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Libby Clark #1
Scandal in the Secret City
From the author of the Lucinda Pierce series, comes a thrilling new mystery, set during the Second World War . . .
Oak Ridge, Tennessee, otherwise known as the Secret City, rose seemingly overnight in 1942, built by the US Government. No one was quite sure what its purpose was or where it came from, but there was certainly something going on . . .
Libby Clark, a gutsy Bryn Mawr graduate, is determined to find her place as a scientist in a world where women are thought better suited to housework and marriage. As the only female scientist in the top secret facility, Libby is excited to begin what she believes is important government research.
She soon begins to suspect, however, that not all is as it seems. And to make matters worse, one frosty night she discovers the dead body of her roommate’s sister sprawled behind the bleachers. No one else seems to think finding the killer is important and it’s up to Libby to make sense of the situation. Aided by a band of like-minded scientists, Libby follows every possible lead until she comes to a shocking and unexpected conclusion.
Oak Ridge, Tennessee, otherwise known as the Secret City, rose seemingly overnight in 1942, built by the US Government. No one was quite sure what its purpose was or where it came from, but there was certainly something going on . . .
Libby Clark, a gutsy Bryn Mawr graduate, is determined to find her place as a scientist in a world where women are thought better suited to housework and marriage. As the only female scientist in the top secret facility, Libby is excited to begin what she believes is important government research.
She soon begins to suspect, however, that not all is as it seems. And to make matters worse, one frosty night she discovers the dead body of her roommate’s sister sprawled behind the bleachers. No one else seems to think finding the killer is important and it’s up to Libby to make sense of the situation. Aided by a band of like-minded scientists, Libby follows every possible lead until she comes to a shocking and unexpected conclusion.
252 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2014
59 people are currently reading
802 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
December 15, 2014
I wavered about giving this book two or three stars. As a mystery, it wasn't all that great. The characters had all the depth of a wet footprint, and the "mystery" wasn't much of one, as it was pretty easy to figure out early on.
However, I liked the descriptions of what it was like to be a young woman in "the Secret City". I've read other books about Oak Ridge, but none gave such a personal and realistic glimpse of what it was like to work there. My mother worked at Oak Ridge during the war as a "Calutron girl" - not as a chemist, but as one of the "girls" who sat and made minute adjustments to a calibrating machine all day long, never knowing what they were helping to develop. Like the other young women in the book, Mother enjoyed being independent for the first time in her life. (Even though she was able to send money home, her parents didn't like her being out of their influence and eventually sent her brother to bring her home "where she belonged".) For some reason we never talked about her time there, and I regret that deeply, but here,in the pages of a mystery novel of all places,I found a piece of my mom.
However, I liked the descriptions of what it was like to be a young woman in "the Secret City". I've read other books about Oak Ridge, but none gave such a personal and realistic glimpse of what it was like to work there. My mother worked at Oak Ridge during the war as a "Calutron girl" - not as a chemist, but as one of the "girls" who sat and made minute adjustments to a calibrating machine all day long, never knowing what they were helping to develop. Like the other young women in the book, Mother enjoyed being independent for the first time in her life. (Even though she was able to send money home, her parents didn't like her being out of their influence and eventually sent her brother to bring her home "where she belonged".) For some reason we never talked about her time there, and I regret that deeply, but here,in the pages of a mystery novel of all places,I found a piece of my mom.
February 28, 2016
Cover: Oak Ridge, Tennessee, otherwise known as the Secret City, rose seemingly overnight in 1942, built by the US Government. No one was quite sure what its purpose was or where it came from, but there was certainly something going on. Libby Clark, a gutsy Bryn Mawr graduate, is determined to find her place as a scientist in a world where women are thought better suited to housework and marriage. As the only female scientist in the top secret facility, Libby is excited to begin what she believes is important government research. She soon begins to suspect, however, that not all is as it seems. And to make matters worse, one frosty night she discovers the dead body of her roommate’s sister sprawled behind the bleachers. No one else seems to think finding the killer is important and it’s up to Libby to make sense of the situation. Aided by a band of like-minded scientists, Libby follows every possible lead until she comes to a shocking and unexpected conclusion.
The main character, Libby, is a strong willed female who has ‘bucked’ the odds in the 1940s and wants to be an independent person. She doesn’t have marriage or children in mind. She has a master’s degree and is the only female scientist at the Secret City lab. She is a wonderful character and very likeable. She does what she thinks is right, even if the military at the City is telling her she is not being patriotic and imply that she could be a spy. She has made a promise to find out who killed who friend’s sister. She knows she could be putting her career on the line, but she doesn’t like the idea that the military and the police don’t seem to want to find out who is the murderer. With the help of some male scientists (a couple don’t like her because she is female) at the City they are able to find the killer.
I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed this book. It was a very fast read. I did not pick out the killer until near the end. If you like historical fiction and a good little mystery you will enjoy this book.
I received the book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
The main character, Libby, is a strong willed female who has ‘bucked’ the odds in the 1940s and wants to be an independent person. She doesn’t have marriage or children in mind. She has a master’s degree and is the only female scientist at the Secret City lab. She is a wonderful character and very likeable. She does what she thinks is right, even if the military at the City is telling her she is not being patriotic and imply that she could be a spy. She has made a promise to find out who killed who friend’s sister. She knows she could be putting her career on the line, but she doesn’t like the idea that the military and the police don’t seem to want to find out who is the murderer. With the help of some male scientists (a couple don’t like her because she is female) at the City they are able to find the killer.
I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed this book. It was a very fast read. I did not pick out the killer until near the end. If you like historical fiction and a good little mystery you will enjoy this book.
I received the book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
December 15, 2014
I really enjoyed this book by Diane Fanning. It was very interesting to learn so much background information on the Secret City. My mother was a Calutron girl during the war and I thought Fanning did a great job relaying the secrecy that everyone lived with in Oak Ridge.
June 17, 2017
Simplistic story set in early Oak Ridge. The plot was interesting but the characters and dialogue were a bit unsophisticated. The descriptions of wartime Oak Ridge were fairly accurate and interesting, especially if you are from Oak Ridge. Recommended to Oak Ridgers and anyone else interested in the Manhattan Project. Also a good light weight mystery.
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September 20, 2016Diane Fanning has crafted a strong entry into the world of the historical mystery genre with SCANDAL IN THE SECRET CITY. Introducing scientist Elizabeth "Libby" Clark, Fanning takes a feminist approach to science during the Second World War.
Libby Clark graduates from Bryn Mawr and then from University of Pennsylvania with dual majors in chemistry and physics. At a time when women were expected to marry and raise children, Libby wants to work for the war effort. After a series of secret interviews where she learns nothing, she is offered a job somewhere doing something. Through a series of clandestine moves reminiscent of John Le Carre, Libby receives train tickets to first one city and then another. At each stop she's met by a man with the tickets who puts her on the next train. Her last stop is at The Secret City somewhere in Tennessee.
Oak Ridge, The Secret City, is the home of atomic bomb research. Libby, the only female scientist, has to battle subtle and unsubtle bias, intimidation and threats. When she and her roommate find a dead body under the bleachers at a high school, they set off a chain of events which include a cover-up from the highest authorities.
Libby promises to find out how killed the young girl. She needs help and joins a group of young scientists, the Walking Molecules, who band together to solve the murder and uncover the cover-up.
A wonderful read that will keep you turning pages until the last and will leave you wanting more. Fortunately, TREASON IN THE SECRET CITY is already out...
Libby Clark graduates from Bryn Mawr and then from University of Pennsylvania with dual majors in chemistry and physics. At a time when women were expected to marry and raise children, Libby wants to work for the war effort. After a series of secret interviews where she learns nothing, she is offered a job somewhere doing something. Through a series of clandestine moves reminiscent of John Le Carre, Libby receives train tickets to first one city and then another. At each stop she's met by a man with the tickets who puts her on the next train. Her last stop is at The Secret City somewhere in Tennessee.
Oak Ridge, The Secret City, is the home of atomic bomb research. Libby, the only female scientist, has to battle subtle and unsubtle bias, intimidation and threats. When she and her roommate find a dead body under the bleachers at a high school, they set off a chain of events which include a cover-up from the highest authorities.
Libby promises to find out how killed the young girl. She needs help and joins a group of young scientists, the Walking Molecules, who band together to solve the murder and uncover the cover-up.
A wonderful read that will keep you turning pages until the last and will leave you wanting more. Fortunately, TREASON IN THE SECRET CITY is already out...
January 28, 2015
I should have known from the cover.
The cover has multiple comments from book reviews, but only for OTHER books written by this author (Diane Fanning). Furthermore, the reviewers' comments on the cover were pretty mild: "Credible characters bolster a well-crafted plot"; "The tale moves along at a brisk pace ..."; "... a timely and involving case". No one saying that they enjoyed this book, that they couldn't put it down, or any superlatives. That should have been enough of a clue, but I decided to try to read it anyway.
It wasn't bad, it just wasn't at all good - "ok" as indicated by 2 stars. Although the setting was interesting, the plot was cliched, I didn't find the characters interesting, and the writing was wordy. I got about half way through and gave up.
The cover has multiple comments from book reviews, but only for OTHER books written by this author (Diane Fanning). Furthermore, the reviewers' comments on the cover were pretty mild: "Credible characters bolster a well-crafted plot"; "The tale moves along at a brisk pace ..."; "... a timely and involving case". No one saying that they enjoyed this book, that they couldn't put it down, or any superlatives. That should have been enough of a clue, but I decided to try to read it anyway.
It wasn't bad, it just wasn't at all good - "ok" as indicated by 2 stars. Although the setting was interesting, the plot was cliched, I didn't find the characters interesting, and the writing was wordy. I got about half way through and gave up.
January 5, 2015
I love this book! I stay up late to continue reading "just one more chapter"
dnf
February 22, 2015Nyet
January 18, 2017
An interesting story about a place created by the government to do 'war' work. Good mystery.
Want to read
April 25, 2019Synopsis: Libby, a gutsy Bryn Mawr graduate, has found a job in a secret town during WW2. She discovers a body behind the bleachers.
December 21, 2017
Libby Clark is a chemist with a physics minor who had the misfortune to live in 1942 when it just wasn't proper for women to be scientists. Due to the war effort she managed to find work with the government in a secret facility in Tennessee where research on nuclear weapons development was being conducted. Her roommate's sister is murdered and a cover up prevented the victim's family from pursuing the perpetrator. This mystery read is good because it illustrates the plight of women then to be taken seriously. Libby battles military secrecy, male chauvinism, her own work challenges, personal danger, her own male circle of friends and the police to discover the truth around the crime yet still manage to do her part to win the war.
June 16, 2017
Libby is a force to be reckoned with when she sets her mind to something. Using her incredible intelligence Libby works tirelessly to help her friend Ruth. She also shows amazing resolve, especially when it comes to facing down men who could easily have her arrested, or worse. This story is set in one of the most volatile and changing times in our history, and it is women like Libby who are at the forefront making a difference.
Lototy
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
Full Review @ Coffee Time Romance & More
Lototy
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
Full Review @ Coffee Time Romance & More
May 4, 2025
An interesting setting for a murder mystery. Oak Ridge, TN during WWII is a hotbed of spies and secrecy where Libby Clark, a chemist, contributes to the war effort by studying atomic chemicals. She also investigates the murder of one of her friends and colleagues, Irene. Overall, a decent mystery, although it would have been nice if Libby had actually figured out the identity of the killer instead of a police officer correcting her since the real murderer was related to the person she suspected.
October 11, 2018
The mystery was OK, but I primarily enjoyed the historical aspects of the novel - the story of the Secret City and how even the people working there didn't really know what they were working on, and the reminders of what it was like to be a career woman at a time when that was not the norm. If not for those aspects of the book, I probably would have given the mystery only 3 stars. I usually enjoy books set during WW II, but particularly enjoyed this change from the usual setting in Europe.
June 1, 2017
This was an incredibly interesting book about " the reservation" at Oak Ridge Tennessee during World War III.And, as a bonus, there's mystery and a really smart cookie named Libby Clark who, as a scientist, is a good detective.
March 27, 2019
While I learned a little about Oak Ridge, Tennessee, one of the first places in the US to conduct nuclear research, the story was just not well told. Even with a female scientist and a murder mystery, the characters did not come to life for me.
June 12, 2024
Fun and thrilling. Interesting storyline of the Secret City, something I never knew about.
Diane Fanning did a great job of capturing the essence of the time period.
A true who done it until the very end
Diane Fanning did a great job of capturing the essence of the time period.
A true who done it until the very end
January 15, 2020
Nope.
April 19, 2020
I enjoyed this book. This is the second book i have read on Oak Ridge and both books were quite interesting as to what was taking place there. I liked the added murder mystery.
July 30, 2020
I enjoyed this book, as others have said, the setting of Oak ridge during WW2 is interesting and the story kept me engaged up to the end. I look forward to reading the follow up.
September 2, 2020
The mystery was dumb, and I guessed the Who pretty early. The back story was interesting. That would have made a great novel, one that I would have liked much better than this book.
April 6, 2021
Great Mystery. Right to the end to figure it out. Enjoyed the unusual setting.
April 7, 2021
Totally enjoyed this mystery! What a page turner!
October 30, 2023
100% paperback
May 18, 2015
Oak Ridge is a city in Anderson and Roane counties in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Tennessee. It’s nicknames include the Atomic City, the Secret City, the Ridge, and the City Behind the Fence. Scandal in the Secret City is a historical fiction that takes place at this Government built site.
The year is 1942 and Elizabeth “Libby” Clark has been hired as a Chemist by the United States Government to work on a secret project. Mums the word. What happens in the Secret City stays in the Secret City. That is until a murder happens. Our murdered victim is Irene Nance, Libby’s roommate Ruthie’s younger sister. When City officials become determined to sweep the murder under the rug, Libby becomes determined to find the killer.
I love a mystery that keeps me totally puzzled throughout the read. Scandal in the Secret City was able to do that. I also loved that the book shared with me yet another version of World War II history.
Diane Fanning’s Scandal in the Secret City is a fast paced, intriguing, World War II murder mystery with the main character as a strong minded, independent woman. Oh and yes, she’s also quite brilliant as well. How could I not love this book?
Thank you Diane for this thoroughly engrossing read. I’m happy to give you four stars!
Fun Fact:
Oak Ridge was established in 1942 as a production site for the Manhattan Project—the massive American, British, and Canadian operation that developed the atomic bomb.
The year is 1942 and Elizabeth “Libby” Clark has been hired as a Chemist by the United States Government to work on a secret project. Mums the word. What happens in the Secret City stays in the Secret City. That is until a murder happens. Our murdered victim is Irene Nance, Libby’s roommate Ruthie’s younger sister. When City officials become determined to sweep the murder under the rug, Libby becomes determined to find the killer.
I love a mystery that keeps me totally puzzled throughout the read. Scandal in the Secret City was able to do that. I also loved that the book shared with me yet another version of World War II history.
Diane Fanning’s Scandal in the Secret City is a fast paced, intriguing, World War II murder mystery with the main character as a strong minded, independent woman. Oh and yes, she’s also quite brilliant as well. How could I not love this book?
Thank you Diane for this thoroughly engrossing read. I’m happy to give you four stars!
Fun Fact:
Oak Ridge was established in 1942 as a production site for the Manhattan Project—the massive American, British, and Canadian operation that developed the atomic bomb.
January 23, 2015
As always, the historical tidbits throughout the story made the book interesting for me. I would not consider myself a murder mystery fan, so those of you who are may enjoy this more than I did. I was looking for more history of the building of the town Oak Ridge than anything else. One thing I am not a fan of is having the story explicitly detailed for the reader as if we cannot imagine or surmise things on our own. The author did a lot of this... listing questions repeatedly (but phrased slightly differently) as part of the main character's thoughts. It was a short book, but could have been even shorter if the author had more various character development, perhaps more historical info and less of this repetitive, outward nature of the main character.
January 31, 2015
Scandal in Secret City is set in a secret location during World War II. They're working on refining uranium. Her heroine is a brilliant chemist at a time that was really unusual for a woman. I thought it was pretty good but didn't like the unmasking of the culprit. I had figured out whodunnit much earlier and I don't often do that. The characters and setting are well done. I may look for more by her, including the true crime ones.
February 9, 2015
I found myself drawn into not only the mystery that Libby found herself involved in, but also interested in the environment in which Libby was living in at the secret city. Read my full review of the novel at: https://michelinam.wordpress.com/2015...
June 12, 2015
Sarah, Main patron, June 2015, 5 stars:
If you like murder mysteries, especially with a smart female protagonist, then this one is a great read. I learned a lot about science as well. The most intriguing part is that this secret city actually existed in the United States during World War 2.
If you like murder mysteries, especially with a smart female protagonist, then this one is a great read. I learned a lot about science as well. The most intriguing part is that this secret city actually existed in the United States during World War 2.
September 11, 2015
Loved this book. I like to read anything about Oak Ridge, TN. My Uncle worked at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He was a Union Carbide employee and lived in one of the small houses on Manhattan Ave. I always visited him when I was a little girl. He took me to the laboratory for a tour. I finished it this morning at 4:00 am.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews