What’s the best way to purge an unfaithful husband? Become a spy for British Intelligence, of course.Desperate to get out of London, and determined to help the war effort and stop thinking about her philandering husband, Fiona Figg volunteers to go undercover. At Ravenswick Abbey a charming South African war correspondent has tongues wagging. His friends say he’s a crack huntsman. The War Office … War Office is convinced he’s a traitor. Fiona thinks he’s a pompous prig.
What sort of name is Fredrick Fredricks anyway? Too bad Fiona doesn’t own a Wolseley pith helmet. At Ravenswick a murderer is on the prowl, and it’s not just the big-game hunter who’s ready to pounce.
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Fiona Figg works for the British War Office and sometimes assists the men in RM 40 with codebreaking and planning ideas. Unexpectedly, she’s given a chance to go undercover and impersonate a male doctor, Dr. Vogel, and travel to Ravenswick. Under this guise her mission is to spy on an investigative journalist, Frederick Fredericks, and ferret out whether he’s a German spy.
While Fiona is getting to know the inhabitants of Ravenswick, the Countess is murdered. Everyone is being interviewed and investigated and Fiona is worried she will be found out. Can she somehow solve the murder and keep her true identity hidden? Will this somehow interfere with her very first mission?
What a great way to start this historical cozy mystery series. Fiona is such a well-rounded character…smart and tenacious…yet emotional and empathetic. This has everything I love..historical aspects, espionage, mystery…murder and a strong female lead.
Watch out now .. Fiona is a secretary turned double agent and she’s going after those dastardly spies that dare to threaten her country. I already have the 2nd book and can’t wait to see where her next adventure lies.
cosy-mystery, 1910s, agent, amateur-sleuth, family-dynamics, false-information, England, situational-humor, depression, murder-investigation, murder*****
The mystery became interesting but the voice actor continued to be irritating despite a good ability to differentiate characters. And characters they certainly are! Fiona goes into a deep depression after finding her husband in flagrante and being divorced by him. Only her job as a file clerk for the British War Office helps her to keep going on, and then she winds up replacing an agent needed on assignment. But she has to impersonate a male doctor! She’s doing passably well when the murder occurs and she needs to investigate. Good sight read!
During WW I, Fiona Figg is eager to leave London and her unfaithful husband. She volunteers to go undercover for British Intelligence to investigate a suspicious South African war correspondence. Fiona is a great character: smart, funny, and given to sharp commentary on everyone, including herself.
Favorite Quotes:
Mr. Knox flashed a toothy smile, the kind that made nuns blush.
When Ernest laughed he sounded like a goose taking flight.
I admired the rose bushes, wishing I had a green thumb. I was too much of a city girl to grow anything except my hair…
In my opinion, her husband’s wandering eye seemed more in line with male maladies best cured by poison.
I could hear my father’s voice in my head, “Stiff upper lip, my girl, that’s the English way.” Wouldn’t he be surprised to see a mustache sprouting from mine?
The reflection in the mirror didn’t seem to belong to me, but to some long-lost twin, who looked like me but lived a parallel life more exciting than my own.
My Review:
This was my first time reading Kelly Oliver and I had to wonder, what took me so long? This was an enjoyable and entertaining historical cozy mystery set in 1914 England during WWI and written from the first-person POV of a female file clerk turned working in the War Office who was sent on a spy mission and having the time of her life. Just what a newly divorced woman shot of a philandering husband would need to relocate her identity and self-confidence. The entertaining storylines were rather complicated with a large cast of unusual and untrustworthy characters, but I enjoyed the chase and her multiple missteps.
While there wasn’t a vile cliffhanger to rankle and stir my ire, the tale did not fully resolve and will continue on through subsequent installments. I can live with that since I have the next volume locked on loaded on my beloved Kindle.
I obtained two new items to add to my ever-growing Brit Words and Phrases list with a rum do which is a messy circumstance plagued with bad luck, poor fortune, or deliberate sabotage. And a hair receiver, which Mr. Google informed me, along with colorful examples, was a small pot or jar with a hole in the top that was used in the Victorian era and was typically made of ceramic, bronze, or crystal. It was kept on the dressing table to store their personal hair after being collected from brushes and combs. Said hair was used in jewelry and art – umm, no thank you.
It’s a fun read.
I didn’t care for this story at all. The writing was disjointed and the author took far too long to get to the point. I felt like I was reading in circles. However, I am just one person. Get the book and read it for yourself. Make up your own mind about it.
Like other readers this was my first time reading Kelly Oliver. Being set in 1914 England during WWI. Fiona Figg has to cut through red tape of the male-dominated world of the war office in the 20th to investigate Fredrick Fredricks. The book was an entertaining historical cozy mystery set in The story starts with the character Fiona Figg’s goes into a depression after catching her cheating husband Lieutenant Andrew of 4 years in the arms of his secretary Nancy. Then asks her for a divorced. The divorce final, she only has her job as a file clerk for the British War Office to help her cope with her life & to keep going on.
She ends up convincing her superiors & is recruited to spy on a suspected traitor at Ravenswick Abbey. By doing so she has to replace the male agent originally on the assignment & on the trail of the so called “White Hunter” journalist/spy Fredrick Fredricks at Ravenswick.
Since she use to be good on the state she can impersonate & change her voice to sound like a male doctor! Dr. Vogel appears at Ravenswick. Fiona believes she is doing well & attempting to get so me relevant data for Mr. Hall her supervisor until a murder occurs of the mistress of the estate. Now she needs to investigate & find out who the murder is & how Fredrick is involved. She just doesn’t believe he is this famous journalist who can solve all murders. In fact she believes he is the murder.
I find many of the characters funny, Fionna gets to deal with Clifford a war hero who happens to be friends with F.F. & wants to be the next Arthur Boyle & a huge bigmouth & flirt. Then we have Lady Mary who might possibly have a crush on Dr. Vogel. Then during this time she has to watch her ex husband die in her arms & apologize & ask her to take care of his current wife child. Ridiculous!
Then help another solider at the hospital who she might finds attractive, & will be in her life many more times.
The ending does get a bit confusing due to the fact of the letter that is she has hidden is not the same letter that Mr. Fredrick Fredricks reads to the Elliot family regarding the murder of Mr. Elliott’s mother.
Not it’s left with a cliff-hanger so you do need to purchase & read the next saga in this series.
That one as well ends with an cliff hanger. Pretty much this series is chasing after Fredrick Fredricks & who does he really work for?
What side is Apollo Fredricks on? Is the captain really innocent or just stupid? I think there will be more than meets the eye on Clifford?
The entertaining storylines were rather complicated with a large cast of unusual & untrustworthy characters, but I enjoyed the chase & funny mistakes that our heroine played.
Easy read historical fiction. Not great but very readable
I purchased this book because it was said to be similar to the Masie Dobbs series, which I like very much. Early in the book, the main character ,a young woman, was requested to go under cover as a bearded man. Though she was large in stature, I found this premise to not be convincing; especially since she interacted with the same characters as herself and also in disguise. My disbelief became disparaging. I just didn’t think it to be convincing…if not silly. I liked the protagonist and wish the author had not resorted to the —“ disguised persona.” but stayed with her original character.