By: Morgan Sharbaugh

Code Name: Lise, written by Larry Loftis, is an invigorating and entertaining biography on one of World War II’s female spies. Odette Samson is a French woman living in England with her three children. After persuading a relative to care for her children, Samson becomes a spy for England in Nazi-occupied France with Peter Churchill. Loftis expertly tracks Ms. Samson’s journey through the decision to join the force, spying on Germans in France, and her capture and imprisonment. Throughout her service, Odette experiences love, terrible hardships, and torture but never breaks.

Code Name: Lise is a very well written biography. It reads like a spy novel, making it an enjoyable and quick read. It’s a little slow to get into, but as soon as Ms. Samson is deployed in France, the biography picks up and becomes very fast pace leaving the reader on the edge of their seat. Code Name: Lise is a very emotional read. There are moments where it leaves the reader in tears, frightened, and overjoyed.