‘The Alice Network’ Introduces Readers to the Great War’s Mysterious Female Spy Ring [REVIEW]

A young woman returns to Europe after the war in search of her cousin, only to discover the truth about a little known female spy ring known as “The Alice Network” in Kate Quinn’s new novel. (Photo courtesy William Morrow)

An American college student can’t believe that her favorite relative is dead, so she takes matters into her own hands and goes in search of her cousin in post-World War II London. However, the questions she has aren’t so easily answered and soon she learns much more than she bargained for in Kate Quinn’s new historical novel, The Alice Network. 

William Morrow

It’s 1947 and Charlie St. Clair is the black sheep of her family. Pregnant and unwed, she wishes desperately that she could talk with her cousin Rose about it all, but Rose disappeared in Nazi-occupied France in the midst of the war, and no one has heard from her since. Charlie’s family tried to find her, but it is two years since the war ended and no one has heard from her.

When Charlie’s mother takes her to Switzerland to get her Little Problem taken care of, Charlie siezes the opportunity and ditches her proper French Maman and boards a train to London. Confident that Rose is still alive, she follows one last clue which leads her to the doorstep of a very cranky woman named Eve Gardiner. Eve reluctantly helps Charlie in her search, and soon we discover how Eve was recruited as a spy for “The Alice Network” in 1915, during the Great War. Together, Charlie and Eve launch a full scale search for Rose and the truth about her disappearance.

This is a novel that is absorbing, mesmerizing, and compulsively readable. It alternately tells the stories of two very different women who are both much stronger than they initially appear. Charlie is scared and determined, and Eve has always been ready for a fight. Both are haunted, yet when they forge an alliance they soon become an unstoppable force to be reckoned with.

I love how deftly Quinn captures the essence of these two turbulent eras. She makes us feel the danger, has us biting our nails as we inevitably find ourselves cheering on both women, each determined to find truth no matter the cost. Of course, the source story of the female spy ring is riveting in its own merit. But as the fictitious version unfolds like a delicate origame flower, we remember just how strong women are, and how tenacious and strong they can be. This book vividly reminds us just how capable women are.

Thus The Alice Network is a must read this summer for anyone who loves fiction set against one of the most turbulent eras of our recent past or stories populated by strong female leads who are just as savvy as they are shrewd. By turns this book is both thrilling and devastating, yet always beautifully crafted. Quinn is a master storyteller with an eye for detail, an ear for dialogue,and a knack for making us care about the people she creates. Don’t let the summer slip away until you lose yourself in the pages of this brilliant book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kate Quinn
(Photo by Kate Furek)

Kate Quinn is a native of Southern California. She attended Boston University, where she earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in classical voice.

A lifelong history buff, she has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga and two books set in the Italian Renaissance detailing the early years of the infamous Borgia clan. All have been translated into multiple languages.

She and her husband now live in Maryland with two black dogs named Caesar and Calpurnia. Visit Kate at her home on the Web, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

THE ALICE NETWORK
By Kate Quinn
528 pgs. William Morrow. $16.99

You may purchase The Alice Network at one of these fine online retailers: HarperCollins, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

The Alice Network is brought to you in association with TLC Book Tours.

Want to know more? Watch Kate Quinn chat with bloggers about the book and answer some burning questions!