"Mother Daughter Traitor Spy" by Susan Elia MacNeal offers a captivating glimpse into the world of espionage during WW2. The relationship between the mother and daughter is compelling, showcasing both their struggles and resilience. MacNeal's vivid storytelling and attention to historical detail bring the era to life.

However, the pacing occasionally lags, which may detract from the overall tension. Despite this, the themes of loyalty and bravery shine through, making it a worthwhile read for fans of historical fiction. Overall, it's an intriguing blend of family dynamics and wartime intrigue.

Thank you for the ARC, NetGalley. Reading this story after so many rich accounts of WWII, both domestically and abroad felt less fulfilling than I had hoped. I enjoyed it enough to finish, but would put this at the top of my favorites list.

I loved the fact that this was based on a real life mother daughter duo. I never really thought about the fact that there were pockets of Nazis (not.so hidden) in the US at that time. Definitely parallels woth what's going in currently. Great read.

Mother Daughter Traitor Spy is another historical fiction set during World War II, which is an insanely saturated market, yet there are so many stories that can be gleamed from this terrifying era in history, which is why I am always giving new novels in this genre a chance.

The novel started out promising but as it went on, I became quite bored and picking it up became more of a chore and less of a joy. I’m not sure if it was because I felt like I’ve read this narrative before or what, but it was a real struggle to trudge through it. There were certain parts that felt overly drawn out and a little too detailed whereas the ending felt incredibly rushed so there were definitely some pacing issues. I also never felt like it got deep enough and wish there could’ve been more substance than just surface level, especially when it comes to Veronica and her mother, Vi.

The thing that really kept me reading was the fact that this tale is based on a true story. This story seems so far-fetched, but it actually happened! I know that there was, and sadly still is, a lot of antisemitism that persists and I will never understand it. The ignorance is so frustrating and sadly, just like Veronica says in the novel, “We can’t dismiss it, because underneath that rage is fear—and below that, pain. Letting go of the rage means facing the fear and the pain. And that’s not going to happen any time soon—if ever.”

Though there were moments that I had to trudge through I do not regret reading Mother Daughter Traitor Spy, but I also think there was room for improvement that could’ve made this novel go from good to great.

THE GOOD:
Absolutely beautiful cover art!
Intriguing tale exploring the life of an amateur going undercover with the Nazis, living their life, earning their trust. The double life our heroine had to live was both thrilling and nauseating.
Inspired by (but not based on) a true story.

THE BAD:
Obvious title rip-off from John LeCarre's <i>Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy<i>.
Veronica's blunder in her career was pretty serious and a disappointing character flaw.

CONCLUSION:
Interesting, but did fall a bit flat for me. Recommended for fans of WWII fiction.

This book was well-written, but it was frightening. Veronica Grace comes to Los Angeles in the early 40s and ends up recruited by the Nazis. She realizes what is happening and tries to tell the FBI, but they don't seem too interested. She does get someone to listen. MacNeal based her novel on the lives of true mother and daughter in pre-and early-war LA. They fall deeper into the ring of the Nazis and they spy and feed back information and attempt to keep things from getting out of hand. A good read that had moe than enough suspense to keep my interest.

This was fascinating. The research done was obvious and impeccable. The thing I love about reading historical fiction is learning something new and this was something I was not aware of before. I especially love learning how women were involved in the history of our country and Susan’s book(s) help me to learn more about that.

Special thanks to Randam House Publishing, Ballantine/Bantam and NetGalley for an e-arc of this novel.

My only regret was that I did not read this sooner. Publication date was 31 January 2023.

WWII story set in LA, California, a mother-daughter spy duo.

Story was very moving, full of intrigue and suspenseful. Very well written and well-researched.

Thoroughly enjoyed the read and learned a lot about what went on in America during the War.

Highly recommend to anyone who loves historical fiction or WWII fiction.

Awesome read.

This was a tough book for me to really get going with. The first third was really slow and I kept putting it down and starting something else. Once I finally forced myself to stay focused, I found a fantastic historical thriller.

Telling the true story of a mother-daughter duo in WWII Los Angeles, the book looks at the war on the home front against a Nazi movement in the US.

Overall, I'd rate it a 3.5. I'm a huge fan of MacNeil's Maggie Hope series and didn't feel quite the same connection I usually do with her characters - but the latter 2/3rds of the book did zip along and hold my attention.

This story is inspired by the real mother-daughter spy duo who foiled Nazi plots in Los Angeles during WWII by going undercover.
When Veronica takes a job as a typist she quickly realizes she is working for a German Nazi campaign to recruit Americans to help them. She is one brave lady as she goes to the FBI to report her information and finds herself caught up in stopping them without being found out,

I was surprised that I hadn't heard of the women that inspired this book prior to reading it. I'm pretty well versed in the minutiae and odd stories surrounding WW2, but this was a new one for me. I had to go and do some other research after finishing the book! I thought it was good! I think there could have been some further character and story development, and the possibility of this being a longer book as it's only advertised as a standalone. A fun and interesting story tied up in a nice little package.

Very well written, historical novel about some thing that happened in the past that I was not aware of. The writing was good. The research was well done. Look forward to more from this author.

Vi and Veronica are a mother and daughter who stumble upon an underground Nazi cell in Los Angeles during the early days of World War II. For different reasons, the women decide to get more involved with the organization as spies and share secrets with the government. What happens, though, when the women begin to feel threatened and unsafe amid growing unrest?
I really like that the characters in this novel are based on real people. Vi and Veronica are based on Grace and Sylvia Comfort. I'm using the bibliography at the end of the book for additional research. For example, I didn't realize a house for Hitler was built in LA.
This novel also discusses cultural contexts of the time. I appreciated the references to recipes, clothing and philosophies. Some of the philosophies are eerily similar to views folks hold today.
Note: some profanity, sexual content and occult references.

Historical fiction has always been one of my favorite genres, particularly WWII stories. This one was fascinating and unique. So many of the great HF reads are based in Europe, however, this one is set at home on the west coast in CA. The story is engaging and mesmerizing, while at the same time, I learned so much about the time. I had no idea of the depth of Nazi sympathizers working within the US, and particularly in the San Diego area. Although fiction, this is based on the efforts of real life Americans at the time, particularly a mother-daughter duo, Sylvia & Grace Comfort. Several footnotes away from the main stories we know about the times, but this pair put themselves on the line for their country and what was right. The writing was beautiful, and the story flowed well and kept my attention the whole way through. I would have liked to see the beginning move a little faster along the plotline, but I understand the need to set the stage. Would definitely recommend this one for anyone who loves WWII HF and is interested in a little known story of strong women helping the cause! Thanks so much to Susan Elia MacNeal, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this e-arc.

Susan Elia MacNeal is THE author who made me realize that I love historical fiction. Mother Daughter Traitor Spy proves to be another A+ book by Susan!

If you know me, you know I love Susan's Maggie Hope series and if you've gotten to her most recent release there, you'd see that this similar to what Maggie finds herself in, minus our favorite British characters.

I had no idea that there was an American Nazi presence in LA during WWII and I admire the research that Susan did here to share the story of real women who went under as spies.

I did find this a bit clunkier and more repetitive than her writing in the Maggie Hope series, so I'm rating this a 4.5 but rounded up here.

I am a huge fan of historical fiction books … especially when they take place during WWII. And this one caught my attention because it involved the Nazi movement in the US. The author clearly did a lot of research and there were facts I found very interesting in the story. Getting to know Veronica Grace and her mother, Violet “Vi” Grace, and their willingness to go undercover to serve as spies was interesting. The story had great promise, but I don’t think the delivery was adequate. The pace of the story was very slow and did not keep my attention.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

I love the Maggie Hope series so I got this standalone with excitement and anticipation. I was not disappointed! The history was fascinating and new information. It was a page turner for sure and I enjoyed the characters relationships.

Mother Daughter Traitor Spy authored by Susan Elia McNeal is a top notch historical, based on a real life mother-daughter team at beginning of World War 2 in Los Angeles involving an underground Nazi cell. Violet is Grace's mother. Both are both sympathetic with the plight of the Jewish people and quite alarmed by the neo-Nazi blatant recruitment of American citizens! The women uncover the California Reich, an ultra-secret terrorist group. Violet and Grace begin spying for LA's anti-Nazi spymaster. The intense intrigue builds chapter by chapter. Worries that they are getting in too deep. Will Roosevelt be re-elected although more and more Hilter support pours in from Europe! The intrigue and tension builds! Will they be uncovered? Are their lies solid enough? Who's going to slip and make a mistake, blowing their cover? Death or Freedom of Liberty?
I highly recommend this outstanding WW2 Thriller!!!

This is my first book by this author which I enjoyed reading and look forward to seeing what is next for her. I enjoyed her attention to details that brought the story to life on each page. Her characters are relateable, connectable and added to the storys entertainment value. This is a well written story about a mother and daughter spy duet during WWII. Their story is one of family, duty and brings inspiration. I enjoyed watching the growth in this story. This is a fast paced, hard to put down story that had me wanting to know what would happen next. I really enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it.