The White Lady by Jaqueline Winspear

 

The White Lady by Jaqueline Winspear-318 pages

Post-World War II Britain, 1947. Forty-one-year-old “Miss White," as Elinor is known, lives in a village in Kent, England, so quietly and privately as to seem an oddity to her fellow villagers.  But the residents of Shacklehurst have no way of knowing how dangerous Elinor's war work had been, or how deeply their mysterious neighbor continues to be haunted by her past.

It will take the child of Jim Mackie, a young farmworker and his wife, Rose, to break through Miss White's icy demeanor—but Jim has something in common with Elinor. He, too, is desperate to escape his past. When the powerful Mackie crime family demands a return of their prodigal son for an important job, Elinor assumes the task of protecting her neighbors, especially the bright-eyed Susie, who reminds her of the darkest day of her life.

Wonderfully written.  Great character development.  I loved this book.

Codename Villanelle (Killing Eve, #1) by Luke Jennings

Codename Villanelle (Killing Eve, #1) by Luke Jennings-220 pages

I've seen all 4 seasons of the show "Killing Eve" based on these novels. I really hated the ending to the show, although I really liked the first 2 seasons. As with any movie or TV adaptation, there are many differences between book and movie/TV series. There are some things I like better about the book and some that I like better in the TV series. There are many similarities, as well. Overall, I would say that I like the TV series better, except for the ending. I would give this book 3 out of 5 stars. 

Dragonfly by Leila Meacham

 Dragonfly by Leila Meacham--559 pages

This is a story about five amazing young people who are chosen for a top secret mission during WWII.  Excellent writing.  I enjoyed it very much.

City Spies by James Ponti

City Spies by James Ponti 378 pages Sara Martinez is a hacker. She recently broke into the New York City foster care system to expose her foster parents as cheats and lawbreakers. However, instead of being hailed as a hero, Sara finds herself facing years in a juvenile detention facility and banned from using computers for the same stretch of time. Enter Mother, a British spy who not only gets Sara released from jail but also offers her a chance to make a home for herself within a secret MI6 agency. Operating out of a base in Scotland, the City Spies are five kids from various parts of the world. When they're not attending the local boarding school, they're honing their unique skills, such as sleight of hand, breaking and entering, observation, and explosives. All of these allow them to go places in the world of espionage where adults can't. Before she knows what she's doing, Sara is heading to Paris for an international youth summit, hacking into a rival school's computer to prevent them from winning a million euros, dangling thirty feet off the side of a building, and trying to stop a villain...all while navigating the complex dynamics of her new team. No one said saving the world was easy... This is a Mark Twain nominee. I was not as impressed with this book as the other nominees. It has a good story but very difficult to follow. I really didn't like the idea of filling chilren's minds with being a hacker and it being legal or being a thief and it being legal. Some children may enjoy it, but it just wasn't my kind of book.

The 6:20 Man by David Baldacci

The 6:20 Man by David Baldacci, 432 p.

"Every day without fail, Travis Devine puts on a cheap suit, grabs his faux-leather briefcase, and boards the 6:20 commuter train to Manhattan, where he works as an entry-level analyst at the city’s most prestigious investment firm. In the mornings, he gazes out the train window at the lavish homes of the uberwealthy, dreaming about joining their ranks. In the evenings, he listens to the fiscal news on his phone, already preparing for the next grueling day in the cutthroat realm of finance. Then one morning Devine’s tedious routine is shattered by an anonymous email: She is dead. 

Sara Ewes, Devine’s coworker and former girlfriend, has been found hanging in a storage room of his office building—presumably a suicide, prompting the NYPD to come calling on him. If that wasn’t enough, Devine receives another ominous visit, a confrontation that threatens to dredge up grim secrets from his past in the Army unless he participates in a clandestine investigation into his firm.

This treacherous role will take Travis from the impossibly glittering lives he once saw only through a train window, to the darkest corners of the country’s economic halls of power…where something rotten lurks. And apart from this high-stakes conspiracy, there’s a killer out there with their own agenda, and Devine is the bullseye."--Goodreads blurb

This was Baldacci's usual fast-paced and deadly thriller. This was a great introductory story to his new character, Travis Devine. This seems like a promising series that I will be continuing!

 

The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin

The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin, 400 p.

"Ava thought her job as a librarian at the Library of Congress would mean a quiet, routine existence. But an unexpected offer from the US military has brought her to Lisbon with a new mission: posing as a librarian while working undercover as a spy gathering intelligence.

Meanwhile, in occupied France, Elaine has begun an apprenticeship at a printing press run by members of the Resistance. It’s a job usually reserved for men, but in the war, those rules have been forgotten. Yet she knows that the Nazis are searching for the press and its printer in order to silence them. As the battle in Europe rages, Ava and Elaine find themselves connecting through coded messages and discovering hope in the face of war."--Goodreads blurb

Librarians? Spies? WWII fiction? Some of my favorite things! I liked the stories told from different viewpoints and the real feeling you got of the different countries during the war. In that horrible time, it seems like Lisbon would have been one of the better places to be, but we also heard about the horrible conditions in France. This was a great story. 

 

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

An Ember in the Ashes )An Ember in the Ashes #1) by Sabaa Tahir, 446 p.

"Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free. Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear. 

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do. 

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy. There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself."Goodreads blurb

This is a great fast-paced young adult fantasy that sweeps you up and leaves you wanting more. It's good that there's 3 more books in this series! I'm looking forward to reading them all.

Diablo Mesa by Preston/Child

 

Diablo Mesa by Preston & Child-385 pages

(Nora Kelly#3)

Archeologist Nora Kelly is hired by Lucas Tappan, a billionaire who wants her to head up a careful, scientific excavation of the Roswell Incident site where a UFO is alleged to have crashed in 1947.  Nora is not a believer, but as evidence mounts she begins to wonder if it is indeed true that aliens had landed at the site.  

Nora's excavation immediately uncovers two murder victims buried at the site, faces and hands obliterated with acid to erase their identities. In comes Special Agent Corrie Swanson is to take over the case. As Nora’s excavation proceeds, Corrie’s homicide investigation throws open a Pandora's box of espionage and violence, uncovering bloody traces of a powerful force that will stop at nothing to protect its secrets.  Leaves you wondering once again whose side our government is on.  

I enjoyed this installment of the series.  Kind of way outside the box.  Usually we have a familiar character do a cameo appearance, but we did not in this one.  So I missed him. (That was a hint)!  I recommend this series.

 

The Book Supremacy by Kate Carlisle-322 pages

Bibliophile Mystery #13

Books, spies, escape rooms and a mystery..what's not to love?  And a line that any librarian could relate to "If only we could chain up anyone with an overdue book!"  Yes, a little extreme, but admit it you had that thought more than once!  I was looking for something a little lighter for a read and this fit the bill.  The characters are feasible and enjoyable.  And the main character Brooklyn is unrelenting in finding the killer.  I recommend it.

     Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers by Sara Ackerman-391 pages

The story takes place in the year 1944 in Hawaii during World War II.  It is about a mother and daughter who are struggling to make it on their own after the disappearance of their husband and father.  The daughter is having physical and mental breakdowns and will not tell her mother why.  Does she know something about her fathers disappearance?  

I enjoyed this book as it takes us back to a time when everyone had a part to play in wartime history.  It also showed how the whole community came together to fight prejudices and help each other survive and possibly find new love and a new life after tragedy.

Tightrope by Amanda Quick

Tightrope by Amanda Quick - 309 pages

Innkeeper Amalie Vaughn must work with Matthias Jones to determine who killed a scientist and to stop a former secret agent from stealing a top secret cipher machine.

I listened to this on audio.  I really enjoyed the audio version of the book.  The narration was well done.  The story was interesting as was the characters.

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn - 503 pages


In an enthralling new historical novel from national bestselling author Kate Quinn, two women—a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during World War I and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947—are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemption.

1947. In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She's also nursing a desperate hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive. So when Charlie's parents banish her to Europe to have her "little problem" taken care of, Charlie breaks free and heads to London, determined to find out what happened to the cousin she loves like a sister.

1915. A year into the Great War, Eve Gardiner burns to join the fight against the Germans and unexpectedly gets her chance when she's recruited to work as a spy. Sent into enemy-occupied France, she's trained by the mesmerizing Lili, the "Queen of Spies", who manages a vast network of secret agents right under the enemy's nose.

Thirty years later, haunted by the betrayal that ultimately tore apart the Alice Network, Eve spends her days drunk and secluded in her crumbling London house. Until a young American barges in uttering a name Eve hasn't heard in decades, and launches them both on a mission to find the truth...no matter where it leads.

The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich

The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich - 377 pages

Caden is a Nice -- the boy next door that everyone likes.  Dylan is a Bad: the brooding, emo guy with a tough life.  They're both operatives for the Love Interest -- an organization that sends teens undercover to become the romantic partners of those who will grow up to be important to the world.  Now they are competing for the affection of Juliet.  May the best guy win . . . because the loser is scheduled to die.

This was an interesting premise.  I thought the plot moved a little too quickly and the ending a little too easy to achieve.  However, teens would enjoy the story.

Women of the Blue & Gray: True Civil War Stories of Mothers, Medics, Soldiers, and Spies by Marianne Monson

Women of the Blue & Gray: True Civil War Stories of Mothers, Medics, Soldiers, and Spies by Marianne Monson-230 pages

I read this for the Non-fiction challenge this month. I also happen to be very interested in Civil War history. I learned quite a bit about women in the Civil War. Some women disguised themselves as men and enlisted and others followed husbands or brothers into enlistment. One woman, Jennie Hodgers, took the identity of a man named Albert D. J. Cashier to enlist and went by that name and dressed as a man for nearly 50 years after the Civil War before she was discovered. Many women served as spies, nurses, and doctors during the war, also. Although, it would take many years and much cajoling for many of the women who served in these capacities to be paid for their service. Women had to volunteer (and not get paid) as nurses or doctors to start the war. Women such as Lydia Maria Child, Harriet Tubman, Susie Baker King Taylor, Clara Barton, the Grimke sisters, Mother Bickerdyke, Dr. Mary Walker, Ellen Orbison Harris, Mary Ann Shadd Cary, Harriet Jacobs, Cornelia Peake McDonald, and Virginia Mason McLean (who had the distinction of witnessing both the first real battle and the surrender of Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia near her house) are discussed in various detail, along with many others. I found this to be an informative, enlightening read.

This Was a Man by Jeffrey Archer

This Was a Man  by Jeffrey Archer  pages 416


In this final installment of the Clifton Chronicles all of our favorite characters are back and we discover some truths that we were wondering about from the last book.  As our beloved characters are getting older there are some sad turn of events at the end..so be prepared.  I enjoyed the whole series very much and now that it is over I am awaiting what is next for Jeffrey Archer.

Changes by Mercedes Lackey

Changes by Mercedes Lackey - 236 pages
The Collegium Chronicles #3

Mags is facing new problems as a trainee at Heralds Collegium including a heat wave, arguments with friends, stopping the kidnapping of his girlfriend Amily, spying in the city, and facing off against two more enemy agents bent on either kidnapping or killing him.

This was a great audio version of the book.  I love this series and would love to find more of the books on audio to listen to.

Closer to Home by Mercedes Lackey

Closer to Home by Mercedes Lackey  361 pages

Mags was once an enslaved orphan living a harsh life in the mines, until the King's Own Herald discovered his talent and trained him as a spy. Now a Herald in his own right, at the newly established Heralds' Collegium, Mags has found a supportive family, including his Companion Dallen.

Although normally a Herald in his first year of Whites would be sent off on circuit, Mags is needed close to home for his abilities as a spy and his powerful Mindspeech gift. There is a secret, treacherous plot within the royal court to destroy the Heralds. The situation becomes dire after the life of Mags' mentor, King's Own Nikolas, is imperiled. His daughter Amily is chosen as the new King's Own, a complicated and dangerous job that is made more so by this perilous time. Can Mags and Amily save the court, the Heralds, and the Collegium itself?

Rat Runners by Oisín McGann

Rat Runners by Oisín McGann - 326 pages

"Four young thieves, one simple mission: Steal a black-leather box from the daughter of a murdered scientist without anyone noticing. But WatchWorld controls London now, and the organization knows everything."  - Amazon
Awesome story! Release date is January 13th, 2015.

The Broker by John Grisham

The Broker, by John Grisham 432 pages
"In his final hours in office, the outgoing President grants a controversial last-minute pardon to Joel Backman, a notorious Washington power broker who has spent the last six years hidden away in a federal prison. What no one knows is that the President issues the pardon only after receiving enormous pressure from the CIA. It seems that Backman, in his heyday, may have obtained secrets that compromise the world’s most sophisticated satellite surveillance system.

Backman is quietly smuggled out of the country in a military cargo plane, given a new name, a new identity, and a new home in Italy. Eventually, after he has settled into his new life, the CIA will leak his whereabouts to the Israelis, the Russians, the Chinese, and the Saudis. Then the CIA will do what it does best: sit back and watch. The question is not whether Backman will survive—there is no chance of that. The question the CIA needs answered is, Who will kill him?"   
Oh my goodness. This was my first Grisham novel (that I can recall) and I couldn't wait to get to the end. Absolutely loved it. 

Mind MGMT #2: The Futurist, by Matt Kindt

 Mind MGMT #2: The Futurist, by Matt Kindt, 184 pages

As usual, Matt Kindt makes you think one thing is going on, when it turns out to be the opposite.  Who is Meru- what is her real story, and why doesn't Henry Lyme tell her?  Who else is on the Mind Management team, and what are the Immortals after- who are they working for?  The action continues in this second volume, and more secrets come to light.  Lots of travel and adventure, as usual.