The Secretary by Deborah Lawrenson

Dear friends. Today I'm on the blog tour for a book that's exciting on several levels, The Secretary by Deborah Lawrenson.

It's a thriller set in Moscow in the late 1950s, and centred, unusually, around a female "spy" at a time when they didn't officially exist. It's based on the real-life diary of the author's mother.

Join Is This Mutton on the blog tour for spy thriller The Secretary by Deborah Lawrenson, based on the real-life experience of her mother in the 1950s.

Publisher's Description

Moscow, 1958. At the height of the Cold War, MI6 secretary Lois Vale is on a deep cover mission to identify a diplomatic traitor. She can trust only one man: Johann, a German journalist also working covertly for the British secret service. As the trail leads to Vienna and the Black Sea, Lois and Johann begin an affair but as love grows, so does the danger to Lois.

A tense Cold War spy story 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.

Authentic and historical details are provided by the 1958 diary kept in Moscow by the author’s mother Joy, who worked for British intelligence.

My Thoughts

I’m always fascinated to read stories about pioneering women, based on truth. In her afterword, author Deborah explains how the novel is based on her mother Joy's experiences in 1958. Joy died as a young woman and it wasn’t until Deborah found her cache of creative writing and diary that she realised her mother had hoped to become a writer.

Lawrenson says: “As we were growing up, my mother made sure my sister Helen and I knew that she thought satisfying careers for girls were far more important than finding husbands.”

Joy worked nominally as the personal assistant to the Minister at the British Embassy in Moscow and was previously in The Hague. She received an unexpected proposal by telegram from London and married Stan, nearly six years younger, six weeks later.

Deborah says she grew up with their stories of bugged apartments and stormy romance trailed by the KGB.

In the book, Lois goes to Moscow ostensibly as a secretary. But she has been hand picked by Miss Harcourt to try to identify a rogue diplomat. None of her colleagues are aware of her mission. If she is exposed, Lois knows she will be punished as a Russian spy.

The book offers a fascinating glimpse into diplomatic life in Moscow in the 50s. The staff worked hard during the day and partied in the evenings at glittering functions and parties. Access is provided to “dachas” used by the embassy for rest and recreation.

The British embassy staff are routinely followed throughout the day and night. They are not allowed to fraternise with ordinary Russian citizens. Lois finds the social life important for making contacts, helping her to understand why certain incidents happen, such as the discovery of a man’s body on the ice, described as a suicide.

On one occasion Lois and her companions are joined by the England football team. “Lois found herself talking to two northern lads called Brian Clough and Bobby Charlton, after Rory had engaged them in a lengthy and forensic discussion of match tactics and league games the previous season. Rory was confident and clearly enjoying the opportunity, while the players seemed to appreciate the conversation, young Clough in particular, who confided he had been nervous about attending a party given by stuffy diplomats.”

The stress of life in Moscow is evidenced by the number of people who become anxious or depressed, among them Lois’s flatmate who becomes suspicious about her activities

Lois, working with Johann, is sent to destinations including Vienna where the pace quickens. She becomes involved in a terrifying incident involving a Russian spy.

Famous names such as Kim Philby, Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean, give the narrative added gravitas and authenticity.

About the Author

Deborah Lawrenson spent her childhood moving around the world with diplomatic service parents, from Kuwait to China, Belgium, Luxembourg and Singapore. She read English at Cambridge University and worked as a journalist in London. She has written eight novels and her writing is praised for its vivid sense of place. The Art of Falling was a WHSmith Fresh Talent pick in 2005. The Lantern was published to critical acclaim in the USA, chosen for the Channel4 TV Book Club in the UK and shortlisted for Romantic Novel of the Year 2012. Her novel 300 Days of Sun, set in Portugal, was selected as a Great Group Read for the WNBA National Reading Group Month in October 2016 in the USA. Her novels have been translated into twelve languages.