The Traitor Beside Her - by Mary Anna Evans (Paperback)

About the Book

"Trust no one. Justine Byrne can't trust the people working beside her. She can't trust the women who live down the hall. She can't even trust the man in front of her, and she just might love him. Inside the walls of Arlington Hall, a former women's college in Virginia that has been taken over by the United States Army, hundreds of men and women sit, bent over stacks of paper. Pencils in hand, they labor to decode countless pieces of communication coming from the Axis powers. Justine works among them, handling the most sensitive secrets of World War II. But she isn't there to decipher German codes. She's there to find a traitor. It's difficult for Justine to imagine any of the cryptanalysts as a spy. They are some of the most brilliant people in America-and some of the most eccentric-and they understand the stakes: A single secret in enemy hands could end thousands of lives. Someone has decided to share the Allies' secrets anyway. Justine keeps her guard up and her ears open, confiding only in her best friend, Georgette, a native speaker of Choctaw who is training to work as a code talker. Justine tries to befriend each suspect, believing that the key to finding the spy lies not in cryptography but in understanding how code breakers tick. A frightening attack is her first clue that someone is onto her, making it clear that, along with fighting to save her country, Justine is racing a ticking clock counting down the seconds of her own life"--

Book Synopsis

"Evans's characters are vividly drawn, elevating this story and its revelations about women's little-celebrated contributions to the war effort."-- Washington Post

"An exciting read with historical tidbits, a hint of danger, and a touch of romance."-- Kirkus Reviews

The Traitor Beside Her is an intricately plotted WWII espionage novel weaving together mystery, action, friendship, and a hint of romance perfect for fans of The Rose Code and Code Name Helene.

Justine Byrne can't trust the people working beside her. Arlington Hall, a former women's college in Virginia has been taken over by the United States Army where hundreds of men and women work to decode countless pieces of communication coming from the Axis powers.

Justine works among them, handling the most sensitive secrets of World War II--but she isn't there to decipher German codes--she's there to find a traitor.

Justine keeps her guard up and her ears open, confiding only in her best friend, Georgette, a fluent speaker of Choctaw who is training to work as a code talker. Justine tries to befriend each suspect, believing that the key to finding the spy lies not in cryptography but in understanding how code breakers tick. When young women begin to go missing at Arlington Hall, her deadline for unraveling the web of secrets becomes urgent and one thing remains clear: a single secret in enemy hands could end thousands of lives.

"A fascinating and intelligent WWII home front story." --Rhys Bowen, New York Times bestselling author for The Physicists' Daughter

Review Quotes

"Evans's characters are vividly drawn, elevating this story and its revelations about women's little-celebrated contributions to the war effort." -- Washington Post

""An exciting read with historical tidbits, a hint of danger, and a touch of romance."" -- Kirkus Reviews

"The Traitor Beside Her is a well-researched wartime spy story which blends suspense with sharp characterization as Justine Byrne turns code-breaker in the hunt for a ruthless enemy agent." -- Martin Edwards, author of the Rachel Savernake and Lake District mysteries

"Mary Anna Evans' great talent in The Traitor Beside Her is to turn her readers into espionage agents....For Justine Byrne, missing or mis-interpreting a clue can be fatal. For the reader, such vicarious mystery and danger are pure enjoyment." -- Larry Baker, author of Harry and Sue

"World War II and espionage novels are popular, and [Mary Anna Evans] brings both together in a story of young women undercover on the home front." -- Library Journal