The Soldier and the Spy: A Matthew x Alice WWII AU (The Doctor Blake Mysteries)
The year is 1940.
Seeking a way to utilize her unusual abilities, Australian expatriate Alice Harvey accepts a position with the SOE, an espionage organization based in Britain. She becomes one of thousands of female agents engaging in sabotage and reconnaissance against Axis powers, her identity and position within "Churchill's Secret Army” a closely guarded secret.
An early volunteer for the Second Australian Imperial Force, Matthew Lawson is biding his time in the UK awaiting possible German invasion. While he helps the 18th Brigade bolster the British garrison, he learns of a planned transfer to Libya.
Spending an evening in a busy nightclub with his Army buddies, Lawson spots the striking Agent Harvey. Her sharp mind intrigues him, though he is wary of her dangerous skills.
Matthew’s noble, adventurous charm is difficult for Alice to resist, while unfolding events demand that she focus on her work and avoid any notion of romance.
Lucien Blake, her most trusted Army contact, is becoming ever more erratic as he seeks word of his missing wife and child. Jean Beazley, the widow managing the boarding house where she lives between assignments, is growing suspicious of her frequent absences. And her young protege, SOE trainee Mattie O’Brien, is engaged in a worrisome affair with a local officer.
Will Matthew get to know the woman behind her carefully crafted persona, before he ships off to the Middle East?
Will Mattie learn to put her training first, even as she watches her mentor torn between duty and her own feelings?
Will introducing Blake to Jean help them both find solace in the midst of tragedy?
Or will Alice’s work with the SOE put everyone she cares about in danger?