Perfect for fans of Kate Quinn, Marie Benedict, and Pam Jenoff and
inspired by true stories of the heroic librarian spies of WWII, the new
book from the internationally bestselling author of Churchill's Secret
Messenger transports readers from the New York Public Library to
Portugal's city of espionage in a thrilling, riveting tale.
An American librarian. A Portuguese bookseller. A mission to change the
tide of the war.
1942: With the war's outcome hanging in the balance, President Roosevelt
sends an unlikely new taskforce on a unique mission. They are librarians
and microfilm specialists trained in espionage, working with a special
branch of the Office of Strategic Services and deployed to neutral
cities throughout Europe. By acquiring and scouring Axis newspapers,
books, technical manuals, and periodicals, the librarians can gather
information about troop location, weaponry, and military plans.
Maria Alves, a microfilm expert working at the New York Public Library,
is dispatched to Lisbon, where she meticulously photographs publications
and sends the film to London to be analyzed. Working in tandem with
Tiago Soares, a Portuguese bookstore owner on a precarious mission of
his own--providing Jewish refugees with forged passports and
visas--Maria acquires vital information, including a directory of arms
factories in Germany.
But as she and Tiago grow closer, any future together is jeopardized
when Maria's superiors ask her to pose as a double agent, feeding
misinformation to Lars Steiger, a wealthy Swiss banker and Nazi
sympathizer who launders Hitler's gold. Gaining Lars' trust will bring
Maria into the very heart of the Fuhrer's inner circle. And it will
provide her with a chance to help steer the course of war, if she is
willing to take risks as great as the possible rewards . . .
"A must-read, especially for fans of Kate Quinn's The Rose Code."--
firstCLUE, Starred Review
