Review: A Beautiful Spy by Rachel Hore

A Beautiful Spy follows the story of Minnie Gray, a young woman recruited by MI5 in the 1930s to infiltrate the British Communist Party and gain the trust of its leaders. I was fascinated to discover that the book is based on true events - the real life of Olga Gray - and that the majority of the characters actually existed. For a spy story this is a surprisingly gentle read. It is less about the spying itself (although there is plenty of that) and more about the effect that it had on Minnie mentally and physically, and how the secrecy and strain of it all affected her personal life.

The setting, 1930s London on the cusp of the Second World War, is perfectly described; from the fashions to the architecture I could picture everything vividly in my mind. The same can be said for the characters, although there are a few I would have loved to find out more about, particularly the charismatic Maxwell Knight (aka M) who I suspect as spymaster was purposefully frustratingly elusive. There was certainly more to his story that we never got the chance to explore and I would love to read more about him one day.

The one thing with basing a story on real life events is that it limits where it can go creatively, and to be honest I was expecting a lot more twists, shocks and betrayals than we actually got. Clearly being a spy isn't quite as exciting in reality as in fiction. That said though there is a palpable sense of tension as the pressure begins to mount on Minnie, and I willed her not to get found out.

I really enjoyed following Minnie’s journey as she breaks the stereotype of the ‘femme fatale’, giving a voice to the women who quietly served their country.

*Thanks to Kaleidoscopic Tours and Simon & Schuster for the beautiful review copy of this book!*