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book_concierge's review
3.0
Digital audiobook performed by Jayne Entwistle.
From the book jacket: A thrilling new World-War-II tale of a village busybody who resolves to find, and then rescue, her missing daughter. Mrs Braithwaite, the self-appointed queen of her English village, finds herself dethroned, despised, and dismissed at the age of fifty following her husband’s selfish divorce petition. She sets off to London to find the only person she has left – her clever daughter, Betty, who took work there at the first rumbles of war. But when she arrives, Betty’s landlord, Mr Norris, informs her that Betty hasn’t been home in days – and with the chaos of the bombs, there’s no telling what might have befallen her.
My reactions
What a delightful romp! Ryan writes the formidable Mrs Braithwaite so the reader has no doubt that she will prevail. She may bumble and misconstrue most clues, but she is resolute and WILL find and rescue her darling daughter. Mr Norris gets dragged into the adventure, and comes to rather like his role (and Mrs B, as well). A mother’s love knows no bounds, and my money’s on Mrs B to get the best of anyone threatening her cub!
While this is a novel of espionage and daring deeds in a time of war, and the background of the blitz adds a consistent and real danger, there are many lighter moments to lessen the tension, and the focus is really on the characters and their personal journey rather than on the war.
Jayne Entwistle does a marvelous job of narrating the audio version. She is a talented voice artist, but I couldn’t help but picture 11-year-old Flavia de Luce as I listened.
NOTE: I read this for the PBT 15th Birthday candle # 10: a book in honor of Amy. It's about WW2, a favorite theme of Amy's (and mine), and its author also wrote [b:The Chilbury Ladies' Choir|30269104|The Chilbury Ladies' Choir|Jennifer Ryan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1471277745l/30269104._SY75_.jpg|49487343], which both Amy and I loved.
From the book jacket: A thrilling new World-War-II tale of a village busybody who resolves to find, and then rescue, her missing daughter. Mrs Braithwaite, the self-appointed queen of her English village, finds herself dethroned, despised, and dismissed at the age of fifty following her husband’s selfish divorce petition. She sets off to London to find the only person she has left – her clever daughter, Betty, who took work there at the first rumbles of war. But when she arrives, Betty’s landlord, Mr Norris, informs her that Betty hasn’t been home in days – and with the chaos of the bombs, there’s no telling what might have befallen her.
My reactions
What a delightful romp! Ryan writes the formidable Mrs Braithwaite so the reader has no doubt that she will prevail. She may bumble and misconstrue most clues, but she is resolute and WILL find and rescue her darling daughter. Mr Norris gets dragged into the adventure, and comes to rather like his role (and Mrs B, as well). A mother’s love knows no bounds, and my money’s on Mrs B to get the best of anyone threatening her cub!
While this is a novel of espionage and daring deeds in a time of war, and the background of the blitz adds a consistent and real danger, there are many lighter moments to lessen the tension, and the focus is really on the characters and their personal journey rather than on the war.
Jayne Entwistle does a marvelous job of narrating the audio version. She is a talented voice artist, but I couldn’t help but picture 11-year-old Flavia de Luce as I listened.
NOTE: I read this for the PBT 15th Birthday candle # 10: a book in honor of Amy. It's about WW2, a favorite theme of Amy's (and mine), and its author also wrote [b:The Chilbury Ladies' Choir|30269104|The Chilbury Ladies' Choir|Jennifer Ryan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1471277745l/30269104._SY75_.jpg|49487343], which both Amy and I loved.
ashleysilver7's review
3.0
Ultimately, this was a story about mothers and daughters, and how far a mother will go to prove her love for her child. The story about them being spies...well, I'm not an expert on M15 or the spies in London during WWII, but this story seems very far-fetched.
Mrs. Braithe (Phyllis, we learn her name at the end) was "well born" and extremely snobbish. She was very full of herself, and was raised by her Aunt Augusta to believe they were better than others on account of their birth. However, like many "noble" families in Europe, by the 20th century a title didn't mean wealth, and really Mrs. Braithe was no different than the other people of her village.
The novel starts with Mrs. Braithe being shamed and shunned by her community, partly because of her snobbish ways, but also because her husband has left her, and she is now divorced (it was a different time...apparently if a husband leaves you, it's the woman's fault). Anyway, Mrs. Braithe doesn't want anyone in her community to tell Betty, her daughter, some secret...hence, the mother/daughter story.
Upon arriving in London where Betty is living, Mrs. Braithe discovers her daughter is missing...which would be very distressing, of course. This sets Mrs. Braithe into action, with the help of Betty's landlord, the very unassuming (and as the novel paints it, kind of dweeby) Mr. Norris. What ensues is chaos, and very unlikely. As the novel implies (this shouldn't be a spoiler), Betty is a spy for M15, and Mrs. Braithe and Mr. Norris are somehow able to rescue Betty...twice!
It's a cute novel, and an entertaining read. 3/5 stars, due to the fact that it was predictable and not at all (in my opinion) believable.
Mrs. Braithe (Phyllis, we learn her name at the end) was "well born" and extremely snobbish. She was very full of herself, and was raised by her Aunt Augusta to believe they were better than others on account of their birth. However, like many "noble" families in Europe, by the 20th century a title didn't mean wealth, and really Mrs. Braithe was no different than the other people of her village.
The novel starts with Mrs. Braithe being shamed and shunned by her community, partly because of her snobbish ways, but also because her husband has left her, and she is now divorced (it was a different time...apparently if a husband leaves you, it's the woman's fault). Anyway, Mrs. Braithe doesn't want anyone in her community to tell Betty, her daughter, some secret...hence, the mother/daughter story.
Upon arriving in London where Betty is living, Mrs. Braithe discovers her daughter is missing...which would be very distressing, of course. This sets Mrs. Braithe into action, with the help of Betty's landlord, the very unassuming (and as the novel paints it, kind of dweeby) Mr. Norris. What ensues is chaos, and very unlikely. As the novel implies (this shouldn't be a spoiler), Betty is a spy for M15, and Mrs. Braithe and Mr. Norris are somehow able to rescue Betty...twice!
It's a cute novel, and an entertaining read. 3/5 stars, due to the fact that it was predictable and not at all (in my opinion) believable.
mrsjdoc's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jacki_f's review
3.0
I adored Jennifer Ryan's first book, [b:The Chilbury Ladies' Choir|30269104|The Chilbury Ladies' Choir|Jennifer Ryan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1471277745l/30269104._SY75_.jpg|49487343] which was about the residents of an English village during WW2. This book also takes place during WW2 and has a similar warm and lightweight writing style, but it doesn't sit as well with the plot. It feels like Alexander McCall Smith decided to write a spy novel. The tone and the content don't match up.
The book begins with the formidable Mrs Braithwaite being demoted from her position as head of the local Women's Voluntary Service due to her dictatorial management style. With her husband having recently divorced her and a scandal from her past hanging over her, the villagers have decided that they no longer require her services. Mrs Braithwaite decides to travel to London to find her daughter Betty and explain everything to her directly before she hears the news from someone else. However when she arrives in London her daughter is missing and so Mrs Braithwaite determines to find her.
I didn't hate this book but it frustrated me because I was never sure whether to take it seriously or not. The characters are likeable but the story is silly. I enjoyed the parts where Mrs Braithwaite is learning to become a kinder and gentler person but the spy parts read like a spoof. The ending implies there might be a sequel but I don't think I'll be returning for it.
The book begins with the formidable Mrs Braithwaite being demoted from her position as head of the local Women's Voluntary Service due to her dictatorial management style. With her husband having recently divorced her and a scandal from her past hanging over her, the villagers have decided that they no longer require her services. Mrs Braithwaite decides to travel to London to find her daughter Betty and explain everything to her directly before she hears the news from someone else. However when she arrives in London her daughter is missing and so Mrs Braithwaite determines to find her.
I didn't hate this book but it frustrated me because I was never sure whether to take it seriously or not. The characters are likeable but the story is silly. I enjoyed the parts where Mrs Braithwaite is learning to become a kinder and gentler person but the spy parts read like a spoof. The ending implies there might be a sequel but I don't think I'll be returning for it.
retiredlibrarylady's review
4.0
I enjoyed this book immensely even as I found a lot of it entirely unbelievable. People don't change as fast as they do in this book. But the new Mrs. Braithwaite, if too perfect now, is still a lot of fun.
lisawreading's review
5.0
Jennifer Ryan is the author of The Chilbury Ladies' Choir, one of my favorite reads of the past couple of years -- and she strikes gold yet again with her newest novel, The Spies of Shilling Lane. Here, we meet the intimidating Mrs. Braithwaite, pushed out of her leadership position with her village women's volunteer corps after one too many criticisms and commands aimed at the other women. Feeling utterly rejected, Mrs. Braithwaite decides to go visit her 21-year-old daughter Betty, who left the village to take up a clerical position in London, seeking excitement and a sense of purpose during wartime.
However, when Mrs. Braithwaite arrives at Betty's lodging house, she finds out that no one has seen her daughter in at least four days, and while no one else seems particularly panicked, Mrs. Braithwaite is sure that Betty must need rescuing. And nobody stands between Mrs. Braithwaite and her daughter! She sets out to find her daughter, coercing poor Mr. Norris to help her out, and uses her cyclone energy to push, demand, and bully people into giving her information.
It turns out that her motherly instincts were indeed correct and Betty is in trouble, of a sort that Mrs. Braithwaite could not have anticipated. And despite the tumultuous, strained relationship between mother and daughter, Mrs. Braithwaite charges into action to save Betty, only to end up needing saving in return.
What follows is a rollicking adventure, full of can-do spirit as well as intrigue and double-crossing. Mrs. Braithwaite is an absolute delight as a main character. How many books do we get to read that feature a 50-something-year-old proper Englishwoman as an action hero? She is just a force of nature, and will not let anyone stand in the way of her taking care of her daughter. Of course, Betty is far from helpless, as Mrs. Braithwaite learns, and between the two of them, we see a pair of strong women whose courage makes a difference in the British war effort.
The Spies of Shilling Lane has a light-hearted feel at times, as the action sequences aren't simply smooth Jame Bond maneuvers, but rather are full of errors and accidents and fumbling about. Mrs. Braithwaite and Mr. Norris are such an unlikely pair of secret agents, tracking down clues, picking locks, and befriending the local criminal element, all in pursuit of a rather nasty bunch of evil-doers. At the same time, the reflections on the mother-daughter relationship, the pressures of societal expectations, and the damage that can be done by overbearing family members are all well described and add resonance to the characters' feelings and reactions.
It's also incredibly harrowing and moving to see the air raids and the devastation that results, and I first found myself really loving Mrs. Braithwaite because of her interactions with an injured young woman whom she discovers as she's searching for Betty.
All in all, I'd say that The Spies of Shilling Lane is an excellent look at remarkable women during wartime. There are plenty of moments that made me smile, as well as scenes of tension and suspense. Mrs. Braithwaite is so delightful -- I'd love to read about more of her adventures!
If you enjoy women-centered historical fiction, definitely check this one out!
Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. Full review at Bookshelf Fantasies.
However, when Mrs. Braithwaite arrives at Betty's lodging house, she finds out that no one has seen her daughter in at least four days, and while no one else seems particularly panicked, Mrs. Braithwaite is sure that Betty must need rescuing. And nobody stands between Mrs. Braithwaite and her daughter! She sets out to find her daughter, coercing poor Mr. Norris to help her out, and uses her cyclone energy to push, demand, and bully people into giving her information.
It turns out that her motherly instincts were indeed correct and Betty is in trouble, of a sort that Mrs. Braithwaite could not have anticipated. And despite the tumultuous, strained relationship between mother and daughter, Mrs. Braithwaite charges into action to save Betty, only to end up needing saving in return.
What follows is a rollicking adventure, full of can-do spirit as well as intrigue and double-crossing. Mrs. Braithwaite is an absolute delight as a main character. How many books do we get to read that feature a 50-something-year-old proper Englishwoman as an action hero? She is just a force of nature, and will not let anyone stand in the way of her taking care of her daughter. Of course, Betty is far from helpless, as Mrs. Braithwaite learns, and between the two of them, we see a pair of strong women whose courage makes a difference in the British war effort.
The Spies of Shilling Lane has a light-hearted feel at times, as the action sequences aren't simply smooth Jame Bond maneuvers, but rather are full of errors and accidents and fumbling about. Mrs. Braithwaite and Mr. Norris are such an unlikely pair of secret agents, tracking down clues, picking locks, and befriending the local criminal element, all in pursuit of a rather nasty bunch of evil-doers. At the same time, the reflections on the mother-daughter relationship, the pressures of societal expectations, and the damage that can be done by overbearing family members are all well described and add resonance to the characters' feelings and reactions.
It's also incredibly harrowing and moving to see the air raids and the devastation that results, and I first found myself really loving Mrs. Braithwaite because of her interactions with an injured young woman whom she discovers as she's searching for Betty.
All in all, I'd say that The Spies of Shilling Lane is an excellent look at remarkable women during wartime. There are plenty of moments that made me smile, as well as scenes of tension and suspense. Mrs. Braithwaite is so delightful -- I'd love to read about more of her adventures!
If you enjoy women-centered historical fiction, definitely check this one out!
Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. Full review at Bookshelf Fantasies.
blogginboutbooks's review
4.0
There are very few WWII books I would describe as "fun"; this is one of them. Although it's not without its poignant moments, THE SPIES OF SHILLING LANE is mostly a madcap adventure story starring an indomitable village matron and her timid, unwitting sidekick. The tale is lively and fun, but it's also gently thought-provoking. I loved it. I'd give it 4 1/2 stars if I could.
marilynw's review against another edition
4.0
The Spies of Shilling Lane
by Jennifer Ryan, Jayne Entwistle (Narrator)
I had to give my brain a little adjustment in order to take in The Spies of Shilling Lane. The other three books I've read by this author seem more serious than this one which is odd since this one actually concerns spies, torture, and all sorts of betrayals. But once I got my mind around the fact that Mrs. Braithwaite and her accidental partner in danger and deception, Mr. Norris, were going to be mostly bumbling successes, I just went with the flow. These two are the stars of the show and even much higher ups will come to realize that fact, eventually.
Mrs. Braithwaite is a bull in a china closet kind of person while Mr. Norris is a meek mouse of a man but when they come together it's as if their differences turn them into almost unstoppable avengers. At first glance, they are not characters I'd enjoy at all, but in this case, they made me laugh, they actually are pretty good at laughing at themselves, and they were fun for me to be around when they are together. You see, Mrs. Braithwaite has to find and save her daughter, and sometimes Mr. Norris has to find and save Mrs. Braithwaite, and through it all she finds it in her heart to be a kinder person and he finds it in himself to do what a hero needs to do, more than once.
This is the coziest, most lighthearted, WW II historical fiction that I remember reading. For that reason, in the most dire and dangerous of situations, there will be long heart to heart talks that never would make sense in real life, in the settings where they take place. Lots of chatting and revisiting the past in the most unlikely situations. Lots of Mrs Braithwaite and Mr Norris trotting off to save the world (or at least, her daughter). Almost no sense that one needs to get a move on when death is staring one in the face. It's a go with the flow type of story, not for everyone, but I was entertained. I couldn't take the story seriously but it's the hint of comedy that made this work for me.
Pub June 4, 2019 by Random House Audio
by Jennifer Ryan, Jayne Entwistle (Narrator)
I had to give my brain a little adjustment in order to take in The Spies of Shilling Lane. The other three books I've read by this author seem more serious than this one which is odd since this one actually concerns spies, torture, and all sorts of betrayals. But once I got my mind around the fact that Mrs. Braithwaite and her accidental partner in danger and deception, Mr. Norris, were going to be mostly bumbling successes, I just went with the flow. These two are the stars of the show and even much higher ups will come to realize that fact, eventually.
Mrs. Braithwaite is a bull in a china closet kind of person while Mr. Norris is a meek mouse of a man but when they come together it's as if their differences turn them into almost unstoppable avengers. At first glance, they are not characters I'd enjoy at all, but in this case, they made me laugh, they actually are pretty good at laughing at themselves, and they were fun for me to be around when they are together. You see, Mrs. Braithwaite has to find and save her daughter, and sometimes Mr. Norris has to find and save Mrs. Braithwaite, and through it all she finds it in her heart to be a kinder person and he finds it in himself to do what a hero needs to do, more than once.
This is the coziest, most lighthearted, WW II historical fiction that I remember reading. For that reason, in the most dire and dangerous of situations, there will be long heart to heart talks that never would make sense in real life, in the settings where they take place. Lots of chatting and revisiting the past in the most unlikely situations. Lots of Mrs Braithwaite and Mr Norris trotting off to save the world (or at least, her daughter). Almost no sense that one needs to get a move on when death is staring one in the face. It's a go with the flow type of story, not for everyone, but I was entertained. I couldn't take the story seriously but it's the hint of comedy that made this work for me.
Pub June 4, 2019 by Random House Audio