Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for access to this arc.


With the groundwork being laid for a series, there are a lot of characters to introduce and relationships to establish not to mention the mystery to solve and a traitor to catch. Everything is told from Ellie’s first person POV but given her family history in crime and the need to be observant, we learn what we need to know and often before Ellie figures it out. She’s smart mouthed and independent while Ramsey is buttoned down and likes to be in charge. Of course sparks fly and at times glances are exchanged but the romance – if there is to be one – will have to wait on further books. We’re left with them finishing up this case and Ramsey telling Ellie that she and her Uncle are to refrain from any more housebreaking in case he needs their assistance again.

I have some issues with how Ellie and her family are presented as usually law abiding until they can’t pay the bills with her cousins gone to war. In reality, they’ve been stealing, lockpicking and safecracking for years but in a bid to make her someone we can root for, Ellie and Co are supposed to only steal every now and then while Uncle Mick has a job as a well known locksmith. They’re criminals but not really *bad* criminals, see. Then Ellie hurls herself into the case because treason is a line she won’t see crossed. For me, making Ellie and her family be hardworking criminals who get caught and then initially blackmailed into doing right before changing sides wholeheartedly would have avoided all this effort to bend over backwards and made her switch mean a bit more.

The case follows a lot of suspects, has situations that bring Ellie and Ramsey together but also adds another character into what might turn out to be a love triangle. Perhaps. There are a few red herrings to distract readers along the way but the book held my attention and was a fast read. A couple of things about the mystery ended up not making sense but I could hand wave past them. There are times when clues are discovered almost too easily. And of course Ellie must dash into danger just because it’s what feisty heroines do. Ramsey is very uptight and stuffed into his shirt while Ellie only has to be spoken to in the wrong tone of voice to feel her temper rising to the boiling point. But it’s entertaining enough that I’d be willing to go along for another adventure to see where this all goes and maybe see a resolution of Something From Ellie’s Past. C+

This was a delight, nearly from start to finish. It took me about the first chapter to get used to the characters and time period, but from there it was smooth safe cracking sailing. Ellie is an interesting heroine: she’s smart and strong and a thief, but she also knows her limits and when to hold back. And I liked watching her find the joy in doing something for her country. Ashley Weaver has created quite the cast of characters that I’d love to know more about, and I can’t quite decide who I like better for Ellie’s suitor. I’ll miss Amory Ames, but I look forward to getting to know Electra McDonnell.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

WWII Espionage Action Adventure
This was a fun book to read. I was quite excited to learn that this was the first in a new series. The plot and action are tight. The story is quite believable and there are no super-hero type unbelievable stunts. Everything is quite believable. The action takes place in England as they fight to stay free from the Nazis. There are so many parts to the book that I just loved! From skill-sets to interpersonal relationships, to the moral values of everyone. Great job! I can't wait until book 2 comes out. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

This book is the opening chapter of the exploits of Electra McDonnell and her family, a family that lives just outside of the law at times. They are also patriots when it comes to their home country and participation in the war effort. So when attempting to access a safe full of jewels in the empty house of a wealthy family, Ellie and her uncle are caught in the act. Resigned to this fact, expecting to be arrested and imprisoned they find themselves transported to a unknown townhouse and confronted with an offer that my just solve their immediate problem and also help in the war effort. But can this offer and the man proposing it be trusted.

The offer is for Ellie to break into another safe containing documents that could be harmful to England's was effort if they were to fall into enemy hands. The safe in question is owned by a suspected German spy. Well, this plan does not go as expected. Instead of the plans, Ellie and those she is helping find a dead body and no documents. So what to do next. Ellie decides to continue to help.

This is a fun read and moves right along. The book is full of mystery, romance, history and humor, keeping you entertained. This is not my usual type of read, but from the description of the book I decided to give it a chance. I am glad that I did. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for providing the advanced copy to read. Highly recommend this book to all readers.

A Peculiar Combination introduces a very unconventional heroine in Electra McDonnell. She is far from being aristocratic, coming from a working-class London background at the beginning of World War II. Orphaned in infancy by a double tragedy, Electra was taken in by her uncle Mick, a locksmith, and raised by him in a loving, close-knit family. Her cousins, Colm and Toby, are like brothers. Both are off fighting the war, so Electra is the only one at home and locksmithing is slow. Uncle Mick has hidden talents; he is a gifted safecracker, and he has passed on his skills to Electra. She is conflicted about their activities but enjoys the thrill and challenge. When Uncle Mick hears rumors of a Mayfair home that will be empty, he and she set out in blacked-out London to do the job. Electra has a bad feeling about it, and she is right. They are arrested, red-handed, at the mark's home by several dark-suited men driving a government vehicle. They are whisked off to meet Major Ramsey, who has a proposition for the two. There is a highly-placed individual who the Major thinks is a double agent. The night's misadventure will be forgotten if they can retrieve papers from the suspect's safe. The papers, if passed on, would do great harm to the war effort. It's a proposition the two can't refuse.

Electra and the entire McConnell family are captivating characters, despite their dodgy activities. Uncle Mick has provided a good education for Electra, and she has the ability to fit in almost effortlessly into any strata of society. She is confident in her abilities, and the upright (and undeniably attractive) Major Ramsey does not know what to make of her. The two form an unusual partnership in a case that has multiple twists and turns. Electra is also a patriot who has no intention of giving up, even when she fears losing her life in the effort.

I highly recommend A Peculiar Combination. It is an auspicious first book in a new series from Ashley Weaver. Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own,

4.5 rounded up to 5 Stars

I’m usually not a fan of books set in the UK, especially those that involve solving a mystery. For one thing I don’t care for the British lingo and second, I find they tend to belabor getting to the point. This is one of those. It wasn’t as heavy on the colloquial language, but it did drag far too much toward the end.

Did these two issues cause me to drop the book entirely? No. Did it ruin the reading experience? No. Could it have been better? In my opinion? Yes!

I did enjoy the premise - that of a family of safe crackers helping out the war effort working with an intelligence officer to stop a traitor handing off information to the Germans. Certainly a unique take off.

I also thought the characters were a likable and interesting band. Ellie and Ramsey especially. Their relationship seems a jumping off point for future missions. Looking forward to seeing that happen. There’s definitely more there.

Good, not great read. Thank you Net Galley.

What a great start to a new series! I've heard of Ashley Weaver's Armory Ames mysteries but I hadn't read any of them. I will now. I love heroines who aren't all good. To be truly interesting they have to dip into that gray area of bad now and then. Ellie happens to be a talented safecracker whose family has not always walked the law-abiding side of things but everyone has their reasons for doing things... and I love playing into that in this story. I liked that she's a bit hot-tempered too. When tasked to retrieve documents that could end the war, I was on board for the spy plot. There's a small love story in here that has good tension, but there's also a hint of a possible future love triangle that had me even more intrigued. The uncle is a charmer and the housekeeper felt like an extended familiy member which balanced out the masculinity around Ellie. But the ending was the best part. I really did enjoy the villain reveal and although not a total surprise I wasn't a hundred percent sure which is great! I love not knowing for sure where it's going.

An amazing tale of courage. Electra and her family think they are giving all they can to the war effort when they are “requested” to give even more. Left with no choice she goes to work for the Major. The author spins a tale that keeps the reader turning the page and eager to see what happens next. The characters are interesting and each have a unique story and it will be interesting to follow their progress as the series continues.

One of my favorite historical mystery series is Amory Ames by Ashley Weaver. With Amory and Milo settling down to raise their new baby I wondered what would come next from Weaver. It was happy news for me that a new series taking place during WWII was in the works.

Ellie lives with her Uncle Mick, a locksmith. Her two cousins and their friend are off fighting the war. Times are getting tough for the family. No one is in need of a locksmith and the family coffers are empty. So Uncle Mick falls back on his side business, safe cracking. Ellie has been training on locks since she was a child. Only the job is a set up by the Home Office. The war effort is in need of people with a certain skill set. Ellie is more than qualified to help out, if she agrees.

The adventure begins with retrieving stolen weapons plans and finding out who is passing them off to the Germans. Full of excitement and adventure, getting to know Ellie, the Major and the McDonnell family is going to be a lot of fun.

'Electra McDonnell has always known that the way she and her family earn their living is slightly outside of the law. Breaking into the homes of the rich and picking the locks on their safes may not be condoned by British law enforcement, but World War II is in full swing, Ellie's cousins Colm and Toby are off fighting against Hitler, and Uncle Mick's more honorable business as a locksmith can't pay the bills any more.

So when Uncle Mick receives a tip about a safe full of jewels in the empty house of a wealthy family, he and Ellie can’t resist. All goes as planned—until the pair are caught redhanded. Ellie expects them to be taken straight to prison, but instead they are delivered to a large townhouse, where government official Major Ramsey is waiting with an offer: either Ellie agrees to help him break into a safe and retrieve blueprints that will be critical to the British war effort, before they can be delivered to a German spy, or he turns her over to the police.

Ellie doesn’t care for the Major's imperious manner, but she has no choice, and besides, she's eager to do her bit for king and country. She may be a thief, but she's no coward. When she and the Major break into the house in question, they find instead the purported German spy dead on the floor, the safe already open and empty. Soon, Ellie and Major Ramsey are forced to put aside their differences to unmask the double-agent, as they try to stop allied plans falling into German hands.'
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A Peculiar Combination is the first book in Ashley Weaver's new historical mystery series, Electra McDonnell series, set during World War II.

I've been a fan of Ashley Weaver's writing from her Amory Ames Mystery series, I enjoy her style of blending danger and intrigue with a bit of romance. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this new series though, but A Peculiar Combination surpassed any expectations I had. The stakes are high and the danger paced well. The plot was really intruiging, I'm a sucker for a good spy mystery and I found Electra to be a more relatable main character than high society Amory and Milo.

Electra is a unique heroine, she has an interesting backstory that makes her character different from those of the many other WWII era mysteries out there. She's a safecracker and lock picker, her unique skills make her an asset to Major Ramsey and an important member of his team, even if he's would sometimes like to keep her out of the direct line of danger.

I have loved this first book of her new series and I'm excited to see where it will go. Based on this one book so far, I think this series is going to be even better than her oter series. The things that didn't quite work for me in that series seem to be really working so far in this one. I will be continuing with the series and will be keeping an eye out for the next book. If you've liked her other series or if you like spy mysteries, I think you'll enjoy this new series
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I would like to thank St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for sharing an eARC of A Peculiar Combination with me. This is my honest review.

As a fan of the Armory Ames mystery series by Ashley Weaver I was eager to read this first in her new series. I wasn't disappointed. May this series have a long run. Spending time in the company of Electra (known to all as Ellie) McDonnell, her uncle Mick and various and assorted other thieves along with Major Ramsey was a reading pleasure.
Ellie and Uncle Mick are in need of dosh and a bit of burglary should do the trick. In and out after cracking a well stuffed wall safe is what they are very good at but, in this case, there is one huge catch. It lands them in the grip of Major Ramsey and he has an offer they are powerless to decline. I don't want to commit spoilers so I'll just say there are spies and all that goes along with that sort of activity during WWII London. Ellie and the Major work together well and I'm looking forward to seeing what their next caper turns out to be. It certainly won't be dull.
My thanks to the publisher St. Martin's/Minotaur and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the premise of this book. Ellie and her Uncle Mick make their living as London safe crackers. After a job gone wrong, they are blackmailed into assisting the government and Major Ramsey using their skills. While the government job starts out as blackmail, Ellie finds herself continuing to help out of love of her country and hate of German Nazis. Even though Ellie's sweetheart is fighting in WWII, she finds herself uncomfortably attracted to the Major.

For me the characters were very one dimensional and not built out enough to care about them. From the moment Ellie meets Major Ramsey, their attraction is described. This book doesn't know if it wants to be a thriller (albeit, not a great one) or a budding romance novel.

Three out of five stars simply because I like the idea of a novel based on safe crackers.

Electra McDonnell knows that her upbringing wasn't exactly traditional. Raised by her uncle with her three male cousins, she is nearly the last one left at home since the boys have gone off or are soon leaving to fight in WWII. So she and her uncle are carrying on the family business. It's just too bad that their latest job has them caught for thievery. Except that very handsome man, Major Gabriel Ramsey, offers them a way out of jail. Electra will have to help him retrieve a set of blueprints that will help them win the war. She's not expecting to stumble across a dead body. Nor can she believe the deeper plot that she is being drawn into.
This was a good start to a mystery series. Electra is coming into her own as women's roles are changing rapidly. I do like the Amory Ames series a little bit better but mostly because I dislike the love triangle trope so very much and Weaver is definitely teasing it here.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out May 25th, 2021
ARC kindly provided by St. Martin's Press and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

A thoroughly enjoyable read! Ellie McDonnell has been raised since infancy by her widowed uncle Mick, a locksmith and a safecracker. It's London, August 1940, Britain is in the war and Mick's two sons have been called to duty. Ellie already is trained in both sides of the family business, when she learns her skills on the shadier side are needed for a government matter. A cast of suspects--traitors some--a dishy but distant Major, a series of mishaps, hampering a ragtag band of sorta do-gooders' efforts to secure stolen wartime papers, and a fun array of red herrings are present. It's enough to satisfy any fan of cozy/historical fiction mysteries. I won an advance readers copy of A Peculiar Combination in a Goodreads giveaway and I'm glad I did. I previously read Weaver's first book in the Amory Ames series, "Murder at the Brightwell," and found it wanting. Weaver has definitely found her voice and addressed the weaknesses in that effort, probably several books ago. The characters are well-drawn. The writing is light but engaging and entertaining. And there are several hints of stories to come in the series. I definitely plan to keep up with Electra McDonnell!

The book was great. Great plot. Excellent character development. And most importantly the writing was fantastic.

A Peculiar Combination is the first book in Ashley Weaver's electrifying new series Electra McDonnell, set in England during World War II. If this first installment is any indication, we are going to be in for a thrill ride in upcoming volumes! I read the last book in Ms. Weaver's Amory Ames series and loved it, but I think this one may be even better.

Electra "Ellie" McDonnell helps her Uncle Mick in his locksmith shop while her cousins Toby and Colm are off fighting the war. She's also involved in the family's other business - safe cracking. It's definitely an unusual occupation for a young woman but they need help paying bills, so they break into homes and pick the locks on safes to supplement their income. Uncle Mick receives a tip about an empty home with a safe full of jewels, so off to work they go...where they are caught red-handed. They expect to be hauled off to jail, but are instead brought to a big townhouse where they meet Major Gabriel Ramsey. Major Ramsey offers Ellie a deal: she can either break into a safe for the government and retrieve plans before they can be delivered to a German agent, or she and Uncle Mick can go to prison. Ellie has no desire to be in jail, and she does like the thought of her doing her part in the war effort; so she and the Major break into the house where the plans were to be, only to find the suspected spy with his throat cut and the plans already gone! Major Ramsey utilizes Ellie and Uncle Mick to help find the missing plans before the war goes the wrong way and the English people must start speaking German.

This was definitely one of those stories that I seriously did NOT want to put down! It started off with a bang and kept me totally enthralled until the end. Ellie was a fantastic heroine; she regularly broke the law, but as the story moved along we found the hidden reason behind her life of crime. She was extremely smart and clever, had a gift for safe cracking, a hot temper and apparently a talent for spy games. She and Major Ramsey mixed like oil and water...though that didn't stop her from noticing his tall muscular form, broad shoulders and violet eyes. Ramsey had an imperious manner and was rather a rigid and stuffy man; he could, though, make Ellie swoon when they had to act enamored of each other to hide their spying. I enjoyed watching the relationship between them evolve. She also had an interesting relationship with her friend Felix Lacey, a charming ex-soldier and very talented forger who assisted them on their mission; there were some latent romantic feelings between them. Uncle Mick was a charmer, and I loved Nacy the housekeeper who was really a part of the family. Of course, the mystery must be as compelling as the characters, and it certainly was here! The revelation of the villain totally caught me off guard. I suspect this series will become of my favorites; I can't wait to see Ellie and the gang on their next adventure!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

If you are looking for adventure/cozy mystery - I would highly recommend this. The story felt like Sherlock Holmes/Clue with some chemistry. I adored everything about Electra. Her dialogue, her thoughts - she was bold and kick-ass. The storyline was phenomenal and the characters were so well-done I was hooked (hello Major). The writing is impeccable and the undercover story was fascinating. Of course, the romantic in me wanted more heat but the writing gave us just a taste of hopefully more to come. Seriously, I loved this story and could not recommend it more. Can’t wait to read more about Electra and her adventures.

⭐⭐⭐.6 rounded up
This is the first in the Electra McDonnell series. I have been a big fan of author Ashley Weaver and her Amory Ames Mystery series. I have read all seven and looking forward to number eight.

This series is set in England during WWII. Electra’s Uncle Mick is a locksmith but having a bit of a struggle making ends meet but he knows he can use his locksmith talents ~ there is an art to it and he has it ~ he can break into homes and pick the locks to their safes. Originally his sons Colm and Toby were assisting but are now fighting in the war. Electra ~ aka Ellie has an amazing ear and can hear the clicks to enable her to be an excellent safecracker and a great assistant to Uncle Mick.
Word has is that the home of a wealthy owner and family are away and the safe filled with jewels will be unguarded. Ellie and Uncle Mick cannot resist this opportunity. They observe the home to make sure it is indeed empty and after they are comfortable they siege the opportunity. At first, seem are going nicely, in fact, too good to be true. Yep! They are caught. Ellie is sure they are going to prison but Major Gabriel Ramsey with the British government and has another use for their talents. Either they serves as a spies and break into a safe that is housing important blueprints that are critical to the British war effort or they will be turned over to the police.
Turns out Ellie is not only good but likes this. They now are one happy spy family!
This is just the beginning of the story ~ it get more involved and you will be hooked.
These characters are great and will surely show up in the next novel in this series.


Want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for professional review purposes only.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for May 25, 2021

I have been a long time fan of Ashley Weaver’s Amory Ames mystery series so when I saw that she had a brand new mystery series releasing in May I immediately requested an advance copy on NetGalley. A Peculiar Combination introduces us to a sensational new heroine, Electra “Ellie” McDonnell and readers, the stakes are high in this WWII era whodunit. Ellie and her Uncle Mick are locksmiths by day and safecrackers by night. What starts as a typical night of robbing the safe of a wealthy family, ends in Ellie and Mick being caught by government agents. Major Ramsey asks Ellie to help him with a mission that may prove critical for the war effort rather than face charges for her crime and the action takes off from there.

This novel has all the wit and banter I’ve come to love from Ashley Weaver in her Amory Ames series. In addition to the suspense and intrigue, Weaver brings us all the “will they, won’t they” moments between Ellie and Major Ramsey as well as Ellie and Felix, longtime family friend. I am definitely anticipating more romance as the series continues. I highly recommend this book for all my reader friends who enjoy mysteries and especially mysteries with a strong female protagonist. Add this one to your TBR shelves and look for it May 24, 2021. Thank you to Minotaur Books for an advance review copy via NetGalley.

The title of this novel cleverly has several meanings. The most obvious refers to combinations on safes as the novel’s protagonist, Ellie, is a talented (sometimes on the wrong side of the law) safe cracker. It could also refer to some of her relationships which might seem a bit unconventional, as for example, Ellie’s with the government agent who first entraps but later takes Ellie on as more of a partner.

The setting is wartime England. There are concerns about spies, traitors and secret documents…and, of course, there is murder. Will documents get into the wrong hands? Will the traitors and/or spies be caught? How will Ellie fare in her relationships? Read the novel to find out.

What is done well in this book: The characters-I cared about Ellie, her uncle, her cousins (one of whom is MIA), her friend Felix and others. Less well done in my opinion was getting an authentic sense of the time perios in the novel; I knew it was the 1940s but would have welcomed more details; I feel that this would have made a good book, even better.

Kudos to the author for introducing readers to a new character. I hope that readers will see more of Ellie.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.