The Spies of Shilling Lane

A Novel

By: Jennifer Ryan

Narrated by: Jayne Entwistle

From the bestselling author of The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir comes a thrilling new WWII story about a village busybody—the mighty Mrs. Braithwaite—who resolves to find, and then rescue, her missing daughter

Mrs. Braithwaite, self-appointed queen of her English village, finds herself dethroned, despised, and dismissed following her husband’s selfish divorce petition. Never deterred, the threat of a family secret being revealed sets her hot-foot to London to find the only person she has left—her clever daughter Betty, who took work there at the first rumbles of war.

But when she arrives, Betty’s landlord, the timid Mr. Norris, informs her that Betty hasn’t been home in days--with the chaos of the bombs, there’s no telling what might have befallen her. Aghast, Mrs. Braithwaite sets her bullish determination to the task of finding her only daughter.

Storming into the London Blitz, Mrs. Braithwaite drags the reluctant Mr. Norris along as an unwitting sidekick as they piece together Betty’s unexpectedly chaotic life. As she is thrown into the midst of danger and death, Mrs. Braithwaite is forced to rethink her old-fashioned notions of status, class, and reputation, and to reconsider the question that’s been puzzling her since her world overturned: How do you measure the success of your life?

Readers will be charmed by the unforgettable Mrs. Braithwaite and her plucky, ruthless optimism, and find in The Spies of Shilling Lane a novel with surprising twists and turns, quiet humor, and a poignant examination of mothers and daughters and the secrets we keep.

Critic reviews

“[A] quick and delightful mystery.”—The New York Times Book Review

“A crisp and energetic book . . . with a tight plot [that will] keep a reader gladly bouncing along.”—NPR

“Richly detailed . . . This tale swept me away!”—First for Women

“With its eccentric, believable characters and plot of home front intrigue, this delightful drama will appeal to fans of Martha Hall Kelly.”—Publishers Weekly

Fun & keeps your interest

Good story. Lots of stories in one. Life lessons too. Everytime I thought it ended there was more - happily!

Wonderful narrator

Historical references made this a great listen. I enjoyed the story being told by citizens and descriptions of anti nazi sentiment throughout the social levels- including the gangs.

Great World War II story

Charming story with well-developed characters surviving wartime and overcoming childhood parenting. A love story of a blended family.

Lovely story

The narrator did an excellent job drawing you into the story. Easy listening. Thank you

i wanted to like this book..

but... it is very bossy and whiney.. i did not find it funny.. i tried to find all the good..but deleted it half way through..