The Secret Detective Agency, by Helena Dixon

 Publication March 27, 2025

It's a good thing I took the dog out for her walk before I started reading or I'd have had a very cranky dog. While it wasn't my plan, I found myself reading it straight through with only periodic breaks (I mean, my dog insists on her treats and cannot be ignored) and thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it, even if main character Jane Treen is very obviously a cat person. While I was a bit taken aback by Jane's chain smoking and seeming lack of consideration for others, such as worsening Arthur's asthma by smoking, I found myself liking her focused, albeit often prickly personality. Being on the introverted side myself, I probably related more to Arthur Cilento's wish for peace and quiet and routine, especially routine. And, of course, we can't ignore butler Benson, who seems to be terribly efficient and almost know what is needed before Jane or Arthur do. Oh, and Marmaduke, Jane's one-eyed cat rescued from the rubble of a bombing raid prior to the opening of the story. I liked them all, even while hoping Jane cuts back on the smoking, not to mention learns not to distract him when he's concentrating on code breaking. ings

Set in 1941 England at a time when deadly German bombings were common and frequent in London, being at Arthur's safer country home should have been a nice break. Nope. Not when the body count keeps going up. Even worse, they're covert agents under Jane's watch, two of them being killed almost under her nose. Has the intelligence community of Whitehall been compromised? Are there Germans or double-agents amongst them? How to find out? Urgency is obviously of the utmost importance but it seems like for every clue Arthur, Jane, and Benson find, there's another incident or death. Like what? Not telling, you're just going to have to read the book. Our three sleuths/spies show initially unseen sides of themselves as the story progresses, including skills that prove helpful. I found it interesting which of them remained the cool, calm head, too, not to mention Benson's foresight in toting along Arthur's medical kit to treat his breathing problems. I really want to know more about Benson, I must admit.

Bottom line, this series quickly hooked me. I liked the characters and the setting. The author also does an excellent job reminding us what being caught in a bombing raid was like with it's sudden randomness and death. I also have to admit to smiling when it noted they had lunch near Paddington Station, ie a connection to Paddington Bear. Totally unrelated but fun. I did seem to have a bit of trouble sorting out the side characters initially but realized without thinking about it that I'd done so, hence not a real issue. And, oh, boy, wait for that final action scene. That was unexpected, not to mention discovering who Jane's mother was. Oh, boy, thanks #Bookouture for this early intro to the Secret Detectives. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with them and am looking forward to their next case together.