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No. 2 Whitehall Court

THE NEW SPY THRILLER FROM THE MASTER OF THE GENRE

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No. 2 Whitehall Court

By: Alan Judd
Narrated by: Polly Edsell
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About this listen

 THE NEW FIRST WORLD WAR SPY THRILLER FROM THE MASTER OF THE GENRE

'A masterful storyteller with an intricate knowledge of his subject' The Daily Telegraph
'Judd, a veteran spy novelist and former diplomat, knows his way around Britain's world of shadows. He takes the reader straight back to the start of the first world war and the long, smoke-filled, gloomy corridors of Whitehall ministries.' Financial Times
'Veteran spy writer Alan Judd eschews easy drama and obvious cliffhangers in this elegantly written novel.' Literary Review

In the glorious summer of 1914, Emily Grey, a young Cambridge undergraduate, is studying German in Heidelberg. While there she meets Hans, a philosopher with grey eyes and long lashes, who wins her heart and asks her to marry him. When the First World War intervenes, however, she is forced to return to England, leaving Hans behind to join the Imperial Navy.

A year later, Emily is recruited to serve in a recently established government department. Commander Cumming, head of His Majesty’s newly-formed Secret Service — sometimes also known as MI6 — is keen to make use of Emily’s language skills. Assigned to interview an informer known as ‘The Dane’, she learns of a plot so audacious it has the potential to change the entire course of the war.

At Rosyth in Scotland, the home of the British Grand Fleet, Emily must work undercover to locate the mole the heart of the British naval establishment. Who is the traitor known only by the codename ‘Heiffer’? And can she find him in time to prevent a military catastrophe that would spell disaster for the country she serves?

Blending unparalleled authenticity with literary flair and historical accuracy, Alan Judd has created a gripping thriller about the early days of MI6 that cements his reputation as a master of the historical spy novel.
 20th Century Espionage Historical Fiction Spies & Politics Thriller & Suspense World War I Heartfelt War Military
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Set in the First World War with the main protagonist female, this most enjoyable novel kept me listening non-stop all day! I hope we hear more from Emily Grey (and perhaps Nigel). The details of Whitehall offices in WW1 and of the Navy in Scotland are so well drawn that you are enticed into the world of the Secret Service Bureau - worth 5 stars in all categories!

An enjoyable, fast paced spy novel

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Young woman is recruited by C to work for embryonic MI6 during WW1. The female character is likeable and lively enough within her middle class confines. She’s paired with a Royal Marine and it’s here I have a problem. Even in wartime, no one having failed to complete training would be RM. He’s also enormously thick for 99%of the book but with arrogance and a puppyish enthusiasm. This would have been beaten out of the minute he joined up. Anyway it’s a good set up for future adventures.

Good start of a new WW1 spy series

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I read a review of this book in a magazine and although I'd never heard of the author, I like spy stories so gave it a go. They can some times be a bit formulaic, so my expectations were moderate but it was very good and well narrated so a great listen. The fact that the ending was a bit obvious didn't stop me listening all the way to the end and the weaving together of fiction with some of the early stories (and characters) of early MI6 made it even more interesting.

A gripping story well told

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I kept thinking it was going to pick up and take a new corner, but it stayed wedged in mediocrity and second rate plotting. Avoid.

Nonsense

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