have a wonderful story.

This is about a woman who has no experience but get a job as a secretary in Whitewall. In Winston Churchill’s War Cabinet Room to be precise. She discovers a murder and starts to investigate. She has always had a fascination with mysteries and when she teams up with David Poole things start to come together. Both with the murder and possibly with a new love.

You follow Evelyne Redfern through her times before she took the job up and through a lot of ups and downs. She is known as The Parisian Orphan thus the series. I look forward to finding out what comes next for Evelyne and David. What awaits these two in the next installment.

Well written and keeps you interested. This author rarely disappoints if ever.

Thank you #NetGalley, #JuliaKelly, #Macmillan for this ARC. This is my true thoughts about this book.

4/5 stars.

A Traitor in Whitehall, by Julia Kelly
My thanks to Net Galley , the author and publisher for the ARC provided in return for an honest review.

MS Kelly has written an entertaining period mystery set London during the early stages of the “Battle of Britain”. Much of its attraction is from the setting, the WCR, the War Cabinet Room, an underground bunker carved out beneath Whitehall, where the business of running the war is done. Here, Churchill and his aides, military and civilian, plan Britain’s defense against Nazi Germany. In the top secret , if claustrophobic ,underground lair Our hero Evelyne Redfern, works in the typing pool alongside with a dozen or so others churning out page after page of classified papers. Her early life before she got this job is sketched out in the book’s first pages: the daughter of a playboy lord and his mistress , a French actress, Evelyne got a” Good British Education” in a minor women’s public, I.e., private, school. When the war came, she decides to “ do her bit” and goes to work in a factory making AA shells. One night, Moira , her actress roommate in the boarding house where both live , convinces Evelyne to accompany her to a party for a fun night out. There will be decent food, she says, pre-war wine and plenty of handsome young officers.
Later, as she is leaving that soirée, Redfern is approached by a dignified gentleman who asks if she is Lord Redfern’s daughter. He identifies himself as an old friend of her father. Following some pleasantries, , the gentleman hands her his card and and directs her to visit his office the next day to be interviewed for a position in the Civil Service. There, , after an hour of probing questioning, she is offered a clerk/ typist job, with the provision that she also keep her eyes open for anything odd. She wonders, “ Am I to be a typist, or a spy?”
It does not take long after her first day for the “ odd” thing to happen. When Evelyne goes to take the mandated “ sun- bath” under ultraviolet lamps, she finds a dead woman, another typist, slumped on a couch. Dead, as in a knife through her throat dead. This sets in play the rest of the story, as Elayne puts her love of reading mystery novels to good use.
Elayne finds a lot to wonder about. The bunker is staffed with multiple rotating shifts . All the work done in the WCR is highly classified, as are the staff - but someone is a murderer and maybe a spy because, Elayne learns, someone is sneaking secrets to the Germans. Is it the same person? As she noses around as,ing questions like the plucky heroine in a quaint British mystery novel, she finds herself being questioned in return by a Mr. David Poole. He is more than another bureaucrat. At first, annoyed by Elayne’s persistent detecting, Poole realizes her intelligence and ability to read people. He warms to her and they become close.

It is a good mystery, seasoned with just a bit of danger, a growing love affair, and a large cast of possible suspects. Add to that, the backdrop of London during the Blitz, mended stockings, and liver paste sandwiches with weak tea for luncheon( reused teabags, of course) “A Traitor in Whitehall” is easy to recommend. I can visualize it made into a Brit TV mini-series.

“ A Traitor in Whitehall” can be categorize as a cozy mystery, meaning that there no gratuitous content, sexual or violent, therefore can be enjoyed by any reader.

Anyone who has read my reviews before knows that WWII is my era. A Traitor in Whitehall is set during that time and gives a unique look at the top-secret world that lived under the streets transposing minutes from top secret meetings.

I learned so much about the world that Evelyne lived in while working as a typist keeping top secrets while questioning those who work with her to find out who the killer is. I could picture the underground work areas, with the typewriters tapping and the women whispering. The bunk area with the bunk beds is a place that I can picture as I saw the women putting their personal items away and the gas masks kept close at hand. The jobs were not easy and it had to be hard to not talk about what you did for a living when you were allowed to go home, but these women were very important to the war and it was amazing what they were asked to do.

The mystery part of the story was the main part and I loved it. I loved that Evelyne made herself indispensable to Mr. Poole. She asked hard questions, put together clues, listened to the answers, and she never gave up. I never did guess who had dun it but I was thrilled with how it all came together as the story went on.

I have not been super into the last couple books Julia Kelly has put out, but this one has brought her back onto my must read list! Especially since it looks like this is the first book in a new series. I thought this was a fast-paced, well written story that had me guessing the whole time. Evelyn's character was well developed and likeable, I was rooting for her the whole time. I enjoyed that they didn't push the relationship with her and David too much. It seems as though they are laying the ground work though, and I am excited to see what happens!

I loved this first installment in the Parisian Orphan series!

I am a sucker for WWII historical fiction with a female main character. In this book, Evelyne works in Churchill’s War Rooms to help uncover a traitor. She stumbles on a murder and teams up with handsome David to solve the case and uncover the traitor.

The mystery was essentially a locked room mystery. It was a tricky one to figure out, but Evelyne and David worked it out in the end.

I can hardly wait to read more books in this series! Hopefully there will be more romance in the next installment.

A Traitor in Whitehall follows Evelyn Redfern as she joins the typist pool in an underground bunker that serves government officials during World War II. The man who hired her wants her to keep her eyes open for a suspected leak, but when she discovers a colleague dead, she decides to investigate murder and look for a mole. Along the way, she discovers that another person working in the warren of tunnels, the aforementioned David Poole, is doing the same and they team up. This was a cozy historical fiction mystery. The book was full of intrigue and interesting characters. I really loved the main character, Evelyn. She was so strong and brave and well developed. This one is the start of a series, so it included lots of world and character building. Personally, I could have opted for a little less in that regard as I tend to prefer my books to be plot focused. I did enjoy the elements of historical fiction that the book drew from. It is always interesting to read about different points in history through fictional characters, and this one did not disappoint in that regard. I did enjoy the ending and am excited for the next book in the series. I enjoyed this story and it shows the treatment of women when they stepped out of their place at this time frame.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher.

This is a new to me author, and it looks like this is the first in a series based on the main character of Evelyne Redfern.

The story is based in England during the beginning of the Blitz, and is based around Evelyne Redfern, also known as The Parisian Orphan due to her parent's scandalous divorce (and even though her father is very much alive). Evie is thrown into the world of espionage as she helps discover a mole in Churchill's central war rooms with the help of the dashing Mr. Poole. There's a good deal of set up in this story, but there's enough action and mystery to keep it interesting. I really enjoyed the whodunit, and look forward to reading more.

This was a great start to a fun new historical mystery series. The writing style and tone reminded me of the Amory Ames series, which is one of my all-time favorites. This was well-plotted, engaging, had an interesting premise and backstory, and I think it ended in a way that will see the series progress nicely. I’m looking forward to the second installment!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my complimentary digital copy.

I love Julia Kelly's novels and this WWII intrigue mystery was no exception. This one I read and listened to on audio. Highly recommend if you enjoy this genre!

I’ve been happily reading Julia Kelly’s historical fiction novels since the publication of The Whispers of War in 2020 - which I LOVED (review here). I’m always excited when she has something new being published but I was especially excited when I learned her 2023 release would be a historical mystery. A Traitor in Whitehall is the first in a new series and I absolutely devoured it. It was so good!

Here’s the book’s description:
1940, England: Evelyne Redfern, known as “The Parisian Orphan” as a child, is working on the line at a munitions factory in wartime London. When Mr. Fletcher, one of her father’s old friends, spots Evelyne on a night out, Evelyne finds herself plunged into the world of Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s cabinet war rooms.
However, shortly after she settles into her new role as a secretary, one of the girls at work is murdered, and Evelyne must use all of her amateur sleuthing expertise to find the killer. But doing so puts her right in the path of David Poole, a cagey minister’s aide who seems determined to thwart her investigations. That is, until Evelyne finds out David’s real mission is to root out a mole selling government secrets to Britain’s enemies, and the pair begrudgingly team up.
With her quick wit, sharp eyes, and determination, will Evelyne be able to find out who’s been selling England’s secrets and catch a killer, all while battling her growing attraction to David?
I’ve been learning more about what kinds of mysteries I enjoy as I’ve been reading more and more of them. I don’t always love amateur sleuths but this one worked for me. I think because I could tell Evelyne was being groomed for working as a spy for the government during the war. Truthfully, that’s one of my catnip stories - show me a book about a female spy during World War II and I’ll grab it right out of your hands. The mystery itself was, I felt, well-written. I was always a step behind Evelyne and David and had no idea how it was going to all wrap up and that’s the way I like it. I was invested and intrigued the whole way through.

The description hints at a romance between Evelyne and David but don’t let that detract you if you’re not a lover of love stories. A frisson of attraction is there but it is so not the point of this story. I have a feeling they tucked that in there to appease the (mostly female) readers of the current historical fiction fad (you know, the types of books I love!). I liked the inclusion of the will-they-won’t-they because, for most people, love is a part of life and it made the story feel more authentic. Am I hoping they get together romantically in a future book? Absolutely. Will I be mad if it doesn’t happen in the next one? Definitely not. I’m here for the history and the mystery, not the romance!



Evelyne was a great character to spend time with. She had a past that was intriguing but she didn’t let it bother her or get in her way. She was smart and had a wonderful and loyal best friend. She was thrust into a wild situation and handled it well - and when she struggled, she learned from her mistakes. I cared about her so much by the end of the novel and I’m so glad this book is just the first in a series. I cannot wait to read more about Evelyne and see what she gets into next.

If you’ve read Kelly before, you know she’s a great writer of history. She never falls into the dreaded info dump trap and always manages to make you feel like you’re right there in the story with the characters. The novel starts near the beginning of WWII and I found it weirdly difficult to know that the bombing that’s begun during this story is only going to get worse for the characters. I also enjoyed the peek into Churchill’s War Rooms because I’m planning on visiting when I’m in London later this year.

As I’ve been writing this review, I’ve realized something: this book reminded me a little of Iona Whishaw’s Lane Winslow mystery series, which I absolutely ADORE. It’s well-written with a focus on history and a well-crafted mystery. The main character isn’t actually an investigator but she has a background/future in spying and other types of sleuthing. And she’s smart and someone who you love to read about. So, if you’ve enjoyed Whishaw’s novels, you might want to consider Kelly’s latest.

I loved A Traitor in Whitehall so much and am really glad Julia Kelly decided to try her (talented) hand at historical mysteries. I can’t wait for the next book in the series. Fans of mysteries will enjoy this novel just as much as historical fiction fans will. Pick it up - you won’t regret it!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Minotaur, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

A Traitor in Whitehall, by Julia Kelly, is a strong first entry in what should be an intriguing spy/mystery series. Set in wartime London, it combined many of my favorite features: a smart and funny female protagonist, historical detail during WWII, and an interesting mystery which I did not foresee. I confess that I do not try hard to guess or see beyond where the author wants me to go. Pick this one up if you can. The writing is not on the level of Louise Penny, but the characters and plot do combine for an enjoyable read. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read a digital ARC. It was a pleasure.