Evelyne Redfern and her partner, David, are ready for their next assignment for Britain’s secretive Special Investigations Unit. A British Intelligence informant in Portugal has disappeared, his information being such that it could tip the WW2 in the Germans' favor. Evelyne and David are tasked with helping the team in Portugal find them.

They're barely even on land when Evelyne stumbles upon a murder and a mysterious journal which, she is convinced it tied to the case. As they put together the pieces, secrets are uncovered, family ties come into play, relationships are stretched and Evelyne and David must work together, them against the world, to stay safe and solve another surprising mystery.

Kelly continues in the style of Christie's mysteries to create a cozy, WW2 spy novel that entertains and transports. Her depction of Lisbon had me feeling like I was there. The sense of place was top notch. I would say this is the most eventful of the series so far including some delightful development in the romantic sub plot between David and Evelyne (finally...can we say slow burn?) and new questions in the relationship between Evelyne and her father.

And then the ending. Buckle up readers because Kelly is setting up to take us on a ride with this series. I can't wait for the next one.

I'm enjoying this series immensely. Evelyne Redfern and her fellow agent David Poole are on their way to neutral Portugal, a hotbed of Axis and Allied spies, refugees from all over the continent, and to Evelyne's horror, her long estranged father.

The setting is wonderful, and the character development continues to be interesting and promising for future books.

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

This is Evelyne Redfern's story. The book opens in late 1940 and it has an accurate feel. There are lots of twists and turns, there is never a chance to get bored. Then there is the ending...wow! It was not at all what I expected. I received an ARC and I am leaving a review voluntarily.

This is the third outing for Evelyne Redfern, the young woman secret agent for WWII Britain. The story picks up in 1940, exactly where the last book, “Betrayal at Blackthorn Park,” ended.

This time Evelyne and her partner, David Poole, are off to Lisbon to find a missing informant for British Intelligence, and the story is rich with descriptions of life in this quasi-neutral city early in the war. However, the story is quite complicated, and the pace is uneven. There are important secondary, yet central, characters referred to, but who are never part of the action; it becomes hard to follow who knows what about whom, and how they know it. There also are many loose ends, where important events that should be communicated between the protagonists are not shared, except with the reader.

The climax and solution to the case are clever and engaging, but extraneous details and missing connections make this book less successful than its predecessor. It seems rushed to print, and could have benefited from tighter editing. (There also are many typos that slowed the flow of the story. Hopefully, these were corrected before release of the book.)

A combination of mystery and spy fiction set during World War II is one of my favorite genres. I read the second book in the Evelyne Redfern series, Betrayal at Blackthorn Park, and quite enjoyed it—so I was excited to see a new installment.

I had a good time with this story as we followed Evelyne and David to Lisbon on their new assignment. However, the plot felt a bit flat and slow at times. Early on, I had already guessed who the traitorous character was, which took away some of the suspense.

The relationship between Evelyne and David also felt stagnant—there was a lack of progress and chemistry between them. I was especially disappointed with the ending. David’s actions felt like a betrayal—not just to Evelyne, but to his own character and even the tone of the genre.

Now, I’ll be waiting for the next book, hopeful that he’ll redeem himself.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the copy.

Gripping, with a shocking ending, primarily because it was inevitable. Complex and detailed, and I look forward to the next installment.

This is the 3rd installment of the Evelyne Redfern series. I think it would work as a stand alone read, but I have read the first two books and feel that knowing the background/history and having a sense of how the relationships have developed gave me more appreciation for the story. This is the first book that takes place outside of London (setting is mostly in Lisbon) and we learn more about Evelyne's father as there is a side mystery that involves him.

I found this mystery a little bit more convoluted than the past two books, but that could be due to the side plot that because part of the main mystery, and the resolution was clear (if a little mysterious in that it added to a new mystery). All in all, it was an enjoyable read and very hard to put down.

Rounding up from 3.5 stars.

Evelyne Redfern is back at it and this time she travels to Lisbon for both a special and personal undercover assignment.

Fans of historical fiction will definitely enjoy this story that is not set in a typical WWll location. I enjoyed and appreciated that it is well researched, geographically and historically. Kelly keeps your interest with engaging characters and plenty of intrigue.

This is the third story featuring Evelyne, and her partner David Poole, but it can easily be read as a standalone.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the complimentary eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This series was previously known as The Parisian Orphan and that helps to make sense of the separate investigation that Evelyne is conducting without David's knowledge.
Evelyne Redfern and David Poole are somewhat unwilling partners training in the British SIU (Special Investigation Unit) during WWII. This episode is set in Lisbon, Portugal. Once there, Evelyne finds the body of a fellow airline passenger. Obviously this was not part of there assignment, but it certainly adds to their list of people to investigate and further complicates Evelyne's tasks. Unputdownable suspense thriller!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital galley from St. Martin's Press | Minotaur via NetGalley Pub Date Sep 23, 2025 #goodreads 5 stars #Bookbub #librarything #thestorygraph
#ADarkAndDeadlyJourney by @juliakellywrites #EvelyneRedfernSeriesBk3 @minotaur_books @stmartinspress #mysterythriller #crimenovel #historicalmystery #whodunnit #HistoricalMystery #British #CozyMystery #WorldWar2 #SuspenseThriller

A Dark and Deadly Journey is the third book in the Evelyn Redfern series. Evelyn is a field agent for British Intelligence during WW2. She and her partner, David, are sent to Lisbon to discover what has happened to an informant. I have not read the other books in the series, yet this did not take away from my enjoyment of the book. I will certainly go back and read them. A Dark and Deadly Journey is a fast paced thrilling ride!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

A Dark and Deadly Journey by Julia Kelly is an exciting mystery set during World War II. .After being sidelined for a gunshot wound, typist-turned-field agent Evelyne Redfern is ready for her next assignment with Britain’s secretive Special Investigations Unit. When a British Intelligence informant in Portugal mysteriously disappears just after hinting that he has vital information about German plans that could tip the balance of the war, Evelyne and her handsome partner, David Poole, are sent headed to Lisbon to find him.

Once they land, Evelyne and David aren't even able to leave the airport, before she discovers one of their fellow aeroplane passengers murdered and uncovers a diary with a clear link between the victim and their missing informant. With their mission in jeopardy before it can truly begin, Evelyne and David fight to keep their cover intact as they descend deeper into the shadows that surround Lisbon’s glittering collection of wealthy expats and dangerous spies. This case will test Evelyne and David’s training, charm, and their growing feelings for one another.

A Dark and Deadly Journey had me turning the pages to the very end. This book is an easy 4 stars. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves historical fiction and mysteries.

I received a free advanced copy and all opinions are my own. I would like to offer my sincerest gratitude to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

5.0 stars
HIGHLY recommend

This is the third book in the Evelyne Redfern series, a historical murder mystery series! What I like is that it is a cozy murder mystery series with minimal sexual situations, cursing, and descriptive violence. I do get tired of all the graphic scenes in many books, so it is lovely to read.

The writing, plotline, and characters are well done. I like good character development, and Julia never disappoints!

This is not a stand-alone book. This is book three in this series. Read books one and two for the backstory of this book.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7296886751 - posted 8/10/2025
Storygraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/405ad14a-80a2-40a2-adba-f3e18f9f374d?redirect=true - posted 8/10/2025
booksbydorothea Blog: https://booksbydorothea.blogspot.com/2025/08/review-dark-and-deadly-journey-earcebook.html - posted 8/10/2025

★★★☆☆ – Fun Concept, But the Vibes Got Old
Sausage Talk had all the right ingredients—viral call-outs, fake dating, second chances—but the execution didn’t quite hit.
Eva starts off as a hilarious hot mess, stuck hosting a weird celeb hot dog show after calling out her ex, Rylie, on the internet. He’s now a woke internet darling teaching men how to not suck, and he offers to “make it up to her” with public redemption dates. She agrees—for revenge, obviously.
At first, it’s entertaining. But Eva being a jerk 24/7 and Rylie staying painfully gentle got really annoying after a while. The grudge-match vibe just dragged on, and their emotional growth felt lopsided.
Still, the premise is fun, the banter is solid, and if you love messy second-chance romances with a splash of influencer drama, this might be your thing.
Tropes:
🎤 Enemies to Lovers
📹 Fake Dating for Content
💔 Second Chances
☀️ Grumpy x Sunshine (but flipped)
📲 Social Media Drama
❤️‍🩹 Redemption Arc

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for this ARC!

A Dark and Deadly Journey tells the story of Evelyne Redfern, who has been recuperating from the gunshot wound she suffered in the last book, Betrayal at Blackthorn Park while working for the UK government. Along with her partner David, the two are sent to Lisbon to investigate the disappearance of one of their informants. No spoilers - but Evelyne certainly seems to attract dead bodies where ever she goes. I'm not usually a fan of mysteries but Julia Kelly's writing style just draws one into the action right away and I kept reading long after I should have put the book down just to find out who was the bad guy. I had pegged the wrong guy as being the bad guy so I was surprised when Evelyne figured everything out. I'm already looking forward to the next Evelyn Redfern novel! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This was the most eventful installment of this incredible series yet…-and that’s saying something in light of all the things that Evelyn Redfern got up to in the first two books. This story has it all: spies, more development in the romantic subplot between David and Evelyn, information about Evelyn‘s father, and an incredible cliffhanger ending that takes this series in a very different direction.

At the beginning of the book, Evelyn receives a note from her estranged father with a key to a safe deposit box. Her father‘s instructions are to drop the box off, unopened, at a jeweler’s, but Evelyn opens the box and finds her late mother’s jewelry. Because of developments in this part of the story, Evelyn is asked by a government agent to look for her father on her upcoming trip to Portugal.

Evelyn’s handler assigns her to a job in Portugal with David, who has returned from parts unknown with a shoulder injury. What follows is a fascinating look at what Lisbon was like during World War II, as people were trying to find ways out of Europe and spies were trying to find ways to aid the war effort.

Eventually, Evelyn and David’s assignment merges with her secondary job to find her father. The conclusion of this part of the story is dramatic and introduces a new villain named Cerberus.

There is so much packed into a small package in this book. I should be used to this by now with Julia Kelly, but I am surprised once again that so much happens here. This is one of those books where you lament the fact that the next one is not already available. What a page-turner!

This is book 3 in the Evelyn Redfern series. I’m hoping there will be at least one more as it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. After spending some time at a desk job recuperating from a gunshot wound, Evelyn is once again sent on assignment with her partner David, this time to Lisbon, Portugal to find a missing informant. It’s an interesting trip with lots of drama and twists and turns.
It’s well written historical fiction and I really like the main characters. I highly recommend this book. It can be read without the earlier two in the series, but reading those adds a lot of depth to Evelyn’s story and background. So I suggest reading those first.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this early copy in exchange for my goes t review.

A Dark and Deadly Journey is another journey into the world of Evelyn Redfern and her partner David.

Evelyn's father sends her a note with a key to safety box and before you know it Evelyn and David are on their way to Portugal.

Time is of the essence of to find a missing informant.

Evelyn and David are a couple you should not underestimate and I loved the dynamics between them.

A Dark and Deadly Journey is one of my favourite historical fiction series and my only complaint is that I did not want the book to end and what an endiing it is.

I will be first in line for Book 4 and cant wait to receive my hard copy of A Dark and Deadly Journey to sit on my shelves with the first two books in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the privilege of reading and reviewing A Dark and Deadly Journey.

Despite the very ominous sounding title, this was a fun, fast-paced spy novel/murder mystery that takes place in Portugal during World War II. I appreciated the unique setting for this genre, and I especially enjoyed Evelyne Redfern, the quick-witted heroine of the story. The cast of potential suspects was well-developed and revealed in a way that kept me guessing until the very end.

Although this book is part of a series, I didn't feel lost having not read the previous books. However, I did not love the cliffhanger ending, but realize this helps build excitement for additional books in the series. The writing was sometimes awkward and the dialogue a bit unnatural, but overall this was an entertaining read. 3.5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced digital copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Evelyne work with the British Special Investigations unit right at the precipice of WWII. She is sent to Lisbon to find an informant who has gone missing - at the same time she is contacted by her distant father. She is accompanied on the mission by David, who presents some intriguing ... possibilities. Ms. Kelly skillfully interweaves plot lines with the teeming expat community in Lisbon trying to escape Europe as well as German spies. The various plots are mixed together so skillfully that the reader will never suspect the conclusion.

I recently discovered Julia Kelly and Evelyne Redfern. Her next SIU investigation has her heading to Portugal with David, and the potential to run into her father casts high tension over this novel!