The White Lady by Jacqueline Winspear (Harper; LJ starred review) is the top holds title of the week. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.

Elinor DeWitt’s happy childhood in Belgium vanished in 1914 with her father’s disappearance. She was only 12 in 1916 when she was trained as a resistance fighter, sabotaging trains and having to kill several German soldiers to protect her sister. She tried to put the past behind her when she taught languages in England years later but was recruited to help the Allies in the next war. A traumatic experience and a head injury ended her wartime operations. Now, in 1947, Elinor White lives in a cottage provided for services to the country. She’s 43, a silent figure to most in the small village. A little girl, Susie Mackie, breaks through Elinor’s protective layer. Then, Jim Mackie’s family comes calling. They’re a powerful crime family in London, but Jim escaped from them. They want him back in the family fold, and they threaten Jim’s wife and daughter, Susie. Elinor turns for help to several of her wartime acquaintances. That’s when she discovers the treachery and lies she never knew about during her wartime years. VERDICT The award-winning author of the Maisie Dobbs series skillfully juggles three timelines in a riveting stand-alone about a woman whose wartime experiences overshadow her post-war retirement.—Lesa Holstine

The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn (Morrow; LJ starred review)

Appeared on the March 2022 LibraryReads list

“World War II Russian sniper Lyudmila makes a name for herself as 'Lady Death,' but after getting injured she is sent to D.C. to convince the USA to assist the USSR. A nonlinear structure builds suspense between two timelines. Quinn always writes well-researched novels with great characters."—Christina Orlandos, Springfield-Greene County Public Library, Springfield, MO

The Ways We Hide by Kristina McMorris (Sourcebooks Landmark)

Appeared on the September 2022 LibraryReads list

“When World War II starts, Fenna Vos is recruited by MI9 to use her skills to make escape aids. Based on true events about one woman's journey, this is a thrilling look at a little known part of the war effort, with well developed characters and terrifying adventures.”—Melanie Liechty, Morgan Library, Morgan, UT

American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson (Random; LJ starred review)

Written in the form of a lengthy missive from a mother to her young sons, this intriguing first novel blends literary fiction with a Cold War-era spy story. When FBI special agent Marie is forced to flee the country with her children, she begins writing down her experiences as an African American female spy during the 1980s, when she was assigned to establish intimacy with Thomas Sankara, the hugely popular Burkina Faso president. Marie's account draws out the conflict between her government's directives and her own intense attraction to the charismatic Marxist leader. Wilkinson successfully makes events in Marie's past suspenseful, revealing details that seem natural rather than contrived. This story of espionage, told from the perspective of a woman of color, doesn't gloss over how family and personal relationships, as well as institutional racism and chauvinism, complicate a career in secret intelligence, raising questions about U.S. involvement in developing countries and the obstacles faced by women and minorities in law enforcement. VERDICT Should be a popular book club selection.—Laurie Cavanaugh