Spy: A Novel

Spy by Danielle Steel takes readers through the life of Alex Wickham. When England entered the war, Alex joined the First Aid Nursing Yeomancy in London where she drove lorries. Alex knew French and German fluently which is how she captured the eye of the newly organized Special Operations Executive (SOE). Alex becomes a secret agent who goes on dozens of missions to aid England during the war. When the war ends, Alex finds a new way to serve her country. We follow Alex from London to India, Moscow, Morocco, Pakistan, Hong Kong and Washington D.C. I find Spy to be a captivating story that is rich in historical detail from World War II to India gaining its independence from the United Kingdom to the cold war in Moscow. Danielle Steel did a superb job on the research for this book. The historical details enrich the Spy and really bring it to life. I felt like I was there with Alex. Alex Wickham was a developed character who was intelligent, strong and lovely. I became engrossed in Spy which moved along at a fast pace. It is a realistic and emotional story. There are life’s normal high and low’s as well as the travesties that come from war. I like Danielle Steel’s writing style which makes a story engaging and easy to read. Spy has family, friendship, love, grief, adventure and secrets. I like where the author took the story plus the charming ending. Spy is fascinating tale with secret agents, exploding bombs, undercover missions, political uprisings, and surprising secrets.

A little disappointing - I kept looking for a plot, as one generally expects in a novel with the title "Spy". Instead, there is a meandering story - an account of a spy's life for the most part.