Velvet Undercover

Perfect for fans of Jennifer Donnelly and Libba Bray comes this page-turning historical spy thriller from Teri Brown, author of the Born of Illusion series.

Samantha Donaldson's family has always done its duty for the British Crown. In the midst of World War I, seventeen-year-old Sam follows in their footsteps, serving her country from the homefront as a messenger for the intelligence organization MI5. After her father disappears on a diplomatic mission, she continues their studies of languages, mathematics, and complex puzzles, hoping to make him proud.

When Sam is asked to join the famed women's spy group La Dame Blanche, she's torn—while this could be an unbelievable adventure, how can she abandon her mother, who has already lost a husband? But when her handlers reveal shocking news, Sam realizes she can't refuse the exciting and dangerous opportunity.

Her acceptance leads her straight into the heart of enemy territory on a mission to extract the most valuable British spy embedded in Germany, known only as Velvet. Deep undercover in the court of Kaiser Wilhelm II, Sam must navigate the labyrinthine palace and its many glamorous—and secretive—residents to complete her assignment. To make matters worse she must fight a forbidden attraction to the enemy—a dangerously handsome German guard. In a place where personal politics are treacherously entangled in wartime policy, can Sam find Velvet before it's too late . . . for them both?

A thrilling story of one girl's journey into a deadly world of spy craft and betrayal—with unforgettable consequences.

• A Strong Female Protagonist: Seventeen-year-old Samantha Donaldson trades her messenger bag for an undercover identity, using her sharp mind to navigate the most dangerous court in Europe.
• Secret Societies and Spy Craft: Plucked from MI5 to join the elite, all-female La Dame Blanche, Sam must master the art of deception to survive her first mission.
• Duty, Deception, and Betrayal: In a palace where every ally could be an enemy, Sam’s mission to rescue the mysterious spy Velvet is complicated by the truth about her own missing father.
• High-Stakes Historical Setting: Deep within the court of Kaiser Wilhelm II, an impossible connection with a handsome German guard could compromise everything Sam is fighting for.