The Secretary: Women Talking review

 

As first reviews go, they don't get much better than this from Women Talking magazine. "With its rich historical detail, compelling characters, and a narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats, The Secretary is a standout addition to Cold War fiction. Deborah Lawrenson delivers a story that is both thrilling and deeply human, a tribute to unsung heroines who dared to make history from the shadows."

You can read the whole review HERE.

The reviewer Poppy Watt really understood this crucial aspect of the novel and my mother's real-life story: "Lawrenson’s portrayal of Lois is striking and refreshing. As a bright, ambitious woman navigating the male-dominated world of espionage, Lois embodies both vulnerability and strength. The story’s tension derives not only from the dangers of her mission but also from the complex gender dynamics of the time, where women like Lois were simultaneously vital and undervalued."

The Secretary

 

At long last, my work in progress is on its way to publication, out February 28th, 2025. I'm loving the moody intrigue of the cover, entirely appropriate for the 1950s setting and story. I'll be posting much more nearer the release date but for now I will trail the blurb like steam and smoke from a locomotive train waiting to set off...

"A tense Cold War spy story set in Moscow in 1958, told from the perspective of a bright young working class woman recruited to MI6 at a time when men were in charge of making history and women were expendable."

Lois Vale is sent to Russia as a secretary at the British Embassy on a deep cover MI6 counter-intelligence mission to uncover the identity of another suspected traitor in the febrile era after the (real-life) defections of Burgess and Maclean. On the train journey to Moscow from Helsinki, Lois is approached by a mysterious Russian man who knows who she is. Her assignment is already potentially compromised.