History is filled with women whose courage and cunning changed the course of events, even if their contributions went unrecognized. This list celebrates those unassuming female spies—both real and imagined—whose quiet strength made them invaluable in the world of espionage. Whether you’re interested in true stories or thrilling fictional accounts, these books offer a glimpse into the hidden lives of women who defied odds—and expectations—to get the job done.
A Time for Defiance by James D. Shipman
In a gripping tale of sisterhood, survival, and resistance for readers of Kate Quinn and Pam Jenoff, a young woman in Nazi-occupied Holland joins a unique taskforce within the Dutch Resistance, wielding her youthful innocence and beauty to lure Nazis to their death. Amidst the war, she must face impossible choices to protect her loved ones, risking everything for her country and the resistance.
A Jewel in the Crown by David Lewis
This riveting new historical caper series features a gifted young socialist turned counter-espionage spy on a World War II mission orchestrated by Winston Churchill himself. Propulsive, well-researched, and incorporating real historical events, David Lewis’s series is perfect for readers of Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs series.
Under the Paper Moon by Shaina Steinberg
Kate Quinn’s The Rose Code meets Mr. and Mrs. Smith in this intrigue-filled debut, as two former spies who shared more than just missions during WWII reunite in 1948 Los Angeles. Can they let go of heartbreak long enough to team up for one last operation in this tightly-plotted, emotionally rich postwar mystery?
The Book Spy by Alan Hlad
Inspired by true stories of the heroic librarian spies of WWII, this book from the internationally bestselling author of Churchill’s Secret Messenger centers on librarian Maria Alves, who is sent to Lisbon on a secret mission to gather intelligence for the Allies. But her mission takes a dangerous turn when she’s asked to act as a double agent, infiltrating the circle of a Nazi sympathizer. The risks are high, but success could alter the war’s course.
The War Girls by V.S. Alexander
This historical fiction novel from acclaimed author V.S. Alexander is based on the true stories of life in the Warsaw Ghetto during the Occupation and the women who served the Allies as agents and spies. Casting light into one of the darkest periods of World War II, this powerful book tells of two Jewish sisters– one imprisoned in Poland and the other who joins the Special Operations Executive in a daring attempt to free her family from the Nazis.
Three Ordinary Girls by Tim Brady
An astonishing true story of three fearless female resisters during WWII whose youth and innocence belied their extraordinary daring in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands. It also made them the underground’s most invaluable commodity. Recruited as teenagers, Hannie Schaft, and Dutch sisters Truus and Freddie Oversteegen fulfilled their harrowing missions as spies, saboteurs, and Nazi assassins with remarkable courage, but their stories have remained largely unknown…until now.
The Paris Girl by Francelle Bradford White
This captivating and intimate biography chronicles the astonishing courage of Andrée Griotteray. As a teenage girl in Nazi-occupied Paris, she became a hero of the French Resistance through her harrowing work as an underground intelligence courier.
Servants of the Crown by Claire Hubbard-Hall
Drawing on private and previously classified documents, this definitive history of women’s contributions to the intelligence services is the first authoritative account of the hidden women who were the cornerstone of the British secret state across two world wars and beyond.
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