From the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London comes a moving new novel inspired by the true history of America’s library spies of World War II.
Ava thought her job as a librarian at the Library of Congress would mean a quiet, routine existence. But an unexpected offer from the US military has brought her to Lisbon with a new mission: posing as a librarian while working undercover as a spy gathering intelligence.
Meanwhile, in occupied France, Elaine has begun an apprenticeship at a printing press run by members of the Resistance. It’s a job usually reserved for men, but in the war, those rules have been forgotten. Yet she knows that the Nazis are searching for the press and its printer in order to silence them. As the battle in Europe rages, Ava and Elaine find themselves connecting through coded messages and discovering hope in the face of war.
Madeline Martin is back with another riveting piece of WWII historical fiction. The Librarian Spy is inspired by the true stories of American undercover agents who were sent to neutral Lisbon, Portugal, during WWII to gather valuable intel – in the form of books and newspapers – that would help the war against the Nazis. While Ava is completely fictional, she forms a compelling protagonist thrust into a high stakes world of espionage who holds her own amongst the powerful men who surround her.
Martin weaves Ava’s story with Elaine’s, whose experiences in occupied France are downright harrowing. It is fascinating to read about both Lisbon and Lyon, cities which were affected in different ways by the onslaught of war in Europe. In the vein of a gripping espionage thriller, you’ll be questioning who to trust from the get go.
Fans of Kelly Rimmer and Natasha Lester should add Martin to their historical fiction TBR list. The Librarian Spy is an intriguing and moving story from an author who is making waves in this genre.
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