The Kennedy girl

For her third historical fiction novel, Thomas selects 1960s Paris, a setting deeply entrenched in the Cold War. Mia is working in a New York City bakery when she is approached by a man who offers her an astonishing opportunity to model for a famous Parisian fashion house. Grieving for her father and without any other family, she embraces this chance to start anew. She doesn't realize, however, that the job comes with some perilous strings attached. What begins as a fairy tale evolves into a living nightmare when Mia is unwittingly conscripted to deliver messages for a secret organization. Her naiveté, work ethic, and low profile as a model make her an easy pawn and allow her to operate undetected. The plot repeatedly demonstrates how some women, particularly the beautiful and the elderly, are underestimated and mistakenly dismissed as irrelevant. Although Mia's speedy mastery of undercover skills borders on implausible, effective action scenes create sufficient dramatic urgency. Espionage fans, Francophiles, and devotees of Netflix's Emily in Paris will enjoy this compelling expatriate story.