Review - The Last Hope

This is the final book in the Maggie Hope series and I have been a devoted fan since the very beginning, reviewing each book on this blog. I hate to see it end, but eleven novels are a lot and Maggie deserves a break from the war.  Find out what I thought of this final book.  

While it works as a stand alone novel, the character of real life Coco Chanel first appears in the seventh novel, The Paris Spy, and is nice to have read it going into this book, but not vital. Here are my reviews in order.

#1 Mr. Churchill's Secretary (click here) 

#2 Princess Elizabeth's Spy (click here) 

#3 His Majesty's Hope (click here) 

#4 The Prime Minister's Secret Agent (click here) 

#5 Mrs Roosevelt's Confidante (click here) 

#6 The Queen's Accomplice (click here) 

#7 The Paris Spy (click here) 

#8  The Prisoner in the Castle (click here) 

#9 The King's Justice (click here) 

#10 The Hollywood Spy (click here)

Author interview 2012 (click here) 

Author interview 2017 (click here)

Author: Susan Elia MacNeal

Copyright: May 2025 (Bantam) 304 pgs

Series: 11th in Maggie Hope Mysteries

Sensuality: Adult topics without details

Mystery Sub-genre: Historical intrigue, suspense mystery

Main Characters: Maggie Hope, American now British Secret Service

Setting: 1943, primarily in Madrid, Spain

Obtained Through: Library

Book Blurb:  "Maggie Hope has come a long way since she was Mr. Churchill’s secretary. In the face of tremendous danger, she’s learned espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance. But things are different now that she has so much to lose, including the possibility of a family with John Sterling, the man who’s long held her heart.

British Intelligence has ordered Maggie to assassinate Werner Heisenberg, the physicist who may deliver a world-ending fission bomb for Germany. She’s shaken. An assassination is unlike anything she has ever done. How can the Allies even be sure Nazi Germany has a bomb? Determined to gather more information, Maggie travels to Madrid, where Heisenberg is visiting for a lecture.

At the same time, couturier Coco Chanel [of the clothing and perfume empire], a spy in her own right [for the Nazi's as agent F7124 codename Westminster]… has requested a mysterious meeting with the British ambassador in Madrid—and has requested Maggie join them. As the two play a dangerous game of cat and mouse, Maggie tries to get a better understanding of Heisenberg, but is faced with betrayal and a threat more terrifying than losing her own life.

Maggie desperately wants to find her happily-ever-after, but as the war reaches a fever pitch, the stakes keep rising. Now, more than ever, the choices she makes will reverberate around the globe, touching everyone she loves—with fateful implications for the future of the free world."

My thoughts:  

Maggie has been through a lot over the prior ten books, and this book has a deep personal impact on her as well. In this addition to the series, Maggie's assignment seems rather simple on paper, but it turns out anything but.  She doesn't even make it to Madrid before an assassination occurs near her. Not only is it far more dangerous than believed, but she is emotionally and physically pushed to her limits. She must rely on her instincts through much of the twists.

John Sterling, Maggie's early love and former fiancé, is back and is working for Churchill again. They have reunited. We see him before Maggie's undercover operation and after.  We also have a lovely scene with her other friends Charlotte "Chuck" Ludlow and toddler Griffin, plus David and Freddie.  I loved this and had missed her "found family" in the last few books.

While in Spain Maggie has a cast of characters besides Coco Chanel.  There is Maggie's Spain contact, Miguel "Angel" Ramos, and Tom Burns, Press Attaché to the British Embassy in Madrid.  I loved the subplot of the famous bullfighter and celebrity, Juanito Belmonte, liking Maggie and wanting to date her. It was a lighter thread to all the danger and subterfuge.

Madrid during WWII is vividly brought to life and provides a deep sense of isolation where Maggie is essentially cut off and on her own not knowing who she can truly trust.

This is a solid spy/intrigue novel that had me in its grip throughout. 

I know this is supposed to be the final book in the series, but the ending setup another mission for Maggie. Could the series continue as self published, as so many other historical series have done?  Please let it be true!

The "Historical Notes" are fascinating alone. I have failed to mention these in each of the books in the series, but they are great and I eagerly read them each time. 

This is a stellar novel with intrigue, danger, twists and turns, while providing sweeping historical touches and heart wrenching parts. I highly recommend.

Rating: Near perfect - Loved it! If you haven't read it yet, get two copies. One for you and another for family or friend. 

Here is a video on Coco Chanel's connections with Germany during WWII

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Review - A Death in Door County

Annelise Ryan is the USA Today bestselling author of multiple mystery series, including the Mattie Winston Mysteries and now the Monster Hunter Mysteries.  I'll be reviewing the first in the Mattie Winston Mysteries later.  Let's check out this unique concept of a cryptozoologist (a person who studies/searches for undiscovered or legendary animals known as "cryptids, that haven't been verified by mainstream science) who is becomes an amateur sleuth.  Read on to see how this unique hobby is used as the basis for the storyline.

Author: Annelise Ryan 

Copyright: Sept 2022 (Berkley) 334 pgs

Series: 1st in Monster Hunter Mysteries

Sensuality: Mild, mature topics

Mystery Sub-genre: Amateur Sleuth, cozy mystery

Main Character: Morgan Carter, owner of the Odds and Ends bookstore

Setting: Modern day in Door County, Wisconsin

Obtained Through: Library

Book Blurb:  "A Wisconsin bookstore owner and cryptozoologist is asked to investigate a series of deaths that just might be proof of a fabled lake monster.

     Morgan Carter, owner of the Odds and Ends bookstore in Door County, Wisconsin, has a hobby. When she’s not tending the store, she’s hunting cryptids—creatures whose existence is rumored, but never proven to be real. It’s a hobby that cost her parents their lives, but one she’ll never give up on.

     So when a number of bodies turn up on the shores of Lake Michigan with injuries that look like bites from a giant unknown animal, police chief Jon Flanders turns to Morgan for help. A skeptic at heart, Morgan can’t turn down the opportunity to find proof of an entity whose existence she can’t definitively rule out. She and her beloved rescue dog, Newt, journey to the Death's Door strait to hunt for a homicidal monster in the lake—but if they’re not careful, they just might be its next victims."

MY Thoughts:  The cryptozoologist angle is a fascinating premise, but in lesser hands could have been cheesy or mired in wacky conspiracy theories. Instead, Ms. Ryan gives us some emotional depth in heroine Morgan Carter that makes her interest in, and skepticism of, cryptids a more realistic view that balances out the story to make a solid cozy mystery story while feeding the imagination. This book has a deep sense of place, thanks to the author living in Wisconsin. This story, and I suspect the rest of the series, is intertwined fully with the setting so that my memory of the book immediately brings up the beautiful-yet-dangerous lake setting. I love that.

The plot is solid murder mystery with a few turns and the pacing stays gentle but steady to keep interest.   

Besides Morgan, the key characters are her faithful and beloved dog, Newt (short for Newton), a Labrador and Golden Retriever mixed with St Bernard, possible romantic interest in police chief Jon Flanders, and the gruff boat captain, Martin (Marty) Showalter.  I love Newt, a lot.  All the characters are nicely developed and draw you in.

Overall, I'm hooked and will be reviewing more of this series as well as her others. Good cozy mystery with tense moments, exciting killer confrontation, and nicely used tropes.

Thank you for reading this blog and please recommend to friends and family who will enjoy it.

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A Short Personal Update

     I don't want to get into too many details, but I wanted to give an explanation to my loyal readers.  May 22 I went to the Emergency room and within the hour was in surgery under going brain surgery.  After nine days in ICU, I finally got to return home.  The last several months have been intense healing and daily antibiotic treatments.  I went through physical and speech therapy, but the general outlook is I will make a full recovery and have made tremendous progress already.

     I share this to explain my lack of posts, but also to stress that getting treatment quickly was key.  My speech suddenly became unintelligible after a serious headache for many days from what I thought was my sinuses (I was even on antibiotics).  If you or anyone you know experiences garbled or difficulty speaking, get them to the hospital pronto.  

     I can't thank the surgeons, neurologists, and nursing staff enough for their care and diligence.  I was fortunate to have a highly regarded neuro-surgeon in a hospital that is recognized for their neurological care.  But again, getting treatment so quickly was key.

     I'm just now getting around to my normal levels of reading, and I'm finally writing again and wanted to share with my faithful blog readers why I've not shared much lately.  I'm jumping into the third Accidental Vampire PI draft.  I'll keep you updated on its progress.

     Stay healthy my friends.

Review - Killers of a Certain Age

 Deanna Raybourn is the New York Times bestselling author of the Edgar Award–nominated Veronica Speedwell Mysteries, as well as the Lady Julia Grey series and several stand-alone works.  Her latest series features a group of women in their 60s who worked as elite assassins. But retirement can be deadly.  

“This Golden Girls meets James Bond thriller is a journey you want to be part of.” -Buzzfeed

"... pits men against women, age against youth, technology against old school know-how.” -Amazon Book Review

Naturally it has been compared to "The Thursday Murder Club" and the 2010 movie "Red."  Read this review to understand how it differs from both.

Author: Deanna Raybourn

Copyright: August 2023 (Berkley) 368 pgs

Series: 1st in Killers of a Certain Age thriller series

Sensuality: violence, mature themes, language

Mystery Sub-genre: Thriller, intrigue

Main Character: Billie Webster, recently retired from forty years in an elite female assassination squad.

Setting: Modern day, global locations

Obtained Through: Library

Book Blurb: "Older women often feel invisible, but sometimes that’s their secret weapon. They’ve spent their lives as the deadliest assassins in a clandestine international organization, but now that they're sixty years old, four women friends can’t just retire—it’s kill or be killed in this action-packed thriller by New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award–nominated author Deanna Raybourn.

Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie have worked for the Museum, an elite network of assassins, for forty years. Now their talents are considered old-school and no one appreciates what they have to offer in an age that relies more on technology than people skills.

When the foursome is sent on an all-expenses paid vacation to mark their retirement, they are targeted by one of their own. Only the Board, the top-level members of the Museum, can order the termination of field agents, and the women realize they’ve been marked for death.

Now to get out alive they have to turn against their own organization, relying on experience and each other to get the job done, knowing that working together is the secret to their survival. They’re about to teach the Board what it really means to be a woman—and a killer—of a certain age."

My Thoughts:  

I like the four diverse women who make up the squad.  Billie is the main point-of-view character through the book. She is particularly good at fighting and is a tad impulsive. The others are: Helen, a widow who's a smooth pickpocket and handy with a gun while also taking detailed notes on everyone she meets;  Natalie (Nat), and Mary Alice. I like these gals and how they work so well together.

Many scenes are told via flashbacks.  Those scenes actually provide some clues, but a few times it felt disorienting to jump to the past. This book has multiple global settings, but initially starts on a luxury cruise. The settings have just enough description to place you in each local. You really feel like your seeing each place through the eyes of a trained killer.  

The plot leads you through some twists and turns and the pacing speeds along.  The climax reveals more than I expected, making it very satisfying. The writing and plot are enjoyable and well done.

It isn't like "The Thursday Murder Club" (see review of book 2 here) since Richard Osman's series has ordinary people, except one character, making it a bit of a rag-tag amateur sleuth group.  The 2010 movie "Red" (short for Retired Extremely Dangerous) is closer since I can see Helen Mirren's character as inspiration for Billie in the book, and both the movie and this books series are about retired deadly agents.  But I think that is where the similarities end. 

I absolutely love the "technology against old school know-how" theme. Their ability to use low-tech or no-tech actually keeps them alive while giving them an upper hand.  So well done. Plus the age and experience beats younger and less experienced theme was golden as well. In an age where over fifty makes it harder to find a job, this had me routing for them.

There is a paradox at work through the book where the four women are shown to maintain their humanity and feelings while being efficient killers, which makes the characters more interesting.  I like how they learned to rely on each other for each one's skill set and not be competitive.  They have become like sisters in some ways.

I do have some caveats with my praise. The "Museum" organization, and thus the four women, operate on a vigilante assassination philosophy that the ends justify the means.  They don't just skirt the law, they toss the law out the window to be judge (the Museum), jury (the Museum), and executioner (the assassins).  It is stated this way in the book: "I'm interested in justice, not law."  But justice is subjective and often handed out based on grudges or emotions like revenge when the law isn't the bedrock.  

I know it took me awhile to get to this book so many of you may have read it already.  I would love to hear your thoughts on the book.

Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list.

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Musings - Shakespeare's Lasting Impact

 

    When many people think of William Shakespeare, they think of a long ago time where life was harsh and cruel, illness wiped out hundreds of thousands, and the wealthy lorded it over the struggling working-poor.  But times haven't changed all that much, really. The main themes of Shakespeare's plays and sonnets are universal.

     Our modern day, with its texting, movies on demand, communication across the world in seconds, and flying through the skies in hours that took weeks in Will's day, is still influenced by the Bard. His themes of love, death, ambition, power, fate, racism, and free-will still resonate with people today. Shakespeare was also a master at creating characters rich in personality and traits. These detailed characters never go out of style, with their faults and frailties of jealousy, ambition, naivety, power, kindness, nobility, and so on.

     The great Nelson Mandela once said that "To be taken seriously as a politician, one must always quote from Shakespeare," and a lot of his speeches when he was president quoted the Bard. While he was a political prisoner for over 20 years in jail, he found inspiration in a smuggled-in copy of Shakespeare's complete works. There is one passage from the play "Julius Caesar" that Mandela signed while imprisoned: "Cowards die many times before their deaths/ The valiant never taste death but once."  

     But Shakespeare has influenced more than a luminary social justice beacon.  The American English language is filled with words, phrases and expressions that Shakespeare coined in his writings (37 plays and 154 sonnets that we know of). 

     He penned one-tenth of the most quoted lines ever written or spoken in English, and he is the second most quoted writer in the English language. He introduced nearly 3,000 words to the English language--many of which we use regularly every day, such as: addiction, assassination, courtship, eyeball, impartial, luggage, swagger, hoodwinked, bedazzle, and tranquil for a short list.

     Plus phrases we use regularly like: all the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players, Knock, Knock! Who's there?, in a pickle, tongue-tied, heart of gold, faint-hearted, good riddance, lie low, cruel only to be kind, fight fire with fire, baited breath, send him packing, come what may, wear your heart on your sleeve, not slept a wink, laughing stock, naked truth, out of the jaws of death, too much of a good thing, break the ice, wild goose chase, heart of hearts, seen better days, dead as a doornail, love is blind, breathed his last, vanish into thin air, makes your hair stand on end, for goodness' sake, off with his head, a sorry sight, the green-eyed monster, brave new world, the world is my oyster, and be all-end all. 

     As a writer, many of the tropes we have today came from Shakespeare. Forbidden Love from Romeo and Juliet, hidden identities and disguises from "Twelfth Night", revenge and betrayal from "Hamlet" and "Othello," coming of age with "The Tempest" and "Hamlet," the prodigal son in "Henry IV" and "The Merchant of Venice," and he regularly wove power and corruption throughout his plays.      

     Some other tropes he generated were the affable or charming evil person, the ambiguously gay character, the double entendre he used a lot, evil versus evil, love triangles, rags to royalty, prophecy twist ("no man or woman born"-reused particularly well in JRR Tolkien's Return of the King), the slap-slap-kiss or "shut-up" kiss, the sub-plot to keep interest, the truly evil villain, and a woman disguised as a man (nicely employed in Disney's "Mulan".) This is only his plays, for his sonnets contain even more tropes we see regularly today.

     Even in the realm of psychology, Shakespeare was recognized. Sigmund Freud thought the Bard was the greatest poet and quoted him often. Freud greatly appreciated his insights and use of the unconscious. Macbeth is practically a psychiatrist's textbook of guilt and self delusion and a roadmap to insanity.

     But what Shakespeare gave us, the lasting quality of his work, was insights into humanity at our best and worst presented in memorable fashion with equal parts laughter and tears. He knew how to tap into large universal themes and understand his audience and give them what they wanted, an escape for a few moments and to feel seen at the same time.  

     What is your favorite Shakespeare work and why?  Do you see echoes of his influence around you today?  Reply and let me know.

Here is a short piece with the amazing Dame Judy Dench giving us an impromptu bit of Shakespeare.