SuitabookWink, Murder
Rhian Tracey
- Reading
- Consider reading alongside discussion of wartime context, pausing after tense assignments or discriminatory encounters. If this is the first series book, briefly establish Mary’s friendships before beginning.
- Themes
- Trust and loyalty: Mary works undercover while people around her may not be serving the same side, leaving her to reassess whom she can rely on. The story presents distrust as a practical condition of secret work, while inviting attention to its personal cost.
- Racism and identity: Mary’s Jamaican and white British heritage is used against her, and she experiences racism during wartime assignments. The racism is described as blatant and intended to produce hurt, disappointment and anger, positioning discrimination as harmful rather than neutral.
- Children in wartime work: Mary’s language ability and memory lead to intelligence work, including listening to conversations and passing on information. The book’s stance on this remains unclear.
- Worth knowing
- Some scenes may merit preparation because the story portrays blatant racism and sexism alongside wartime surveillance, prisoners of war and suspicion of foreign nationals.