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Florence Fairweather #1

Milton Park: A WW2 Female Spy Mystery

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She was Churchill’s favourite spy—but was she about to lose the war?In a spy-versus-spy thrilling high-stakes chase, Florence faces the impossible to outsmart Germany’s most brutal agent. It's New Year’s Day 1940, and snow-covered Europe is in the grip of a harsh winter. A German spy, whose face is bandaged from reconstructive surgery, parachutes into southern England to impersonate the one man who holds the key to Britain winning the war.Only Florence can stop him, but her deadliest rival is the one enemy she cannot see. Florence’s all-female team play a deadly game of cat and mouse through France and Germany and fear they may have been out-played at their own game. Will Florence’s split-second gamble over a dead body on an empty Sussex beach, put the fate of England at greater risk? And will she solve the mystery of the unidentified deep-sleeper spy?Milton Park is the entertaining first book in the Florence Fairweather series. If you like feisty, witty heroines, wartime spy adventures, and politically driven power-plays, then you’ll love Russell Cooper’s gripping debut war-time spy mystery novel.Praise for Milton Park“What a fabulous adventure mystery. It’s Famous Five for grown-ups!”“Wonderful wartime mystery. Spies, tea and jam sponge all the way!”“Milton Park kept me guessing all the way to the end.”“The story stayed with me, long after the last page. I can’t stop thinking about it.”

426 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 2, 2021

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Russell Cooper

28 books36 followers

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5 stars
343 (56%)
4 stars
170 (28%)
3 stars
70 (11%)
2 stars
18 (2%)
1 star
5 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
Profile Image for Julie.
531 reviews15 followers
September 7, 2025
I keep telling myself no WWII books, but then one comes up by an author I like and I am hooked. This book is by Russell Cooper who writes the Friday Street Mysteries. Where the Friday Street books are laugh out loud, this was a very serious book about the first part of the war and the spies who help keep Britain safe.
Profile Image for Cathy.
40 reviews
April 11, 2024
A riveting read!

Totally enthralled and invested in the characters of the WWII spy mission!! Superb writing by Mr. Cooper! I cant wait to read the next book!!
416 reviews11 followers
September 11, 2025
Women Spies

This was a great adventure story about the beginning of WWII in England. The women are all top notch h adventurers, possessed of courage, brains, and ability. They acted with little hesitation. I don’t know how true it all was but it certainly felt possible.
6 reviews
June 11, 2026
This book was the best of the series. I was so sad once I finished, as its the last in the series. If I knew how, I would contact the author and beg him for another.
A must read.
14 reviews
February 9, 2025
fun female leads!

I will check out the second book.
A little loss with history but fun nonetheless.
They grow on you.
Read on.
3 reviews
February 8, 2025
Milton Park is 5 stars !

What a great read. A serious time, but the female camaraderie made me smile and have a few laughs.
Onward to book 2.
36 reviews2 followers
August 1, 2023
Swashbuckling females!

Story gives one hope there are this smart of humans still in the militaries of our allies.
Loved texting with Mr Cooper over a 'auto correct' error!

Profile Image for Tabatha Black.
1 review1 follower
October 24, 2025
Good but not historically accurate

It was a good book, kept you guessing and was fast paced. My only issue was the historical inaccuracies. It is a fiction book, so if that done intentionally that is fine but this book didn't read like it was trying to recreate its own version of history, so it just felt like it was inaccurate and poorly researched. Paris wasn't invaded by the Germans til early summer 1940. Therefore there would have been no Germans in Paris in early 1940 as the book suggested
Profile Image for Hazel Lewis.
87 reviews1 follower
May 6, 2021
War and Spies

Fast paced and well written. Couldn’t put it down, so looking forward to book two.
If you enjoy war stories, with spies etc then give this a try.
Profile Image for Joan Ahmed.
77 reviews1 follower
August 23, 2021
Can't wait for the next book

This is the first in which I hope will be a long series.if you love spy thrillers that take you behind the scenes of Churchill's war efforts this is for you. It has feisty female spys who put James Bond to shame. This first installment has Florence unravel the mystery of a master German spy who is impersonating her dear friend and colleague in order to steal the secrets of the British airplane production.
1,181 reviews9 followers
June 2, 2023
Absolutely adored this WWII historic fiction book - I read a lot in this genre and this book ranks very high for me. Florence Fairweather is Churchill’s favorite spy in the spring of 1940. Before Churchill comes to power, she must thwart a German spy from stealing the secrets behind the manufacture of the Spitfire. I was riveted from start to finish and am moving onto the second book immediately!
Profile Image for PRK Oregon.
138 reviews10 followers
January 14, 2024
Interesting and fun characters

This is a very good first book with well written, fully developed characters and without a lot of superfluous adjectives or adverbs. It was nice to see a little history thrown into the mix. I recommend this book for anyone that enjoys a good story teller.
8 reviews
March 7, 2021
Gripping and exciting

Full of action and excitement . A great storyline with characters that you love from the start .Florence Fairweather could tackle any challenge and is the equal of James Bond but with tea and cake instead of martini. I simply couldn't put it down
15 reviews3 followers
July 20, 2022
I stopped reading at about 80% done. The plot just became so outrageous. Not believable at all. The first half of the book was much better but then took a turn. I actually thought the book should have ended before the trip to Germany.
5 reviews
November 2, 2022
So so

Enjoyed the premise, but found the writing
a bit sloppy...the storyline jumped here to there, with no smooth continuation in many spots. I got tired of reading how Florence could win or lose the war. It was overdone.
507 reviews4 followers
April 30, 2025
I started this book and thought, "Boy! This is bad!' so I went to the reviews thinking I was missing something. I returned to the book and no, after 150 more pages or so, I was not.

The plot is absolutely stupid. It would not survive the scrutiny of a discerning YA reader. As a matter of fact, the writing is appropriate for a YA except for the sexual inuendos.

The reviewers write of "strong women". They are ridiculous cardboard cutouts. You know they are great because they keep telling each other they are. One uses her large breasts to accomplish things about every eight pages.

Although there are references to humor, I could not find any worth reading.

I enjoyed Russell Cooper's other books, which had real strong female characters and humor. This had neither. And...did I mention the plot is absolutely stupid?
1 review
January 2, 2022
Can’t wait to read Book 2 !

I normally don’t read Spy Mystery, but I thoroughly enjoyed this. The characters, Florence and her team are charming and it’s definitely a page turner where I found myself saying “ Whaat? I didn’t see this coming …” multiple times.
Looking forward to moving onto “ Aubrey Hill “ with a hot pot of tea and buttered toast …

Profile Image for Quinn.
943 reviews
January 6, 2023
I felt a little bamboozled by the “a cozy mystery” part of this title. Other than happening in England there was nothing cozy about it. It was a spy story occurring just as WWII is potentially going to start. That it contained elite women spies with massive self-preservation skills made it an intriguing premise.
809 reviews8 followers
February 13, 2023
Wonderful novel

This author is a master storyteller who writes a very interesting twist and turn book. One that I could not put down. It centers on women spies in WW 2 which it is known that there were many very brave women and without them the victory would have been harder or longer. Can't wait to read next book in series.
25 reviews
June 17, 2026
I saw that this was a classic female espionage, adventure story, and since it was part of a series, I was especially eager to read it. Cooper did not disappoint. I thoroughly enjoyed the book from beginning to end. It was fast pace and filled with twist and turns that kept me engaged. The characters were relatable, witty, and infused with humor, making the story even more enjoyable.
34 reviews3 followers
July 26, 2021
A best WWII story

If you like spies, intrigue and surprises, you will like this book. A German spy infiltrates British intelligence looking to steal British secrets. But there is more. Enjoy.
19 reviews
August 19, 2021
Excellent read….

One of THE best books on WW2 historical fiction, I had a hard time putting it down….and wanted it to keep going. If you love spy heroes and villains plus WW2, you will totally love this. Cannot wait for book 2! You will love Florence, my heroine.
3 reviews1 follower
November 5, 2021
Fast and entertaining.Protagonists a little too "superhero" for reality. A fun read.

Protagonists a little too "superhero" for reality. A fun read. Good Winston Churchill personality profile was inserted in the theme.
447 reviews2 followers
August 11, 2022
Outstanding

Loved the humor first of all, then the twists and turns of the storyline. The only criticism I have is that the story always comes out as the no body gets hurt, which isn't what really happens in real life.
Profile Image for Judy G Spivey.
415 reviews8 followers
February 26, 2025
World War II is just beginning. Fiction or Fact

Winston Churchill sees the danger Hitler represents. WILK his team of undercover agents need to provide a catalyst to up his chances to be Prime Minster. Oh by the way his top under cover people are women.
44 reviews
March 10, 2025
not bad

A pleasant if fanciful read. A tad too easily contrived but quite entertaining nonetheless. Six more words are required by Amazon. This requirement is ridiculous but rather than argue with a semi- literate computer, I have complied
Profile Image for Richard.
507 reviews4 followers
July 18, 2026
M.I.S.S.

The German spy is a serial killer, eliminating anyone who suspects the truth about his identity. He is up against a remarkable team of British female spies with unique talents. The great reveal of the master German spy leader surprised me!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews