Friends and Traitors

by Helen Peters

Some secrets are just too dangerous to know… A gripping World War II story about how two girls foil an aristocratic plot to bring down the government and hand the country to the Nazis…

When Sidney Dashworth’s school is evacuated to a huge stately home in the countryside, she thinks she’s going to spend the war being very bored. At least her brother must be having fun, flying his Spitfire all over France! But soon Sidney and a housemaid called Nancy discover that the Earl is up to no good. He has secret nighttime meetings with mysterious men from the government and seems to be hiding something sinister on his land. At first it’s all terribly thrilling, investigating by creeping about at night and finding secret passageways, but soon everything takes a deadly turn. Sidney’s brother goes missing over France and the war hits home with a terrible reality. The Earl and his evil plotters must be stopped, or nothing will ever be the same again…

Genres: Middle Grade, Historical, Historical Fiction, Childrens, Mystery, Military Fiction, Adventure

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 6, 2023

About the author

Helen Peters is the author of The Secret Hen House Theatre. She grew up on an old-fashioned farm in Sussex, surrounded by family, animals and mud. She spent most of her childhood reading stories and putting on plays in a tumbledown shed that she and her friends turned into a theatre. After university, she realised that she needed to find a job where someone would pay her to read stories and put on plays (though maybe not in a tumbledown shed) and so she became an English and Drama teacher. Several years later, finding herself as a stay-at-home mother of two, she decided to have a go at writing the sort of book she’d so enjoyed as a child. Helen lives with her husband and children in London, and she can still hardly believe that she now gets to call herself a writer.

Reviews

[Isobel · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5

[Stephen Dilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Friends and Traitors' is a thrilling middle-grade historical adventure set in 1940. Sidney and her school are evacuated to Stanbrook, a vast stately home in the countryside; there she meets Nancy, who has been sent to work there as a housemaid. Together, they soon get wind of suspicious going-on involving the Earl of Stanbrook and a secret plan to collaborate with the Nazis. Nobody believes them when they try to raise the alarm, so they must use all their cunning to put a stop to the Earl's plot before it is too late.

This is a gripping read which makes full use of the country house setting - secret passageways and priceless artefacts play a key role in the story, and the upstairs-downstairs divide between Sidney and Nancy is carefully explored; initially Sidney envies the freedom she thinks Nancy has compared to all the rules she is required to follow, but becomes more aware of her privilege as the novel progresses. In a nice twist, Helen Peters makes Nancy brighter than Sidney and her classmates, but she is unable to take up her grammar school place because her family need her to start working as soon as she turns fourteen.

Peters also explores some important but overlooked aspects of WW2 history, most significantly the collusion of several British aristocrats in plans to overthrow the government and usher in Nazi rule. The novel exposes the double-standard by which different types of 'traitor' were treated - a Jewish housemaid is dismissed and her brother is interned as an enemy alien despite their hatred of the Nazi regime, while Lord Evesham's status protects him from suspicion.

This should be a very popular title with older primary readers but there is plenty for adults to enjoy too. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC to review.

[Tracy Lander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helen Peter's points out this is fiction but is based on some in the upper classes being supportive of Hitler. The idea that a posh girl's school could get moved into a big stately home during evacuation is entirely plausable
Sidney Dashworth is quite new to St Olave's, and the horrible Lucinda is going to make sure Sidney knows who is the most important. Nancy is also new, a new housemaid at Stanbrook House, not her choice, she had a scholarship to Grammar school, but it didn't include all the extras and her parents couldn't afford those so it was out to work.
We learn that Sidney has a brother, George, in the RAF. She writes him letters telling him all about the school.
Nancy meets Mr Burford, Albert and Rosa (another housemaid) on the driveway. Rosa is an evacuee, from the Nazis in Austria, she is Jewish. All her family live in England. Nancy has a brother too, Jack. The two of them are motor racing fans so when she sees Dorothy Taylor a famous female racing driver arrives as well, she is very excited. Miss Taylor seems to be friends with Lord Evesham, the owner of Stanbrook House.
Nancy has a very dim view of Lucinda, after almost being pushed down the stairs, and this goes for Sidney who was behind her too. However, Sidney overhears a conversation she doesn't understand, about a delivery in the middle of the night. So she keeps watching over the stables. What is it they are putting in there? Sidney wants to investigate.
Nancy hears a conversation between Lord Evesham and another man, Lonsdale, while in the stables. She isn't happy, she doesn't really understand it. She reports it to the butler who tells her she has put 2+2 together and made 5. Lord Evesham is a war hero and high up in the air ministry. She tries reporting the conversation to the police, but they just think it's a prank call.
Then a chance meeting where neither girl should be leads to a prank on the other girls in Sidney's dorm. Then Sidney and Nancy have to hide quickly when they hear Lord Evesham and Miss Taylor talking again. They know something is wrong now, but how can they convince anyone?
Brilliant. Very Secret Seven. Posh schools and adventures. Friendship where you don't expect it. Treachery, I've only read Helen Peter's Jasmine Green books so now I clearly have to go and find some more of the older MG books ( definitely have The Secret Hen House Theatre at school).

[Lost Without A Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a lot of books about WWII around for middle grade readers at the moment but this one really stands out as something a little different and exciting by adding an espionage twist to it.

Sidney has recently started at a new boarding school where she feels like she doesn't fit in. . When they are evacuated to a stately home in the countryside, she overhears a number of conversations between the owner of the house and other visitors and becomes suspicious that something dangerous is going on. Nancy is a housemaid working in the home and takes an instant dislike to all of the girls, even though Sidney is nothing like them. She also become suspicious about what is going on in the house and reluctantly at first, the girls begin to work together to hatch a plot to uncover the truth.

The girls were both really interesting and confident characters and although from very different backgrounds, actually had a lot in common. The plot was complex and didn't shy away from covering lots of aspects of WWII (the holocaust, missing airmen, Hitler, spies ansd traitors) that are often avoided in children's books but it was well written and very engaging. There's lots to discuss and explore and it would be a great book for any child interested in WWII (particularly what it was like at home and during evacuation) and it would compliment a topic on WWII in Upper Key Stage 2 brilliantly.

[Jo Bardgett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Friends and Traitors
By Helen Peters
Published by Nosy Crow Ltd

This fabulous historical novel keeps you gripped from the offset. Helen Peters writes with both compassion and honesty for what is right in very difficult World War II circumstances. Her characters are not just bold and brave but determined and willing to face the truth of their deeds.

Who would have thought a friendship would flourish between a school girl & a housemaid? This gripping World War II story about how two girls foil an aristocratic plot to bring down the government and hand the country to the Nazis is brilliantly told with great suspense and mystery.

As the lives of a school girl evacuee and a housemaid become entwined through overheard conversations, Helen Peters unveils secret meetings, childhood pranks and missing pieces of government findings.
Some secrets are just too dangerous to know!!

At first it is terribly thrilling, poking around in the day and creeping about by night. But uncovering the hidden past, finding secret passageways and using evidence against the aristocracy takes a deadly turn. The Earl and his evil plotters must be stopped, or nothing will ever be the same again.

Praise for Helen Peters - a fabulous, young reader’s novel, combining historical events with a mystery to be unveiled.

Joanne Bardgett - teacher of littlies, lover of Children’s literature.

#Netgalley
#nosycrow
#helenpeters

[Anne Boyere · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sidney, a schoolgirl, and Nancy, a housemaid, find their paths crossing when one's school is evactuated to the stately home of Stanbrook and the other is starting her emplyment there. Soon, the two girls discover that Lord Evesham, new owner of Stanbrook, is up to no good. There are secret nighttime meetings, hidden things and suspicious overheard conversations - something sinister is brewing. After the first thrill of investigating a mystery, things start taking a deadly turn. The news that Sidney’s brother went missing brutally brings home the reality of war. Evesham, his friends and their evil plans mus be stopped, or the consequences will be terrible for the whole nation...

Helen Peters proves once again what a wonderful story teller she is. Friends and Traitors is a thrilling piece of historical fiction. The budding relationship between Sidney and Nancy, far to be friendly for most of the time, is wonderfully oberved and gives the story a strong feel of authenticity. It also reflects well the division of classes running through the story and touches, in a sensitive and poignant way, to political themes and fighting for what is right. An absolutely gripping and thought-provoking read.

[Rebecca R · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Sidney's new school is evacuated to a manor house in Oxfordshire, she reads murder mysteries and writes letters to her brother in the RAF to distract her from her horrible school mates, the unpleasant teachers, and the red-headed housemaid, Nancy, who seems to hate her. (The only thing that Nancy and Sidney have in common is that they are both accused of reading too many novels!) But when they both overhear a shocking conversation, they must work together to expose the traitors and stop a plot to hand the country over to Hitler.

WWII evacuees is a topic that is regularly addressed in MG historical fiction, probably because of the Year 6 curriculum, but this story was fresh, fun and fast-paced and I raced through it in a couple of hours. (At 250 pages it is also the perfect length for a Year 6 class read in the overly-cluttered national curriculum!) Sidney and Nancy are both particularly feisty and engaging characters, I enjoyed the use of both the working-class and middle-class perspectives, and I loved Sidney's sense of humour. I also enjoyed the subversive digs at Donald Trump and the Tory government in the 'British National League' propaganda. A gripping and satisfying read!

[Nicola Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book! Bound to capture and delight all younger audiences (and older audiences too. I am well into adulthood and I was hanging off every word!). It was such an exciting story and one filled with daring, adventure, secrets, espionage and treason.

At a time when the world was at war, schools were displaced and a different kind of life endured as bombs reigned overhead and Hitler fought a battle to control the world. St Olave’s school is moved to the home of Lord Oversham, and Sidney meets Nancy, the flame haired maid who will never let injustice get her down. When their pair catch wind of a plot that could unravel the British forces protecting the country, they must engineer a daring scheme to save the course of the war…

It was so entertaining and I raced through needing to know what was going to happen. It was written so well and with such a core topic of the Second World War handled expertly as well. It really was a great book and one I really enjoyed from start to finish.

Thank you to the author and publisher for this book on NetGalley in return for my honest thoughts and review.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

During World War II, Sidney and the rest of her school are evacuated to a stately home to continue their education. Nancy is a new housemaid at the house. When they both overhear a conversation about sharing secrets with Hitler, they know they must do something to stop this from happening. But can they find the evidence they need to get people to believe them?

This was a great 'spy' style novel. The stately home setting worked well to allow for lots of comings and goings and, of course, the obligatory secret passages! The unlikely friendship that developed between Sidney and Nancy was realistic, with an initial distrust of each other blossoming into a desire to work together to prevent a disaster for the country.

As well as being a fabulous adventure story, this would work well alongside a World War II topic in class to show another side to events of the time.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers, Nosy Crow, for an advance copy.

[Rune · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given an arc copy of this book in return for a review.

As per usual i was drawn to the cover art. It made me think of two friends trying to solve a mystery or escape from a dangerous place.

Either way i had to know who these two girls were and what their story was.

It is a wonderful story of courage and fun in the face of danger. Its very easy to ready abd the main characters are easy to like and identify with . Its a fantastic way to get an idea of what happened to schools during that time and how the students reacted.

I really enjoyed this read

[Karen Hammond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nosy crow comes with some brilliant authors and book. Helen Peters Friends and Traitors is definately up there with the best books we have read this year. The children all found something of interest in the story and followed it up with many questions and internet searches to find out more. I thoroughly enjoyed it and suspect that my grumpy husband did too, although he was allegedly reading the paper (without turning the pages). The only sour note was when my youngest grandchild asked me what it was like during the war !

[Alice magical library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nancy and Sidney are both at the same place, but are two completely different girls: Sidney is a school girl and Nancy is a housemaid. And they don’t even know each other. But they soon will.
It’s set in the time of World War II, and St Olave’s school for girls has been moved to Stanbrook House. And Nancy has just started to work there. But when they both hear that Lord Evesham, owner of Stanbrook House, and Dorothy Taylor, famous racing car driver and friend of Lord Evesham, are up to something to help the Germans in the War, Sidney and Nancy come together to find out the answer…
But will they do it in time without getting caught.
This was this month bookclub choice and I am really glad it was picked. It was an amazing story with a gripping story line.

[Snarhooked · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

There are quite a few MG books set in the time of WWII, but this is a little different. This time the enemies are British supporters of Hitler who seek to undermine the efforts of those fighting against him. It was a fascinating story and I felt that it was written with enough pace to keep readers engaged.

There were some aspects that didn't seem realistic, such as the final confrontation, and some of the interactions between the girls. But I think the intended younger readers will have less of an issue with that and still enjoy this as a good story.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book from #Netgalley that has literally blown me away. I was hooked right from the first page and by the time I got to the second page, I was already sure that this will be the core text in one of my courses sooner or later. It is just incredibly well-written and it intrigues the readers right from the beginning. I am already thinking about how to get hold of an author visit for my students.

It really is THAT good!

[Alice Branch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clarice Bean has got herself in a pickle yet again. But this is huge.
When Clarice finds a dog on the street without an owner, she takes almost no attention to it. But it keeps following her. So, she secretly looks after it at home, although she is already in trouble with Marcie and Mum. But, she can’t keep it a secret forever, can she?
A brilliant story and it is a stupendous edition to the already hilarious series. I simply cannot wait for more books to come out

[Barbara Band · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this! Set in WW2, Sidney's boarding school is evacuated to Stanbrook House where she and the housemaid, Nancy, overhear a plot to assist the German invasion. But what can they do? And who will believe them? Enid Blyton meets Agatha Christie in the surprisingly gripping adventure full of intrigue and mystery. There's also touches of bullying and friendship. Great for 10 - 12 year olds.

[Zack Eckley · Rating 5 out of 5]

​Helen Peters delivers an absolute triumph with Friends and Traitors. When evacuee Sidney and estate maid Nancy uncover a treacherous plot brewing inside a grand country house, they’re thrust into a high-stakes investigation filled with secret passages, covert meetings, and constant tension.

Fast-paced, atmospheric, and impossible to put down a must-read for any mystery or historical fiction fan!

[Theediscerning · Rating 3 out of 5]

Downton Villains, perhaps, as a new maid and a girl dumped on a country house used as her wartime boarding school unite to work out what nefarious goings-on are afoot. Not exactly a story set in our times, and not one that exactly feels written ideally for it, either.

To see why in full, please click on:- http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/F...

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliant mystery regardless of the intended target: well plotted, solid, and with a clever cast of fleshed out characters.
It's a classic mystery, one of those books that brought back in time and I thoroughly enjoyed.
Well done, I hope to read other stories featuring these characters
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[BookBairn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really excited to read this one as I love a WW2 set fiction and I loved the idea of exposing traitors. One of the things I found most interesting in this wasn’t the actual traitor element however, it was the relationship between the two protagonists and the split narrative, which was exceptionally well written with each character having a clear and distinctive voice.
But what i found most interesting was the fact that for the majority of the book the ‘friends’ didn’t actually appear to be friends - often criticising, sometimes insulting, each other and challenging the other to be a better person. These are two characters who likely without that joint goal of taking down the traitor they would never have become friends, which I think is a fascinating way to explore the ‘upstairs’ and the ‘downstairs’ elements of class.
I really enjoyed the pacing in this, and it really kept the pages turning, as I kept wanting to know what would happen next: there were some (not literal) bombs dropped which disrupted the main narrative which I thoroughly enjoyed - real life happens despite an important quest.
Will definitely be seeking out more books by Helen Peters!

[Gracie:) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was highly intrigued by this book, and soon found myself immersed in this WW2 mystery. When Sidney Dashworth’s school is evacuated to the home of a respectable earl, it is soon clear that things are not all as they may seem…
If you incidents in this book were a little convenient for my liking, but the plot was well executed and the characters well established.

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nancy and Sidney don't exactly get along to start with, coming from such different backgrounds and not really understanding the other's lives at all. But circumstances bring them together and they both want to do the right thing, if they can just figure out how.
Quite fast-paced and thrilling. You can feel the frustration of the girls as they keep hitting opposition.

[Mrs Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really hoping this would be on the same level as ‘Anna at War’! Sadly it just didn’t deliver. I did enjoy the two separate girls on their own journey and then coming together. I thought it was good to show that the British could also be on Hitlers side. I just felt there were no major surprises and to be honest at times it got a bit boring. Such a shame as I do like this author.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gave me very much Famous Five/Secret Seven adventure vibes. I loved the focus on the evacuee home in the countryside and how you never know if everyone appearing to help the war effort is actually. Nancy and Sidney develop a love-hate relationship with each other but work together to reveal the deepest secrets of Lord Evesham.

A different viewpoint of a WW2 novel.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book - I know it's for younger readers but it really caught my attention in a way a lot of other books haven't lately.

A nice pallette cleanser after some more hard going reads.

[Clare Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of mystery, friendship and good conquering evil. It definitely gave me Nancy drew vibes. I'd recommend it for anyone older than 8.

[Vonprice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely excellent Middle Grade novel set in WWII You can read my full review here: http://vsviewfromthebookshelves.home....

[Anna Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oooo, I do love a World War 2 mystery set in a Downton Abbey like house. A great read.

[Jason Passingham · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book for kids that is full of history, intrigue and friendship.

[em louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was wonderful. so gripping i flew through this story!