A Beautiful Spy by Rachel Hore

Minnie Gray is an ordinary young woman.
She is also a spy for the British government.

It all began in the summer of 1928...

Minnie is supposed to find a nice man, get married and have children. The problem is it doesn’t appeal to her at all. She is working as a secretary, but longs to make a difference.

Then, one day, she gets her chance. She is recruited by the British government as a spy. Under strict instructions not to tell anyone, not even her family, she moves to London and begins her mission – to infiltrate the Communist movement.

She soon gains the trust of important leaders. But as she grows more and more entangled in the workings of the movement, her job becomes increasingly dangerous. Leading a double life is starting to take its toll on her relationships and, feeling more isolated than ever, she starts to wonder how this is all going to end. The Russians are notorious for ruthlessly disposing of people given the slightest suspicion.

What if they find out?

About the author.

Rachel Hore worked in London publishing for many years before moving with her family to Norwich, where she taught publishing and creative writing at the University of East Anglia before becoming a full-time writer. She is married to the writer D. J. Taylor and they have three sons.

Review

’A Beautiful Spy’ is a haunting, evoking look at the life of a young woman turned spy that certainly ticked all the right boxes. I didn’t realise until I was reading the author bits at the end that this was based on the a true story. It certainly was an authentic portrayal of a life that was caught up in different layers of intrigue and the tolls that must take on your mental health.

Minne Gray is an ordinary woman who is finding life in the suburbs of Birmingham unfulfilling. Her mother is involved with the Conservative Party and finds herself helping out at a fete day. A meeting with a woman there changes the whole course of her life. She ends up being recruited to work for the government, moving to London and starting to infiltrate the communist movement. But as she begins to become friendly with these people are they actually as bad as they seem?

As a fan of historical fiction that is set in the interwar years I knew that this was going to be right up my street and it certainly surpassed my already lofty expectations. It’s showed a world I hadn’t really thought of. Certainly, I knew the government was extremely scared of a communist uprising taking place in Britain, especially as workers rights came more to the fore of political battles. It saw the growth of the Labour Party who formed their first government in 1924. Lloyd George, of the Liberal Party, in 1919 started a universal right to a pension. It was a time of great social change and yes communism definitely did rise in popularity, especially among the working classes. Most towns and cities had a place where people were able to meet and exchange ideas on Marxism, socialism and communism. I’m sure the government was afraid of what would happen and the newly established intelligence services were an attempt to stymy this movement. However, I must state for the record that the majority of people were law abiding and were just genuine in their want to better their lives.

Minnie as a character was fantastic. She was capable, brave and resourceful. But more than anything she was authentic and this was due to the fantastic writing from Rachel. Minnie showed vulnerability, doubts and reliance on her handler. I did love he was called M - in my head he was a male Judi Dench 😀. Her challenges in coping as she got deeper and deeper into her brief were extremely well described. The fears of being caught, the imposter syndrome, the desire to quit coupled with the desire to help out, the desire not to let her handler and country down.

This book was an excellent look at the simmering inter war period and the governments attempt to counter the spread of communism and the rise of workers awareness. It was also Rachel’s attention to details as well that enriched this book so much, as all the historical details were spot on. But it was more a portrait into a young woman’s life and her fears and aspirations. It’s an authentic character study placed in an historical fiction setting. I was so happy with the resolution of Minnie’s story. I absolutely, now want to read more about the life of the who inspired this book and that is the sign of a great historical fiction writer. They have grabbed your attention and wetted an appetite to a degree where you want to find out more!

‘A Beautiful Spy’ is out now and is well worth your time! Let me know if you pick this book up and what you think!