ARC Review: A Dark and Deadly Journey by Julia Kelly

A Dark and Deadly Journey
Author: Julia Kelly
Series: An Evelyne Redfern Mystery (Book 3)
Publication: Minotaur Books (September 23, 2025)

Description: Evelyne Redfern returns in A Dark and Deadly Journey, the next book in international bestselling author Julia Kelly’s captivating historical mystery series.

After being sidelined for a pesky gunshot wound, typist-turned-field agent Evelyne Redfern is ready for her next assignment with Britain’s secretive Special Investigations Unit. When a British Intelligence informant in Portugal mysteriously disappears just after hinting that he has vital information about German plans that could tip the balance of World War Two, Evelyne and her dashingly irksome partner, David Poole, are sent headed to Lisbon to find him.

Once they land, Evelyne and David aren't even able to leave the airport, before she discovers one of their fellow aeroplane passengers murdered and uncovers a diary with a clear link between the victim and their missing informant. With their mission in jeopardy before it can truly begin, Evelyne and David fight to keep their cover intact as they descend deeper into the shadows that surround Lisbon’s glittering collection of wealthy expats and dangerous spies. This case will test Evelyne and David’s training, charm, and wit―and their growing attraction for one another.

My Thoughts: Evelyne Redfern's third mission for Britain's Special Investigations Unit pairs her with her partner David again as they travel to Portugal. It seems a confidential informant has gone missing, and they are tasked with trying to find him. Evelyne also has a secret mission given to her by her superior. She needs to track down her long missing father and try to convince him to work as an agent for the British.

Evelyne's investigation actually began in England when she received a safe deposit box key and a message written in code. They were sent by her estranged father. Upon opening the box, Evelyne discovers a cache of her mother's jewelry which she had been told her father at sold years earlier. The instructions were to take the unopened box to a London jeweler. However, when she arrives, all she finds is a ransacked shop. 

Things don't start well in Portugal. Returning to the plane for a book she left behind, Evelyne discovers a dead man with a broken neck. Portugal's police investigators are very suspicious of Evelyne's story and presence with the dead body. She had nothing to do with his death, but she did take a notebook from his body written in code. 

Between her secret investigation, the hunt for the missing informant, and the mystery of the man on the plane's death, Evelyne and David are kept very busy. Since, apparently, everyone in Portugal is an agent for one government or another, they spend a lot of time trying to figure out everyone's agenda. 

This was an entertaining historical mystery filled with interesting characters,

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.