published 10/8/26
Set in the 1950s, post-WWII, Katherine Reay takes us on an adventure with Gemma Brown, a mystery-obsessed reader who works in a shop in the Cotswolds. She’s recently relocated from London and falls in love with
her little village. She becomes friends with Peggy, a fellow book nerd, and with Ursula, the town’s best baker, who is extremely antisocial. As Gemma and Ursula’s friendship deepens, Gemma’s imagination starts to run wild. Drawing on the skills she’s learned from Miss Marple, Inspector Hercule Poirot, and others, she tries to
find out whether Ursula is a spy. Reay holds nothing back here and lets our imaginations run amok with Gemma, leaving the end to leave you reeling. I admire Katherine Reay so much for her historical fiction perspective and the
diligent research work behind the book. Put this on your reading list—you’ll be happy you did.
Thank you to Harper Muse and Katherine Reay. It was an absolute pleasure and honor to read this ARC early for free in exchange for an honest review.
#KatherineReay #TheUndercoverBookshop #HarperMuseBooks #libraryninja📚
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