The Undercover Secretary

France, 1942. “I forced myself to hold his gaze. My heart thrashed inside my chest like a bird battering its wings. They knew who I was. They knew what I’d done.” This heartbreaking and unputdownable World War Two novel is inspired by the incredible true story Dora Schaul, who risked her life by coming face-to-face with the enemy—the monsters who killed her loved ones.

Dora has lost everything to the Nazis. Her dearest friends have disappeared into thin air. Her parents have been imprisoned in concentration camps and murdered for the crime of simply existing. She has no idea if her darling husband, the devoted and brave Alfred, is even alive.

Though her world is crashing and burning around her, Dora refuses to give in to Hitler’s tyranny. The Nazis may have broken her heart, but they will not break her spirit.

Secretly working for the underground network in France, Dora risks her life on the most dangerous mission in the history of the local resistance. She goes undercover as the secretary of the Head of Gestapo; a soldier with a brutal reputation. A cold-blooded killer.

She is tasked with leaking the names of the SS to the British press. Every day, she rubs shoulders with the enemy. She makes coffee for the people she despises. She types letters for the monsters who killed her family. At any second, she could be found out…

Can she survive, turning the tide of the war and saving thousands of lives? Or will those she loved the most in the world, and millions of other innocent people, have died in vain?

Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Alice Network, and The Lilac Girls will be utterly swept away by this heart-wrenching and totally gripping novel about one of history’s most courageous women.

What readers are saying about The Undercover Secretary:

“Unputdownable… Incredible… I was completely and utterly mesmerized. Until today, I had never heard of Dora’s story, but it is one that will live with me forever… Absolutely phenomenal… Incredible… I found myself reading late into the night and refusing to stop until I reached the end.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Oh my word… Ellie Midwood has done it again. She’s destroyed my heart and mashed it into a thousand pieces before putting it back together… What a woman. What a story. A must-read in my opinion… Wonderful.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Incredible… Unforgettable… Beautiful… A powerful and incredibly gripping piece of historical fiction which is both heartbreaking and heart-warming.” Yours Chloe, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Amazing… Incredible… Unforgettable.” Robin Loves Reading, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Heartbreaking… Addictive… A wonderful fictional tale that held me in thrall from start to finish.” @lyndas_bookreviews, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I could read these stories a million times, and it’s gut-wrenching every single time… Amazing… I cried almost all the way through this novel, it grips you and pulls you into its story… Beautiful.” Goodreads reviewer

“Such an amazing read. I was drawn in from the very first page, from there it was a rollercoaster ride of love, happiness, loss, and sorrow.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I was drawn in from the first page… I was page-turning late into the night… Incredible… A heart-aching, gut-wrenching story of human strength, love, loss and suffering.” Goodreads reviewer

“A truly heartbreaking page-turner.” @shortbookthyme