The Librarians of Lisbon
During World War II, Portugal remained officially neutral, making it fertile territory for spies from both sides. The Americans were no exception, training people from all walks of life in spycraft at “The Farm” before sending them overseas. In this book, friends Bea (librarian) and Selene (secretary) are inserted into jobs in Lisbon.
Selene, with her high society background and beauty, is given the task of infiltrating the upper-class mistresses with the goal of finding who’s betraying important refugees to the Nazis.
Bea thinks her day job of microfilming and cataloguing important books and papers is her war contribution. But soon her photographic memory and codebreaking skills are put to use for something greater—and more dangerous.
With handsome men as love interests for both women, the friends’ storylines follow enemies-to-lovers tropes. I would have preferred more spycraft and less romance, but other readers may feel differently. With a wealth of historical research and attention to detail, it’s an enjoyable read. I especially appreciated the comprehensive back matter explaining the various missions and spies that formed the inspiration for this book. This author writes books for a range of ages. This one is for adults and does include graphic sex scenes as well as violence.
