A DARK AND DEADLY JOURNEY

In the heat of World War II, a wry spy solves multiple mysteries, both personal and criminal.

November 20, 1940. British special agent Evelyne Redfern, who tells her own story in an effervescent first person, is surprised to receive a package from her estranged father, Sir Reginald, especially since the postmark identifying its origin seems to be Portuguese. Inside are the key to a safe deposit box and the address where it can be found, written in invisible ink. When she finds the box, a letter from her father tells her where to deliver the chest she’ll find inside. On no account, her father warns, is she to open the chest, advice that she unsurprisingly ignores. Inside are jewels, which may be precious. Fortuitously, Evelyne receives an assignment from her handler, the prim Mrs. White, to find missing informant James Winn in (where else?) Portugal. Evelyne and her partner, David Poole, hop on a plane. As if the plot of Evelyne’s third adventure were not front-loaded enough, yet another mystery arrives in the form of a corpse on the plane. Naturally, the victim, Senhor Jessup, is connected to Evelyne and David’s mission, though the nature of that connection will long remain shadowy. For all these twists, the dominant note is struck by the duo’s nonstop banter as they ricochet from one Portuguese destination to the next. One might almost forget the wartime backdrop were it not for the occasional reference to Nazis and Hitler. Unraveling the mysteries is far less important than enjoying the duo’s badinage. Meanwhile, an ominous figure whose identity is never discovered looms over all. This, and Kelly’s cliffhanger ending, indicate more adventures to come.

A brisk espionage romp with Portuguese paraphernalia.