One woman's war A novel of the real Miss Moneypenny

Serious James Bond fans know that Miss Moneypenny, M's private secretary, was inspired by a real person. Among the several candidates for the "real" Moneypenny is WWII intelligence operative Victoire Bennett, who worked with Bond creator (and Naval Intelligence operative) Ian Fleming and who was instrumental in the planning and execution of Operation Mincemeat, an elaborate misdirection effort designed to mislead the Germans about the Allied invasion of Italy. In her new novel, Wells tells the fact-based but fictionalized story of Operation Mincemeat, Bennett, and her relationship with Fleming. Bennett comes across as a smart, brooks-no-nonsense woman who could well have served as an inspiration for Moneypenny. Whether the Fleming in the book is the "real" Ian Fleming is up for debate--various Fleming biographies paint different pictures of the man--but one thing's for sure: he feels just right: a dash of Bond's panache, a touch of arrogance, a self-congratulatory approach to his own successes, and a fondness for the opposite sex, the kind of fellow who would later invent one of popular fiction's most enduring characters. An exciting story, well told.

Wells's (Sisters of the Resistance) taut novel of World War II historical fiction features Victoire "Paddy" Bennett, the real inspiration for the fictional Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond movies, and Friedl Stottinger, an Austrian double agent. Wells develops the backstories and complex personalities of these women, setting them against the backdrop of war-torn Europe on the verge of D-Day. Bennett, who worked with Bond creator Ian Fleming, works her way up the ranks, eventually ending up as an agent in the field, while Stottinger does whatever she can to survive. Amid the excitement of Operation Mincemeat, a dashing Serbian spy, glamorous parties, divided loyalties, love, romances, famous poets, betrayals, and espionage, the women's paths cross repeatedly until the exciting conclusion. Saskia Maarleveld's narration, particularly her work with accents, is fantastic. Maarleveld brings a thriller-like energy to her telling of this larger-than-life tale, capturing the headiness of the times. VERDICT Wells's well-written and enthusiastically narrated novel is a winner. Share with fans of Jennifer Chiaverini and Beatriz Williams.--Scott DiMarco