One of the best mystery/espionage books I’ve read, set in post WW2. Britain not recovered from the devastation, rationing still going on and women who played a pivotal role at every level, now relegated to home and hearth and the background of political life.
Beattie was one of the lucky ones. Working for the ubiquitous Civil Service, her official role is training typists in secretarial work. Unofficially she works for Ashley Cooper head of a spy network. Her present task is searching for clues in the under secretary of Foreign Affairs Ralph Bowen, and to this end she develops a friendship with his son Ashley.
The story takes an alarming turn when Beattie discovers a body at the Bowen residence, that of their young housekeeper and it is from here the story takes off in different ways. Beattie's involvement is noticed and she is strongly warned to lay off. Her accidental partner in this the Irishman Patrick is warned, his rooms ransacked and he is roughed up. A young man who gave him some information is found drowned, the reporter who was active on the case was told to cool off and the young woman’s brother Martin was also beaten up.
Undeterred Beattie seeks justice for Sophie, because everyone is involved in a cover up but for who and why seems to be the question. The final coup is very surprising and unexpected. Spies are found in the most innocuous of places and clues lie in the open. One has to connect the dots to come to the final denouncement.
A very good story which kept me fascinated from the first page to the last.
Sent by Allison & Busby for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.
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