THE TRAITOR BESIDE HER

Two young women work to root out spies on the homefront in 1944.

Justine Byrne, who’s already used the knowledge of physics she learned from her parents to stop industrial espionage, is working as a welder at the Washington Navy Yard in an effort to catch more spies. She’s partnered with Jerry Jenkins and Paul, his mysterious boss, who’ve shepherded her and her best friend, Georgette, through a rapid course on spycraft; the stint at the Navy Yard is intended to show her how much she still has to learn. Soon Justine is sent to Arlington Hall, the headquarters of an operation to intercept, decrypt, and translate enemy messages, where it’s hoped that her excellent German and knowledge of code-breaking will help her find the spy or spies. As Samantha Ogletree, she’s supposed to be an assistant to Dr. Edison van Dorn, who leads the German section, but her plans quickly change when Dr. Karl Becker recognizes her as the daughter of his old friends Isabel and Gerard Byrne, rendering her disguise useless. Working for Karl—who thinks she’s been sent in as his assistant—actually puts Justine in a better position to meet and interact with potential spies, and Paul loses no time in bringing in Georgette to take over the job with van Dorn. Any number of Justine’s co-workers are acting suspiciously, and at least two of them take a romantic interest in her. After several women who live in the dorm vanish and one of them turns up murdered, the roommates realize they’re in danger of sharing the same fate unless they can uncover the truth.

An exciting read with historical tidbits, a hint of danger, and a touch of romance.