Atomic Secrets

by Janet Asbridge

Despite blinding dust storms, lonely bus rides, long hours, and the attentions of a dangerous man, Alice Krepsky is determined to prove herself and fulfill her patriotic duty as a top-secret secretary at Hanford in the US government's covert race to end World War II. She's delighted when Paul, a local newspaper reporter, proposes marriage. But when she's exposed to the deadly substance at the heart of the operation, and Paul questions her about government secrets, Ally must choose between the man she loves, and the country she's vowed to serve.

 

Finalist in the 2023 Cascade Writing Contest.

277 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 20, 2023

Reviews

[Robyn Flint · Rating 4 out of 5]

good read

Alice vows to keep the government’s secrets, especially when she is thrust into a top-secret secretarial position at the heart of the operation. But when Pauly, the love of her life and an inquisitive reporter for the local newspaper, begins to ask questions, Alice is forced into a desperate decision. Good read, well developed characters. Well written.

[Kay Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Home Again

This story hit home as I was born in Richland and lived in the alphabet houses as I grew up. Both my parents worked out in the areas and met there. I’ve heard their stories and found much of them in this story. I wondered if the”donut shop” was the Spudnut Shop.

[Jane Hedges · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good historical fiction

Sweet story with really good description of the desolation and secrecy of the development of the atomic bomb during World War II.

[Evelyn B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Atomic Secrets is a powerful blend of history, suspense, and heart. Janet Asbridge drops you straight into the dusty, high-stakes world of the Manhattan Project, where ordinary people carried the extraordinary weight of secrecy, sacrifice, and patriotism. Alice Krepsky is the kind of heroine who stays with you long after the last page, brave yet vulnerable, determined yet torn between love and duty.

The atmosphere is vivid: you feel the grit of the Hanford dust storms, the unease of lonely bus rides, the claustrophobia of secrets too heavy to share. The romance with Paul adds warmth and human connection, but what impressed me most was how the novel never lets you forget the danger lurking in the shadows, both from government secrets and from the “dangerous man” who threatens Ally’s safety.

For me, this book worked on two levels: as a gripping wartime romance and as a haunting reminder of how women, often overlooked in history books, were on the frontlines of secrecy and sacrifice. Atomic Secrets is suspenseful, heartfelt, and cinematic. If you love historical fiction with heart and grit, this is one you don’t want to miss.

[Cynthia Ann Ryan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was very disappointed, I was a year old when my family moved to Richland (1944). My father was an engineer on the front lines of this top secret project. It is very difficult for me to believe that a 17 year old girl could be taking dictation for these meetings. Ally would have to be 18 to even qualify for a level one security clearance. I was expecting to read about what it was really like to be raised in the Atomic City, all I got was sweet predictable love story. If Ally’s had stayed in Richland her children would have graduated from a high school that had a mushroom cloud on their class ring. Yes, a bit creepy now but true.

[Blessing A · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Atomic Secrets” is a gripping historical read, the kind of book that sweeps you into a hidden chapter of WWII with equal parts danger, duty, and heartbreak. Alice’s choices feel urgent and real, and Janet Asbridge clearly did her research in making the Hanford setting come alive.

That said, I was surprised by how difficult it was to find more about the author and her other work online. I clicked through to the official website hoping to explore upcoming releases or learn more about Janet, but the experience wasn’t as smooth as I expected. The site loaded slowly on my device, and the layout felt a bit unorganized, which made it tricky to navigate. For such a strong story, the digital presence doesn’t yet reflect the professionalism and polish of the writing itself.

Readers like me, who get hooked and want to stay connected, usually look for a clean, easy-to-navigate website where we can sign up for updates and clearly see what else she has written. Right now, that isn’t very easy to do.

This book deserves to reach a much wider audience, and I truly believe that a more streamlined, professional online presence would make a world of difference in helping new readers discover Atomic Secrets and continue following Janet’s future books.

[Lizzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book captures the tension of living in two worlds, the ordinary life of love and dreams, and the extraordinary burden of wartime secrecy. Alice is a heroine you’ll root for, and her struggles mirror the choices so many faced in that era: loyalty to love versus loyalty to country. Atmospheric, emotional, and suspenseful.