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A Traitor in Whitehall (Evelyne Redfern #1) by Julia Kelly: A Book Review


A Traitor in Whitehall (Evelyn Redfern #1)

Author: Julia Kelly

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery & Suspense

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Publication Date: 2023

Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: From Julia Kelly, internationally bestselling author of The Last Dance of the Debutante, comes the first in the mysterious and immersive Evelyne Redfern series, A Traitor in Whitehall.


      1940, England: Evelyne Redfern, known as “The Parisian Orphan” as a child, is working on the line at a munitions factory in wartime London. When Mr. Fletcher, one of her father’s old friends, spots Evelyne on a night out, Evelyne finds herself plunged into the world of Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s cabinet war rooms.


       However, shortly after she settles into her new role as a secretary, one of the girls at work is murdered, and Evelyne must use all of her amateur sleuthing expertise to find the killer. But doing so puts her right in the path of David Poole, a cagey minister’s aide who seems determined to thwart her investigations. That is, until Evelyne finds out David’s real mission is to root out a mole selling government secrets to Britain’s enemies, and the pair begrudgingly team up.


      With her quick wit, sharp eyes, and determination, will Evelyne be able to find out who’s been selling England’s secrets and catch a killer, all while battling her growing attraction to David?


      My Review: Evelyne Redfern gets a job as a secretary in Winston Churchill’s Cabinet War Rooms. When one of her coworkers gets killed, Evelyne decides to hunt down her killer. When she tries to investigate, she is prevented by David Poole, who is an aide to a minister. Evelyne learns that her investigation is bigger than she realized.

There is an inside mole who is selling Britain’s secrets. Evelyne and David team up to find the mole and the killer.


     I found Evelyne to be a very interesting character. She has a tragic backstory. Her mother died, and she was abandoned by her father. Evelyne changed her name and initially got a job at a munitions factory. However, her father’s old friend found her and helped her get a job as a secretary to Winston Churchill. Therefore, Evelyne had an intriguing backstory. I also like that she was a fan of mysteries. I thought that Evelyne was a go-getter and very determined. She was also very clever. I liked how she goes about her investigations. Thus, she was a likable and capable amateur sleuth. 


      Overall, this novel is about secrets, friendship, and war. I loved all of the characters. I especially loved Evelyne’s relationship with David. This novel sets up a potential romance between them. I also would like to know more about Evelyn’s family, especially her father who abandoned her. There were parts of the novel that seemed very unconvincing. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the mystery aspect of the novel! A Traitor in Whitehall is a cozy historical mystery that is perfect to read on a lazy summer afternoon! I cannot wait to see what happens to Evelyne in the next book! I recommend this for fans of The Last Hope, A Peculiar Combination, and Death Below Stairs!


Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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