The Secret Detective Agency: A totally gripping historical English cozy murder mystery

Miss Jane Treen is a secret government agent who drinks strong black coffee, loves cats, and dresses in tweed. In London, 1941, her top-secret work is interrupted by an urgent call to Devon, where a woman has been found dead in a lake under suspicious circumstances. Jane must solve the case before another agency member is harmed. Arthur Cilento, a shy code-breaker, is surprised by Jane's arrival at his country home along with her ginger cat, Marmaduke. The two reluctant colleagues work together by his fireplace to piece together the murder puzzle. In the sleepy Devon village, several people have secrets: the vicar and his sister, a housekeeper and her son, a stern librarian, and others. Jane and Arthur compile a suspect list, then discover a coded diary hidden in the village church. Locked inside the church, they race to unravel the code and identify the killer before time runs out. The novel is set during World War II and combines elements of espionage with a murder mystery in the style of Golden Age detective fiction.