📖 Blog Tour ~ The Enigma Girl by Henry Porter

 

 

Quercus
7 November 2024

Thanks to the publisher for the copy of the book
and the invitation to the blog tour

Slim Parsons is all but burned.

Her last deep cover job for MI5 ended with a life-and-death struggle on a private jet that caused her to go on the run from both the deadly target and her angry bosses in the Security Service. They say that violence comes too easily to her; that she's bordering on delinquent and unsuitable for the roll of an MI5 operative.

Yet she is recalled and asked to infiltrate a news website that's causing alarm in the highest circles. It is staffed by a group descended from wartime codebreakers operating from an unassuming office block near Bletchley Park. Operation Linesman looks like a come down, the curtain on a brilliant career in the shadows. However, she accepts the assignment on condition that the Security Service searches for her missing brother.

Linesman turns out to be anything but simple. Her personal loss, her previous deep cover role, and a threat to MI5 itself from her original target come together in a three-way collision.

And all the while she is watched by someone even deeper in the shadows than she is.

📖 My Review..

We first meet Slim Parsons when she is on leave from her role as a security service operator working with MI5. However, her last undercover job left her with a whole heap of personal issues along with a real sense of danger. When Slim is given an opportunity to infiltrate an online news website she does so on the provision that the Security Services help to locate her brother who has been missing for several years. Slim soon realises that there is far more to this new investigation than she could ever have imagined and with people from her past also out for revenge she must try to keep one step ahead of those who would do her harm.

The story starts off as something of a slow burner as we get to know just what makes Slim Parsons tick. She is definitely an enigma girl with more shadows in her past than any one person should have to deal with and yet she handles her espionage role with great aplomb and is not afraid to challenge to get what’s needed. I enjoyed watching Slim’s character progression, especially her relationship with her mother and of course, her  dog, Loup. As we get deeper into the story so all the pieces of this complex puzzle start to come together making it an enjoyable and cleverly constructed spy thriller which raises some interesting issues and gives a fascinating fictional insight into the workings of the modern day security services whilst also giving a nod to the past. 

With a cleverly controlled and complex mystery at its core and with a remarkable female protagonist taking centre stage The Enigma Girl captured my interest from start to finish.

About the Author

Frequently described as the heir to John le Carré, Henry Porter lives in London. Alongside being the former London editor of Vanity Fair and newspaper columnist for the Observer, Henry Porter has written several acclaimed and bestselling thrillers. His book Brandenburg won the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger and his other thrillers A Spy's Life and Empire State were both nominated for the same award. Henry is also the author of the award winning Paul Samson spy thrillers: Firefly, which won the 2019 Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize; White Hot Silence and The Old Enemy.

X @HenryCPorter #TheEnigmaGirl

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📖 Book Review ~ The Secret Life of a Lady by Darcy McGuire

Boldwood Books
June 2024

The Queen's Deadly Damsels #1

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

Never Underestimate a wallflower!

Lady Hannah Simmons is a quintessential wallflower, unassuming, dowdy yet ignored by most. But underneath her plain exterior, Hannah is hiding a thrilling secret! Unbeknownst to the rest of the ton, she is Queen Victoria’s leading femme fatale, slipping unnoticed through the streets of London and listening to scandalous whispers from lords and ladies. But with daggers in her stockings and pistols in her pockets, Hannah's mission is to apprehend a deadly killer.

Private Investigator to the Prime Minister, damaged, yet devastatingly handsome ex-war hero Duke Robert Killian always puts duty first. However, when he finds himself competing with the intriguing Lady Hannah on the same daring task, his blood boils with frustration - and desire! Is it possible to seduce this vexing woman whose not afraid to put herself in danger and achieve the upper hand?

Hannah enjoys Killian's attempts to distract and tempt her, but she has never faced an adversary she couldn’t overthrow. And Killian has never met a challenge he couldn’t conquer...until now. The gauntlet has been thrown, can they finish their jobs and resist the temptation?

 My Review..

Feisty and fierce, Lady Hannah Simmons is more than a match for any man. She can wield a knife like a warrior and yet underneath her stern exterior there beats the heart of a passionate woman. Hannah's unexpected meeting with the devilishly handsome Robert Killian unlocks something and pretty soon sparks fly between them and even though both are caught up in a clandestine investigation this doesn't stop their attraction and desire for each other. 

Bringing the Victorian world alive, we flit from dark and dirty back alleyways, to the sumptuousness of a country house weekend and throughout it all this cat and mouse relationship kept me entertained in a story filled with passion, intrigue and danger. The story reads well, it moves quickly and the mystery at the centre of the plot keeps the momentum ticking over nicely however, it is the relationship between Hannah and the Killian where the passion really heats up and the story gets a bit spicy. There's quite a bit of explicit sexual content so perhaps that's not for everyone but putting that aside, I enjoyed the espionage and mystery. I would hope to be able to read the next book in the series in the near future as there are a couple of characters I would really like to know more about in further adventures.

About the Author

Darcy McGuire is a high school counsellor who grew up in the wilds of New Zealand but happily settled in the Pacific Northwest. Darcy loves writing about fierce female protagonists who may dodge daggers and bullets but never seem to escape Cupid's arrow.

 

Social Media

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📖 Book Review ~ The Girl Knows Nothing by K T Cavan

 

Asp Indie Books
June 2021

My thanks to Vine House Distribution for my copy of this book

Clemency flies to Argentina to help handsome and ruthless secret agent Hal Linklater track down three fugitive Nazis. But as their quest takes them from the tango bars of Buenos Aires to the wind-swept plains of Patagonia, Hal keeps Clemency in ignorance of the real reason why these three men matter so much. He says the less she knows, the safer she is. But as the hunters become the hunted, would knowing the truth help save her life? Or plunge her into greater danger?

Sequel to ‘What About the Girl?’ which introduced Clemency White, a cypher clerk in the Foreign Office who ends up as one of MI6’s top agents. With 60s glamour, exotic locations, plenty of action and a strong female lead, they mix the excitement of the Connery Bond era with a feminine sensibility. The series is on-topic for 2021, with the same 1960s settings and themes of women’s place in society as The Marvellous Mrs Maisel and The Queen’s Gambit. 

The third title, Come Spy with Me, will be published later in the summer of 2021.

📖 My thoughts..

My introduction to Clemency White came in the first book in the series when she is working as an innocent cypher clerk in the foreign office who, inadvertently, gets drawn into an espionage ring which is operating out of London. Realising her worth as someone who can easily merge into the background, Clemency is a valuable asset and in this second book in the series, she is sent out to Argentina to help Hal Linklater, one of the top British agents, who has been charged with the task of tracking down three fugitive Nazis who have, so far, escaped justice in the aftermath of the Second World War. 

The Girl Knows Nothing pretty much starts where the second book finished with Clemency not really having much of a chance to draw breath before she is whisked away, once more, into a dangerous world of murky politics and clandestine operations. Clemency is very much the odd one out in this male dominated world and is so easily dismissed as a mere female  but, of course, that is where her absolute strength lies. The author brings this vividly to life as she describes Clemency's tenacious personality and her ability to outwit the men as they play their own very dangerous games. 

The Argentinian world of secrets, and lies, adds an interesting dimension to the story, making the place, very much an integral part of this complicated plot. The story races along and Clemency White, once again, proves just what an asset she is to the world of espionage, she's quick, clever and her ability to keep one step ahead of the game is just what is needed to succeed.

The Girl Knows Nothing is an exciting continuation of this series which brings to life the dangerous world of espionage and the deadly secrets of international politics.

About the Author

There’s something of a mystery to the author whose own work in intelligence and security means they have to remain in the shadows of a pseudonym.

Twitter #KTCavan

@vinehousedist

📖 Book Review ~ What About The Girl? by K T Cavan

 

ASP  an imprint of Indie Book
1 May 2021

Clemency White Series #1

My thanks to VineHouse UK for my copy of this book

Berne, 1962. When Clemency is asked to help Peter Aspinal pick up some film from one of his agents, she jumps at the chance. It’s a welcome change from her routine desk job at the British Embassy. Peter himself is the kind of charming, cultured and slightly dangerous man a girl could fall for. But then the romance turns to terror as the KGB move in. Cut off from help in the Alps, Clemency finds she has hidden skills and courage. But will it be enough to save her and Peter from elimination by their ruthless opponents?

First in a series featuring Clemency White, a cypher clerk in the Foreign Office who ends up as one of MI6’s top agents. With 60s glamour, exotic locations, plenty of action and a strong female lead, they mix the excitement of the Connery-Bond era with a feminine sensibility.

The series is on-topic for 2021, with the same 1960s settings and themes of women’s place in society as The Marvellous Mrs Maisel and The Queen’s Gambit. The next two titles, The Girl Knows Nothing and Come Spy with Me, will be published later in the summer of 2021.

Author KT Cavan explained the origins of the series.

“As a child I was fascinated by the courage and achievements of wartime agents like Violette Szabo and Noor Inayat Khan. But in the Cold War fiction, the agents – James Bond, Harry Palmer, George Smiley – are almost all men. I thought there was room for a woman.  Clemency does things differently. I wanted to explore how she grows and learns and realises she can do so much more than type letters or wait for a husband. But it’s still a spy series and there are still shoot-outs and car chases and secret dossiers.

📖 My thoughts...

Clemency White is working as a secretary at the British Embassy in Berne when she is asked by Major Peter Aspinall to help him out with the small matter of working undercover. That Peter Aspinal is working for MI6 is a well known secret within the Embassy however, as Clemency is about to discover, working in a clandestine operation, although exciting and glamorous, is also fraught with danger.

Setting the story in 1962, at the height of the Cold War with Russia, allows the story to have a certain ambiance and as old grudges fester, so Clemency, along with Peter Aspinal, gets drawn into circumstances beyond their control and both of them have to make some pretty significant decisions.

Whilst there is plenty of detail, particularly about drop offs, and keeping a close eye on not being trailed and of always keeping one step ahead of the enemy, there is also an interesting focus on the burgeoning relationship between Clemency and Aspinal, which does add a little piquancy to how the story eventually plays out

What About the Girl? definitely gets the series off to a good start. The author writes well and allows the story to evolve gradually without getting too complicated about the political agenda. There is a definite sixties vibe to the story, from the striking cover which is so reminiscent of spy thrillers of the time, to the perception early on in the story that it’s the men who are in charge, but it’s good to see that notion being challenged as Clemency starts to show just what she is capable of achieving.

It’s interesting to have an espionage thriller which allows a woman in the nineteen sixties to take a lead role as all too often historical spy stories in this era have, as their focus, the intrepid hero who saves the day, so having an intelligent female take a central role makes the story just that little bit different and highly enjoyable. I look forward to meeting Clemency White in future stories.

About the Author

There’s something of a mystery to the author whose own work in intelligence and security means they have to remain in the shadows of a pseudonym.

#KTCavan

@vinehousedist

Blog Tour and Giveaway ~ Sleeper: The Red Storm by J D Fennell

On Hist Fic Saturday

✨Jaffareadstoo is excited to be hosting today's Sleeper: The Red Storm Blog Tour 

and fabulous Giveaway ✨

The Dome Press
25 October 2018

My thanks to the publishers for the invitation to this blog tour and for my copy of the book

Will Starling has been drafted into the SOE, joining forces with the French Resistance, but his memory is fractured and only occasional flashbacks reveal fragments of his past.

When his mission is compromised, Will suspects that he’s been betrayed. Back in London he hears that VIPER are developing a deadly weapon. As he and MI5 agent Anna Wilder set out to destroy it, their every move is anticipated by their enemies.

While Will fights to prevent genocide, his sister, Rose, has become the key to VIPER’s future plans and is drugged to dull her kinetic powers. But Rose faces danger from an unexpected enemy and her time is running out.

My thoughts about it..

The Red Storm starts off with an impressive opener which is a perfect introduction to Will Starling who is one of the most courageous, fictional, eighteen years olds I have ever met. Filled with a boys own sense of bravado, Will encounters more danger than is physically possible, from being unceremoniously dumped out of a moving aeroplane, to being covered in a poisonous red mist, there is never a moment when he doesn't rise to the challenge of being a vital part of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) during the eventful latter years of WW2.

Set in 1943, The Red Storm continues, some two years after where Sleeper, the first book in the series, left off. Will is now a little older, possibly a little wiser, but no less determined to get to the truth of what happened to his family and especially to his younger sister, Rose. That Rose's story intertwines with that of Will makes for really interesting reading and is no less exciting.

The story moves along at a cracking pace and is filled with more twists and turns than I am at liberty to speak about without giving too much away. However, the historical nature of the story, set as it is in 1943, comes across, as does the constant danger which Will encounters as he tumbles from one adventure to another. The author has created some fabulous characters, some are downright creepy, Father William springs to mind, whilst others, like Will's companion and co-agent, Anna Wilder add some necessary depth to what is , after all , quite a dark story.

I raced through the book, carried along by the speed and momentum of the writing, and of Will's ability to always be in the centre of the action. Even though this is the second book with events from the first story alluded to in the story, it is still possible to read read The Red Storm as a standalone story.

Please do enter the giveaway to be in with a chance of reading Sleeper:The Red Storm for yourself, you'll be thoroughly entertained from start to finish.

✨✨GIVEAWAY✨✨

To celebrate the publication of The Red Storm

The publishers are very kindly giving away one paperback copy to one UK winner

Ends 3 November 2018

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

J.D. was born in Belfast at the start if the Troubles, and began writing stories at a young age to help

understand the madness unfolding around him.A lover of reading, he devoured a diverse range of books - his early influences include Fleming, Tolkien,Shakespeare and the Brontës.

He left Belfast at the age of nineteen and worked as a chef, bartender, waiter and later began a career in writing for the software industry. These days he divides his time between Brighton and London, where he lives with his partner and their two dogs.

Website

Twitter @jd_fennell #TheRedStorm

@DomePress

Blog Tour ~ Legacy of Spies by John le Carré

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to be part of the blog tour for Legacy of Spies

For the first time in over 30 years, John le Carré returns to the Cold War 

in this thrilling masterpiece

Penguin
Viking Books
September 2017

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

What's it all about..

Peter Guillam, staunch colleague and disciple of George Smiley of the British Secret Service, otherwise known as the Circus, has retired to his family farmstead on the south coast of Brittany when a letter from his old Service summons him to London. The reason? His Cold War past has come back to claim him. Intelligence operations that were once the toast of secret London are to be scrutinised by a generation with no memory of the Cold War. Somebody must be made to pay for innocent blood once spilt in the name of the greater good. 

Interweaving past with present so that each may tell its own story, John le Carré has given us a novel of superb and enduring quality.

My Thoughts...

Legacy of Spies work well as a standalone story, however, those readers who have read a couple of its Smiley predecessors, The Spy Who Came In From the Cold and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy will probably gain more from reading what is, in effect, a 'tieing up of loose ends' sort of story.

That John le Carré is the undisputed king of the espionage novel is without doubt and I enjoyed reading of the intricacies of the British Secret Service, which he brings to life so vividly, and of the ethical uncertainties and petty squabbles which linger in the shadows.The author's succinct turn of phrase, and the way his characters are allowed to quietly infiltrate the novel without any fuss, or of never quite knowing who is truthful or trustworthy, is all part of the espionage game, and the author does this ambiguity extremely well.

Although the story covers events from the past, there is also a very modern feel to the story, especially in the details of the 21st century spy headquarters and the way in which that operates, which is a far cry from the dim and distant days when George Smiley and his gang ruled the roost.

My feeling is that if you have read the series you will be happy with this book but it's perhaps not the place to start if you haven't read any of the stories before. The back story references need to be appreciated in order to understand just how clever is this conclusion.

About the Author

John le Carré was born in 1931. His third novel, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, secured him a worldwide reputation, which was consolidated by the acclaim for his trilogy Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Honourable Schoolboy and Smiley's People. His recent novels include A Most Wanted Man, Our Kind of Traitor and A Delicate Truth. His only work of non-fiction, The Pigeon Tunnel, was a number one bestseller in 2016.

Website

Twitter@lecarre_news #ALegacyofSpies

Amazon UK

~****~

Blog Tour ~ Corpus by Rory Clements

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to be hosting the first day of the  Corpus Blog Tour

1936.

Europe is on the brink of a cataclysm.

The Nazis have marched into the Rhineland.

In Russia, Stalin has unleashed his Great Terror.

Spain has erupted in civil war.

Zaffre
January 2017

In Berlin, a young Englishwoman evades the Gestapo to deliver vital papers to a Jewish scientist. Within weeks, she is found dead in her Cambridge bedroom, a silver syringe at her side.

In a London club, three senior members of the British establishment light the touch paper on a conspiracy that will threaten the very heart of government. 

In a country house near Cambridge, an elderly couple are discovered brutally murdered. 

But what has this to do with the looming abdication of Edward VIII and the unstoppable march of fascism?

Set against the drumbeat of war and moving from Berlin to Cambridge, from Whitehall to the Kent countryside, and from the Fens to the Aragon Front in Spain, this superbly atmospheric, accomplished and original novel marks the beginning of a major new series from bestselling author Rory Clements.

My thoughts about the book...

1936 was a momentous year, as not only were political storm clouds starting to rumble across Europe with the rise of Adolf Hitler, but also in London, the prime minister, Stanley Baldwin, was facing a national crisis as Edward VIII continued his self-destruct trajectory in his determination to marry Wallis Simpson. These events should have little or no bearing on the quiet life of a Cambridge history professor but when Thomas Wilde is inadvertently drawn into a mystery surrounding a particularly violent double murder, and the seemingly unrelated death of a young woman, an almost palpable sense of gloom starts to pervade.

What then follows is a tense and atmospheric novel which sees, Tom Wilde and his friend, Lydia Morris become more and more embroiled in events which inevitably start to spiral out of control. Using his considerable academic familiarity with how the Elizabethan spymaster, Thomas Walsingham operated his legions of spies, Wilde can't help but use this knowledge in order be one step ahead of the local constabulary, almost to the point of doing their work for them, which inadvertently leads him and Lydia into all sorts of very dangerous situations.

The history of the time is well explained, particularly the rise of the Nazi party, the unease surrounding the Spanish civil war and the divisions between the Bolsheviks all, of whom, seem to find their way into the pages of this fascinating historical conspiracy. However, it is in the minutiae of old fashioned sleuthing where the story starts to truly come alive. The mystery at the heart of the novel is intelligently written with this author's fine eye for historical detail and even though the overall pace of the novel is never fast and furious, there are certainly more than enough twists and turns in the plot to keep the reader guessing until the end.

Corpus starts the beginning of a new spy thriller series, and I am sure that by the end of this tense thriller there will be readers who, like me, will be eager to make the acquaintance of Professor Wilde in future novels.

Best Read With... ...Dover sole and a well chilled bottle of Pouilly-Fuissé ...

About the Author

RORY CLEMENTS won the CWA Ellis Peters Historical Award in 2010 for his second novel, Revenger. He is the author of the John Shakespeare series of novels which are currently in development for TV by the team behind Poldark and Endeavour. Since 2007, Rory has been writing full-time in a quiet corner of Norfolk, England, where he lives with his family. 

Find out more on the author's website by clicking here  or find him on Facebook by clicking here

My thanks to Emily at Zaffre for her invitation to be part of this tour. Tour runs until the 10th February, so do catch up with the rest of the tour stops. Follow the tour on Twitter #Corpus