Red Joan

Jennie Rooney was born in Liverpool in 1980. She read History at the University of Cambridge and taught English in France before moving to London to work as a lawyer. Her first novel, Inside the Whale, was a Richard and Judy debut choice, Tesco Book Club selection and shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award. Her second novel, The Opposite of Falling, was published in 2010.

"A meditation on the secrets we keep... Red Joan's strength lies in the complex personal relationships that underpin the spying game... A powerfully-written exploration of the far-reaching consequences that even the smallest-seeming actions can have" -- Kaite Welsh Literary Review "A brilliant spy novel, with an unlikely culprit and a deft, involving plot...tense, beautifully pitched and very moving novel" -- Eithne Farry Marie Claire "Sensitive spy thriller... Finely detailed and resolutely sensitive... This excellent period novel still carries some considerable resonance in the age of Bradley Manning" -- Andrzej Lukowski Metro "If you loved William Boyd's Restless, you'll enjoy this" -- Viv Groskop Red "Compulsive reading... Rooney's approach it to make this a very personal story for Joan. There's love, loss, betrayal, friendship and secrets galore and it gives a believable insight on how one, normal person might be let to betray her country. The true mark of the story is that you find yourself thinking that you might have done exactly what Joan did in those circumstances" The Bookbag