Maggie Hope is living on the edge. She’s seen too much – and done too much – during World War 2, and everything is catching up to her. Having quit her job as a secret agent, Maggie is now working as a bomb diffuser in London. If the risk of accidentally blowing herself up on a daily basis isn’t enough, Maggie is also drinking heavily, smoking, and zipping around London on a rickety motorbike. The last thing Maggie wants to do is get caught up in investigating another crime. But, when a recent string of murders threatens her coworkers and links back to another serial killer whom Maggie tracked down, she finds herself drawn into Scotland Yard’s investigation.

I am a huge fan of the Maggie Hope Mystery series, and I was excited to read THE KING’S JUSTICE. Maggie is in a bad place mentally, and this novel is much darker than the previous ones. The continuing war and her past is catching up to Maggie, and she is having a hard time coping. Maggie’s mental state is a heavy factor in the novel as it shapes her current actions and decisions. The war is also negatively affecting some of her friends, and their struggles are part of the novel. As always, MacNeal brings to life WW2 era London while addressing the British treatment of Italians in England and PTSD in soldiers. MacNeal also questions the morality of the Death Penalty through the continuing storyline of the Blackout Beast whom we first encountered in THE QUEEN’S ACCOMPLICE.

The two serial killers in this novel – one whom Maggie encountered in a previous novel; the other one new to the series – are both intriguing and chilling. In my opinion, THE KING’S JUSTICE is the most thought provoking novel in the Maggie Hope Mystery series so far.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This is the 9th in the series involving Maggie Hope, secret agent. I really enjoyed this outing involving a serial killer, more war and a stolen violin. The only thing I didn't enjoy was constant reference to Maggie's mental health after her last adventure. It ended up dragging down the storyline in places and it finally just became a distraction. I hope this doesn't continue in further books in the series. This is wonderful series for readers who like a strong female protagonist, little known bits and pieces of history and the trauma of WWII in London. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

I’m a huge Maggie Hope fan but the last book I read was a DNF.So I wasn’t really sure if this book was the same way.
I shouldn’t have worried about it.This is the classic Maggie we’ve all come to know and love.Very independent.The book starts off with Maggie facing her demons or rather battling with them.
She is asked to help solve the mystery of a stolen Stradivarius.It connects with another mystery
I love how this series shows us the stark reality of wartime.How civilians were treated.
Thankyou Netgalley for a ARC

The King's Justice is all that I have come to expect from a Susan Elia MacNeal book--mystery, suspense and wonderful characters. Of course, Maggie Hope is lovely, intelligent, and self-sufficient. MacNeal writes such that we can view Maggie as a complex, multi-dimensional individual remains steadfast in her integrity and honor while caught up in a world recovering from that tragedies of war and human. The plot, the story-line, is strong and, just as important, I highly recommend this book.

I had no idea what to expect after reading MacNeal's last book in the Maggie Hope series. That one was so enjoyable after slogging through a couple in the series that I didn't enjoy as much as the original book..

Maggie is in full avoidance mode, after seeing and doing some things she never would have thought imaginable a few years before. Smoking, drinking, driving around recklessly on a motorbike, you name it, Maggie is doing everything but processing the psychological pain she is experiencing. All that changes when another serial killer shows up in England. DCI Durgin, Maggie's sort-of boyfriend, coaxes her to help on the case. And we're finally off on another adventure..

As implied, it takes a while for the story to take off, but when it does, it is satisfying. As I mentioned in my review for the last book, where is Maggie's mother? We kind of find out, but are left with more questions than answers. Another cliffhanger! I originally came to this series about six months ago and the cliffhangers at the end of the books didn't bother me as much as they do now that I'm all caught up. I may or may not continue to read the series as future books are published based on this fact. Most annoying. I've read plenty of other series' books that don't fall into that trap; they write memorable characters that people want to read more about.

I received and ARC from NetGalley for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I've been reading the Maggie Hope mysteries for awhile now, so when NetGalley offered me the chance to read the next one early, I jumped on the chance. Things I really liked: Maggie Hope has some very real issues and we get to see her coming to terms with everything that's happened to her. I think this was better done than her running away to Scotland after she killed a man, but it wasn't perfect. I think it focused a little too much on the Blackout Beast repercussions for Maggie mentally as opposed to how Nicholas Reitter was really just the straw that broke the camel's back and this had been building for a long time.
Things I didn't like: Maggie constantly leaving Mr. K. She leaves him to go to the US the first time, she leaves him to go to Scotland (okay, not her choice, but still!), and now she's leaving him again to go to Hollywood. Anyone with a deep connection to their pet couldn't leave them as much as she does without some sort of remorse. Maybe he'll make the trip to LA?

Another great addition to the Maggie Hope series by Susan Elia MacNeal.
World War 2 is still raging, and Maggie finds herself in the middle of the hunt for a sequential killer.
Woven into the mystery are themes of the death penalty, conscientious objectors, and the lengths a mother will go to for her child. Maggie faces her own addictions throughout the book, and in the end comes to terms with them. I enjoyed the mystery of this book and piecing together the clues along the way.
The book wraps up with hints as to where Maggie will be in the next book.

I received an Advanced Reader copy via NetGalley and I've already pre-ordered this book for my home collection.

Maggie Hope and new boyfriend DCI James Durgin search for a serial killer and a violin thief in The King’s Justice, the latest Maggie Hope mystery.

I am a huge fan of this series and was thrilled to receive an advance review copy. This was my first e-book in the series as I’ve listened to all the rest on audiobook. It’s a great read, either way.

When the book opens, Maggie has given up her SOE work after going to spy jail in the last installment of the series. She’s back in London and dating DCI Durgin. All is not well. She’s chain smoking, drinking like a fish, racing around town on a motorbike (often while drunk) and working as an unexploded bomb (UXB) diffuser. Basically she’s clearly struggling to deal with some of the things she’s faced during the war. Durgin is tapping the breaks on their relationship yet trying to get her back in the game with two different cases: the theft of a priceless violin and a serial killer targeting conscientious objectors, or conchies. Maggie’s coworkers are to a man, COs, and she’s therefore drawn in to the investigation through her connection to these men.

By the end of the book, Maggie is angry like a woman living during the era of #MeToo. Why don’t men listen to what we say? We do women always have to be on guard? These questions, alas, have always been on our mind, most likely. It’s only through the lens of our 21st century rage that we can make sense of the anger of the women who came before, even fictional ones.

This book was quite dark. Maggie’s been through too much to keep buggering on (as Winston Churchill famously said repeatedly through WW2) as though she’s fine. This is the book where she processes all that has happened during the war and figures out a way forward. It’s not a pleasant story or a pleasant investigation (into the “sequential” killer). However, as with all the books in this series, it was a pleasure to read.

The King's Justice by Susan Ella MacNeal. 5 stars

This book is the 9th book in the Maggie Hope series. Following the events of The Prisoner in the Castle, we find Maggie Hope in London working to disarm unexploded bombs dropped by the Germans during the Blitz. Maggie is suffering PTSD from the events of being held in a prison in Scotland and almost being kidnapped by a German spy. She is smoking and drinking too much and doing dangerous things - (Danger UXB) anyone. Her sometime boyfriend, Inspector Durgin is facing another serial killer that is leaving suitcases filled with bones that wash up near the Thames. The press has named this new killer Jimmy Greenteeth.

This book introduces new subjects, the treatment of Britons of Italian descent, the morality of the Death Penalty and the different theories of what makes a serial killer. It is a lot to digest, but doable. At the core is Maggie Hope; her struggles show the toll of war and the resilience of the human spirit. Her intelligence ultimately helps solve the case. Since this book takes place in 1943, readers will be able to look forward to a few more books in this series. At the end of this book, it looks like Maggie and her friend Sarah will be heading to Hollywood. For Sarah it is role in a movie and maybe a job with George Balanchine. For Maggie, there is her ex boyfriend, John and the death of his fiancé that needs to be solved.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Ballantine/ Bantam for this ARC.

I was delighted to get the opportunity to read an advice copy of Susan Elia Maclean's latest Maggie Hope book as I have read and enjoyed the whole series. I think this one is even better than the previous books as it reveals more about Maggie's complex feelings as she recovers from the trauma of the events in the last book. I found the book did a great job covering many of the issues people had to deal with during WWII. The book not only was a good mystery, but also a fascinating character study. I highly recommend the book.

I've been a fan of the Maggie Hope mysteries since the beginning and was very excited to receive this arc! I had mixed feelings at the start of the book, as Maggie is really struggling and definitely didn't seem like the same character that we came to know and love in the first few books. But at the same time, MacNeal has made me invested enough in her life and adventures that I want to keep reading to see things turn out better for her. I liked the return to the serial killer plotline from early books, as I think it's interesting to explore a crime spree like that against the backdrop of World War II. Overall, another exciting--if a bit different--installment in a great series that kept me interested through the end and eager for the next book.

I have long been a fan of Susan Elia MacNeal’s Maggie hope series. I picked up “Mr. Churchill’s Secretary” from the end cap at Barnes and Noble and after finishing it, proceeded to read the entire series in the next few weeks. So naturally, I was very excited to get the ARC of the latest installment, “The King’s Justice” from Net Galley. This book picks up after the Black out Beast has been tried, found guilty and is scheduled for execution. Maggie is in a very dark place after being incarcerated on an island in Scotland. She drinks heavily, chain smokes, rides a motorcycle like a maniac and has taken a job diffusing unexploded bombs that have been dropped by the Nazis. She has trouble sleeping and coping with what she has been through. A new sequential murderer has appeared in London, and he appears to be targeting Conscientious Objectors. DCI Durgin is trying to get Maggie in on the case, but she is done with the police and SOE. When someone she works with is missing, she is again asked to help with the case. Without giving too much away, the time may have come for Maggie to face her demons and put them to rest.
Maggie Hope is a very well written and multi-faceted character. This book, along with the rest of the series is very well researched and written. If you enjoy historical fiction, mystery and strong female characters, this series should not be missed. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

War is hell, and the latest in the Maggie Hope series shows the impact on the civilians left behind as well as those who don't do their fighting on the front lines. Maggie is dealing with her disillusionment with the SOE as well as likely PTSD by smoking, drinking, and defusing bombs. I enjoyed this outing with Maggie, but hope that she can find at least a small measure of peace and happiness in the next book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC.

This is a disappointing entry in what has been a very strong and enjoyable series up to now. The first half of the book is disjointed. The author laboriously tries to explore Maggie's PSTD from the previous story, as well as bringing in immigrant problems, conscientious objectors, bomb dismantling, the psychology of serial killers, and even pontifications on capital punishment. There's way too much going on in this book. In addition it is padded with redundant passages (scriptures, songs). A good editor is sorely needed. The too-long ending awkwardly sets the stage for the next book. I am hopeful that the series can be redeemed, but this one is very poorly done.