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A review by fazila
A Beautiful Spy by Rachel Hore
2.0
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FR REVIEW :
DISCLAIMER : Thank you, Simon & Schuster UK for providing me with an ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Rachel Hore's A Beautiful Spy tells us the story of an ordinary young woman from Edgbaston, who changes her destiny by working as a spy for the British Government. Young Minnie is expected to get married, start a family, and live happily in the role of a house-wife. But she has other plans. She doesn't want to live an ordinary life, with no excitement. So when a friend offers the chance to be something more and work for a cause, she jumps at the opportunity. Minnie is recruited by MI5 as a spy to monitor the activities of the communists in London. She works with all of her heart and puts all of her efforts into being the best agent possible. Slowly the stress of leading her double life takes a toll on her and makes it impossible to work. With the dangers of her being exposed, she needs to manage her career and keep the mask in place. Will she succeed? Is she going to be in danger from the communists?
The story is based on the true story of Olga Gray, a spy who worked for Maxwell Knight in the 1930s. Her work is the reason justice was done was meted out in the case of the traitorous Percy Glading. I was very much thrilled to learn about the story as it was an intriguing tale of a strong and brave woman who worked in extremely dangerous situations. While A Beautiful Spy is a fictional account of the real-life story, it didn't fall through in bringing out the character's reality or her personality effectively, in my opinion. I liked the premise of the book. There were some really interesting plot points and events that I found to be extremely intriguing. I liked the exploration of the different aspects like stress, relationships, dangers.
Overall, I wasn't happy with the book. I wanted to like the character and connect with her. It didn't happen. So, this is more of a personal preference. I have seen a lot of people say good things about this book. My issue was mainly the execution of the story and I didn't connect with the character much. I gave the book 2.5 stars and I am really disappointed I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. Having said that, don't let my rating be the reason you don't pick it up. If you like historical fiction and character-driven stories, make sure to check this one out. The story is inspired by a real-life spy and her involvement in the takedown of Percy Glading in the 1930s.
FOLLOW ME ON : TWITTER INSTAGRAM
FR REVIEW :
DISCLAIMER : Thank you, Simon & Schuster UK for providing me with an ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Rachel Hore's A Beautiful Spy tells us the story of an ordinary young woman from Edgbaston, who changes her destiny by working as a spy for the British Government. Young Minnie is expected to get married, start a family, and live happily in the role of a house-wife. But she has other plans. She doesn't want to live an ordinary life, with no excitement. So when a friend offers the chance to be something more and work for a cause, she jumps at the opportunity. Minnie is recruited by MI5 as a spy to monitor the activities of the communists in London. She works with all of her heart and puts all of her efforts into being the best agent possible. Slowly the stress of leading her double life takes a toll on her and makes it impossible to work. With the dangers of her being exposed, she needs to manage her career and keep the mask in place. Will she succeed? Is she going to be in danger from the communists?
The story is based on the true story of Olga Gray, a spy who worked for Maxwell Knight in the 1930s. Her work is the reason justice was done was meted out in the case of the traitorous Percy Glading. I was very much thrilled to learn about the story as it was an intriguing tale of a strong and brave woman who worked in extremely dangerous situations. While A Beautiful Spy is a fictional account of the real-life story, it didn't fall through in bringing out the character's reality or her personality effectively, in my opinion. I liked the premise of the book. There were some really interesting plot points and events that I found to be extremely intriguing. I liked the exploration of the different aspects like stress, relationships, dangers.
Overall, I wasn't happy with the book. I wanted to like the character and connect with her. It didn't happen. So, this is more of a personal preference. I have seen a lot of people say good things about this book. My issue was mainly the execution of the story and I didn't connect with the character much. I gave the book 2.5 stars and I am really disappointed I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. Having said that, don't let my rating be the reason you don't pick it up. If you like historical fiction and character-driven stories, make sure to check this one out. The story is inspired by a real-life spy and her involvement in the takedown of Percy Glading in the 1930s.