"1948. The shadow of war still lingers over Britain and Beattie Cavendish, former Secret Operations Executive agent, refuses to settle into civilian life. When offered an undercover role at the newly formed GCHQ, the nerve centre of Britain's intelligence network, she doesn't hesitate. Her first mission is to infiltrate the powerful Bowen family and find out what she can about politician Ralph Bowen, who is suspected of being a communist sympathiser.

Her mission takes a deadly turn when the Bowen's housekeeper, Sofia, has her throat cut. As the investigation spirals, Beattie teams up with war-weary detective Patrick Corrigan to expose a dangerous web of spies and secrets all leading back to The White Pearl Club, a Soho establishment that caters to gentlemen with dangerous appetites.

As powerful forces attempt to bury the truth, Beattie must survive a ruthless game of deception and the dark underbelly of 1940s Soho at the dawn of the Cold War."

You know, Britain after the war had a lot of sketchy and dangerous gentlemen's clubs... Definitely more than dukes in romance novels.

It is 1948 and Britain is still recovering from the war. Beattie Cavendish, who spent the war in secret operations with the French resistance, is now working as a translator for the newly formed GCHQ. When she gets the opportunity to do an undercover job revolving around the influential Bowen family, she is keen to be involved. It soon becomes clear there is more to the case than she has been led to believe and, with the help of a private detective, she investigates more about them and their links to the infamous White Pearl Club.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The historical setting is very well written and Beattie Cavendish is a wonderful character, strong, independent, intelligent and very likeable. Corrigan, the war-wounded private detective she works with, is also superb and the storyline itself was intriguing and fast paced.

I very much hope this is the first of a new series – I’d love to read more about both Beattie and Corrigan and their unconventional partnership.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

Set in the aftermath of WW2 Beattue Cavendish works for the newly formed GCHQ as a translator but is frustrated as her skills hobed during the war are underused.
Asked by her boss to get close to the son of a prominent politician she is drawn into a series of events that include suspected spying for the Russian and murder. She crosses paths with Patrick Corrigan .a private detective. Together they investigate the murder despite being warned.
I really enjoyed this story and hope it will be the start of a new series for Cavendish and Corrigan.

What a book and what characters! I absolutely am in awe of Beattie Cavendish, she is instantly likeable from the start and you so want her to succeed!

Beattie works for a Government Agency after the Second World War; a war in which she was highly active as a member of SOE. She utilises these skills to uncover bad blood as indicated by her bosses, all under the cover of teaching young ladies typing and office skills.

She is minding her own business and getting close to the son of a prominent politician, to unmask possible treachery by his father. She stumbles upon the murder of the housekeeper, and joins forces with Richard Corrigan, a Private Detective, a man who has survived the war but is badly scarred to get to the bottom of the murder, whilst also trying to do her "day job".

Things intersect, she's warned off interfering, as too is Richard. But they form a formidable duo, with some suppressed feelings to each other, and discover the murderer!

A great historical spy thriller, superb first in the series. I'll be waiting for book 2.

Beattie Cavendish and the White Pearl Club is set just after the conclusion of the Second World War and sees the introduction of Beattie Cavendish who works undercover for GCHQ.

This was a well written and enjoyable book which will hopefully become a series as there is plenty of scope for the main and supporting characters to grow.

An enjoyable first book.

A well-plotted introduction to historical mystery characters that I hope have a long career! Riley expertly knows her characters' motivations, the world they live in, and how she wants them to behave. Realism for post-War London abounds– not everyone had a "good war," and Riley plumbs the politics of Cold War England well.

A moody, post-war spy mystery with a badass heroine, a dash of romance, and all the foggy London vibes. I loved Beattie—smart, stubborn, and definitely not ready to settle down.

The Cold War/KGB/MI5 stuff confused me (but it always has so that might just be me 😅), and I expected more from the White Pearl Club given the title. Some parts felt a little thin, but now that I know this book is a series starter, a few vague story threads make more sense.

All up, an enjoyable read—just not sure I’m hooked enough to sign up for book two.

Thanks to Mary-Jane Riley, Allison & Busby, and NetGalley for access to the Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This mystery takes place in London after the end of World War II where people are still dealing with loss from the war. Beattie Cavendish has been asked by her boss to infiltrate a family whose patriarch who is suspected of being a Russian spy.

The story is well written with some good twists as it moves through the story. Beattie is intelligent but inexperienced and is a good engaging character. The rest of the cast is interesting as well. All in all, a good period mystery. Recommended.

Beattie Cavendish and the White Pearl Club is the first book in a new series set post-World War II in the early days of the Cold War. An intriguing era, for sure!

Rejecting the expectations of the time, for women to return to their docile roles now that the war has ended and the men have returned home, Beattie continues her special operations work in a new position. Undercover missions, spies, a murder… Beattie gets in the middle of it all.

This was a decent start to the series, however, I unfortunately didn’t feel particularly engaged with the story. It almost felt like the murder was a distraction from the rest (though yes, it all ties together). It seems like a lot is being set up for future books, which resulted in a mishmash of events. At the same time, the story often came to a standstill and broke off into discourse about politics and religion. I would be curious to read book two to see how Beattie carries on, but I can honestly take or leave it. I hope it will delve deeper into the complexities of the Cold War, which was what appealed to me in the first place.

Thanks to NetGalley and Allison & Busby for inviting me to read a free digital ARC of the book!

A post war spy mystery with an unlikely duo with great chemistry as an underutilized covert operations agent and an Irish private detective war hero work together to solve a murder that’s been swept under the rug. Beattie is chasing the excitement she doesn’t have now that she’s come home and has demons in her family’s past. Patrick is a little more one-dimensional, but maybe he’ll be fleshed out in later
books. There’s a bit of telling, some awkward transitions and filter words, but the pacing is good and I wanted to know all about these characters. I couldn’t put it down and I’m hoping for more books.

The opening uses all the tropes of 'female' spy .. as Beattie practices her wartime skills on a feckless fellow whose political family is of interest .. (I found those usual tropes a bit predictable and tedious) but when detective Corrigan appears as she gets tangled in a murder in the household things do pick up. .. she becomes more fleshed out (instead of alluding to the skills females use .. grr).. there's genuine interaction with fellow detective (also watching the family) .. and by this combination, and point in story, through to end, it picks its way to credible conspiracy group in Soho (which was fun). So I'm middling persuaded!

Thank you NetGalley and Allison & Busby for the eARC.
This is a very atmospheric story set in London in 1950, with the people still trying to get over the trauma of WWII. The two protagonists, Beattie and Corrigan, are very well drawn and Corrigan in.particular is a character to love. Beattie at times is a bit pushy and bossy, but smart as s whip, ahead of her time.
The mystery is delicious, I couldn't stop reading. I'm hoping it's the first of a series!

This is a very enjoyable novel set in post war London when Britain and the rest of Europe were trying to rebuild their cities and their economies aware of the threat communism posed in this period of austerity. Beattie Cavendish and Patrick Corrigan make an unlikely pairing, moving in different social circles, but they are struggling to fit into post war society having both experienced the danger and thrills of facing an enemy in combat. He in battle and her serving in the SOE.
The author writes well with evocative descriptions of London in the smog and the seedier sides of alternative lifestyles. She creates wonderful characters and the chemistry between Cavendish and Corrigan leaps out of the pages. I am sure we will hear more from this duo in the future. The story line is intriguing and is set well within the UK equivalent paranoia of “reds under the bed”.
Fans of historical fiction, WW2 era and spy thrillers should all enjoy this book as much as I did.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Allison and Busby for providing access to this book.

This is a very well constructed novel. More than anything else, you had well defined, believable characters and a terrific sense of place. You could almost taste and feel the seediness of The White Pearl Club.
A decent spot thriller with light and shade along with a satisfactory ending.

Thanks to Netgalley and Allison And Busby for providing me with an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

If you are looking for a post world war two novel then this is the one for you. Another thing readers will appreciate about this novel is that it has a strong female character who worked as a spy so if you are someone who is looking for a female empowerment story then this is the book for you. I for one was hooked the moment I started reading this book and was glad that I took the opportunity to read it.
Our main focus on the novel is Beattie Cavendish who worked undercover for the government in France during the war. She us having trouble adjusting to being a regular civilian again after being undercover in the war for so long. When offered the chance to work a new position at an intelligence agency she jumps at the chance believing that things are finally looking up for her.
However after shortly starting a murder takes place. Instead of running away she teams up Patrick Corrigan to get to the bottom of things. From there they will investigate the clues that lead to the murder in the first place.
I received an arc copy from Netgalley and all opinions are of my own.

I really enjoyed this historical spy thriller from new-to-me author Mary-Jane Riley. I loved the setting of postwar London, full of smog, rationing and definite class divisions. I really felt like I’d been transported back to 1948.
Beattie was an interesting character, a bit of a chameleon. Someone who had to be constantly aware of her surroundings, and who she was supposed to be in different situations. She did it very well though, which must be a hard thing to keep doing if you’re involved in espionage. There were a few suspicious people she had to deal with, knowing who to trust and who to definitely stay away from.
I enjoyed following Beattie and Patrick as the worked together to bring about justice for Sofia, the murdered housekeeper, and mystery of who had committed the crime. I worked it out just as the big reveal came!
I really hope this in the first in a new series, as I’d love to get to know them better, and see them they get involved in more dangerous situations.
Highly recommended if you enjoy spy thrillers set in post war Britain.

Beattie Cavendish and the White Pearl Club Is a rip roaring postwar spy thriller murder mystery with a heart.

Beattie, a former SOE operative, is living in London working for a branch of the secret service while telling her mother she teaches typing in the Civil Service. She is investigating a politician and his family when their housekeeper is murdered. Beattie disturbs the escaping murderer but fights off his attack with the aid of an Irish private detective who is also employed to watch the family. The race is on for both of them to discover the secret of the housekeeper’s killer and maybe more.

The characters are well drawn, the plot is exciting and the scene is well set for a series of adventures. I will definitely watch out for book 2. I recommend that you give this one a try if you’re a lover of historical spy thrillers and/or murder mysteries.

I absolutely loved this book, great characters, story that moved at a perfect pace, and had the right amount of action, angst and everything else you could hope for!

it's 1948 and Beattie Cavendish has an important job teaching girls how to type to set them up with a career in the civil service, but is all that it seems......

Beattie is very much a girl of the times, recovering from the effects of the war, she throws herself into a busy social life, currently being squired by a Conservative MP's son, where she meets his family and someone who seems to be a hanger on.

One evening whilst having drinks with the family at their home, she stumbles upon the body of their housekeeper and is attacked, luckily a passerby comes to her aid but then disappears immediately after.

Looking forward to the next one.

Set in 1948 against the smoky backdrop of post-war Britain, Beattie Cavendish and the White Pearl Club is a gripping historical spy mystery with bite. Mary-Jane Riley introduces us to Beattie, a tough, sharp-witted former SOE agent who simply cannot bear the idea of civilian life. Her restlessness finds a home when she’s recruited into the newly established GCHQ and sent undercover into the gilded world of the Bowen family.

What begins as a quiet investigation into a suspected communist politician quickly escalates into something far more dangerous. When the Bowens' housekeeper is found with her throat slit, Beattie is thrust into a web of espionage, murder and dark secrets that lead all the way to the shadowy White Pearl Club—a Soho venue catering to some of the most powerful and depraved men in London.

Riley excels at atmosphere. The lingering austerity of post-war Britain, combined with the seedy glamour of late 1940s Soho, creates the perfect setting for a tale full of intrigue and tension. Beattie is a standout character: clever, courageous, and refreshingly self-assured. Her partnership with the worn-down yet principled detective Patrick Corrigan adds depth and a flicker of tenderness to the narrative.

This book captures the uneasy shift from wartime heroics to Cold War suspicion with skill and style. The themes of female agency, the price of secrecy and the abuse of power are woven through the plot without ever slowing the pace. Each twist is satisfying, and Riley resists tying things up too neatly, lending realism to her richly plotted story.

For readers who love historical thrillers, strong female leads and a touch of noir grit, Beattie Cavendish and the White Pearl Club delivers in spades. An atmospheric and thoroughly enjoyable read.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

This is good!!! Rather original as regards the setting of an investigation (a private detective and a spy), which works very well. I really enjoyed the main characters and the mysteries surrounding their pasts... I found it interesting to read about the social situation in London in 1948 . A good plot letting the reader wondering.... Very pleasant to read ! However, the repetitive "maman" was rather irritating (even though I am French!). I just felt it was too much and made the narrative not so fluid. Luckily this happened only at the beginning of the novel. I intend to read the next book of the series which I hope will be published soon! A great read!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.