Smoke & Mirrors
The Secretary by Deborah Lawrenson is an intriguing historical espionage thriller which I read in just two sittings.
Partly fact and partly fiction, the novel is based around the author’s mother’s life and her diaries. The action is set in 1958. Real life figures pop up within the narrative.
The reader journeys to Moscow. It is a post war world of espionage and spies. Trust is in short supply. One has to be very cautious about one’s actions and words for fear of being incarcerated by the Soviets. It was a time of mistrust and distrust.
Still, there was time to party, form alliances and fall in love. All the time keeping one eye open for traitors.
Deborah Lawrenson writes in a very personable style bringing both the characters and Cold War Moscow to life.
All the characters were well drawn and believable.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Secretary. It was an exciting, suspenseful and intriguing read.
I received a free copy via Rachel’s Random Resources for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
JULIA WILSON
The Secretary
Moscow, 1958. At the height of the Cold War, MI6 secretary Lois Vale is on a deep cover mission to identify a diplomatic traitor. She can trust only one man: Johann, a German journalist also working covertly for the British secret service. As the trail leads to Vienna and the Black Sea, Lois and Johann begin an affair but as love grows, so does the danger to Lois.
A tense Cold War spy story told from the perspective of a bright young working class woman recruited to MI6 at a time when men were in charge of making history and women were expendable.
Authentic and historical details are provided by the 1958 diary kept in Moscow by the author’s own mother, who worked for British intelligence.
Purchase Links
https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-secretary/deborah-lawrenson/9781835741436
https://www.bookguild.co.uk/bookshop/historical/the-secretary
Author Bio –
Deborah Lawrenson spent her childhood moving around the world with diplomatic service parents, from Kuwait to China, Belgium, Luxembourg and Singapore. She read English at Cambridge University and worked as a journalist in London. She has written eight novels and her writing is praised for its vivid sense of place. The Art of Falling was a WHSmith Fresh Talent pick in 2005. The Lantern was published to critical acclaim in the USA, chosen for the Channel4 TV Book Club in the UK and shortlisted for Romantic Novel of the Year 2012. Her novel 300 Days of Sun, set in Portugal, was selected as a Great Group Read for the WNBA National Reading Group Month in October 2016 in the USA. Her novels have been translated into twelve languages.
Social Media Links –
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeborahLawrensonAuthor
Twitter: https://x.com/deb_lawrenson
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deborah.lawrenson/
Website: https://www.deborah-lawrenson.co.uk/
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