Jenny's Bookshelf- Who is vera Kelly? by Rosalie Knecht

The old saying goes ‘Do not judge a book by its cover.’ I don’t think I would believe anyone if they said they don't base their book purchases at least in part on the cover. This cover is beautifully eye-catching. I was drawn and I wanted to find out who Vera Kelly was. When I picked it up to read the blurb to find out it was a spy novel with a woman as the lead I was sold. I have always loved spy novels and even memoirs of real life former spies. This felt like the perfect choice for me. 

An exhilarating page turner and perceptive coming of age story, 'Who is Vera Kelly?' introduces an original, wry, whip-smart female spy for the twenty-first century.

I really enjoyed this first instalment. The narrative is split between Vera’s time in Maryland in the Late 50s as a child and the Mid 60s in Argentina as a young woman. It rocks back and forth between the timelines effortlessly slowly revealing more about our compelling main character. 

At first, I was more curious about her childhood and the often referred to childhood friend Joanne. The further you get into the story you start to wonder what is going to happen in Argentina. I found the style a great way to build suspense in an unconventional manner, it did not feel like a thriller, It felt like the beginning of a greater story waiting to be told. 

Vera infiltrates a group of students in the hope of gaining access to the resistance movement in Argentina. At the same time she spends hours on end attached to a radio listening out for Argentine dignitaries to give her something juicy. We follow along as Vera navigates her life under cover.  

While I won't spoil the conclusion for you, I will tell you that it isn't what I had anticipated. Whilst I was slightly disappointed by the ending I was desperate to find out where the story was going next. So much so, as I reached the final chapters I ordered the next two instalments in the hope they would arrive by the time I had reached the end. 

They did. 

Once again the opening premise had me hooked. We meet Vera sometime after the Argentina job. She is no longer an active spy, in the opening chapter Vera loses her job at a radio station when a colleague overhears that she is in a relationship with another woman over the phone. 

This was a brilliant set up for the story, we are confronted with the prejudices of the time from the off. I expected something more like this in the first book. The first instalment successfully creates an ambiguous sexual tension between Vera and Victoria as well as alluding to a potential relationship with Joanne, Vera’s sexuality does not play an integral role in the story of the first book. I was pleased to see the story would delve into it in more detail. 

We see Vera go out on her own and set up as a PI, I thought this had potential.  I was excited about the premise. However this was when the story slowed for me. I struggled to invest in the missing boy she is charged with finding. There is a short section that is written from the boys point of view that I felt came a little too late and I would have enjoyed it if it had played a greater part in the story. In the same way the split narrative in the first book had been so effective. 

This was a short book that took me a little too long to finish. It felt like the filler episode in your favourite TV series. The conclusion had a hook that made me want to launch straight into the third book. 

The final instalment opens with Vera once again in an established relationship, this time with Max. I remember making a note that this is the second time the book has opened with a relationship already established. I would have liked it if the reader was privy to more of Vera’s relationships. 

Thankfully, this is exactly what this book delivered. Vera is still a PI and we are taken on a journey to learn more about Max alongside Vera when she has to return to her estranged parents following news of their separation. Unlike the second book it was far easier to invest in the character’s conflict as we know they love one another. 

I am keen not to go into too much detail as to the plot for this one as I would rather readers experience it for themselves. I will say I finished this one in record time and thoroughly enjoyed it. When reflecting on the series as a whole each book is relatively short and it could have worked as a collection of stories in one novel. I found this a refreshing twist on the usual spy novel format and enjoyed the relationships. 

As an entire series I would rate it 3 stars out of 5. It is good, enjoyable. The final book is truly doing the heavy lifting for me in the series. The suspense and payoff really weren't there for me in the first two but I really liked Vera as a character and thoroughly enjoyed the relationship between her and Max in the final book.

⭐⭐⭐