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pay for what she has done. Juliet grows paranoid, believing the note comes from one of Godrey's recruits. After Mrs. Scaife's arrest, Juliet and
Godfrey were involved in killing Dolly, one of the low-level Nazi sympathisers, after she accidentally discovered their operation. However, none of the other living members of the circle ever discovered what Juliet had done. On her way home from the BBC Juliet is attacked, but is relieved to find that her attacker is a former spy named Nelly Varga who was persuaded to work for MI5 after they kidnapped her dog, a dog Juliet was put in charge of who later died.
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271:, viewed it as continuing "the puzzle-making of a mystery with the historical settings of her other fiction". Stephanie Merritt, reviewing it for the same newspaper, called it "a fine example of Atkinson’s mature work; an unapologetic novel of ideas, which is also wise, funny and paced like a spy thriller".
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Juliet develops a crush on Perry, who seems to encourage speculation that they are having an affair but does not return her affections. Instead he recruits her to ingratiate herself to a woman named Mrs. Scaife, hoping that she will lead them to the Red Book, a rumoured ledger containing the names of
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to Juliet, who doesn't realise he is gay. The following morning Juliet is sought out by the police who believed she was dead as they found the body of a young woman with her identification papers. Juliet realises that the body is
Beatrice Dodd and is frightened as the location her body was found in
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Returning home Juliet finds a mysterious visitor waiting for her, a friend of
Godfrey's, and realises she was being spied on for years by MI5 as she was a double agent for the Soviets, recruited at her MI5 interview. Godfrey's friend persuades her to betray her soviet handlers. Juliet realises she
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By 1950, Juliet is working at the BBC after the operation, and her relationship with Perry, quickly dissolved. However, she still has MI5 ties and allows her apartment to be used as a safe house for Soviet defectors. At work she receives an anonymous note telling her that she will never be able to
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influential Nazi sympathisers. Juliet is given the false name Iris Carter-Jenkins. She is also approached by Oliver
Alleyne, Perry's boss, who asks her to spy on Godfrey. Juliet does so, but despite noticing Godfrey acting suspiciously does not report back to Oliver.
161:, she is quickly scouted for an operation run by the elusive Perry Gibbons. Working out of two flats, the MI5 team reveal that they are spying on a group of low-level Nazi sympathisers who report to MI5 spy Godfrey Toby, believing he is a secret spy for the
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While searching for the Red Book in Mrs. Scaife's house Juliet accidentally leaves behind her handbag, containing her real identity card, and asks Mrs. Scaife's maid, an orphan named
Beatrice Dodd, to help cover for her.
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will never truly be free of either party. She tries to escape but is quickly caught by MI5 agents. However, Nelly Varga attacks her a second time, allowing her to escape, and Perry helps to smuggle her to
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was one mentioned by
Godfrey Toby's Nazi sympathisers. A few days later, Juliet takes part in a sting operation during which Mrs. Scaife is arrested.
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The incident causes Juliet to reflect back to 1940 when she was a young 18-year-old woman who had recently been orphaned. Hired to work at
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s Kate Webb called it "a contemporary version of a ripping good yarn". Jonathan Dee, reviewing for
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Juliet
Armstrong, an employee of MI5 and later the BBC, spy name is Iris Carter-Jenkins.
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Kate
Atkinson’s new novel Transcription asks us how carefully we are paying attention
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The novel focuses on the activities of
British orphan Juliet Armstrong throughout
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Atkinson said in an author's note that she was partly inspired by the story of
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Transcription by Kate
Atkinson review – secrets and lies in the line of duty
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In 1981, shortly after being repatriated, Juliet is hit by a car and dies.
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Godfrey Toby, alias of an MI5 agent posing as a British operative for the
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and afterwards. She begins a career as a low-level transcriptionist for
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Transcription by Kate Atkinson review – second world war spying hijinks
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In 1950, Juliet Armstrong, a producer of children's programmes at the
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Peregrine "Perry" Gibbons, Juliet's and Toby's superior at MI5.
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A Novel of World War II Espionage With an Unlikely Heroine
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Myles Merton, hired Armstrong to work with Toby and Perry
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Kate Atkinson’s WWII Spy Drama Is Fall’s Must Read Novel
265:"Fall's Must Read Novel". Lisa Allardyce, writing for
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331:Kate Atkinson (6 September 2018).
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672:Novels set during World War II
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553:When Will There Be Good News?
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92:Print (hardcover, paperback)
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620:Not the End of the World
357:Allardice, Lisa (2018) "
176:A few days later, Perry
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612:Short story collections
433:Egan, Jennifer (2018) "
414:Dee, Jonathan (2018) "
248:Fifth Column operation
18:Novel by Kate Atkinson
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395:Webb, Kate (2018) "
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601:Shrines of Gaiety
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642:(2016–2017)
238:Inspiration
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200:Characters
639:The Catch
496:Works by
254:Reception
77:Doubleday
73:Publisher
65:Published
178:proposes
57:Language
593:Big Sky
261:called
215:Gestapo
191:Holland
163:Gestapo
146:Summary
60:English
623:(2002)
604:(2022)
596:(2019)
588:(2018)
580:(2015)
572:(2013)
564:(2010)
556:(2008)
548:(2006)
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532:(2000)
524:(1997)
516:(1995)
505:Novels
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318:Time
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84:(US)
79:(UK)
68:2018
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