This novel takes place over three time periods, the first and Second World Wars and post WWII.
Elinor White is a child in Belgium during WW1. Along with her sister Cecily and their mother Charlotte they are living in a small village. Their father has been killed in the fighting and the Elinor and Cecily are recruited by resistance fighter Isabelle to work as saboteurs. They are very successful and are moved to England, their mother’s birthplace when suspicions grow about their involvement.
In 1947 Elinor is happily living a secluded and solitary life in a Kent village when she becomes aware that her young neighbours are being harassed by a gang of London thugs, the Mackie family. She gets involved which includes tracking down her WWII espionage mate Steve Warren who now works for Scotland Yard. Using her espionage skills she brings solid evidence of a big Mackie family plot to Scotland Yard. ( )

When Elinor De Witt was a young girl living in Belgium during World War I, a relative stranger recruits her to commit acts of espionage and sabotage against the Germans. Later, during the Second World War, Elinor, who speaks five languages, becomes an agent of England's SOE—Special Operations Executive. Her instructors teach her how to use a parachute, gather intelligence, kill enemy soldiers stealthily, and handle firearms. Jacqueline Winspear's iconic character, Maisie Dobbs, thrilled legions of devoted fans. The heroine of Winspear's "The White Lady" reminds us of Maisie. Elinor is resolute, daring, and competent at every task she undertakes. She also has a no-nonsense demeanor and a good heart.

In the chapters set in 1947, Elinor is a relative recluse who resides in Kent. She decides to intervene when her neighbor, Jim Mackie, his wife, Rose, and their three-year-old daughter, Susie, are threatened. Jim's father, John, is a ruthless hooligan whose family is involved in armed robbery, fraud, gambling, and other illegal activities. Mackie sends his thugs to coerce Jim, who was once incarcerated, into rejoining their criminal enterprise.

This is where the novel becomes particularly muddled. Elinor's conflict with the Mackies does not mesh well with her adventures as an agent of the British government. Although "The White Lady" had promise, most of the characters are thinly drawn; there are too many pages of lengthy exposition; and the frequent shifts in time between chapters disrupt the narrative flow. Had Winspear stuck to Elinor's escapades during World War I and II, this might have been a more satisfying work of historical fiction. On the other hand, Winspear deserves credit for highlighting the exploits of courageous women who, without fanfare, risked and sometimes sacrificed their lives to defeat their country's adversaries.
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Elinor De Witt was recruited as a young Belgian girl to work with Dame Blanche, the Belgian resistance network, in World War I. In World War II, the British SOE came knocking at her door. Now she is living in rural Kent, England, but is finding it hard to leave the wars behind. When her young neighbors are threatened by the crime family they are trying to escape, Elinor finds herself relying on skills she thought she would never need to use again.

Moving back and forth in time, we learn about Elinor's experiences in both World Wars as well as her efforts to solve a crime-in-the-making in present day 1947. I found the transitions a bit jerky and the ending rushed. We finally get to the denouement of what happened back in WWII, and it's glossed over in retrospect as opposed to the buildup which was written in present tense. While the premise of a British woman dealing with war trauma while solving a crime is similar to Maisie Dobbs, I thought this would have made a better historical novel and the crime family aspect didn't add much to the book.

The White Lady is written by Jacqueline Winspear.
The book is termed a ‘British Historical Mystery’.
Ms. Winspear is the author of the Maisie Dobbs series and though The White Lady resembles that series, it is a stand-alone novel.
It does share the same time periods of Maisie Dobbs - pre World War I to post World War II in Britain. The very thoughtful writing style is the same, as is the personality and intelligence of Elinor White. The historical and cultural references make the reader feel a very personal part of the time periods. The White Lady is a history-based thriller, and testimony to the bravery and determination of women everywhere.

“This heart-stopping novel, set in post World War II Britain in 1947, follows the coming of age and maturity of former wartime operative Elinor White - veteran of 2 wars, a trained killer, protective of her anonymity - when she is drawn back to the world of menace she has been desperate to leave behind.”
***** ( )

Elinor White has lived through two world wars and helped to defend her country in both. Now, she lives in a "grace and favor" cottage in a small British hamlet. While her intent is to keep to herself, she is drawn into connection by baby Susie. When she finds mother Rose holding Susie and crying, Elinor finds herself drawn into conflict with the powerful Mackie family who want Susie's father, Jim, to return to the criminal fold.

As Elinor seeks to help Jim, Rose, and Susie escape, she reunites with old colleagues and discovers layers of duplicity that have harmed her for years. Making friends with Elsie Mackie, Elinor also sees how men in all areas underestimate the power of a strong woman.