Doublespeak: A Novel

Lena Stillman #2

by Alisa Smith

The followup to the literate and action-packed historical thriller Speakeasy, Doublespeak finds plucky protagonist Lena on a journey back to her past.

Lieutenant Lena Stillman has been left, nearly alone, on her code-breaking mission in remote Alaska. World War II has been over for a month, but due to crimes committed a lifetime ago, Lena is still under the control of the powerful Miss Maggie.

Shaken by her role in the disappearance of Corporal Link Hughes—and by her own misjudgment of his character—Lena yearns for an opportunity to redeem them both. Then she receives a shocking message containing Link’s potential location: Siam. Embarking on a clandestine rescue mission to Bangkok, Lena is reunited with shadows from her past—including loyal friend Byron who is eager to escape his safe, dull life and the attractive yet dangerous “William Yardly.” As personal and political allegiances shift in the postwar maelstrom, it seems impossible to know who is good or bad, innocent or culpable and whether they are motivated by love or revenge.

Overlaying rich historic detail and an intricate plot, Doublespeak is an entrancing sequel to Alisa Smith’s first novel Speakeasy, which received the honor of being a Walter Scott Prize Academy recommended book of 2018.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery

260 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2019

About the author

The book Plenty has different subtitles in hardcover and paperback and the Canadian edition was called The 100-Mile Diet.

Alisa Smith, a Vancouver-based freelance writer who has been nominated for a National Magazine Award, has been published in Outside, Explore, Canadian Geographic, Reader’s Digest, Utne, and many other periodicals. The books Way Out There and Liberalized feature her work.

Reviews

[Magdalena · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lieutenant Lena Stillman is stunned when she receives a message from a man she thought was dead. She's working in Alaska as a code-breaker and now her old lover Bill wants her to come to Siam. Not only that, he may be able to help her locate Corporal Link Hughes who she felt she betrayed. Now it seems that Bill knows where Link is. But what are his motives? And can she abandon her position in Alaska? What will her boss, spymaster Miss Maggie, say about that?

READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION!

[Robert Hudder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another adventure by a woman who seems trapped but still trying to figure it out. This time, it is the spy business.

A decent read but I find it hard to call this a feminist spy thriller. I guess if you have a female protagonist who kicks against the pricks, then it is enough. Maybe it reflects a female experience but I am not one to be able to judge.

What I can say, is that the two main characters are fleshed out and feel real. While you wonder why they continue to be drawn into these dangerous schemes, you get a sense that maybe if you were in the same situation, you may do the same.

Something about the prose style keeps me from fully identifying with either the male or female characters. I do like the plot which gets everyone to Siam (Thailand) but feel a little removed from the emotional heft.

All in all, a decent spy thriller that could use more meat. An enjoyable read.

[Stanley McShane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in noir style, the novel is dark and intriguing using multiple first persons. Lieutenant Lena Stillman is an ex-bank robber and ended up in Shemya, Alaska at the end of WW2 as a code-breaker. Years before, Lena was part of a criminal element that was called the Clockwork Gang. There were four in the gang. Bill Bagley was the brains and two others besides herself, Byron Godfrey and Link Hughes. Bill settled in Siam and secured a lucrative enterprise. Lena feels responsible for what happened to Link during the war. And now, years after they scattered, she receives an astounding message from Bill regarding Link. Regardless of her feelings for Bill, she absolutely MUST travel to Siam to see Link and square herself with him. And she is not the only one from the old gang receiving an urgent message.
First, I enjoyed the author's sagacity when it came to matters of spying, foreign lands, pre, during, and post-war politics, and being "the criminal used for good" (they have the expertise a by-the-book grunt wouldn't). I had not read Book 1, but felt it could function as a standalone as we certainly get the person that is Bill/William, as well as the other main characters.
Several chapters evolve before you begin to get a sense of who is speaking and then you must discern if they are a reliable narrator. The timeline is not a lengthy one, but there is a lot to take in. The dialogue between main characters and those they are dealing with feel natural. The storyline is well-plotted and builds tension as each of the individuals share their perspective and pressure escalates. The people, the smells, the overcrowded and unhealthy conditions bring forth an unwelcome conjuring of sights you can't unsee. And still, it takes a while before the entire mission becomes clear.
I received this ebook from the publisher and NetGalley and appreciated the opportunity to read and review. While this novel may not be for everyone, if you are looking for something different, enjoy historical novels, and spy action-adventure, particularly with a single-minded capable female protagonist, you'll enjoy this one.

See my full review at https://rosepointpublishing.com/2019/...

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to St Martin's Press for the free advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

It’s no secret that I love historical fiction and I love mysteries, well when you combine them then it’s a surefire hit for me. DOUBLESPEAK by Alisa Smith hit the elements from both genres that I love. This is book two in the series, but I think this read just fine as a standalone because I never felt lost. I do, however, want to go back and pick up SPEAKEASY because I’ve heard nothing but incredible things.

We follow Lieutenant Lena Stillman from her code-breaking mission in Alaska to her recuse mission in Bangkok. She is reunited with pieces of her past and everyone’s alliances come into question as the story progresses. Smith does a great job setting the post-WWII scene for us and illustrating the tensions and adjustments to life now that the war has ended. We get such a wide range of scenery thrown at us and none of it feels disjointed. We are dropped in Alaska with Lena and then transported to exotic Bangkok as she embarks on her next mission.

This historical fiction/mystery novel also has the espionage and spy element that I love. I think the pacing stayed consistent and quick, the characterization was solid and I felt like I got to know Lena without having anything lost in translation (not having read book one), and there was plenty of action. Who can she trust? Who has ulterior motives? Who is good and who is bad? So many questions and I think Smith seamlessly wove this complex plot.

Overall, if you’re looking for a solid historical fiction meets espionage/spy mystery, then this is the book for you! Off to pick up book one in the Lena Stillman series and I’ll be keeping an eye out for more from Smith.

[Sherri · Rating 3 out of 5]

*** I received an advanced e-copy from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review

This is the follow-up book to Speakeasy, and it begins with Lela code-breaking in the Alaskan wilderness right after the end of World War II. Lena gets a shocking message from someone she thought to be dead, giving Link's location as Siam. What follows is a tale of intrigue and a possible shot at Redemption for Lena.
I enjoyed Speakeasy, so I was excited to read this one. Unfortunately, I was never really able to get into it. I don't know if it was just too much "spy" and "action" oriented for me, since that isn't the type of book I usually enjoy, or what. The writing was well-done however, and someone who does enjoy a good spy thriller would definitely enjoy this.

[Minnesinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love historical fiction for the simple reason that it teaches me something as well as entertains. Alisa Smith majored in history and is a former copyeditor as I am, so she cares about historical accuracy and about the written word. She is above all a fantastic writer and storyteller. It’s rare to have a second book be as good as the first, but this IS as good as her first, SPEAKEASY.

I won’t get into the plot because you can read summaries elsewhere. Suffice it to say, this book is much darker. Most of the action takes place in southeast Asia, or the “Far East”, as it was called then, though the book begins in a remote Alaskan military outpost. This story and its predecessor are unique in that the heroine is Canadian yet works for the U.S.Navy, then the OSS. Lena is a great character, smart, talented, beautiful, but damaged, and unsure of herself. Smart except where men are concerned. (At least she acknowledges this and tries not to repeat mistakes.) Poor Lena is plagued with guilt regarding Link. (More I will not say.) The main male character, Bill, is still mostly a caricature, intentionally so, at least in the beginning.

Speaking of caricatures...“Sho-nuff” in this book is no longer so. He has been transformed by having joined the “N double-A CP”, and insists that he be called by his real name, Frederick. (You go, guyfriend.) The author has fleshed out his character more, giving him a personality (he is a real mensch), a lot more dialogue, and a lot more action. He takes Lena first to Hawaii—Pearl Harbor Naval Station, to be exact—where prejudice is sadly alive and well. After refueling there, it’s on to Siam, where they are attacked by real pirates. “By God” is still “By God”, aka mild-mannered Byron Godfrey, and Miss Maggie is still a mystery.
There are two new characters, an Indian servant/hired hand named Dass (who wears “pink pants” according to By God), and a hulking Chinese servant who goes by “Smile”. (If you are guessing that his name means the opposite, you would be correct.) Oh! And there is an evil Nazi. Doesn't this novel sound fun?? It is! (Almost sounds like a Rocky & Bullwinkle cartoon show, but it’s not. Still VERY entertaining. ;) There is plenty of adventure, mystery, intrigue, history and local color. Romance, not so much, though there is some.

Now to a more serious subject—Japan’s torture of POWs and civilians during WW2. This railroad played a major role in the life of one of the characters, but that’s all I will say about this character.
Feel free to skip what follows because there is no more discussion of this book. I just felt compelled to read more about the subject then write about it.

I grew up after World War 2 and never heard of the Burma-Siam Railroad, aka the “Death Railroad”, until I saw the film “The Railway Man” starring Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman. It’s based on a true story, described in a book with the same title, written by a British POW in Burma, one of the few who survived Japanese enslavement and torture in WW2. I am very glad I saw the film, because it brought to life that chapter in history about which I knew nothing. More people need to know about it, because it was horrific and should never be forgotten.

The Death Railroad was about 250* miles long, connecting Bangkok, Thailand (formerly Siam), to Myanmar (formerly Burma). It was built entirely with slave labor—Allied POWs and Asians (about whom I regretfully know nothing, but am guessing they were taken from other countries the Japanese invaded and occupied)—built in 16 months*, rather than at the more humane rate of five years. The POWs were not only forced to work an inhumane number of hours per day, they had to work in scorching heat and suffocating humidity, dangerous working conditions, and were fed only 1 bowl of rice a day. Not surprisingly, most fell ill with dysentery, typhus, beriberi and/or malaria—then died. All 120,000-140,000* who died there were left where they dropped, along that 250-mile stretch of railroad. And they were just the ones who died building the Death Railroad. Other POWs were worked to death on other Japanese-controlled islands throughout the Pacific. Women and children from Allied countries who had the misfortune to be living in southeast Asia at the time were also imprisoned by the Japanese in inhumane camps, not allowed to return home.

I just happened to watch Japan’s international news broadcast yesterday (on PBS), and was reminded of Japan’s part in WW2, partly because the day before—June 6th—was the 75th anniversary of D-Day. I was shocked that the Japanese broadcast completely ignored D-Day and focused instead on the Allied bombing of Hiroshima. I agree that the bombing was terrible and should never happen again, but historically, it happened 2 months later, in August. Why report this and not D-Day, the most important world event (in recent memory anyway) that occurred on June 6th? The date on which thousands of young men—many still boys—sacrificed their lives to end the war in Europe? They were gunned down the moment their landing crafts approached the beach, the moment they jumped out, or if they survived long enough, were able to crawl onto land. They saw they were going to be gunned down but jumped anyway, because they didn't want to let down their mates and brothers. They chose honor rather than dishonor. June 6th is a date for the history books, a date which the rest of the world press chose to honor yesterday, all week in fact. The Japanese press dishonored Allied soldiers who sacrificed their lives by intentionally ignoring D-Day. Why would they do that? Why would they broadcast a program about Hiroshima instead? I think it’s obvious, and that troubles me, because I thought Japan had learned its lesson by now, as have Germany and Italy and Allied countries. That program indicated that saving face is still all-important in Japan, moreso than honesty and truth, anyway. Which is not healthy—and cause for concern.

What do the Japanese think prompted the bombing of Hiroshima?? Japan was the aggressor, bombing Pearl Harbor AND enslaving thousands or more POWs in direct violation of the Geneva Convention. The Japanese sent POWs all over the Pacific islands as slave labor, intentionally starving and working them to death. They also chose to imprison innocent women and children throughout the Pacific and treated them inhumanely as well.

Japan’s recent news broadcast was such a blatant slap in the face to the Allies, completely one-sided, and sensationalistic, focusing on its new Hiroshima museum instead, with its horrific displays of realistic-looking statues of small children running and screaming, with jagged, burned “flesh” falling off their limbs. Followed bu video of Japanese parents dragging their young children to see these displays. What were they thinking, forcing their toddlers to view screaming and maimed young children? To brainwash them into hating America? It could only have traumatized such young innocents. What was the network thinking?? In England and the U.S. at least, newscasters preface horrific video by telling viewers that the following “may not be suitable for young audiences”—i.e., distract your children so they are not traumatized.

I also question the date on which the Hiroshima story was broadcast. Why ignore thousands of Allied lives sacrificed during the same war in which you were an aggressor? How about the thousands of Asian civilians whom you tortured and killed after invading their countries? Do you also have a museum to honor them? A museum with realistic-looking statues of emaciated and exhausted Allied POWs dropping to the ground while Japanese soldiers whipped or shot them? Or Allied civilian women and children forced to march miles under a scorching sun and suffocating humidity with no water, dropping from heat stroke or death?

Japan was the aggressor against America, not the other way around, first by bombing Pearl Harbor, then by invading the U.S. island of Attu in the Aleutian Islands—an event even many Americans are still unaware of. It took a month and countless American lives to oust Japanese forces from that island. Yes, the bombing of Hiroshima was terrible, but so was Japan’s unprovoked bombing of Pearl Harbor. Would Japan ever have surrendered if American leaders had not chosen to use the bomb to end the war in the Pacific?

Has Japan ever apologized to its victims of WW2? I can understand Japanese anger and sorrow over the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I truly can. But I hope Japanese adults are also telling their children—older children, that is—WHY that happened, and about the atrocities Japanese soldiers committed against innocent civilians and POWs. I hope Japanese school children are learning the truth in school, and that teachers encourage honest discussions among older students. I hope Japanese elders are truthful with their children and grandchildren so there is no doubt who the aggressors were in WW2.

For all its faults—and I acknowledge it has many—America has at least publicly acknowledged its errors in past wars, and its domestic errors as well, such as the creation of Japanese internment camps. But Japanese Americans were treated humanely, families kept together, no one tortured or killed, able to resume their lives after the war. German POWs in America were also treated humanely. Japan treated its prisoners worse than dogs, and that is a FACT, not my opinion.

The American press would not allow our country to forget or ignore a shameful event in which we played a part. I hope many Japanese viewers complain about the disregard the above news program showed yesterday toward the Allied victims of WW2, and the cheek it had to broadcast an anti-American program instead. Is that news station owned by the Japanese government, I wonder? Does the Japanese press have the freedom to print the truth? We do in the U.S., and that is the only way many shameful stories about our government’s actions have been exposed. We only learned about such wrongs because journalists had the courage to print the truth. All people deserve to know the truth about their countries, because that is the way the world will change for the better. We must all learn from our mistakes, both individuals and countries, or we’re doomed to repeat them.

My point is that Japan and every country on earth must have the courage to admit its faults and apologize publicly—to its own people and to the world—for its past atrocities. I was shocked to see such a biased story from Japan, a nation that so prizes education. i’d probably not be as surprised had it not been broadcast the day after D-Day, when all U.S. news broadcasters and most Western European ones were still commemorating the 75th anniversary.
Completely ignoring D-Day seems undiplomatic, almost foolhardy, for a country that does business with America and Europe. Airing a program about Hiroshima instead is clearly motivated by politics. Why, Japan? Because our buffoon of a president was rude on his recent visit to your nation? I don't blame you for rebuking him for his incivility—most Americans do, too, because he acts like an ass everywhere. He clearly has some sort of mental defect, and we regret that he is our leader. I personally am ashamed that he represents our country, and I fear for our country under his ‘leadership’. Please don’t think all Americans are like him, or that we approve of his behavior—on the contrary: Most of us are counting the days until he is out of office. .

If only government leaders were all wise and just; if only nations waged their petty wars without killing innocents! If only there were no wars, period. But that would require all humans to act rationally and compassionately, without malice or revenge, which will never happen as long as people are people. I just pray that all countries allow their presses the freedom to report the TRUTH—both good and bad—and that there are enough people in every country on earth strong enough to stand up for truth.

_____
(* Facts not contained in the novel but which I found online by reading several authoritative websites.)

[Seema Rao · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thrilling ~ Perplexing ~ Wraught

tl;dr: Spies don't get breaks in peace time.

Doublespeak follows the path of a code-breaker Lena Stillman into post-World War II South East Asia. The writing is more John Le Carre than Ian Fleming with a matter-of-factness. While this is the second book in the series, it was my first. I didn't necesarily feel lost. I did wonder for much of the book where the truth lay, and often wondered if the protagonist was reliable. But, the reader's feeling of uncertainty might be due to the genre. The book is full of people making poor choices for country and personal profit. In all, like many spy thrillers, these sorts of books remind me why subterfuge isn't my bag. In terms of a book, this was a well-made spy thriller/ mystery with a strong female protagonist. I enjoyed the read.

TW: There are plenty of 40s-style references to natives, who are being treated as you might imagine.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Seema Rao Write : Instagram| Blog| Twitter|

[Jewel Carrie Parker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book at my local Dollar Tree and was drawn to it for its woman spy character, historical setting, and beautiful cover. What’s more to like?!

My greatest concern going into this book was that I would be confused because I had not read the first one. However, the author does a good job of catching readers up to speed. It reads well as a stand-alone.

As a historian, I was also impressed by the level of research that the author had completed on WW2 and the 1940s. I understand this is historical fiction, but the facts help the story be more believable. I did not realize until I read the author’s note at the end that they hold a MA in history.

There is racist rhetoric in the book. While common for the time period, I wish there had been a warning to readers at the beginning of the book.

I also felt disinvested in the characters. Perhaps this is because I did not read the first one but also because it was difficult to determine the POV switches from chapter to chapter.

I’m sad to say that if I had not started reading this while I waited to get my car serviced, I likely would not have finished it.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing and interesting thriller. I do wish I'd read the first novel because it likely would have made entering Lena's world easier. A former gangster turned Navy codebreaker during WWII, this outing sees her attempting to rescue Link, who she wronged. He's in "Siam," which was a real hotbed of espionage during WWII and immediately after. Those familiar with that scene will wonder who several of the characters are really. Everyone's motives are suspect and Lena doesn't trust easily, which is good. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

[nikkia neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given a ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.

Love this change of location to the far East. This is a fast paced, dangerous, exciting, and provocative novel.

[Sarah Swedberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good end-of-summer read. It's an old-timey feeling spy novel, but with a woman as one of the main characters.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I didn’t like this as much as the first but it was still a really good story. It takes place approximately 3 years after WWII mostly in Alaska and Siam.

[Sandy Gay · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF

[AJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was so boring! 🥱 I skipped through its little self edit if you will. Thanks but no thanks! I will not be reading anything else by this author.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to netgalley.com for the ARC.

I had read the first book in the series and enjoyed all the characters. I wanted to say that I actually liked the characters even better in this second book in the series. The story moves from the Pacific Northwest to Alaska, Hawaii, and Thailand (Siam in the book). The description of the locations are phenomenal and I felt that I was in Siam in the 1940's. I enjoyed the story line and how the characters from the first book were brought back together again in an ingenious way. Lena, the story's heroine, is a flawed character but relatable. I look forward to reading more of her adventures.

[Kristen McDermott · Rating 3 out of 5]

My review of this book appears in Historical Novels Review issue 89 (August 2019):

“Fairy tales have lives of their own.” Lena Stillman, the narrator of this fine sequel to Speakeasy, knows that our deeds are one thing, but the stories we tell ourselves about them quite another. Even a brilliant, unsentimental cryptographer like Lena can fall prey to dreams and fantasies in the right circumstances, and Smith packs her novel with a propulsive plot, and her characters with twisty, complicated motives.

As the novel begins, Lena is one of the few remaining intelligence officers posted on the remote island of Shemya in the Aleutians, decoding intercepted Russian radio transmissions while struggling with ennui and cynicism about how the end of WWII left no clear winners, just an open theater for the new Cold War. Meanwhile, her co-narrator (as in the first novel), the shady accountant Byron Godfrey, is propelled out of the comfortable post-criminal life he has made by the news that Bill Bagley, his partner in his old bank-robbing gang (and Lena’s former lover) had escaped from death row in a Vancouver prison. Byron is summoned to join him in Bangkok for new, if unsavory, financial opportunities. Lena receives a similar summons and goes AWOL to answer it for reasons of her own.

The atmosphere as both Byron and Lena make their way to Thailand is torrid and cynical. Smith balances the general unpleasantness of her characters’ personalities with lush descriptions of postwar Siam. Lena and Byron become increasingly dependent on one another as Bill maneuvers them into a spy plot that may have broad international implications. For this reason, readers will want to have read Speakeasy first; otherwise the sinister hold that Bill has on the two narrators will seem implausible and inexplicable. As a sequel, however, this is a satisfying adventure, especially for readers who wish Graham Greene and John le Carré had created more strong female protagonists.

[Shkolnikjx · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really touched me. I felt completely engrossed by the intricate storyline and the characters that were beautiful inside and out.
A truly marvelous piece of writing.

[Heather Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doublespeak is the follow-up to Speakeasy and it did not disappoint. Well written and great characters. The historical detail makes you feel like you are part of the book.

[Carol Custer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was more of a 'spy' novel than I usually read and I'm afraid it didn't hold my interest very well. Still, the writing is good and the characters were well-defined. Just not my favorite kind of book