The Secret Stealers: A Novel

Written by Jane Healey

Narrated by Sarah Mollo-Christensen

A female American spy in Nazi-occupied France finds purpose behind enemy lines in a novel of unparalleled danger, love, and daring by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Beantown Girls.

Anna Cavanaugh is a restless young widow and brilliant French teacher at a private school in Washington, DC. Everything changes when she’s recruited into the Office of Strategic Services by family friend and legendary WWI hero Major General William Donovan.

Donovan has faith in her—and in all his “glorious amateurs” who are becoming Anna’s fast friends: Maggie, Anna’s down-to-earth mentor; Irene, who’s struggling to find support from her husband for her clandestine life; and Julia, a cheerful OSS liaison. But the more Anna learns about the organization’s secret missions, the more she longs to be stationed abroad. Then comes the opportunity: go undercover as a spy in the French Resistance to help steal critical intelligence that could ultimately turn the tide of the war.

Dispatched behind enemy lines and in constant danger, Anna is filled with adrenaline, passion, and fear. She’s driven to make a difference—for her country and for herself. Whatever the risk, she’s willing to take it to help liberate France from the shadows of occupation and to free herself from the shadows of her former life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Apr 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781713554134

Jane Healey

JANE HEALEY studied writing in the MFA program at CUNY Brooklyn College and is the author of the novel The Animals at Lockwood Manor, winner of the HWA Debut Crown Award. Her short fiction has been short-listed for the Bristol Short Story Prize, the Costa Short Story Award, and the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. She lives in Edinburgh.  

Reviews for The Secret Stealers

[Janet Hebbert · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Good story, but a little too much romance for my taste.

[Marc Schrock · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Incredible, on-the-edge-of-your-chair story. Don’t miss listening to it! Loved it…

[Paula Olson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The voice sounded too sweet to be believed. Otherwise, good story!

[S T · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely fantastic the narrator was great and the story was fantastic!

[Rachael Scheinman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Well researched, excellent flow, great, writing, and wonderful narrator. I highly recommend!

[chinapoojc · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Beautifully written and narrated. Enjoyed from beginning to end. You’ll love it

[J Michelle Plaveczky · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful, compelling story! And a great surprise in the authors note at the end! I only gave it four stars instead of five because I found the narration very annoying. Listen to other books, narrated by the same actor, and normally she doesn’t bother me at all, but some thing about the pressie whiny quality of her narration in this book did not sit well with me. But I couldn’t stop listening to it, because it really was an excellent story!

[Tommy Broyles · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When reading the book, I didn’t realize how much of it was based on true characters and events. I learned much and am happy the women spies from WWII are being recognized.

[sunnydrk · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of the best books I've read in a long time. The level of historical accuracy is fantastic. The characters are engaging and the plot left me on the edge of my seat.

[micareads · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ann Cavanaugh needs a break from her life. After the death of her husband, the last thing Ann wants to do is go on with life as normal. Thanks to a mourner at her husband's funeral, Ann begins a life she always dreamed of.

Ann begins working for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) as the assistant of a family friend. She quickly realizes that her goals within the agency are to go overseas and help defeat the Nazis. Ann begins her life as a female spy in Paris helping members of the Resistance. Ann's chance to make a difference outweighs the odds she faces of being captured.

Jane Healey always tells a good story in my opinion so when this was offered via Amazon First Reads it was a no-brainer for me. It is obvious how much research Jane puts into developing her stories and the way she takes such care with the storyline of each character. While there are romances within her stories, they do not always take center stage and are important to the plot and character development. Jane Healey is an author worth reading and getting to know as she shows respect for the story as well as the reader by being as authentic as possible.

[gingersnap000 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another well-researched historical fiction by Jane Healey about the O.S.S. lead by William "Wild Bill" Donovan. Similar to the author's other books a group of women comes together to change history. I look forward to another novel by Ms. Healey

[froxgirl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In her historical fiction, Jane Healey brews up smooth blends featuring living people and imaginary ones - and even the characters she invents are based on her deep research. In this novel, Anna Cavanaugh, a young, tri-lingual, widowed Radcliffe graduate, accepts a job in 1942 as assistant to family friend "Wild Bill" Donovan, who is managing the American WW II intelligence effort. Searching for a way to help the Resistance and to return to France, where she attended college and fell in love before the war, Anna aggressively lobbies to join the OSS and to operate wireless sets in occupied Paris. Frequently encountering dangerous situations and risking her life, Anna finds purpose and pride in her strength and accomplishments. Healey does a fine job of ratcheting up tension in Anna's undercover encounters with Nazi officers.Quote: " I had grown to understand that being fearless was not living without fear, but pushing through and doing what needed to be done in spite of it."

[susan0316 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read a lot of WWII fiction and it always amazes me to read another story based on real characters - strong resilient women who helped the Allies win the war but have gone unmentioned in history.Anna is a young widow in Washington DC. She's from a wealthy family and is working as a French teacher. Her parents wanted her to come home to Boston after her husband was killed but she when she is recruited to work with the OAS in Washington it totally changes her life. She is working at a secretarial job for legendary WWI hero Major General William Donovan and when she learns about the espionage work being done in Europe she wants to help. When she gets the opportunity to go undercover as a spy in the French Resistance to help steal critical intelligence she is thrilled to have the chance to help the Allies win the war. When she gets to France, she is in constant danger of being found out that she's really an American. Even though she is fluent in French and an excellent radio operator, she is constantly in danger but is committed to sending needed information about Nazi plans back to the Allies. The longer she is in Paris, the more convinced she is that she can make a difference.This is a tension filled novel about being a spy in Paris during the war, The main character of Anna is braver than she realizes and wants to make a difference. The secondary characters are also well written and add more detail to the story. It is apparent on every page that the author did extensive research. This book has tension, intrigue, a bit of romance and a lot of history. it's a fantastic look at women's roles during the war.Be sure to read the author's notes at the end of the book to learn more about real people that many of the characters are based on.

[bettytaylor56 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Opening one of Jane Healey’s books is like stepping through the portal to a new world where the writing flows so smoothly you immediately are swept away.Having just read the last paragraph, I close “The Secret Stealers” and sigh. An amazing story. A complex plot, thought-provoking, memorable, intriguing, and intense. So rich in history. Wonderful characters. Star-crossed lovers. I have read Healey’s other books and loved them, but this one is absolutely the best yet.Anna Cavanaugh, recently widowed at 25, is recruited into the OSS. Healey did a remarkable job of turning this insecure, grieving young woman into a confident, resourceful spy. The story describes her training and then the missions she performed in Paris. It was inspiring to read of Anna’s growth and new-found maturity as she became more and more courageous. I loved the relationships among the characters. These were characters I would love to know as friends. The book was well-researched. The author’s notes at the back of the book provide quite a bit more information about the real-life people that inspired the characters in her novel.If you enjoy WWII historical fiction, this is a must-read!I received an advance reading copy from the publisher/author to review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

[fredreeca · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Anna Cavanaugh is a young widow. She has been teaching high school French and she hates it. A long time family friend, Major General Donovan, recruits Anna as his assistant at the OSS. Anna decides she wants more to do with the war. So she goes after an important espionage job and this changes her whole life and purpose!This is a unique WWII novel. I have read so many lately, I was a little hesitant to start this one. But the beginning really intrigued me with the start of the OSS and all that entailed.Then there is Anna. She is a strong woman with a goal. After she sees how Paris has changed since she was a student, she is determined to do everything in her power to kick the Germans out!I loved the intensity and the energy this story portrayed! My emotions were all over the place! Need a good WWII spy thriller…this is it! Grab your copy today!I received this novel from the author for a honest review.