The Bookshop of Secrets
1938. After her father’s death, Lara comes to Lisbon in search of her family history. When her handbag and passport are stolen, she takes a job at a bar, hoping to earn enough to pay her fare back to the UK. Over a year later she is still there. Then war breaks out, Lisbon fills with refugees hoping to leave continental Europe, and fares spiral.
Lisbon also swarms with English and German spies. When Lara takes a second job at a bookshop run by Bea, an eccentric Englishwoman, she comes to the attention of a British intelligence agent who seeks to use her talent as an actress to deceive the enemy with fake news. Lara quickly finds her feet in this strange milieu, and I enjoyed the banter as disparate recruits coalesced into a successful team.
There is a whiff of Casablanca in this thriller with its cast of patriots, refugees, star-crossed lovers, visiting (rather dubious) royalty, pro-fascist police and spies of every variety. Our heroine is courageous, quick-witted and principled but also inclined to run headlong into danger. Fortunately, she always emerges safely. Kerry Barrett skillfully describes the excitement of engaging in clandestine warfare and the risks of leading a double life. The ending left me wanting more—these characters are too engaging and too ingenious to disappear into the ether.
