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The Alice Network

The Alice Network

A Novel
EspionageHistorical Fiction
Pages
560
Published
2017
Language
English

Synopsis

In 1947, Charlie St. Clair is an unmarried, pregnant American socialite searching for her cousin who went missing in Nazi-occupied France. Her quest leads her to London, where she encounters Eve Gardiner, a former World War I spy whose secret network was destroyed by a devastating betrayal thirty years prior. Together, these two very different women set out on a journey across Europe to find the truth and confront the ghosts of their pasts.

Prose complexity
4/10

Vibe

TenseEmotionalHopefulAtmospheric
Dual TimelineMultiple POVsBetrayalRevengeFound Family

Genres

Espionage Historical Fiction Spy World War I

About the author

K
Kate Quinn

Kate Quinn is an American novelist of historical fiction, born and raised in Long Beach, California. She holds a bachelor's and a master's degree in classical voice from Boston University. She began her career with novels set in ancient Rome (the Empress of Rome saga) and Renaissance Italy (the Borgia Chronicles) before turning to the twentieth century with The Alice Network, The Huntress, The Rose Code, The Diamond Eye, and The Briar Club — several of them New York Times and USA Today bestselle...

Characters

Charlotte St. ClairProtagonist
Evelyn GardinerProtagonist
Louise de BettigniesSupporting
Rose FournierSupporting
Violette (The Alice Network)Supporting

A stern former nurse who serves as Lili's second-in-command within the Alice Network spy ring.

All characters in The Alice Network

Frequently asked questions

  • Is The Alice Network based on a true story?

    Yes, in part. The novel is inspired by a real World War I spy ring known as the Alice Network, which operated in German-occupied northern France gathering military intelligence for the British. Its real-life leader, Louise de Bettignies (code name "Lili"), and British intelligence officer Cecil Aylmer Cameron both appear in the book as historical figures. The two protagonists, Eve Gardiner and Charlie St. Clair, are fictional.

  • Is The Alice Network part of a series?

    No. The Alice Network is a standalone novel. Kate Quinn's other WWI- and WWII-set historical novels, such as The Huntress and The Rose Code, are separate standalone books rather than sequels or entries in a shared series.

  • What time periods does The Alice Network take place in?

    The novel alternates between two timelines: 1915, when Eve Gardiner is recruited into the Alice Network spy ring in German-occupied France, and 1947, when Charlie St. Clair searches for her missing cousin in the aftermath of World War II.

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