Julia Kelly is known to those who have read her previous books as someone who not only does meticulous research, but also writes compelling historical fiction about fascinating moments in time with a style that is both engaging and thrilling, and always thoughtful.

A TRAITOR IN WHITEHALL is Kelly’s first book in what promises to be a series of mysteries that are set during WWII England. It takes place in London, in the underground offices of government at Whitehall. The staff works in shifts and sleeps there so they won’t have to worry about bomb sirens and being unable to get to the office because of bombings and closed roads. The prologue immerses us in the action immediately as female sleuth Evelyne Redfern comes across a recently murdered coworker. Instead of screaming and running out of the room, she goes to examine the body, at which point the light is turned off and the door is locked.

"When Evie and David...finally solve the mystery, largely thanks to Evie's literary skills and knowledge, there's no letdown but rather a feeling of satisfaction at how well it all worked out. There are so many threads and links that don't make sense until we see it all laid out."

Now that Kelly knows she has our undivided attention, she goes back 11 days to show us how Evie came to work for the government in wartime. She had an extremely unfulfilling job at an ordnance factory filling missiles. We learn that Evie was called "The Parisian Orphan"; although both her parents were very much alive, they were in a fierce, much publicized court battle for custody of her. Her mother raised her in France, and her father, a notorious playboy, adventurer and author, wanted her in England. The battle ended when Evie found her mother, dead, in their apartment. Investigators said it was suicide, and even though she insisted that her mother would not have done that, no one listened. So when the same thing happens when Evie discovers the dead secretary, she is determined to do some investigating on her own.

Luckily, Evie is able to find the light switch, and by yelling and screaming, she attracts the attention of David Poole, a minister's aide, who unlocks the door and goes to get the military police. He leaves her guarding the body, and she uses this time to search for evidence utilizing methods she has read about in her murder mystery novels.

Evie is very quick-witted and has the ability to ask just the right questions to get people talking about things they didn’t really mean to share. This talent becomes invaluable when she and David collaborate to try to determine if the murder has anything to do with the recent leak of top-secret information to the Germans.

One of Kelly's strengths is creating a cast of characters who are unique enough that we remember their names and who they are. In this novel, we see how masterfully she lays out the clues, producing some that are actually red herrings in reverse. In addition to the staff at Whitehall, we learn about Evie's best friend, Moira, and her Aunt Amelia. While her father doesn't make an appearance, there's enough dodgy information about him that we can expect they will cross paths in at least one future mystery.

When Evie and David --- who, for almost the entire novel, remain "Miss Redfern" and "Mr. Poole" --- finally solve the mystery, largely thanks to Evie's literary skills and knowledge, there's no letdown but rather a feeling of satisfaction at how well it all worked out. There are so many threads and links that don't make sense until we see it all laid out. I can't wait to read about their next adventure.