The Spy At The Window is the fourth novel in the Justice Jones series for junior readers, by British author, Elly Griffiths. Not long after the Prime Minister announces that the country is at war with Germany, Justice Jones is back at Highbury House, but things have changed. Now in fifth form, she’s still in Barnowls dormy with her friends and classmates, and many of the teachers are the same, but M. Pierre has gone to fight in the war.

As have the housemaids, so despite horrified objections from snobbish Rose, the students are rostered to clean and garden. There are gas masks, blackout blinds, air raid sirens and shelters. Their favourite is now their form teacher, Justice’s good friend Dorothy is Head Girl and, much to her dismay, Justice is the fifth formers sports captain.

But the biggest change is that they will share Highbury House with about fifty boys from a city school, St Wilfred’s, along with two teachers, the awful Major Hammond and the ineffective Mr Hoffman. Miss de Vere requires a joint sports event, so Justice makes friends with her St Wilfred’s counterpart, Henry Williams, as they organise mixed rounders.

Distracting them from the refrain “there’s a war on, you know!”, several strange things come to their notice: a face at an impossibly high window, a foreign language on a wireless, an overheard telephone call in German, and the feeling that someone is watching.

But it’s after her father’s visit at half-holiday that Justice has to face her biggest challenge ever, a mystery that has her worried and upset. Luckily, her good friends Dorothy, Stella, Letitia and her new friend Henry are there to help.

An abandoned car not driven by its owner, a strange conversation in a pub, words in a Shakespeare play underlined, and a note in her hymn book all provide clues that help our schoolgirl sleuth solve the case and identify spies working for the enemy.

This is another delightful novel for young readers that can be equally enjoyed by those of a more advanced vintage. Another Justice Jones is eagerly anticipated. Recommended!