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London, 1940. Winston Churchill has just been sworn in, war rages across the Channel, and the threat of a Blitz looms larger by the day. But none of this deters Maggie Hope. She graduated at the top of her college class and possesses all the skills of the finest minds in British intelligence, but her gender qualifies her only to be the newest typist at No. 10 Downing Street. Her indefatigable spirit and remarkable gifts for codebreaking, though, rival those of even the highest men in government, and Maggie finds that working for the prime minister affords her a level of clearance she could never have imagined—and opportunities she will not let pass. In troubled, deadly times, with air-raid sirens sending multitudes underground, access to the War Rooms also exposes Maggie to the machinations of a menacing faction determined to do whatever it takes to change the course of history.
Ensnared in a web of spies, murder, and intrigue, Maggie must work quickly to balance her duty to King and Country with her chances for survival. And when she unravels a mystery that points toward her own family’s hidden secrets, she’ll discover that her quick wits are all that stand between an assassin’s murderous plan and Churchill himself.
In this daring debut, Susan Elia MacNeal blends meticulous research on the era, psychological insight into Winston Churchill, and the creation of a riveting main character, Maggie Hope, into a spectacularly crafted novel.
“This wonderful debut is intelligent, richly detailed, and filled with suspense.”—Stefanie Pintoff
“A terrific read . . . Chock full of fascinating period details and real people including Winston Churchill, MacNeal’s fast-paced thriller gives a glimpse of the struggles, tensions, and dangers of life on the home front during World War II.”—Rhys Bowen, author of Royal Blood and winner of the Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity awards
“Think early Ken Follett, amp it up with a whipsmart young American not averse to red lipstick and vintage cocktails, season it with espionage during the London Blitz, and you’ve got a heart-pounding, atmospheric debut. I loved it.”—Cara Black, author of Murder in Passy
“England in 1940 is the perfect backdrop for a courageous young woman who outwits the enemy. A vivid tapestry of wartime London.”—Carolyn Hart, author of Escape from Paris
“An engrossing page-turner, with a delightful and spirited new heroine in the aptly named Maggie Hope.”—C. C. Benison, author of Twelve Drummers Drumming
Cybele727
Posted Fri Apr 13 00:00:00 EDT 2012
I loved this book. Usually I rip through books so quickly and promptly forget about them. This one I savored and tried to draw out because I did not want it to end. I prefer historical fiction where the character is central and the action peripheral, with the idea that the action helps inform the character but is not the only thing to a character's growth or development.
If your are looking for a whodunit book, you will be sadly disappointed. It is so much more about a great character, and that character is Maggie Hope, a British citizen raised in the US from the age of 3. She arrives in London as stipulated in her grandmother's will to sell her inheritance - grandmother's house; however, Maggie decides to stay and begin to explore her British self. Yet Maggie is quintessentially American. The voice of strong educated woman leading her own life and making her own choices is uniquely American for that time period. While few American women in the 40s would have had the opportunity to cultivate such a voice, even fewer British middle and upper class women would have had Maggie's moxie. And a graceful moxie is what Maggie has!
Woven throughout this wonderful character story is a plush historical tapestry for its setting. There were times when I felt like I was right there. Furthermore, the fact and fiction were so well blended that it is impossible to tell where one began and one ended. This is good writing - a rich, authentic voice.
it is also a subtle voice. Rarely am I surprised in a book, as modern foreshadowing is all but a hammer on the head. In this book the "aha" moment comes without any prior "I knew it!" experiences. The "romance" aspect is light and not central to the story; it is an integral part of who Maggie is becoming and what her life is. It is not the central or limiting story. The romance is both subtle, adding shading and complexity to the characters and story, and clumsy on the part of Maggie and her attraction, both realistic and as the author intended. After all how many of us are clumsy and flustered around a romantic interest? The author does this well.
You would not be wasting your money or time with this book. And you will be waiting for the next installment to arrive!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Mon Nov 19 00:00:00 EST 2012
This is a wonderful look at WWII and the role of women during that time. While not much of a whodunnit, it is a very intriguing historical mystery with wonderful characters. My only disappointment was that it ended too quickly.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Wed Sep 05 00:00:00 EDT 2012
Fun to read and I learned a bit of history. I really liked the main character who was a woman mathmatician. It's rare to find a female main character who enjoys and excells at math and/or science!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Wed Jul 11 00:00:00 EDT 2012
Maggie Hope is a new character in the many mysteries about women in war times. She was British born, but was raised by her aunt in America after her mother was killed in a car crash and her Dad 'lost it' mentally. After graduating top in her class with top skills in math and languages, she's planning to get a graduate degree at MIT, but her plans change when she returns to England to sell the old family home. Getting a job in England is hindered by the prevailing attitude that 'women belong in the home, or in support jobs'. She has mixed feeling about her secretarial job at #10 Downing Street but is prepared to do ALL for home and country.
Frustrated by her seeming menial secretarial job, her position changes when she decodes a covert message she finds in the newspaper. This comes along with her replacing PM Churchill's sick secretary. Everything's comes fast and furious after that. Murders, spies, bombs, and differing views about Hitler mixed with Irish IRA resistance actions, keeps everyone anxious and working to keep England in the winning mix of war.
What adds extra interest to this book is the well researched addition of views on women, spies, Churchill, and decoding enemy messages. The factual research for this fictional book is spectacular! There are also relationships between diverse friends and family secrets that made this book a cut above the present popular WW2 women mysteries like the Jacqueline Winspear series. If you enjoy this genre, you need to add this Maggie Hope series to your reading list!!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Fri Jun 22 00:00:00 EDT 2012
Ms. MacNeal's first Maggie Hope is simply great fun. It may not be great literature but it is fast paced and keeps your interest... if you are a mystery buff. I happen to enjoy WWI and WWII novels so this one is spot on. Maggie and her chums are people you'd be interested in but remember... not all is as it seems.
The only unfortunate aspect is having to wait till October for the 2nd in this series.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I was disappointed with this book. The story was interesting, but the writer's style was poor. I found it hard to follow her transition from one character's situation to another at times. I had to go back and re-read several pages to see where I missed the connection. There were a number of unconnected sections. For instance, letters from the Aunt were included, but nothing was ever mentioned from Maggie's point of view that the letters were received and read and the impact. I doubt seriously I'll buy another book written by this author.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Thu May 10 00:00:00 EDT 2012
This is not an incredibly well-written book, but it is fun to read. All the cryptography and researched details about Churchill are good and it truly transports you to London in the WWII era. Recommend it as a fun read!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Sat Aug 25 00:00:00 EDT 2012
Can't wait for the next one!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Thu May 17 00:00:00 EDT 2012
Enjoyable with good story and interesting people in the story. Kept up interest until the end. Waiting for the second book in the series
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Sat Apr 14 00:00:00 EDT 2012
.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Fri Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2013
As a tourist in London, I went to the War Rooms, so it was especially interesting to read a book set against this background. I found this book to be very enjoyable and hard to put down.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.NewsieQ
Posted Fri Feb 22 00:00:00 EST 2013
Maggie Hope, a Brit raised in America by a maiden aunt, is a math whiz getting ready to begin her doctorate in mathematics at MIT. But when she visits London after she’s left a legacy from her late grandmother she decides to stay. Eventually, she gets a job as a typist at Number 10 Downing Street for Winston Churchill. Britain is at war and The Blitz is just beginning. But it’s exciting times for Maggie and her friends, most of whom are also working for the British government. In addition to her work, Maggie is looking for information about her parents, who died when she was quite young. That takes her all over the British countryside -- and into danger. I read the second book in this series, Princess Elizabeth’s Spy, and wanted to read this one for Maggie’s back story. I wasn’t disappointed. Although it is not nearly as believable as the Maisie Dobbs historical novels written by Jacqueline Winspear, I find it quite enjoyable escapist fare. Maggie is a wonderful character, and I see a bright future for this series. I hope it finds an audience and goes on for a very long time.
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Posted Wed Feb 06 00:00:00 EST 2013
Had to suspend belief at some points in the story as to why and how a lowly, newly hired secretary would be allowed to be involved in some of the things she was, but the characters were good and the story was interesting. I'll buy and read book #2 in the series.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.IamareaderMW
Posted Fri Jan 04 00:00:00 EST 2013
Very nice read, I am enjoying the series and look forward to the next book.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Mon Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 2012
I might be interested in this book, but the publisher's failure to provide a preview means I won't be pursuing the title.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 EDT 2012
Not well written, not historical. Predictable.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Thu Aug 02 00:00:00 EDT 2012
Unfortunately, the author's style is poor and the plot tends to wander. For really good books of this genre, try Deborah Crombie or Jacqueline Winspear - both masters of the British mystery with memorable characters and vivid English settings.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Tue Jun 12 00:00:00 EDT 2012
After reading THE MAISIE DOBBS Novels by Jacquline Winspear, this novel didn't compare. It was a pretty good book, but I guess I was spoiled by the other novels.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This book was not what I was expecting; I didn’t expect it to be a spy/war/mystery/family secrets story all rolled into a really good book. The setting was fascinating; the beginning of WWII and with people like the US Ambassador Joseph Kennedy who lost his post for being a Nazi sympathizer and an anti-Semite which I looked up and was a bit shocked to find this all to be true. And of course Winston Churchill it was fun to hear about his pets running rough shod over 10 Downing (I looked that up too and found it to be true). So this book was well researched and made me want to look things up and as I’ve said before that’s what makes a good historical fiction novel. I really liked Maggie she did remind me a little of Maisie Dobbs but that could just be the setting and the fact that she is a strong independent woman in a time that was a bit frowned upon. I also liked the fact that Maggie was raised an American but by the end of this book has been found to be a valuable asset for the England. There are at times a lot of characters to keep track of and I did get confused a couple times as to who was who so I hope in the next book this will be tightened up a bit. I do look forward to reading more of Maggie. I felt this book was kind of a Cozy Spy Thriller it had all the great elements of a good spy novel plus the best of a cozy mystery. I look forward to more by this author. All in all a good start of what I’ve heard is a proposed series and I look forward to the next one! 4 stars
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Posted Tue Jun 05 00:00:00 EDT 2012
this book has it all: suspense, thriller, love, intrigue, history
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Overview
London, 1940. Winston Churchill has just been sworn in, war rages across the Channel, and the threat of a Blitz looms larger by the day. But none of this deters Maggie Hope. She graduated at the top of her college class and possesses all the skills of the finest minds in British intelligence, ...