House of Spies

A story of evacuees, suspected spies, possible child abuse and a marriage break-up set against the background of World War II, this novel would have been better if one or two of these topics had been omitted. This said, it is a readable adventure with a good feel for the period and characters. Pip has been evacuated with her mother to the country. While staying on a farm Pip becomes involved in hiding a boy who suspects his relatives are German spies. This suspicion, fuelled by local anti-German feeling, leads to an exciting denouement which overshadows the possible death of Pip’s father and her reaction to it. Strong editing would have made for a better and more credible story to compare with the many others in this genre.