"Evans's characters are vividly drawn, elevating this story and its revelations about women's little-celebrated contributions to the war effort."— Washington Post
"An exciting read with historical tidbits, a hint of danger, and a touch of romance."— Kirkus Reviews
The Traitor Beside Her is an intricately plotted WWII espionage novel weaving together mystery, action, friendship, and a hint of romance perfect for fans of The Rose Code and Code Name Helene.
Justine Byrne can't trust the people working beside her. Arlington Hall, a former women's college in Virginia has been taken over by the United States Army where hundreds of men and women work to decode countless pieces of communication coming from the Axis powers.
Justine works among them, handling the most sensitive secrets of World War II—but she isn't there to decipher German codes—she's there to find a traitor.
Justine keeps her guard up and her ears open, confiding only in her best friend, Georgette, a fluent speaker of Choctaw who is training to work as a code talker. Justine tries to befriend each suspect, believing that the key to finding the spy lies not in cryptography but in understanding how code breakers tick. When young women begin to go missing at Arlington Hall, her deadline for unraveling the web of secrets becomes urgent and one thing remains clear: a single secret in enemy hands could end thousands of lives.
"A fascinating and intelligent WWII home front story." —Rhys Bowen, New York Times bestselling author for The Physicists' Daughter
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Page Length: 346
Genre: Historical Mystery
Amongst hundreds of people attempting to decipher German codes, Justine Byrne attempts to blend in. But she is not there to figure out what the Germans are doing. She is there to find out who amongst them is a traitor, passing along classified information. Secrets from Arlington Hall in the hands of the wrong person could cause the deaths of thousands of people, and it is up to Justine, and her friend Georgette, to find and stop the traitor before it is too late.
However, it is not just a traitor that Justine must uncover. Women are going missing from Arlington Hall, and no one is entirely sure what happened to them. With her own life in danger, and the outcome of the Allies resting on her shoulders, Justine cannot afford to slip up and blow her cover. And she is in for a rough time.
I loved Justine’s character. She is brave, headstrong, and particularly stubborn – she refuses to allow herself to fail and strives to succeed in everything she puts her hand to. To fail is to let people down, and she can’t bear to do that. I also liked Georgette, for she seems like a good friend to Justine, and to have someone close nearby during such an operation certainly allowed a small sense of relief that there was someone else present who knew what was going on. To trust no one is very difficult indeed, for not knowing who could be trusted and who couldn’t meant that I could never grow very close to any of the characters, other than Justine. Even those who seem perfectly nice could be hiding a massive secret, and I found myself suspecting everyone, even if they gave me no reason to. The work of a spy seems to be very isolating, being unable to share your secrets with anyone for fear of what might happen, and I truly felt for Justine as she tries her hardest to keep people alive, and find the traitor before it is too late.
While I think everyone is aware of everything that happened at Bletchley Park in England, for there have been a lot of books and movies based on Alan Turing and the Enigma, I personally had never heard of Arlington Hall, or even really considered that there would be codebreakers in America as well. The historical detailing in this novel is truly fascinating, and you can read without needing to know the history and learn as you read while remaining truly immersed in the story. The author has done a fantastic job at creating a book you can thoroughly enjoy while staying true to historical facts and encompassing the story within the past.
This is a crime mystery novel in a historical setting, and Justine comes across as a World War II James Bond at times. She infiltrates dangerous settings and works to get people on her side while trying to uncover the truth. She even has her very own Q moment, and is given a collection of gadgets to keep her safe. That such items existed is something I never knew, and I found it incredibly interesting to know that they did. I especially liked finding out about the Stinger pen gun, a small firearm disguised as a pen, and small enough to go unnoticed in a handbag or pocket. While WWII was not, in the grand scheme of things, that long ago, technology has advanced dramatically since the 1940s, and that items such as the Stinger had been invented and were used during the war certainly captured my attention. It just goes to show that you will never know everything about an era of history, no matter how many books you read! There is always something new to learn about!
This book sounds intriguing from the blurb, but once you actually start reading it, it is absolutely enthralling. I reached page 20 and then somehow made it to page 250 without realising how much time had passed. This is the kind of book that, once you start reading it, you can’t put it down. I was instantly drawn into Justine’s world, trying desperately to figure out who the traitor could be. This is a book I fell asleep reading, as I couldn’t bear to stop reading. It is thrilling, exciting, and about an era I love, but about something I know little about. To enjoy a WWII novel, but from a perspective I had never encountered before, was refreshing, and I absolutely loved reading it.
Thank you for your wonderful review of The Traitor Beside Her, and for hosting Mary Anna Evans on the last day of her fabulous blog tour.
ReplyDeleteI'm so delighted you enjoyed the story as much as I did.
Cathie xx
The Coffee Pot Book Club
Thank you so much for the fabulous review! I'm so glad you enjoyed Justine's adventure.
ReplyDelete