Enigma

by Suzie Clarke

There is a time for courage, a time for sacrifice, a time for love.

In the fall of 1941, the United States Office of American Defense summons agent Polly Silvester to find an elusive spy. Critical information about aircraft designs, production numbers, and flight schedules vital to America’s safety are being stolen from the Portage Aircraft plant in Barberton, Ohio. And the spy is most likely a woman. Polly’s orders are simple. Find the spy—whatever the cost or sacrifice.

Polly has taken an oath to protect and serve her country, but the spy she’s hunting may be the love of her life. Desperate times and impossible choices skew the line between what’s right and what matters. Can Polly do what she must when everything is on the line?

Genres: Historical

315 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 1, 2022

About the author

Suzie Clarke is a native of Northeast Ohio and has a medical and business background. Before her life as a writer, she specialized in public health, working with women in all aspects of their lives. When not writing, she can be found spending time with her family, backpacking, or out on the golf course.

Reviews

[Della B · Rating 5 out of 5]

The setting is the fall of 1941 in Barberton, Ohio. Agent Polly Silvester of the Department of Defence is working undercover at the airplane factory in Barberton. Someone is stealing vital information from the plant and Polly is assigned to find out who and stop them at all costs. Kalena Mikloska works at the factory and owns the boardinghouse where Polly is staying.

Clarke expertly sets the tone for this fictional spy story. You are easily transported to the language, music and fashion of the forties. The heartwarming love story intermixed with the espionage realistically deals with the mores of that time. It is a healthy reminder to cherish our LGBTQ freedoms we have today.

The exciting action of the spy mystery easily holds your attention while the tender moments allows you to catch your breath. I was thoroughly captivated by this novel and highly recommend it.

I received a free advance review copy from Bella Books through NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Cherie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up.
This is a work of historical fiction set in 1941 at the start of WWII. In this story we have Polly Sylvester who is a Secret Agent working for the US Defense Department. She is sent to Barberton, Ohio to an airplane factory that is making a top secret new type of airplane. Someone has broken into classified files and stolen top secret information on this new plane. Polly’s mission is to find and capture the spy. Once she is in Ohio and staying at a boarding house with her secret identity she meets Kalena Mikloska. Kalena owns the boarding house and lives there with her aunt. She also works at the plane factory. Kalena knows that she likes women but has yet to have any sexual experiences. Polly is an experienced investigator and a bad ass secret agent.

Polly and Kalena have an instant attraction for each other. And once they get together it gets very steamy. I liked both MCs and even though in some ways Polly was the experienced and dominant character, Kalena more than held her own and showed surprising strength of character and action.

I enjoyed the mystery and action scenes of ferreting out the spy in this story. Also many good feels and dialogue between Polly and Kalena.

I would recommend this book to anyone liking mystery and adventure in a WWII background with some great romance thrown in.

ARC received from Net Galley for a voluntary and honest review.

[Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Polly Silvester is an agent sent undercover to an Ohio airplane manufacturing plant. It is 1941 and the country is gearing up for potential involvement in WWII. The company is sure that someone is stealing critical information about the new aircraft design and production. Polly stays at a boarding house owned by Kalena Mikloska. An aunt runs the house while Kalena also works at the manufacturing plant.

I liked the setting and time period. War production is ramping up especially in manufacturing even though war isn’t yet declared. Polly is determined in her work but still takes time to enjoy being out with Kalena and friends to dance to the music of Glenn Miller. I like the inclusion of potential rationing for goods and other anticipated sacrifices. The action scenes are fast paced and exciting. The romance between the two women is careful and fitting with the times. The book chooses mostly fade to black for intimacy.

I was a little more iffy about Polly and her favorite “gotcha question”. It relies too much on her ability to read the other persons reaction. A well trained counter spy wouldn’t react. Also a few things fell very conveniently in to place especially in how the suspect pool gets narrowed quickly. The main focus is spent on the mystery but more time is given to the romance than I expected. Roughly 70/30.

If you enjoy historical romance mysteries this book is a fun and interesting read. There is expected mayhem but nothing graphic. Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Women Using Words · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am captivated by historical fiction featuring female spies as government operatives. The subversion of traditional gender roles that takes place inside these stories always adds a fresh perspective. Often, stories involving war regulate women to supporting roles, and their contributions are often overlooked. However, there’s been an emergence of historical fiction featuring female spies, and they’ve been challenging these stereotypes. Readers are now seeing more stories about women engaging in dangerous missions, gathering intelligence, and influencing the course of war, whether it be the Civil War, WWII or Afghanistan. Enigma by Suzie Clarke, which is set in the fall of 1941 just before the US enters WWII, is one such story. It showcases women stepping beyond societal expectations, embracing their agency, and defying conventions. The characters serve as powerful symbols of resilience, courage, and determination, inspiring readers to reflect on the significance of women and their contributions during pivotal moments in history.

Clarke does a masterful job of telling this story. She utilizes the elements of mystery and suspense to its fullest. She understands the strong allure of espionage and the realm that a female spy must inhabit, capitalizing on it in ways that fill the lungs of this story. She makes Polly Silvester’s world thrilling and a bit dangerous, providing it with enough intrigue that propels the story forward in calculating ways. As Polly navigates a landscape that’s riddled with possible threat and exposure, she employs wit and enginuity; readers become totally engrossed. There’s a lot of heart-thumping moments, but Clarke is ever mindful to keep the storytelling balanced, blending the tension and release nicely. The formula is appealing, especially for those that crave a rousing, engaging plot.

Readers no doubt find Polly a likable protagonist. She possesses a unique set of skills—cunning deception and charming persuasion among the top of the list. She’s whip-smart and perceptive too, and Clarke intuitively uses it to make the plot crackle with excitement, scripting high stakes moments at opportune times. Furthermore, Clarke plays Polly’s feminine wiles against her physical prowess shrewdly. This juxtaposition creates a compelling dynamic and it works to draw readers in. This not only makes her character engaging but the storytelling as well.

Readers are always drawn to characters like Polly. They tend to bring forth an emotional depth and profundity that’s alluring. In Polly’s case, this is projected nicely as her struggles and sacrifices are effortlessly folded into the narrative, making her character more than relatable. Clarke also uses the themes of loyalty, love, and courage to enrich Polly’s character as well. It works to give her layers and highlight her emotional resonance. Readers easily see this as Polly faces moral and ethical dilemmas, those moments where she is forced to make difficult choices, like when she must weigh her duty to her country against her personal desires. This adds a dynamic to the narrative that excites readers. What’s more, it allows them to connect to the storytelling on a more intimate level, making it feel more personal. Ultimately, it’s why readers care about this story and the characters within it.

Enigma isn’t just about spying and keeping secrets though; beneath the cloak-and-dagger antics lies a tender love story. Polly’s romance with Kalena Mikloska no doubt complicates her life, but it is just what this story needs to drive it forward in twisty, unexpected ways. Polly and Kalena’s romance serves as a nice counterbalance to all the intense drama and action that takes place on the page, ultimately making the story more rounded and dynamic.

The romance is nicely done, too. Readers can get behind it because Kalena isn’t just a cardboard cutout romantic figure. Clarke is purposeful with her development; Kalena has substance. She is integral to the story arc, helping to unearthing truths about Polly and the world she inhabits. Since Polly is depicted as a somewhat stoic and focused individual, Kalena manages to draw out Polly’s softer and more vulnerable side, one that would otherwise remain hidden. Ultimately, Kalena helps bring humanity to the narrative, reminding readers of the personal costs espionage inflicts on operatives and their loved ones. A delicious tension and urgency results because of it, heightening the emotional stakes splendidly.

Final remarks…

Fans of historical WWII fiction will be drawn to this narrative. Clarke delivers a captivating tale that explores the complexities of human nature, moral dilemmas, and the enduring power of love amidst chaos. This story not only illuminates the complexities of war and espionage but gives voice to the crucial roles women play in shaping history, often at great personal cost. If you like the Shadow Series by J.E. Leak, then this book is perfect for you.

Strengths…

Well-written
Well-plotted
Interesting, likable characters
Compelling romance
Highly entertaining

[Rosi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been a story that has mixed a romance and a mystery and that in neither of the two aspects has been really well concluded. And if I have to decide which aspect of the two has interested me more, I would prefer the romance between Polly and Kalena more than the search for the spy in the factory.

Polly is a federal agent, in the 40s, in the United States in the days before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, who must infiltrate an aircraft factory where a suspected spy wants to steal information relevant to the German side.

Kalena, of Polish origin, also works in the factory, on the assembly line, and her aunt has boarders at home, including Polly. Kalena recently came back from being away, basically to find out about her attraction to other women. Polly has already entered her sexuality, she has the experience that Kalena lacks, and the two of them, helped by the need to share a bathroom, discover their mutual attraction.

When all this is added to the work that Polly has to do in the factory, things get complicated and the two sides of the story become a bit out of focus. Polly is too easily distracted from her important work, which can be vital to her country and the world at large, inconceivable. And when the mystery is solved, it is only partially and without much explanation. Nor have I been satisfied with the resolution of the romance between Polly and Kalena, rushed.

Perhaps this story was for two different ones without so much mixing of things. But since it has kept me on my toes for quite a few moments and I have loved the two protagonists, I am going to value that above all else.

Publisher Bold Strokes Books was kind enough to provide me with an advanced reading copy via Netgalley for an honest review

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the digital galley of this book.

Polly Silvester, an agent of the United States Office of American Defense just got a new assignment. She’s to travel from DC to Barberton, Ohio to find a potential spy in the ranks of the Portage Aircraft plant, and the spy might just be a woman. It’s 1941, and so far America has stayed out of the war, but it’s seems like only a matter of time, and most operations have shifted to providing war materials. When she arrives at the boarding house and meets Kalena Mikloska, who also works at the plant, spark fly almost immediately, but Kalena may be the spy, and Polly can’t get involved. That doesn’t stop their growing attraction, however, and she may just need Kalena’s help, if she can stop suspecting her as the spy.

I enjoyed this one and flew through it pretty quickly, within a couple of days. The plot did get a tad draggy toward the end, but overall, it moved well. I enjoyed the growing tension between Polly and Kalena, and the added element of Polly’s suspicion made the plot even juicer. I’m not usually one for a mystery, but there were so many other elements in this story that I actually enjoyed moving along with Polly, trying to work out the spy. I’m a sucker for a queer, period piece, and this one ticks a lot of boxes. It’s out now wherever you get your books.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enigma is a gripping story that takes place in the 1940s. Women are working in the factories and men are going off to war. Kalena and her aunt run a boarding house with all male boarders until Polly arrives. Kalena works at the factory, and Polly gets a job there, too, albeit for a different purpose since Polly is a federal agent seeking spies. I thought it started slowly, introducing the characters as well as the history of the era and settings. Then the story snowballed into a gripping thriller with a forbidden romance. It was like two stories in one, intertwining the romance with the dangers posed by the spy. Once I got into the flow, I really enjoyed it and rooted for Polly and Kalena and their friends.

[bookster · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enigma is a historical romantic intrigue set in 1941 in the United States, just days before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Polly Sylvester, an agent of the office of American Defense, is sent to Barberton, Ohio to find a spy who’s stealing information from a highly classified airplane manufacturing plant. She’s ordered to complete her mission at any cost, but she has no idea just how high a price she might have to pay. Because of housing shortages, she’s sent to board with Kalena Mikloska, who owns a home near the plant and works at the factory. Time is of the essence, and the stakes are high since a previous agent has disappeared and the U. S. is on the brink of war. She has a lot of plant workers to investigate, not to mention Kalena and the other boarders at the house, any one of whom could be the spy. But Kalena is sweet and beautiful and captivates Polly against her better judgement and all of her training. When Polly finds herself alone with no backup, she doesn’t know where to turn.

And Kalena has her own secrets and suspicions, and her own conflict where Polly is concerned.

The two women are great together, while destined for a rocky road ahead, and their story unfolds in the midst of an uncertain and dangerous future. Do they and their love have a chance?

There are certain elements in a story that make it great. Enigma abounds with them. Here are a few.

I was immersed in the authenticity and richness of the time-period. Clarke anchors the reader in 1941 with suggestions of well-known sights and sounds, like The Glenn Miller Band playing at a dance and The Andrew Sisters’ “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” (my favorite) as a special surprise. I could feel, taste, and smell the pre-war fear and tension, and was acutely aware of the risks and danger of falling in love with someone of the same sex.

The relationship dynamic between Polly and Kalena is rock solid, and their interactions are endearing and realistic. I started cheering for them when they met, and I didn’t stop until the final word on the last page.

The character development is handled with skill and style. Not only are the main characters real, with just the right balance of strengths and flaws, but the secondary characters are just as well drawn without taking over the story.

Intrigue isn’t easy to write, yet Clarke manages to build it so I wanted more at each twist and turn. No wonder this book won a Goldie. I look forward to Clarke’s next offering.