When you think of spies, do you think of glamorous outfits, fancy gadgets, and intriguing parties?
While that may be what we’ve seen in movies or on TV, these three historical spy novels take a much more realistic approach to spies and it’s not always as glamorous as it appears. The characters face betrayals, interrogations, arrests, and much more as they fight for their lives and their country’s freedom. The storylines of these novels were based on real women spies and real situations they found themselves in.
Continue reading to learn more about these wartime spies, their real-life counterparts, and their stories, which will keep you guessing until the last page.
If you’re participating in the Crazy4Fiction Reading Challenge, pick one of these books to fulfill the historical with spies prompt!
The Spy Keeper of Marseille
By Roseanna M. White
World War II
After her husband is killed in the war, Zelie focuses on securing a brighter future for her children, hoping to help free her country from the Nazi regime by joining the Resistance. She is soon one of the most trusted operatives in Alliance, and when their leader is imprisoned, she takes command, hiding her identity from all but a few. With enemies closing in, Zelie must earn the trust of her network and prove herself to those who doubt a woman’s place at the helm of France’s largest spy ring.
Roseanna says in her guest post about the novel that Zelie is based on the real-life leader of Alliance, Marie-Madeleine Fourcade. She worked to build an intelligence network in occupied France during World War II and kept it operational until the end of the war.
Code Name Edelweiss
By Stephanie Landsem
World War II
When Liesl loses her job at MGM, her only choice is to work with Leon Lewis and the mysterious Agent Thirteen to spy on her friends and neighbors in her German American community. What Leon and his spies find is more chilling—and more dangerous—than any of them suspected.
As Stephanie mentions in her author note, Leon Lewis was the real-life leader of a spy network that infiltrated a contingent of Nazi-sympathizers looking to overtake Hollywood and use it for their own propaganda. He had female spies in his network, including his own daughter, attending social events and reporting back on what they saw and heard.
The Tea Chest
By Heidi Chiavaroli
Revolutionary War
Emma Malcolm’s father is staunchly loyal to the crown, but Emma’s heart belongs to Noah Winslow, a lowly printer’s assistant and Patriot. After she is drawn into the treasonous Boston Tea Party, Emma realizes she must do whatever it takes to protect those she loves, even if it means giving up the life she desires.
Heidi details out the inspiration for the historical storyline in this dual-timeline novel in her author’s note. Included in that is a mention of female spies during the Revolutionary War and historical figure Sarah Bradlee Fulton, who was connected to the events of the Boston Tea Party.
