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tfpjr492's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The White Lady by Jacqueline Winspear is an action novel with the main character Elinor White, who has training and experience as a spy in the two world wars. A large part of the story details her experiences as a child spy in occupied Belgium during WWI and as a behind-the-lines operator inserted under cover of darkness into occupied Belgium during WWII. She has natural talents with firearms and foreign languages. She is trained to leverage normal fears into intensified awareness during high-pressure situations.
These experiences have prepared her for a new challenge in post-war Britain. She endeavors to adapt to a simple and slower lifestyle in rural Britain. She appears aloof and mysterious to her neighbors, but Elinor is keenly observant of their daily lives.
“And how did Elinor know all this? Because she made it her business to know. Just as she knew the butcher was fiddling the books and his customers, just as she knew Mrs. Butler at the tea shop in Shacklehurst was a receiver of black market goods.”
Elinor is drawn into the affairs of an organized crime family. In the course of her inquiries and investigation into the crime family, she learns new insights about her traumatic and mysterious past. This book is recommended for readers, who enjoy a spy tale combined with some episodes of an organized criminal enterprise.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Sexual assault, Violence, Death of parent, and War
jhbandcats's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I have loved the Maisie Dobbs series and was happy to see there’s a new book by Winspear even if it isn’t Maisie.
I just finished reading the first three books of a poorly written trilogy by a different author - I should have quit after the first. So from the first page of The White Lady I was happy knowing I was in Winspear’s capable hands. Her writing is smooth and informative without being didactic, her characters are often endearing, and her plots are inevitably intriguing.
The sections on the Great War and WWII were especially strong, the postwar story not as much. The ending seemed very unlikely; there were other ways it could have gone which would have been more realistic within the context. That said, I’ll read anything Winspear writes - she’s that good.
So, I’d recommend this novel but with a caveat about the last few chapters.
I just finished reading the first three books of a poorly written trilogy by a different author - I should have quit after the first. So from the first page of The White Lady I was happy knowing I was in Winspear’s capable hands. Her writing is smooth and informative without being didactic, her characters are often endearing, and her plots are inevitably intriguing.
The sections on the Great War and WWII were especially strong, the postwar story not as much. The ending seemed very unlikely; there were other ways it could have gone which would have been more realistic within the context. That said, I’ll read anything Winspear writes - she’s that good.
So, I’d recommend this novel but with a caveat about the last few chapters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, War, and Classism
troxelm's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child death, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, and War
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