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Code Name Funnel Web
Not yet published
Expected 15 Apr 261940, Sydney.
World War II is raging across the globe. But so far, Frances Davies has managed to avoid the firsthand tolls of combat. That all changes when her brother, Thomas, is reported MIA in Singapore.
Frankie meets Leo, a boat-loving immigrant from Italy, and they fall in love. Local attitudes and something more sinister tear them apart. When he is detained as a prisoner-of-war, she can no longer stand by.
Under the direction of a shadowy British intelligence officer, Frankie agrees to become a covert agent for the Resistance, code-named Funnel Web—like the infamous arachnids of her homeland.
Behind enemy lines, Frankie must survive Nazi-occupied Paris, gulag-infested Eastern Europe, and treachery-laden Asia with instructions to ensnare her targets by any means necessary.
To save Thomas and help defeat the Axis powers, Frankie is forced to navigate a gnarled web of duplicitous alliances and dangerous romances—all the while attempting to salvage some semblance of her humanity.
World War II is raging across the globe. But so far, Frances Davies has managed to avoid the firsthand tolls of combat. That all changes when her brother, Thomas, is reported MIA in Singapore.
Frankie meets Leo, a boat-loving immigrant from Italy, and they fall in love. Local attitudes and something more sinister tear them apart. When he is detained as a prisoner-of-war, she can no longer stand by.
Under the direction of a shadowy British intelligence officer, Frankie agrees to become a covert agent for the Resistance, code-named Funnel Web—like the infamous arachnids of her homeland.
Behind enemy lines, Frankie must survive Nazi-occupied Paris, gulag-infested Eastern Europe, and treachery-laden Asia with instructions to ensnare her targets by any means necessary.
To save Thomas and help defeat the Axis powers, Frankie is forced to navigate a gnarled web of duplicitous alliances and dangerous romances—all the while attempting to salvage some semblance of her humanity.
292 pages, Unknown Binding
Expected publication April 15, 2026
6 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Review of advance copy
This is the kind of story that doesn’t rush you. It settles. It waits. It lets the unease seep in quietly.
Set between Australia and war-torn Europe and Asia, it follows Frances “Frankie” Davies as her small, contained life begins to press up against the realities of war, secrecy, and loss. The danger here isn’t always loud or dramatic. Often it’s intimate and personal. It's unassuming like a funnel web spider until you discover it within the darkness of your shoe.
Frankie feels deeply human and relatable. Her thoughts circle and return: fear, longing, shame, the ache to matter, and that interiority is where the story really lives. This is a novel about what it means to come of age as a young woman in a world that expects you to stay small, even as history is breaking everything open around you.
The romance is restrained and understated, which lets the story breathe. It’s shaped by loneliness, curiosity, and quiet defiance. It feels tentative. Earned. Real, in the way wartime connections so often are. And that's what makes this not just a love story, but about the shaping — and reshaping — of a woman so often made to linger in the shadows.
What stayed with me most was the atmosphere. The heat. The salty river water. The weight of expectations pressed into domestic spaces. The wood smoke. The burning. The way the war feels like a presence, sometimes distant, sometimes heavy on your shoulders, leaving you with the choices you wouldn't ordinarily make. You feel Frankie’s experiences viscerally.
This isn’t just historical fiction. It’s about fear, and the quiet courage it takes to move anyway. A moving, immersive read for those who love mood, interior lives, and stories that linger long after you’ve closed the book.
Set between Australia and war-torn Europe and Asia, it follows Frances “Frankie” Davies as her small, contained life begins to press up against the realities of war, secrecy, and loss. The danger here isn’t always loud or dramatic. Often it’s intimate and personal. It's unassuming like a funnel web spider until you discover it within the darkness of your shoe.
Frankie feels deeply human and relatable. Her thoughts circle and return: fear, longing, shame, the ache to matter, and that interiority is where the story really lives. This is a novel about what it means to come of age as a young woman in a world that expects you to stay small, even as history is breaking everything open around you.
The romance is restrained and understated, which lets the story breathe. It’s shaped by loneliness, curiosity, and quiet defiance. It feels tentative. Earned. Real, in the way wartime connections so often are. And that's what makes this not just a love story, but about the shaping — and reshaping — of a woman so often made to linger in the shadows.
What stayed with me most was the atmosphere. The heat. The salty river water. The weight of expectations pressed into domestic spaces. The wood smoke. The burning. The way the war feels like a presence, sometimes distant, sometimes heavy on your shoulders, leaving you with the choices you wouldn't ordinarily make. You feel Frankie’s experiences viscerally.
This isn’t just historical fiction. It’s about fear, and the quiet courage it takes to move anyway. A moving, immersive read for those who love mood, interior lives, and stories that linger long after you’ve closed the book.
January 7, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I received an ARC directly from the author, Camille, and was honoured to be the very first person to read this book. After reading her debut, I was eager to step back into her mind and see where this story would take me.
The novel follows Frankie and her relentless drive to be reunited with her brother. She is determined to find him at any cost, even when that determination leads her into deeply confronting and harrowing situations. While I personally gravitate toward fast-paced stories and found the opening a little slower, I could feel the careful groundwork being laid. The unanswered questions kept pulling me forward, and I found myself reading eagerly, knowing it was building toward something bigger.
Around the halfway mark, the pacing shifts dramatically, and from there it becomes hard to catch your breath. That’s the point where the story truly gripped me—and it’s what I live for as a reader.
The novel is rich with historical detail, and Camille’s passion for sharing accurate, thoughtfully woven history shines through on every page. It adds depth, authenticity, and emotional weight to the story, making this a compelling and rewarding read.
I received an ARC directly from the author, Camille, and was honoured to be the very first person to read this book. After reading her debut, I was eager to step back into her mind and see where this story would take me.
The novel follows Frankie and her relentless drive to be reunited with her brother. She is determined to find him at any cost, even when that determination leads her into deeply confronting and harrowing situations. While I personally gravitate toward fast-paced stories and found the opening a little slower, I could feel the careful groundwork being laid. The unanswered questions kept pulling me forward, and I found myself reading eagerly, knowing it was building toward something bigger.
Around the halfway mark, the pacing shifts dramatically, and from there it becomes hard to catch your breath. That’s the point where the story truly gripped me—and it’s what I live for as a reader.
The novel is rich with historical detail, and Camille’s passion for sharing accurate, thoughtfully woven history shines through on every page. It adds depth, authenticity, and emotional weight to the story, making this a compelling and rewarding read.
Review of advance copy received from Author
WWII historical fiction with an Australian connection.
Referencing historically accurate events, this book takes you from the shores of southern Sydney to England/France/Russia and China as Frances (Frankie) embarks on a secret wartime mission while trying to track down her missing brother, who is thought to be a prisoner of war. The harsh brutality of war is balanced with the heroic acts that defined the spirit of the Resistance Network. A well crafted story with plenty of action to keep you engaged. This book will please readers of Natasha Lester and Kate Quinn.
I received an ARC of this book - due for release in April 2026.
Referencing historically accurate events, this book takes you from the shores of southern Sydney to England/France/Russia and China as Frances (Frankie) embarks on a secret wartime mission while trying to track down her missing brother, who is thought to be a prisoner of war. The harsh brutality of war is balanced with the heroic acts that defined the spirit of the Resistance Network. A well crafted story with plenty of action to keep you engaged. This book will please readers of Natasha Lester and Kate Quinn.
I received an ARC of this book - due for release in April 2026.
Review of advance copy received from Author
"Code Name Funnel Web" is a high-stakes WWII spy novel written with confidence and conviction. Camille Booker has created a complex heroine in Frances, who navigates loss, love, and espionage across continents and battlelines. A sweeping wartime story of survival, secrecy, and the extraordinary paths women were forced to walk during wartime. I enjoyed reading a WW2 story that isn't watered down and has a fierce female protagonist who doesn't need a man to rescue her.
December 22, 2025
This story took me down entirely new paths during this era and I was so pulled in an enamored by all the details and the characters’ journies. An incredible, heroic, sweeping story that had me turning the pages hungrily at every opportunity! I loved it and am already wanting to read it again.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews