Spartanburg residents will have a chance to meet bestselling author Katherine Reay when she joins Hub City Books for a Coffee with Author event on Oct. 7. The gathering will take place at the historic Masonic Temple, 186 W. Main St., beginning at 10 a.m.
New novel blends classic British mystery with Cold‑War intrigue
Reay’s latest work, The Undercover Bookshop, follows Gemma Brown, who moves to the tiny Cotswold village of Great Rollright in the winter of 1950. Determined to create an idyllic life inspired by the mystery novels she loves, Gemma opens the village’s first bookstore and quickly becomes entangled in local gossip.
Among the townsfolk is Peggy, a recent arrival, and Ursula Kuczynski Beurton – a real‑life Soviet spy who, in the novel, works as the village’s best baker. As Gemma spends more time with Ursula, she begins to suspect that the baker’s sweet treats may be a cover for espionage.
Research rooted in real‑world spy history
Reay discovered Ursula Beurton while researching her earlier Cold‑War spy novels. “She (Ursula) came onto my radar during the research for those books and I set her aside,” Reay explained. “When the idea of a classic British mystery set in the 1950s fell into place, I realized she could serve as a perfect foil for my heroine.”
To bring authenticity to the story, Reay consulted Ben Macintyre’s biography Agent Sonya: The Spy Next Door and read numerous pre‑1949 British spy novels. She also traveled to the English locations that inspired the setting, gathering details that lend the novel its vivid sense of place.
Unanswered questions about the real spy
While the novel weaves fact and fiction, some aspects of Ursula Beurton’s life remain murky. “There are questions about what happened after she left England on Feb. 27, 1950,” Reay said. “A few scholars suggest she may have become a double agent for MI6, but the files are still closed.”
Reay’s blend of historical research and imaginative storytelling offers readers a fresh take on the spy genre, inviting them to explore the tension between ordinary village life and the shadowy world of espionage.
Event details
The Coffee with Author event is free and open to the public. Attendees can enjoy a cup of coffee, ask Reay questions about her writing process, and purchase signed copies of The Undercover Bookshop. For more information, visit hubcity.org.
Original reporting: Greenville Journal — read the source article.
