Although I have read so much fiction dealing with WWII, I can still encounter a WWII novel taking place in an unusual setting such as the island of Bermuda in Censorettes by Elizabeth Bales Frank. I received a digital review copy of Frank's book from publicist Wiley Saichek.
When you see the words "female spies", readers probably imagine activities that would be somewhat more glamorous than sitting in an office working their way through stacks of correspondence. The Censorettes were women who actually were assigned by British Intelligence to read mail sent between European and North American residents during WWII. I assumed that locating the operation in Bermuda was a convenient means of intercepting potentially dangerous letters before they reached their recipients.
Protagonist Lucy Barrett's knowledge of multiple European languages made her quite useful in her position, but much of this novel centers on relationships. This is the dramatic heart of the book. We learn about Lucy's friendships with other Censorettes, her family history and her social interactions with men.
One of the characters is murdered, but little space is devoted to this crime. As a mystery fan, I would have liked to have seen some investigation, but there apparently wasn't any. So I would categorize this book as non-genre historical fiction rather than a mystery or a crime thriller.
Censorettes is not for everyone. I would recommend this book to readers who are interested in seeing WWII from an unusual angle, and who have some tolerance for novels whose pace is rather leisurely.
I appreciated learning about the author's sources in the Notes and Acknowledgments. I consider historical accuracy one of this book's strengths.
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