A sassy book about some very smart women; their love of learning, living and helping the US win WWII.

Makes me want to go out and buy a bunch of science books.

Great read.

I’m going to shout through the rooftops recommending this book to EVERYONE!!

Honestly, I wanted to read this book because of the NOLA setting. Since, my family was one of the first to settle in this great state…I honestly judge books more harshly when set here…especially, when actual places aren’t fictionalized by the author.

This book had everything I want in my reading. A well thought out plot, that bends and turns so much that had me guessing until the very end. A captivating cast of characters. Plus, for bonus points showing just how wise an 8th grade educated woman from the bayou could be smarter than most people assume!

This is one genre bending spy thriller/mystery/historical fiction/romance you can not miss! ( )

Justine is the daughter of two physicists. But their death and WWII has changed her course in life. She is now working in a factory. She is building some kind of radio parts for the war. But, she knows there is something strange going on. She thinks someone is trying to sabotage their work and she is on the hunt to find out who and why!

Justine is one smart cookie! But, being a woman, she knows her choices are limited. But, this does not stop her from getting herself in a tough situation. She is determined to save her friends and everyone around her.

I fluctuated between 3 and 4 stars on this read. I settled on 4. Basically because I enjoyed the strong women in this book. But the story is a bit contrived and a bit far fetched in places. However, like I said, the women keep this story moving! Plus, I enjoyed the science in this book. And there is a good bit of it.

The narrator, Kimberly M. Wetherell did a very good job, especially with all the different voices. Now, I did think her New Orleans accent needs a bit of work…but what do I know.

Need a good WWII espionage story…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review. ( )

The Physicists’ Daughter is a World War II spy thriller. With the majority of men fighting overseas, there are more than a few Rosie the Riveters. Justine Byrne is just one of the many women working at a factory producing mysterious widgets made of carbon. No one knows what they are for except they are important to the war effort.

Because she is so good at welding, she’s been called upon to fix equipment that keeps breaking down. She suspects sabotage. In fact, she is certain of it, but who could be the saboteur. She probably hopes it could be the handsy and disgusting floor supervisor, but there are other suspects, too, including a couple of men who seem to be seeking her out, romancing her.

Meanwhile, her home life is filled with sorrow. Her parents died in a recent car accident, one reason she is working instead of attending university. Her godmother seems sunk into paranoia and poverty is knocking at the door. Both of her parents were physicists even though her mother gave up her work to raise her, that apostrophe placement in the title is important and deliberate.

I liked The Physicists’ Daughter even though I thought it was unlikely that she would be as impoverished as she seemed to be. The American Association of Univesity Professors began in 1915. It seems unlikely her father would have had no life insurance and there must have been some equity in a house they lived in her entire life. It seemed strange that she would fall so hard in social and economic class. But then, if she didn’t, there would not have been a welder at hand who understood physics and that was important to finding the spy/saboteur. I also think the story would have been stronger without the chapters from the villain’s point of view. But then, that is a personal dislike of mine in nearly every mystery. I don’t want to read their point of view ever, so I confess my bias. Otherwise, the mystery was fair, the characters complex and interesting, and the writing was descriptive and full of the kind of detail that creates a sense of place. We were in that factory and would recognize it if we ever come across it again.

The Physicists’ Daughter will be released June 7th. I received an e-galley from the publisher through NetGalley.

The Physicists’ Daughter at Poisoned Pen Press | Sourcebooks
Mary Anna Evans author site

https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2022/06/08/the-physicists-daughter-b... ( )

The Physicists' Daughter is quite a break from author Mary Anna Evans' Faye Longchamp series about an archaeologist in Florida, and she handles the World War II setting with aplomb. Justine and her newly found best friend Georgette Broussard give readers a taste of what Rosie the Riveter had to contend with in war-time factory work, but it's not all work and no play. Justine, whose life has always centered on education and the mind, learns how to jitterbug and how to deal with the men buzzing around her like bees-- with the help of Georgette, that is.

Other characters, like Mavis, whose job doesn't begin to cover the loss of her husband's wages now that he's fighting in the war; Georgette, my favorite character who comes from a poverty-stricken background out in the bayous of Louisiana; and Justine's Aunt Gloria (is she or is she not paranoid?) keep the story moving as the reader tries to guess the identity of the spy in their midst.

An extremely dangerous scene at the end is compelling, and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that my deductions weren't entirely correct. All in all, The Physicists' Daughter is a fast-paced tale filled with plenty of interesting characters and World War II flavor.

(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley) ( )