An Unlikely Spy: A Novel [Paperback]

“A beguiling tale of espionage. -- Pam Jenoff, author ofThe Orphans TaleandThe Lost Girls of Paris

A twisting, sophisticated World War II novel following a spy who goes undercover as a part of MI5—in chasing the secrets of others, how much will she lose of herself?

Evelyn Varley has always been ambitious and clever. As a girl, she earned a scholarship to a prestigious academy well above her parents’ means, gaining her a best friend from one of England’s wealthiest families. In 1939, with an Oxford degree in hand and war looming, Evelyn finds herself recruited into an elite MI5 counterintelligence unit.

A ruthless secret society seeks an alliance with Germany and, posing as a Nazi sympathizer, Evelyn must build a case to expose their treachery. But as she is drawn deeper into layers of duplicity—perhaps of her own making—some of those closest to her become embroiled in her investigation. With Evelyn’s loyalties placed under extraordinary pressure, she’ll face an impossible choice: save her country or the people who love her. Her decision echoes for years after the war, impacting everyone who thought they knew the real Evelyn Varley.

Beguiling and dark,An Unlikely Spy is a fascinating story of deception and sacrifice, based on the history of real people within the British intelligence community.

“A fast paced tale with plenty of plot twists and enough complexity to place it somewhere between a historical genre novel and a literary thriller.” -The Guardian

“A beguiling and compelling tale of an otherwise ordinary women, an unlikely spy caught between the personal and the political in the machine of war.”  -The Age (Australia)

“A well-crafted spy novel examines the perils of espionage’s foundation in personal relationships. . . . The intrlË