Wow....This is a cliff hanger....when is the next one coming?

The Germans wore grey.

I adore Maggie Hope. She's right out of 'Girls Own Magazine', a patterned heroine with a grownup twist.
In Paris Spy Maggie is once again in the thick of things. This time she's called in favours from 'high places' to get herself over to occupied Paris--at the Ritz of course! Now that's a cover!
She meets Coco! (As a side tack Chanel was reputably an ant-Semite and she had a German lover, Baron Hans Günther von Dincklage.) MacNeal has Maggie meeting Dincklage at Maxims after the ballet. The inclusion of Chanel is seamless, brilliant and believable. Bravo MacNeal!
I have to say MacNeal's descriptions of an occupied high society Paris swirl with undercurrents of a nervous desperation despite all the glitz that is portrayed is riviting.
Maggie's search for her half sister Elsie has taken her to Paris right into the midst of things. The Gestapo, secret agents and double agents. Dirty tricks and dirty secrets.
It would seem that agents are being compromised but the incompetent in charge of receiving SOE agent's messages is not taking notice.
If a search can turn even more deadly it does and Maggie's cover is blown.
What is at stake now becomes vital to the war effort. Maggie has some terrible truths to face. The ending had me on the edge of my seat and desperate for the next book.
Another ripping Maggie Hope yarn!

A NetGalley ARC
(August 2017)

I have been reading and enjoying mystery stories featuring Maggie Hope for several years. The latest in the series, THE PARIS SPY by Susan Elia MacNeal is just being released. This time, Maggie is behind enemy lines in Paris – posing as a bride-to-be and looking for her half-sister and for a missing agent, Erica Calvert. The Nazis are operating out of 84 Avenue Foch in the heart of Paris and the atmosphere is oppressive, filled with spies and counter spies. Maggie says, "Nothing can prepare you for the reality. The boredom and unease, always mixed with dread." Once the action starts, however, she is clearly in even greater danger and uses all of her resources to save herself and others.

Fashion designer (and rumored collaborator) Coco Chanel has a role in this mystery and once again MacNeal has scrupulously researched background, providing readers with a list of books about Chanel and about ballet during the war, another plot element. Ultimately Maggie must face overwhelming ethical issues, learning of the ultimate sacrifice made by other agents and debating with those who favor knowingly risking more lives due to a belief that "no country was ever saved by good men, because good men will not go to the length that may be necessary."

Link in live post: http://treviansbookit.blogspot.com/2014/07/prime-ministers-secret-agent-by-susan.html

You don't need to have read any of the previous books in the Maggie Hope series to enjoy her latest, The Paris Spy. (That being said, anyone who has read the series will find this exceptional.) Maggie Hope is working as a spy in WWII Paris for the SOE, Special Operatives Executive, under the direct orders of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.


She is working with two other operatives, Sarah, posing as a ballerina, and Sarah's husband Hugh, posing as a musician, both with the Paris ballet. Maggie's cover as an Irish socialite shopping for her wedding trousseau in Paris brings her into contact with famous designer Coco Chanel, who plays an important role in this fascinating and heartpounding story.

Maggie is looking for her half-sister Elsie, hoping to bring her home to England, when she gets caught up as a female operative goes missing, along with important information that will help England decide where best to land in France as a final push to destroy the Nazis and win WWII.

MacNeal does an impressive job with her research into the use of female spies in WWII, used because it was felt that the Nazis would not suspect that women would be involved. (Indeed, it was an international violation to send women behind enemy lines during war.) She helpfully lists the books she used as research at the end of the book for anyone who wishes to learn more.

We also get a look into the British war effort, complete with warring factions in the espionage agencies and the mistakes that were made that endangered not only the operatives, but the war effort itself.

There is so much tension in The Paris Spy, I found myself gasping out loud more than once, and if this were a movie, I would peeking between my fingers at certain points. Maggie Hope is one of the most interesting characters in mystery series, and the crisis of conscious she is faced with at the end of the story is one that will propel the next entry in this most interesting and informative series. I give The Paris Spy my highest recommendation, and I read it in one

This is the latest installment (but you could read it as a standalone) in what has become a deeply satisfying historical mystery series. Maggie Hope embodies a lot of what we'd all like to see illustrated more often- a determined young woman with a STEM background and terrific capabilities who is zipping along. As always, this skims the surface of the deeper historical issues but you get a good sense of Paris under German occupation and the war a young American like Maggie would have in these circumstances but she doesn't run away. Macneal has good sense of her audience (it doesn't get too dark or go low) and a good storytelling style of writing. I enjoyed this thanks to a Netgalley ARC and you will too if you'd read any in this series or if you are looking for a cracking good tale.

We are back with our beloved Maggie and spend a lot of time in German occupied Paris, and become completely immersed in the WWII time period.
The Special Operations Executives are trying to bring information back to England to confirm the best landing spot for Allied troops, and we experience head on all that happens to these spies, and those who risk their lives to keep our freedom.
This time our girl is supposed to be Irish lass, a rather rich one, who is shopping for her coming wedding. We then get to hobnail with the rich and famous, still remembering where we are and who is in charge.
You will be sitting on the edge of your seat, and quickly turning pages to get to the answers here, and who will survive to go on to the next book, some really sad happenings, and then a bombshell as we fall off the cliff. Patiently waiting for the next book, not!
I received the book through Net Galley and the Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and was not required to give a positive review.

I always look forward to books in this series. A perfect escape with just enough real history to keep the stories and characters moving forward.

I've been a fan of Susan Elia MacNeal's World War II-era Maggie Hope series since the first, Mr. Churchill's Secretary-- and it's almost impossible to believe that was seven "installments" ago! In each book, Maggie has grown from a woman with a talent for mathematics and thinking on her feet to an agent who not only trains new recruits but does dangerous undercover work herself. The entire series is a homage to the incredible sacrifices that so many (sometimes nameless) people made in the name of freedom during World War II. In MacNeal's capable hands, this series is both enlightening and highly entertaining.

I'm also happy to say that in The Paris Spy, everything comes together with a sizzle; it's MacNeal's best book yet. Occupied Paris comes to life in all its swastika-drenched angst, and the excellent pacing just never lets up. There are some surprising characters who do not behave as one would expect, and there is danger from so many different angles that it's almost impossible to see how on earth Maggie can pull everything together. It's not all derring-do and razzmatazz in The Paris Spy, however. Bad things happen to good people and the things that agents must do change them both inside and out.

This is a perfect book-- and a perfect series-- for fans of historical mysteries featuring strong female characters. (Think Bess Crawford or Maisie Dobbs.) But... if you ever find yourself with a code to crack or the Gestapo closing in, put your money on Maggie. She'll get the job done.

The Paris Spy is the seventh installment in the Maggie Hope series and my favorite book in the series. I began reading the series when MacNeal first wrote Mr. Churchill’s Secretary and always eagerly anticipate Maggie’s next adventure. The Paris Spy does not disappoint as Maggie navigates Nazi-occupied Paris on a mission to recover two individuals that have disappeared, one another SOE spy and the other her half-sister. Coco Chanel makes an appearance, and since Maggie is posing as an engaged socialite gathering her trousseau, there is a focus on 1940’s fashion which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Paris is my favorite place to visit, and I was fascinated by MacNeal’s details regarding Nazi-occupied Paris (she clearly researched extensively). Even though I have read countless World War 2 books dealing with this time period in Paris, I was unaware that the Nazis made Paris operate on Berlin time (two hours ahead) and how silent the streets became because no one but Nazi officers drove cars for the most part. While it is common knowledge that the Nazis were horrifically cruel, the sections of the book describing atrocious Nazi behavior made my stomach turn and once again question how Germany managed to sink so low. On the flip side, I always love anecdotes about Parisians who resisted, and The Paris Spy contains many honorable Parisians subtly standing up for what they knew was right.

This series is outstanding, and I highly recommend The Paris Spy (and the other 6 books before it). Thanks to Bantam for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you enjoy mysteries and history this is the book for you. An agent in Paris during WWII.
While you are reading a mystery you get some information during the war. A few times I questioned the accuracy and would go research the information but found it to be true.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC.

I have been reading the Maggie Hope series since book one on a recommendation from a co-worker. I am always a bit anxious when a series goes beyond a third or fourth book. I will NEVER need to worry about Ms. MacNeal's series. She has another hit! In this installment, our heroine is working behind enemy lines in occupied Paris trying to gather intel for the Allied Forces, rescue a fellow SOE Agent, and find her half sister. That's quite a mission.
I was amazed by the subtle ways the French fought back while under Nazi control. The reader really gets a first hand look at what the SOE Agents and spies went through during the War. It will make you want to read more about the History of WWII. Although the descriptions and writing are rich, nothing is overly graphic. There are a few moments where I cringed, but it was war, so I didn't find it too out of character for the time period. Be prepared for late nights with this book, I know I was reading long into the night.
Expect to be grabbed from page one and not let go until you are thrown over the cliff that is the ending. If you haven't read this series yet, start now! Maggie Hope is a character to root for and read about over and over. again. I am now all too impatient for book 8.

I love this historical fiction series about British female agents (spies) leading up to and during WWII. I feel like I waited a long time for this book to come out and now... well, I can't wait for #8 to come out! This book could be read as a stand alone novel, but to get more out of it, start with the first one, Mr. Churchill's Secretary. The main character in the books is Maggie Hope, a British citizen raised in America by her aunt, after the death of her parents. Back in London to clean out and sell her late grandmother's house, Maggie decides to stay, and eventually starts working for the government, first as a secretary, and eventually training as a secret agent.

I will say that in several of the books, it seems like Maggie escapes dangerous situations a little too easily (she's like the female MacGyver in the latest book!) However, if you can get past that, the books are really enjoyable. I like that the author includes historical notes at the end, so you can find out more about the events inspiring the books. The series is labeled as mysteries, but I think that is a stretch - they are more historical fiction in my opinion. This book comes out today!

Maggie Hope in Occupied Paris During WWII

With the help of the Queen, Maggie Hope is back in occupied Paris. Her half-sister, Elise, escaped from the Gestapo. Maggie wants to find her and bring her back to England, but does Elise want to be rescued? Maggie is also hoping to contact SOE agent Erica Calvert. She has been captured and her research, vital to the Normandy invasion is missing.

SOE agents, Hugh and Sarah, Maggie’s friends, are also in Paris working undercover as entertainers and sending information vital to the invasion back to England. The whole enterprise is threatened by the existence of a double agent. Maggie must discover this agent before the invasion plans are leaked to the Germans.

Suspense is the keynote of this Maggie Hope novel. The streets of Paris are eerily silent except for the Nazi’s Mercedes creeping along. She is working undercover, but any false step could land her in the hands of the Gestapo. Maggie is an excellent character, some of her feats seem almost superhuman, but she’s also vulnerable and recognizes the danger to herself and her friends in occupied Paris.

The historical detail in these novels is well researched, but the author doesn’t let the history get in the way of a suspenseful story. The somber atmosphere makes the story particularly nail-biting. In fact, this story is almost too hard to read at points. I cared about the characters and hated it when they were captured and tortured by the Gestapo.

If you enjoy historical suspense with a great female character, this is a terrific book.

I received this book from Random House / Ballantine Bantam Dell for this review.

What an extraordinary series.
MacNeal has combined extensive research with marvelous interpretation.
I usually cannot read or see stories of such graphic realities. But these books are, for me, an important look at the past. I cannot close my eyes, but must immerse myself in order to better understand today.
Amazing detail and characterization. Bravery and stupidity .
But at the end, we are left with the question: do the means justify the ends?

I loved this book! Wonderful characters, wonderful historic insight into the French resistance in WW II. The story showed how strong we can be when we have no choice. Strong women characters. I really enjoyed this author.

Hi Karen,

My next review is:-
"The Paris Spy: A Maggie Hope Mystery", written by Susan E. MacNeal and published in hardcover on 8 August 2017
​by ​Bantam Dell Publishing Group​. 352 pages.​ ISBN-13: 978-0399593802
​Maggie Hope has come a long way since serving as a typist for Winston Churchill. Now she’s working undercover for the Special Operations Executive in the elegant but eerily silent city of Paris, where SS officers prowl the streets in their Mercedes and the Ritz is draped with swastika banners. Walking among the enemy is tense and terrifying, and even though she’s disguised in chic Chanel, Maggie can’t help longing for home.

But her missions come first. Maggie’s half sister, Elise, has disappeared after being saved from a concentration camp, and Maggie is desperate to find her—that is, if Elise even wants to be found. Equally urgent, Churchill is planning the Allied invasion of France, and Special Operations Executive (forerunner to MI6) agent Erica Calvert has been captured, the whereabouts of her vital research regarding Normandy unknown. Maggie must risk her life to penetrate powerful circles and employ all her talents for deception and spycraft to root out a traitor, find her sister, and locate the reports crucial to planning D-Day in a deadly game of wits with the Nazi intelligence elite.​

The author is an American and the book is, I guess, intended for mainly US readers. It is extremely readable, very well plotted and extremely well researched and follows on from Maggie Hope's previous adventures described in previous books with the young Princess Elizabeth and her sister, in Windsor Castle and also working directly for Winston Churchill.

I previously read HIS MAJESTY'S HOPE for review in 2013 and was immediately impressed as it was very gripping and I enjoyed it tremendously. This is the second time that I've read any of her books and I'm loving the experience so far. There are several books with the Maggie Hope character. The book is completely self contained and full explanations are given when reference is made to the previous adventures.
I look forward to reading many more of this very gifted historical mystery authors books and I must look for her previous books in the meantime. Strongly recommended.
​Best wishes,

Terry Halligan​
(To be published on eurocrime.co.uk in due course)

3.5 stars

Another exciting outing for World War II agent Maggie Hope. There are several pluses to this series, including a strong and resourceful heroine, an action-packed wartime setting, and the appearance of real-life historical figures like Winston Churchill and Coco Chanel.

Maggie is in occupied Paris for this novel, doing resistance work and searching for her half-sister Elise. But Maggie's fellow spies are disappearing from contact. When you factor in the upcoming Allied invasion and the superhuman effort to keep its location secret, there is plenty of drama to go around.

The dialogue is sometimes a bit trite, and the action becomes preposterous during the fevered endings. This one ends pretty obviously right in time for the next book to begin.

I was given an ARC via Net Galley in return for my honest review.

Maggie, who originally started out as Churchill's Secretary and is now a Major. She had already completed an assignment where she was air dropped into Germany...This one is just as dicey. She is looking for an agent she fears has been captured and her half-sister who escaped a prison camp in Berlin. Sarah, Maggie's old roommate and former prima ballerina now spy is having her metal tested on her own extremely dangerous mission. Hugh, an old flame of Maggie's now Sarah's love, is posing as Sarah's husband for their mission. Jacques, Maggie's Paris contact for her dual mission, is a charming Frenchman. Even Coco Chanel makes an appearance. Then there are the various departent heads back in England that seem oblivious to glaring clues that the Paris spy network has been compromised.

No romantic Paris in Springtime glow fo the setting. As Maggie's contact described it: " 'It's the only rule you'll need while you're here,' he whispered, mirth gone from his eyes. 'Easy to remember: Trust no one. Nothing is clear here. Everything is shadows.'"

I've heard much about England's suffering under the Luftwaffe bombing raids, but little about Paris. Paris went from being like champagne, light and bubbly to a tripple-shot expresso, dark and nerve wracking. But the author highlighted that many French collaborated with the Nazi's because of the continual lies spread that the real threat was the communists and convinced them to partner with Germans. The propaganda is clear in hindsight, but in the midst of it so many succumbed to the lies. It is such details woven into the story that makes the reader feel you have just witnessed history first hand as you read, I certainly did.

The plot is classic intrigue with rarely a safe feeling moment. One slip of a word can blow your cover. Maggie's dual missions are one plot, but Sarah and Hugh's are another plot. Eventually, they all converge. This builds the tension like a Hitchhock thriller.

With such suspense through the story, it is hard to pull off a nail-biting climax. Yet, it happens in this case. Even the wrap-up ends with a major shock that took my breath away.

Another stellar addition to the Maggie Hope series. The plot has the very direction of the war at stake without the spies involved being aware. The characters are real, in some cases you feel their anguish and pain. Throw in some twists and a final surprise to have a powerhouse of a novel. As always, I love the historical notes at the end to fix in my mind how much was based on fact - always an eye opener.

Rating: Near Perfect - Couldn't Put it down. Buy two copies, one for you and one for a friend. If you haven't read the prior books, buy all of them while you're at it.

‘The Paris Spy’ by Susan Elia MacNeal is the 7th in the Maggie Hope series. Set in London during the early years in WWII, the stories contain more depth than expected. Well researched and deftly capturing the Keep Calm and Carry On attitude of the British, the books deliver.

Not all books in a series hit the mark – there are some great installments, some good and some mediocre. ‘The Paris Spy’ falls into the last camp – moving the plot along without the charm of the previous stories.

A lot was going on here – Sarah & Hugh’s mission in Paris, Maggie’s search for her sister, the current war status and the Nazi’s occupation in Paris. Unfortunately, none of the plot lines seemed well defined or thoughtful, they felt disjointed and the characters acting erratically. A big problem with a mystery series is keeping the protagonist fresh and not having them become super – an ace mystery solver, the hand gun/hand-to-hand expert, the decoding expert, etc. Maggie is starting to become wonder woman; not something that she should be at this stage in her military career. Maggie calls in a favor from the Queen of England to get to Paris to find her half-sister and then finds her in occupied Paris within a week. This does suspend belief a bit!

The Maggie Hope series is not a substitute for ‘All the Light You Can Not See’ or ‘The Baker’s Secret’; it is cozy mystery set in WWII that sometimes tries to be more and sometimes succeeds. This installment was a fail for me, which hurts me since I have been reading this series since the first paperback was published. I originally bought the book because of the cover and stayed through 6 subsequent stories because I enjoyed them. Book 7 was light lifting and not the book to start with or to judge the series by.

On a separate note, I couldn’t tell if this was the end of the series. The ending, author acknowledgements and notes led me to belief that this may be the end but I don’t know for certain.

I had a hard time getting into this book. Since I did not finish it, I do not intend to publish a review.