The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

This was a very fun book to read--mystery, intrigue, action, spying, sex, and love! I learned of the Alice Network for the first time from this book--much of the story and history are indeed real, with plenty, especially the main characters, being fictional. This group of spies during WWI was headed by Louise de Bettignies, and she is Eve's boss during WWI in the book. I'd not known she was a real person until after reading this, and it has been a delight to find out more about such a fascinating woman.

The book itself is terrific--it moves in alternating chapters telling the story of Eve, an old, burned out, and emotionally destroyed spy from the Alice Network, and Charlie, a young woman in search of a lost cousin who is running from her family and her "Little Problem". Both women experience emotional upheaval and transformation during this "road trip" to find the past. Excellent pace, characters, detail, and dialog. If you like historic fiction narratives, this is an excellent choice!

Recommended by Cynthia Lambert
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