The series opens with The Lisbon Secret in February 1942, at the Avenida Palace hotel, Lisbon – the real-life nerve centre of neutral Europe, where diplomats, spies and refugees drank at the same bar and pretended not to notice one another. Here, four women are drawn into the shadowy world of British intelligence: photographer Vivienne Marlowe, American correspondent Josephine Hayes, seasoned war reporter Eliza Carrington and British political writer Margaret Vale. Each is told a different version of events. Each is told to trust no-one. But clever women have a way of finding each other – and what they uncover together will bind them for the rest of the war.
Three further novels in The Correspondent Girls series will follow. The Paris Deception, The London Betrayal and The New York Conspiracy will send the women across occupied Europe and beyond on a trail of photographs, letters and hidden documents that together reveal an explosive secret. These gripping, atmospheric wartime thrillers about four women pulled into a world of espionage will be devoured by readers of Kate Quinn, Andie Newton and Mandy Robotham.
Amanda Lees was born in Hong Kong. Her mother ran a jungle hospital in Borneo and her father was a Gurkha intelligence officer. She has a degree in drama, and her first job as an actor was on the TV programme ‘Allo ‘Allo . She is the author of 14 bestselling titles, fiction and non-fiction, and has been writing wartime spy thrillers since 2022, with six novels published and more than 85,000 copies sold.
Laura and Jessie said: “We loved this fresh take on one of our favourite genres. By telling the story of World War Two through four journalists-turned-spies, Amanda Lees has created a series full of code-breaking, adventure and espionage in wartime Europe, but with a beautiful story of female friendship at its heart. We can’t wait for readers to meet the Correspondent Girls.”
Amanda Lees said: “The women who reported on the Second World War were fearless, resourceful and frequently underestimated. One or two were even spies – off the record, of course. I love the idea of four women using their press credentials to go where others couldn’t, ask questions they shouldn’t and uncover secrets people would kill to protect. And getting into a spectacular amount of trouble along the way. I’m delighted to be working with Laura and Jessie at Pellerin, who share my enthusiasm for these extraordinary women and their adventures.”
