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No. 2 Whitehall Court: THE NEW SPY THRILLER FROM THE MASTER OF THE GENRE
A Simon & Schuster eBook. Simon & Schuster has a great book for every reader.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 27, 2025
About the author
Alan Judd
33 books64 followersAlan Judd is a pseudonym used by Alan Edwin Petty.
Born in 1946, he graduated from Oxford University and served as a British Army officer in Northern Ireland during 'The Troubles', before later joining the Foreign Office; he currently works as a security analyst. He regularly contributes articles to a number of publications, including The Daily Telegraph, and The Spectator as its motoring correspondent. His books include both fiction and non-fiction titles, with his novels often drawing on his military background.
He lives in Sussex with his wife and daughter.
Born in 1946, he graduated from Oxford University and served as a British Army officer in Northern Ireland during 'The Troubles', before later joining the Foreign Office; he currently works as a security analyst. He regularly contributes articles to a number of publications, including The Daily Telegraph, and The Spectator as its motoring correspondent. His books include both fiction and non-fiction titles, with his novels often drawing on his military background.
He lives in Sussex with his wife and daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 16, 2025
This is the first book I have read by Alan Judd, prompted as he will be at the Harrogate festival this year, which I will be attending.
It is set in WWI where we have Emily Grey, returning from her studies - and her fiance - in Germany back home to England. A fluent German speaker, she is involved in intelligence, looking for an undercover spy in the Admiralty. There is very little jingoism and most of those involved, on both sides, understand that war is war and nobody gives Emily a hard time for having a German lover.
This is a very comfortable and enjoyable mystery. There is very little sense of danger and it is, at times, quite comedic. I enjoyed it but I wasn't blown away. Probably rated somewhere between 3.5 and 4.
It is set in WWI where we have Emily Grey, returning from her studies - and her fiance - in Germany back home to England. A fluent German speaker, she is involved in intelligence, looking for an undercover spy in the Admiralty. There is very little jingoism and most of those involved, on both sides, understand that war is war and nobody gives Emily a hard time for having a German lover.
This is a very comfortable and enjoyable mystery. There is very little sense of danger and it is, at times, quite comedic. I enjoyed it but I wasn't blown away. Probably rated somewhere between 3.5 and 4.
May 18, 2025
I found this book and author after a work event where we had Sir Richard Dearlove (Ex MI6 Chief) give a talk. He recommended this authors books as being very true to life and does not glamourise the espionage world as much as other books out there.
I really enjoyed the book, and the storyline, and I think knowing the above made it an even more compelling read.
I really enjoyed the book, and the storyline, and I think knowing the above made it an even more compelling read.
February 16, 2026
No. 2 Whitehall Court caught me a little off guard, in the best possible way. Spy thrillers are not usually my favourite, but this one gently won me over with its quieter intelligence, its historical texture, and its unexpectedly compelling central character.
Emily Grey is not your archetypal spy. She is a young woman with language skills, academic leanings, and an inner life that actually matters. I loved that she doesn’t stride into espionage fully formed and fearless. She hesitates. She doubts. She observes. And yet, that very unsuitability for “spycraft” becomes her strength. There is something deeply satisfying about watching competence grow in someone who doesn’t fit the mould. It makes the tension feel earned rather than performative.
The First World War setting is richly done. The bureaucratic murk of early intelligence work, the sense of a state improvising its secret machinery in real time, the atmosphere of suspicion and quiet dread. It all feels grounded in history rather than dressed-up theatrics. Judd is clearly at home in this world, and it shows in the texture of the novel: the corridors of Whitehall, the naval base at Rosyth, the slow, methodical unfurling of a plot that feels plausible rather than bombastic.
Yes, I did work out the identity of the mole earlier than the book perhaps intends. But oddly, that didn’t diminish my enjoyment. This isn’t a twisty, pyrotechnic thriller so much as a study in how people notice, how institutions fail to notice, and how long it takes for private suspicion to harden into action. The tension lies less in the “who” and more in the “will she be believed” and “will she act in time.”
What I appreciated most is the interiority. Emily’s private reflections, her emotional tether to a Germany that has suddenly become enemy territory, her unease at the moral greys of intelligence work. The novel allows her to be thoughtful, conflicted, quietly brave. It is refreshing to read a woman in a historical spy novel who is written as a full human being rather than a novelty.
This is not a breathless, adrenaline-fuelled ride. It is more measured, more atmospheric, more interested in psychology than spectacle. And for me, that was exactly why it worked.
4 out of 5.
A thoughtful, well-written First World War spy novel with a quietly compelling female lead, strong historical grounding, and a plot that rewards attention more than speed.
Emily Grey is not your archetypal spy. She is a young woman with language skills, academic leanings, and an inner life that actually matters. I loved that she doesn’t stride into espionage fully formed and fearless. She hesitates. She doubts. She observes. And yet, that very unsuitability for “spycraft” becomes her strength. There is something deeply satisfying about watching competence grow in someone who doesn’t fit the mould. It makes the tension feel earned rather than performative.
The First World War setting is richly done. The bureaucratic murk of early intelligence work, the sense of a state improvising its secret machinery in real time, the atmosphere of suspicion and quiet dread. It all feels grounded in history rather than dressed-up theatrics. Judd is clearly at home in this world, and it shows in the texture of the novel: the corridors of Whitehall, the naval base at Rosyth, the slow, methodical unfurling of a plot that feels plausible rather than bombastic.
Yes, I did work out the identity of the mole earlier than the book perhaps intends. But oddly, that didn’t diminish my enjoyment. This isn’t a twisty, pyrotechnic thriller so much as a study in how people notice, how institutions fail to notice, and how long it takes for private suspicion to harden into action. The tension lies less in the “who” and more in the “will she be believed” and “will she act in time.”
What I appreciated most is the interiority. Emily’s private reflections, her emotional tether to a Germany that has suddenly become enemy territory, her unease at the moral greys of intelligence work. The novel allows her to be thoughtful, conflicted, quietly brave. It is refreshing to read a woman in a historical spy novel who is written as a full human being rather than a novelty.
This is not a breathless, adrenaline-fuelled ride. It is more measured, more atmospheric, more interested in psychology than spectacle. And for me, that was exactly why it worked.
4 out of 5.
A thoughtful, well-written First World War spy novel with a quietly compelling female lead, strong historical grounding, and a plot that rewards attention more than speed.
May 1, 2025
I wasn't expecting much from this book as often male authors don't write women well, but this was an excellent read.
Emily Grey is believable, a little naive, and definitely owes a lot to women authors of the early 20th century who wrote about plucky young women. None of the characters in this novel are flat or one-dimensional - they all have flaws and a hinterland that makes them feel real.
Emily's experiences seem realistic for the time - a man makes an unwanted pass at her, others continually talk to her as if she's a child or not very bright, but her boss is one of the few men who values her knowledge and insights. This invisibility and underestimation allows Emily to be an effective spy.
I'm looking forward to more stories about Emily.
Emily Grey is believable, a little naive, and definitely owes a lot to women authors of the early 20th century who wrote about plucky young women. None of the characters in this novel are flat or one-dimensional - they all have flaws and a hinterland that makes them feel real.
Emily's experiences seem realistic for the time - a man makes an unwanted pass at her, others continually talk to her as if she's a child or not very bright, but her boss is one of the few men who values her knowledge and insights. This invisibility and underestimation allows Emily to be an effective spy.
I'm looking forward to more stories about Emily.
October 15, 2025
Spy novel set in World War One from the perspective of a young woman who’s just entering the world of intelligence. Pacing was good and the story was interesting, but I didn’t actually feel much of a bond with the narrator. This is really a 3.75/5
September 2, 2026
The start of MI6
The novel is set in Britain in the early months of the First World War. Our protagonist Emily Grey has led a privileged life - her father a naval doctor and the family well-to-do with homes in Barnes, London and in Sussex. Her father encouraged their daughter to study and achieve as much as her brother and had the wherewithal to fund them. As a result, Emily has a degree in Classics and German from Cambridge, speaks Danish thanks to her mother’s side of the family, and fluent German thanks to postgraduate studies at Heidelberg. While there, she fell in love with Hans, a man she hoped to marry before war broke out and separated them. She learns he is missing, presumed dead, after a naval engagement sunk his ship.
Reeling from her loss and seeking both distraction and useful work, she is recommended by her godfather to Commander Mansfield Cumming, the famous ‘C’ who led Britain’s foreign intelligence service. Her linguistic skills and family connections are sufficient qualification for this wartime role and Emily’s resourcefulness grows with the opportunity even as she has to square the necessary deceits of intelligence work with her solid moral code.
Her first mission is to question an agent, codenamed TR/16, ostensibly a Danish engineer working with the German Navy, to double-check the information he passed on to MI6’s head of station in the Netherlands. To her astonishment, TR/16 is actually a German engineer named Karl Krueger, whom she had met with Hans in Heidelberg. This greatly facilitates the task of verifying the information he brought, and with that accomplished, Emily is then posted to naval HQ in Rosyth, Scotland - the home of the naval fleet which TR/16 has identified as a German target thanks to classified information on the port’s defences, supplied by someone there who is spying for the Germans.
Accompanied by an apparently hapless Marine Lieutenant, Nigel Nisbet, Emily is meant to try to identify the German spy. Their well-meaning, but somewhat amateurish, approach to this task eventually bears fruit. It becomes clear that Emily is capable of a derring-do far beyond the expectations for young women of that period. Both Emily and Nigel grow into their assigned roles, displaying both courage and expertise by the end of this novel.
A very satisfying read both in terms of plot and character development as these decent, but naive, examples of the English middle classes prove their patriotism and mettle - very much in the traditions of W E Johns and Vera Brittain.
The novel is set in Britain in the early months of the First World War. Our protagonist Emily Grey has led a privileged life - her father a naval doctor and the family well-to-do with homes in Barnes, London and in Sussex. Her father encouraged their daughter to study and achieve as much as her brother and had the wherewithal to fund them. As a result, Emily has a degree in Classics and German from Cambridge, speaks Danish thanks to her mother’s side of the family, and fluent German thanks to postgraduate studies at Heidelberg. While there, she fell in love with Hans, a man she hoped to marry before war broke out and separated them. She learns he is missing, presumed dead, after a naval engagement sunk his ship.
Reeling from her loss and seeking both distraction and useful work, she is recommended by her godfather to Commander Mansfield Cumming, the famous ‘C’ who led Britain’s foreign intelligence service. Her linguistic skills and family connections are sufficient qualification for this wartime role and Emily’s resourcefulness grows with the opportunity even as she has to square the necessary deceits of intelligence work with her solid moral code.
Her first mission is to question an agent, codenamed TR/16, ostensibly a Danish engineer working with the German Navy, to double-check the information he passed on to MI6’s head of station in the Netherlands. To her astonishment, TR/16 is actually a German engineer named Karl Krueger, whom she had met with Hans in Heidelberg. This greatly facilitates the task of verifying the information he brought, and with that accomplished, Emily is then posted to naval HQ in Rosyth, Scotland - the home of the naval fleet which TR/16 has identified as a German target thanks to classified information on the port’s defences, supplied by someone there who is spying for the Germans.
Accompanied by an apparently hapless Marine Lieutenant, Nigel Nisbet, Emily is meant to try to identify the German spy. Their well-meaning, but somewhat amateurish, approach to this task eventually bears fruit. It becomes clear that Emily is capable of a derring-do far beyond the expectations for young women of that period. Both Emily and Nigel grow into their assigned roles, displaying both courage and expertise by the end of this novel.
A very satisfying read both in terms of plot and character development as these decent, but naive, examples of the English middle classes prove their patriotism and mettle - very much in the traditions of W E Johns and Vera Brittain.
May 30, 2026
This book can best be described as "a plodder", rather than a thriller. After about half way the story starts sinking, faster than the Royal Navy at Dogger Bank.
The story starts well, and we get to know Emily and how the secret service works - but after she is sent to Rotterdam to meet with an informer on the German navy....it's only her dead fiancé's best mate! What are the chances!
This ludicrous encounter then sets the scene of 200 pages of back and forths between shallow uninteresting characters weaving in an element of spying subterfuge over a set of papers.
Who is Heffer, or is it Heifer or is it Heueffer? That pesky Danish to German to English translation *shakes fist*
All in all I struggled to finish this. A real struggle.
The story starts well, and we get to know Emily and how the secret service works - but after she is sent to Rotterdam to meet with an informer on the German navy....it's only her dead fiancé's best mate! What are the chances!
This ludicrous encounter then sets the scene of 200 pages of back and forths between shallow uninteresting characters weaving in an element of spying subterfuge over a set of papers.
Who is Heffer, or is it Heifer or is it Heueffer? That pesky Danish to German to English translation *shakes fist*
All in all I struggled to finish this. A real struggle.
May 31, 2025
A low-key and realistic historical thriller, NO. 2 WHITEHALL COURT deals with a woman recruited into MI6 during the organisation's early days, and her involvement in the hunt for a military spy. As a John le Carré fan, I enjoyed the pared-back portrayal of spycraft's more tedious components, as well as the use of historical figures such as Mansfield Smith-Cumming, the first chief of MI6 (whom I understand Judd has written a biography of). While this novel's overall shape will likely feel familiar to spy-fiction aficionados, and its antagonists' motivations are sketched out in a somewhat cursory way, it's nevertheless an entertaining ride.
April 30, 2025
Brilliant
One of the best books I’ve read in a long time. A coherent plot, believable three dimensional characters and a beautiful style of writing.
One of the best books I’ve read in a long time. A coherent plot, believable three dimensional characters and a beautiful style of writing.
August 5, 2025
a female spy
This is a good read
Set around WW1. It tells the story of a girl getting involved in espionage! Good read Set around
This is a good read
Set around WW1. It tells the story of a girl getting involved in espionage! Good read Set around
August 6, 2025
A wonderful holiday read. Good characters
August 8, 2025
a good but gentle read
Interesting insights into navy of First World War and attitudes
Well worth the read
A good plot
In the end I couldn’t put it down and had to finish it
Interesting insights into navy of First World War and attitudes
Well worth the read
A good plot
In the end I couldn’t put it down and had to finish it
August 2, 2026
I read Alan Judd's "No. 2 Whitehall Court" and yeah.. I think this book is underrated in Indian market. The book is set during the First World War... and, for that, the historical setting feels wonderfully alive. You can almost picture the streets, the offices, the ships, and even the quiet rooms where important secrets are shared. Nothing feels forced... everything seems to belong exactly where it should.
Emily Grey is such an easy character to like. She isn't the kind of hero who knows everything or scares everyone around her. She simply keeps thinking... keeps learning... and keeps moving forward even when things become difficult. That made her feel like a real person instead of someone created just to impress the reader. For that, I found myself cheering for her from the very beginning.
The mystery itself is enjoyable because it grows little by little. You keep collecting tiny clues along with Emily... and, before you even notice, you're completely involved in finding out who the traitor really is. It never feels confusing. Instead, it feels like someone is sitting beside you and quietly telling you an exciting story.
Another thing I liked was the writing style. Alan Judd doesn't try too hard to make every page dramatic. He lets the characters, the history, and the suspense do the work. Because of that, the story feels natural... almost like listening to an older family member talk about an extraordinary event from long ago.
Of course, there were one or two moments where the conversations sounded a little repetitive... and a few modern words felt slightly out of place for a story set in 1915. They didn't spoil the experience for me... but I did notice them now and then.
Overall... I had a lovely time reading this book. It mixes history, mystery, and espionage in a simple but thoughtful way. Even if you don't usually read spy novels, this one is easy to follow because it focuses more on people than on action. For that, I would happily recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction with a slow-building mystery... and I would certainly read another Emily Grey adventure.
Emily Grey is such an easy character to like. She isn't the kind of hero who knows everything or scares everyone around her. She simply keeps thinking... keeps learning... and keeps moving forward even when things become difficult. That made her feel like a real person instead of someone created just to impress the reader. For that, I found myself cheering for her from the very beginning.
The mystery itself is enjoyable because it grows little by little. You keep collecting tiny clues along with Emily... and, before you even notice, you're completely involved in finding out who the traitor really is. It never feels confusing. Instead, it feels like someone is sitting beside you and quietly telling you an exciting story.
Another thing I liked was the writing style. Alan Judd doesn't try too hard to make every page dramatic. He lets the characters, the history, and the suspense do the work. Because of that, the story feels natural... almost like listening to an older family member talk about an extraordinary event from long ago.
Of course, there were one or two moments where the conversations sounded a little repetitive... and a few modern words felt slightly out of place for a story set in 1915. They didn't spoil the experience for me... but I did notice them now and then.
Overall... I had a lovely time reading this book. It mixes history, mystery, and espionage in a simple but thoughtful way. Even if you don't usually read spy novels, this one is easy to follow because it focuses more on people than on action. For that, I would happily recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction with a slow-building mystery... and I would certainly read another Emily Grey adventure.
August 20, 2026
An excellent and absorbing war-time spy tale
May 7, 2026
I enjoyed this novel a lot. It is a spy story, set in 1915 and features a resourceful protagonist, Emily Grey, who finds herself drawn into the embryonic phase of what would develop into MI5 under the leadership of Mansfield Cumming. Emily is from a naval family, with her father having served as a ship’s surgeon before going into medical practice as a civilian.
However, her principal asset as an intelligence operative is her mastery of foreign languages, especially German. When the First World War began, she had been living in Germany after completing her studies at university, and had secretly become engaged to a German man. Anxious to find a role for herself, Emily allows herself to be recruited into the intelligence service which is based at the Whitehall Court of the title.
I particularly enjoyed an early scene which takes place in Old Admiralty, a government building that is now the headquarters of the Department for Business and Trade, and which I visit a couple of times a week, Judd’s description of it suggests that it has changed very little in the last hundred years. I also liked the cover picture, which is a photograph of what used to be known as GOGGS (the Government Office, Great George Street) which houses the Treasury and various other civil service departments, including my own.
The story is well constructed, if slightly implausible, and while Emily is a great protagonist, some of the other characters become more than a little irritating.
However, her principal asset as an intelligence operative is her mastery of foreign languages, especially German. When the First World War began, she had been living in Germany after completing her studies at university, and had secretly become engaged to a German man. Anxious to find a role for herself, Emily allows herself to be recruited into the intelligence service which is based at the Whitehall Court of the title.
I particularly enjoyed an early scene which takes place in Old Admiralty, a government building that is now the headquarters of the Department for Business and Trade, and which I visit a couple of times a week, Judd’s description of it suggests that it has changed very little in the last hundred years. I also liked the cover picture, which is a photograph of what used to be known as GOGGS (the Government Office, Great George Street) which houses the Treasury and various other civil service departments, including my own.
The story is well constructed, if slightly implausible, and while Emily is a great protagonist, some of the other characters become more than a little irritating.
May 16, 2025
This is the first book I’ve read by Alan Judd, it kept on popping up on my Facebook feed so I thought I would give it a go.
We follow the story of Emily Grey, a Cambridge graduate who spent time in Germany prior to WW1 breaking out.
Emily speaks fluent German and Danish and is quickly employed by a fledgling MI6 to find a German spy. She works with a Royal Marine officer who has a peculiar taste in clothes and seems to think he is better than he actually is……until he is the one with the knowledge to help.
This book gently shows how many people in the Uk had links with Germany and its people prior to the war and how those links didn’t seem to matter once war was declared. War being war and all that. Part of me hopes that part wasn’t fictional.
A well written story that gripped me totally and I hope that this is not the last we hear of Emily Grey.
We follow the story of Emily Grey, a Cambridge graduate who spent time in Germany prior to WW1 breaking out.
Emily speaks fluent German and Danish and is quickly employed by a fledgling MI6 to find a German spy. She works with a Royal Marine officer who has a peculiar taste in clothes and seems to think he is better than he actually is……until he is the one with the knowledge to help.
This book gently shows how many people in the Uk had links with Germany and its people prior to the war and how those links didn’t seem to matter once war was declared. War being war and all that. Part of me hopes that part wasn’t fictional.
A well written story that gripped me totally and I hope that this is not the last we hear of Emily Grey.
March 30, 2026
Nigel Nisbet made me chuckle. He seemed to be so dramatic and very anxious.
I quite enjoyed how clipped the conversations were. I felt like I could hear this busy, straight to the point, yet polite way of speaking in my head.
Sort of reminded me of Transcription by Kate Atkinson.
I enjoyed my time with it, but didn't take a lot to heart. It was one of those stories that was okay whilst you were in the heart of, but not something super impactful that I'll think of time and time again.
The last third was a bit rapid and not super fleshed out on detail. It just felt suddenly over.
Pick it up, give it a go & enjoy!
I quite enjoyed how clipped the conversations were. I felt like I could hear this busy, straight to the point, yet polite way of speaking in my head.
Sort of reminded me of Transcription by Kate Atkinson.
I enjoyed my time with it, but didn't take a lot to heart. It was one of those stories that was okay whilst you were in the heart of, but not something super impactful that I'll think of time and time again.
The last third was a bit rapid and not super fleshed out on detail. It just felt suddenly over.
Pick it up, give it a go & enjoy!
July 7, 2025
It was an enjoyable read. The only part that was a bit frustrating was that it became incredibly obvious who the spy was at one point, and it seemed strange to me that the lead character took so long to notice! There were also more typos than I usually see in professionally published books, an issue I was surprised to see in something published by Simon & Schuster. Overall, though, I enjoyed the book.
November 23, 2025
This book was ok - nice to have a female main character in what felt like a boy's own spy story.
But the typos were dreadful - there were so many of them that it seemed as if nobody had proof read it. How can that happen with a major publisher?
But the typos were dreadful - there were so many of them that it seemed as if nobody had proof read it. How can that happen with a major publisher?
August 13, 2025
A boy's own adventure featuring a female protagonist. Perfectly readable, although you won't have any problem guessing the baddie.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews