I'm a sucker for a good historical mystery - my streaming apps are full of British historical mysteries from all sorts of time periods. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series when I read it a couple of years ago, so was very happy to see that book two was available. And it did not disappoint - Evelyne Redfern, formerly a secretary in Churchill's war rooms, is now a trained agent and ready to get to work as a spy for the British war effort. I enjoyed this one - Evelyne is the type of heroine we'd all like to think we'd be. Spunky, determined, quick-witted, and not necessarily the best at following orders, she's adept at getting herself into and out of sticky situations, sometimes with the help of David Poole, who's now her handler. The audiobook is ably narrated by Marisa Calin, she does a terrific job of giving characters their own voices.
Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for providing copies for an unbiased review.

Another great Historical Fiction from Julia Kelly! I love how she combines mystery and romance into a thrilling HS novel.

"Betrayal at Blackthorn Park" is a great second installment for the Evelyne Redfern mystery series.

Set in WWII, Miss Redfern has just finished her training in spycraft, and David Poole has been assigned to be her handler. But what is supposed to be a simple reconnaissance mission to determine how routine theft is being perpetrated at a government facility turns into something much more deadly. And David is far from content with staying in the background as he rushes to Evelyn's side to assist her in solving the murder.

This expertly crafted story kept me engaged from beginning to end as I followed along with the clues Evelyn and David were finding, trying to figure out whodunit. And the ending...! Let's just say, I can't wait for Book 3!

Thank you to Julia Kelly, St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

Using a tight tight timeline and an impending visit by Churchill, author Julia Kelly crafts a tense and fast-moving second Evelyn Redfern story.

Returning from six weeks of intensive training in parachuting, combat and other critical skills she'll need in her espionage work, Evelyn returns to her flat in London, and her best friend Moira's questions about her absence. Bound by the Official Secrets Act, Evelyn is unable to divulge her activities, but is happy to be back with her friend. And soon on to her first assignment, as determined by Mrs. White and Mr. Fletcher of the Special Investigations Unit. She is to make a survey of the outside of a secret research and development facility at the Blackthorn Park estate. The facility is developing clandestine weapons, such as a particular type of small bomb that Churchill is very interested in. In fact, Churchill will be at Blackthorn for a demonstration, and Evelyn must perform a security assessment prior to his arrival and report on how easy it is to enter and exit the facility with no one there the wiser. There has been word of theft at the facility, and the Special Operations Executive, of which the Special Investigative Unit is part, wants answers. David is to be Evelyn's handler, something he is uncomfortable with as he's happier being a field agent.

Evelyn arrives in the small town, meets the officious head of the Home Guard, Mr. Sherman, who will later provide her with a critical piece of data , and begins her clandestine work. Finding an opening in the fence, she enters, and begins a quiet tour of the grounds, and then hears a gunshot. This is Evelyn, so of course she runs into the building it came from, only to find the head of the facility, brilliant engineer Sir Nigel Balram dead, seemingly of suicide. Evelyn knows something is off, and calls David in, and her plan for a quiet assessment is now gone.

She and David immediately begin investigating, roping in the green, young constable of the village. They learn enough about the staff and the workings of the facility to understand that there are jealousies and angers amongst them, and problems possibly with the manufacturing. With each set of questions they ask, Evelyn and David get a little closer to unravelling what is happening, but not fast enough to prevent another death, and the worry increasing over the ever closer visit of the prime minister.

Evelyn and David spend a lot of time seemingly spinning their wheels, but each new fact determined, and revelations about the potentially volatile secrets about the myriad relationships amongst the people at the facility keep things interesting.

I like Evelyn's determination, and her statement that she's never met a rule she didn't want to break tells us a lot about her. It's not surprising that she diverts from her stated assignment pretty fast, and is eager to solve Sir Nigel's murder, especially after all the action-oriented training she's just received.

I liked the swift pace, and the great way Evelyn and David work together, especially the way he's willing to follow her lead, which often proves beneficial to their investigation.

This was fun, and based on that ending, the next Evelyn Redfern story should be very interesting.

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

I loved this book! After reading the first book in this series and wishing for a second book to be released I was so excited to get my hands on an arc for this book! This story was just as captivating and enjoyable as the first book was! I loved the development the characters made in this book and all the new information we learned about them! The plot was entertaining and I can’t wait for what comes next in this series!!!! Definitely worth reading this book and series!

In this second installment of the Evelyne
Redfern series, Evelyne takes on her
first official assignment following
her spy training to assist her country during WWII.

I'm enjoying this series very much, especially Evelyne she is just wonderful. The plots are engaging, and the mysteries are well thought out. The writing is a pleasure to read, and the banter and developing relationship between the main characters is delightful

I'm looking forward to more books in this series!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the 2nd installment of Julia Kelly's Evelyne Redfern mystery series. I enjoyed the mystery and the sleuthing in this book. The banter and camaraderie between Evelyne and David is fun to read about and it will be interesting to see how their relationship grows throughout the series. My only issue was the large cast. I struggled a little to keep everyone straight, especially since we didn't really know anyone's first names. I know it is the proper for the time period to call everyone Mr. and Mrs. and Ms. and Sir, but it kind of made my head spin a little. The ending was interesting and obviously prepping for book #3.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for an advanced readers copy of this book for my honest opinion.

I was so excited to receive this ARC because I loved the first book! This one has our intrepid heroine getting more involved with the secret agent world and solving another mystery. Love the characters and it's clear that Julia Kelly is an expert on WWII London

This is the first time I have read anything by this author. I admit I was expecting more, but it was a pretty good book. I enjoyed overall, but I struggled getting through it because some parts were just way too slow. Although when it got going, I really enjoyed it. I can't wait to see what else this author comes up with in the future.

Thank you Net Galley ARC

3.5 - 3.75 stars
I did enjoy this book but at times it moved a little slow for me and when it picked up it really got moving. There’s a murder on a facility where arms are made for the British side of the war. A special team is called in to figure out who did it and why.

Although I didn’t read the first book in this series, it didn’t take long to pick up on the situation and I found the set-up interesting. Main character Evelyne is a newly trained special agent in the British secret service equivalent during World War II. Unlike many books of a similar genre, the focus is more on detective type work at home than daring exploits overseas. It is an interesting blend of police procedural and war story. It is definitely less heavy than many WW II historical fictions, mainly because the secondary characters are not developed in a sympathetic way and the actual war isn’t brought home to the setting. Evelyne’s character is well-developed as she takes charge of the investigation with the help of her partner David. It was a nuanced plot and kept my interest. I will go back and read the first book now, and look forward to see how the characters are developed in future books, and whether the field of operations broadens.

Thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur Books/St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Newly trained Evelyn Redfern is back in action in Julia Kelly's latest historical mystery, Working with her handler, David, they are assigned to the Blackthorn Park estate looking for a thief suspected of stealing war materials used to make weapons. When a murder takes the stakes up a notch, Evelyn finds herself once more trying to solve a much more complex crime.

Julia Kelly is wonderful at writing WW2 historical fiction. She is able to capture the characters pride in their country as they work towards winning the war, but also the uncertainty of the times and scarcity of goods and simple pleasures that a war of such large magnitudes created. Readers can see what a fearless protagonist Evelyn is. I enjoyed this novel and look forward to any further story with these characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this novel.

In the 2nd book of the Parisian Orphan series, Evelyne returns and finds herself caught up in a new mystery.

My apologies for the very generic one sentence summary - I didn't want to include anything that might spoil events from the first book. This is book two in a historical mystery series and it picks up almost directly after the first book left off. I have to say that I'm really enjoying this series so far. I love the historical details and learning a bit more about this time in history even if this is a fiction book. The mysteries in both books have been really solid. This book in particular was a bit darker than I expected (check trigger warnings if you need them) but I enjoyed it. I really like Evelyne's character and am excited for future books in this series. I would recommend reading this series in order (only two books so far) just because events that happened in the first book led to this second book. I will be picking up the next book in this series whenever it releases.

Historical mystery readers and mystery readers as well should give this series a try. The first book is titled A Traitor in Whitehall. Both books have been solid mysteries that kept me lost within the pages. Four stars for this one. This book reminded me yet again how much I enjoy historical mysteries - I need to pick them up more often.

If mystery, intrigue, and historical fiction about WWII are your jam then this well written, fast past story will have you hooked from the beginning. I didn’t realize that this was book two in the Evelyne Redfern series when I started reading. I was easily able to follow the storyline and feel this could be read as a stand alone novel.
I loved the chemistry between Evelyne and David and look forward to seeing if they stay in the exclusive “friend zone” in future installments.
This is a great read which I highly recommend. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books for my ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Book 2 of the Evelyne Redfern series. I have not read Book 1 but found this story easy to follow. Evelyne Redfern has graduated from her World War II training to become a spy and an investigator and envisions herself dropping behind enemy lines in France. Instead, she is sent to Blackthorn Park, a manor house far out in the countryside. Pretending to be someone visiting a distant cousin, she spends very little time at her rooming house. Her first night of sleuthing reveals a dead body. It looks like a suicide but something is off. David Poole, her handler, shows up and the investigation proceeds. Blackthorn Park is being used for a little known war effort to develop new weaponry to fight the German forces. Winston Churchill is scheduled to visit in a couple of days and Evelyne and David need to find answers to the murder before his arrival. There are lots of red herrings and twists and turns to this intriguing mystery.

I really wanted to love Betrayal at Blackthorn Park, by Julia Kelly. However, I ended up just "liking it." The two protagonists are both very engaging and well nuanced. The story is set during WWII in the English countryside. The mystery includes murder, espionage, and danger both on the front lines and at home. That is a lot pointing to an exciting read. Yet, it wasn't. The plot meandered back and forth with lots of interviews and research, punctuated by the frustration of the main characters. I was so tempted to skip to the last chapter, but managed to restrain myself. It ended up being a very slow read. Nonetheless, I would try the next entry in the series before giving up entirely. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read a digital ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and Julia Kelly for a chance to read an ARC of Betrayal at Blackthorn Park. This is my honest and unpaid review of the book. I loved the first Evelyn Redfern mystery and this one just as much! It's so exciting to find a new series to enjoy. I've read a few other books of Julia Kelly's and love how she captures the feel of what wartime in England may have been like for some. She writes in a detailed but not cumbersome way, I definitely am never bored reading her books. She got a great sense of pacing and has me guessing as to what's coming next.

This mystery was set in England during WWII where Evelyn Redfern begins as a field operative (spy) at Blackthorn Park which is an estate near a small town in the English countryside. Her handler is David Poole, who she has trained with and worked previously. Blackthorn Park is a weapons manufacturing facility and the two are assigned there because some items have been missing at the plant.
When two murders are staged to look like suicides, Evelyn and David ramp up their investigative skills and the procedural takes off ala Agatha Christie. Their detective work brings a predictable ending in which all the loose ends are tied up nicely. This cozy mystery with likable characters, is the second in a series involving the main characters. They are both likable and relatable, and seem to work well together.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and the opinions are my own.

Betrayal at Blackthorn Park offers a light and easy mystery, perfect for a relaxed read. Set against the backdrop of World War II, the novel follows Evelyne Redfern, a newly minted spy, as she navigates the complexities of her first field assignment at the secluded Blackthorn Park.
While the premise is intriguing, the execution leans towards the gentle side of mystery. The plot lacks the gripping twists and turns that characterize a suspenseful thriller. The investigators, Redfern and Poole, are likable characters but somewhat one-dimensional. Despite hints of a potential romantic spark, their relationship remains platonic.
One of the novel's weaknesses lies in its repetitive nature. While beneficial for readers who may have missed a detail or two, this characteristic can diminish the element of surprise. While reassuring, the consistent pace and predictable plot progression may not keep readers on the edge of their seats.
The historical setting provides a rich backdrop, and the author's attention to detail adds authenticity. The ending, though predictable, offers a satisfying conclusion, tying up loose ends without resorting to overly dramatic or gruesome scenarios.
Overall, Betrayal at Blackthorn Park is a pleasant and undemanding read. It's perfect for those who enjoy a gentle mystery with likable characters and a historical setting. While it may not be the most mind-bending thriller, it offers a comfortable and enjoyable escape.

I’m enjoying this series.
I like the good old fashioned sleuthing without modern amenities.
I like how Evelyne has grown in her role and her confidence as a field operator.
I also enjoy the presence of David Poole by her side and am eager to see if anything develops.