In The White Lady, celebrated novelist Jacqueline Winspear (of the Maisie Dobbs series) introduces a triumphant new heroine—Elinor White, a British ex-spy who fought through both world wars and now leads a quiet, retired existence in rural Kent. The novel opens in 1947 with an introduction to the Mackie family, a sweet couple and their baby girl who live on the farm next door to Elinor. Although Elinor usually keeps to herself, she can’t resist the smile of little Susie Mackie, and soon finds herself becoming friends with the mother, Rose, and her husband, Jim. To Elinor’s dismay, it comes to the surface that Jim’s estranged family runs one of the most powerful crime rings in London—a life that Jim left behind years ago—and now that the family needs his skills for a big job, they’re insisting he come back into the fold… and they won’t take no for an answer. Dusting off her espionage skills, Elinor takes on the Mackie family like a new assignment, determined to keep Jim, Rose, and Susie safe and somehow bring justice to the bullies in London. But working closely with her former colleagues at Scotland Yard brings up all sorts of painful memories from a past that Elinor prefers to keep buried, from her underground work in Belgium during WWI to her undercover work in France during WWII, and she’ll have to confront her old ghosts in order to finish the job she’s started.
The White Lady is the epitome of fall reading. There’s nothing cozier than a historical wartime setting, except maybe a stalwart heroine and a suspense-filled investigation, and this book boasts all three. I loved Elinor White; she’s quiet, direct, and always two steps ahead of everyone else, and seeing her put men in their place—whether condescending officers or violent gangsters—was highly satisfying. I also really enjoyed the way Winspear creates such a comprehensive portrait of Elinor by telling her current story in conjunction with her memories. Every other chapter jumps from Kent, 1947 to a period from Elinor’s past, so that the reader understands how all these formative, traumatic experiences led her to be the justice-seeking woman she is today. Plus, there’s an added layer of suspense when clues from her past start to inform the current Mackie investigation. The White Lady feels classic in form yet highly inventive in plot, and I enjoyed every second—my fingers are crossed that Winspear continues Elinor’s story in a series.
I’d recommend this book to…
- Anyone interested in espionage, mystery, and strong female characters… it’s similar in theme to The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
- Anyone who loves solving a mystery side by side with a comforting protagonist… it’s similar in style to Still Life by Louise Penny
- Anyone looking for something nostalgic and surprising… it’s similar in tone to The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont
