Mother Daughter Traitor Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal is historical fiction that takes place in Los Angeles at the outbreak of WW II before the US has committed troops.

"A setback sends Veronica and her mother, Violet, to California. They move into Violet's brother's vacation home. Both women have the blonde hair and blue eyes of the Arayan ideal. It becomes handy when they are asked to spy on the German groups recruiting new members and planning sabotageBut have they been as careful as they should."

This story is based on real people and events. The author gives a long explanation in the author notes. (I never knew there was a Hitler bunker being built in LA) It was interesting to hear a different view of WW II fiction.

The book begins slowly but once Veronica infiltrates the German groups, it picks up. The fact that Nazi groups, claiming free speech, were operating in the US then is a little frightening. And that the FBI was not interested in pursuing them

The best part of this book was the setting and the knowledge that regular people were willing to take great risks to protect the country. If you're a fan of historical fiction, this is a good pick.

Based on true events and true people, this historical fiction tells the story of a mother and daughter transported from Brooklyn to California who become spies in the American Nazi movement in 1940. Veronica is a would be journalist who infiltrates the American Bund; Vi a housewife who attaches herself to the America First Committee. The book chronicles the many seditious plots of the Nazi sympathizers in Southern California and the women’s role in foiling some of them.

The writing is a bit simplistic, but it tells an important story. MacNeal’s rich descriptions of locations and fashions vividly evoke a by gone era. This was an engrossing read; I stayed up late to finish it because I couldn’t put it down.

There is so much here that parallels our present time. That the FBI initially was more concerned about Communists than Nazis really resonated with me. It seems so often now we hear politicians calling groups “communists” or “socialists” to scare people, but they do not call out the neo Nazis or white nationalists.

Veronica and Vi are shocked by a group of Americans plotting treason against their own government; the group’s plan is to take it over if Roosevelt is elected and make the US a Christian nation. They want to relegate women to a position where their entire world is husband, family, children, home. After what we have seen in this country in the last six years, it is not so much shocking as part of our newsfeeds.

In the past few years, I have read quite a few novels that center around the rise of Nazi Germany. I think it is no coincidence that so many have been written and look at them as cautionary tales for our time. Especially when we now see Nationalism as a term used to camouflage anti democracy movements with hate and prejudice as their base. As one of the characters says, we must “stop the spread of lies that feed their fears.“

As incredulous as some of the heinous activities of the fifth column in this book might seem, reading the author’s notes validates their authenticity.

4.5 stars, rounded up.

I have been a fan of Susan Elia MacNeal's Maggie Hope series and was excited to read a WWII story that takes place in the United States.

Veronica and Vi (Violet) and daughter and mother in Brooklyn NY. Veronica, a new graduate of Hunter College has upended her life by getting involved with a married man whose wife has connections and is able to ruin Veronica's budding journalism career. Enter her uncle who convinces the women to move to LA to be near him. It's a new life on a new coast for them both.

Soon after arriving in LA both women, who are blond and blue-eyed German Americans are introduced to people who have Nazi affiliations. Veronica is appalled when a man she does some work for is spouting anti-Jew and pro-Hitler propaganda. Vi meets women who love her embroidery but also just happen to be Fascists. They try to tell authorities about these people but are told "Thanks but no Thanks". Through an old friend they finally meet someone who cares and even suggests that Veronica continue to work for the man and spy on him.

The mother and daughter both become spies, passing on Nazi information that eventually gets to the FBI. Some might think think this sounds far-fetched and maybe that's why MacNeal told us in the intro that these characters were based on a real life mother daughter spy team. In the author's notes at the end of the book we learn more about the real life people who inspired more of the characters and the events that really happened.

This story really resonates with me right now and there are a lot of similarities to some of the people currently who want to take over our country and get rid of democracy.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for this honest review.

Here's a word of warning. Don't start reading this at night because if you do, you'll feel compelled to keep reading until the very end. This is most definitely a book that you won't be able to put down. It's an eye-opener and based on a piece of American history that few of us know about, yet is terribly relevant to us today.
The author has done careful research and presented us with a very readable story about a mother and daughter who go with their conscience to help stop the Nazi movement in Los Angeles. Yes, Los Angeles. The author has given a fictionalized account that feels a little light, considering the circumstances, but that does add to its readability for those who aren't looking for a full-fledged historical tome. Other authors will tackle that. Meanwhile this is quite a story and should be enjoyed by many.

Thank you to NetGalley for this intriguing book. I was up until 3 AM to finish it. I'll be drinking a lot of coffee today!

This is a very interesting story set in post WWI ,pre WWII. Very unsettled times. 30's antisemitism was rampant in California. Veronica and her daughter move from NYC after Violet's graduation from college. She landed a job as a typist and soon discovered its a hot bed of Nazi propagandists. After her deceased dad's friend hears he connects her with a division of the FBI and she and her Mom become spies. Based on a real Mother /Daughter duo. Very interesting story but scary and unsettling too, as most of what took place during that period of history.
Highly recommend.

Wow!! What a story!! Historical fiction based on the true story of a mother-daughter duo who spied on the activities of Nazi-supporting Americans and US based organizations during World War 2. I had no idea there was such widespread prevalence of Nazi propaganda and support in USA. Well researched and written in a lucid style, the author has done a fantastic job of bringing to life the various characters and their ideologies and actions. I really recommend this book to anybody interested to read about this interesting piece of history.

Thank you Net Galley, Random House and Susan Elia NacNeal for the chance to read an advance copy of this fabulous novel.

I am a huge fan of this author’s Maggie Hope series, so I was so excited to read this historical fiction book set in California during WWII.

Veronica and her mother Violet are interesting characters in that they are brave enough to go undercover for several months with a Nazi organization. There are by no means trained spies and I think they would have been caught immediately if it wasn’t for the incompetence of the Nazi group not seeing through them!

What I enjoyed the most about this book were the fascinating details surrounding a very specific time period in California history. I had no idea that in the 1940s there were Nazi-sympathizers in the LA area. The author does an excellent job setting the mood of a very volatile time in history. The fact that it is based on a true story makes it all the more compelling.

If you enjoy reading historical fiction books based on several real life characters and events, give this book a try.

Mother Daughter Traitor Spy by Susan Ella MacNeil  is an interesting read about a little known aspect of WWII. Many people are unaware that the Nazis were an active political group in America, recruiting notable figures like Charles Lindberg, and plotting the overthrow of democracy. The plot features a mother and daughter who move from New York to Los Angeles and become spies inside the Nazi movement to discern the scope of its plans. Each infiltrates a Nazi group and discovers vital information, until they are both discovered and kidnapped.

MacNeil draws interesting parallels between past and present regarding the nature of democracy, the lure of racism, and the ease at which people can be persuaded to follow a questionable ideology. Sometimes, these parallels seemed heavy-handed. (I felt like she was subtly lecturing he reader.) she definitely makes the point that our country must guard against terrorism.

The character development was a bit stereotyped (plucky, idealistic, girl journalist and her fussy, widowed mother). However, their willingness to become involved in helping stop fascism was laudable. Each did this in a believable way, consistent with their characters. The plot was a bit slow at first, but sped up after the first 100 pages and was credible, for the most part. One exception was their "rescue". It seemed too fast and unrealistic as well as mildly sexist.

I did like the ambiguous ending. It seemed just right for the character as she had been portrayed throughout the novel.

I recommend this book for anyone interested in exploring a little known aspect of WWII history. Readers learn quite a bit about the era through the eyes of both Nazis and those who opposed them.

This is a story about the Nazi movement in this country in the months before Roosevelt’s 3rd election and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. It takes place in Los Angeles, although there are references to the movement being alive and well in other cities (often masquerading as being anti-war in general). The story is simplistic, as are the characters, so the drama that should have been created as the local Nazis prepare a West Coast “home” for Hitler falls flat.

Being a big fan of Susan Elia MacNeal's Maggie Hope series, I eagerly looked forward to this stand alone from her that brought some of the issues from the last Maggie Hope installment into its own book. While I missed all the characters from the series, this story took a not often talked or written about WWII story and showed the reader how ordinary Americans got on the Nazi bandwagon. It also, to me, paralleled some of the events of the last few years and demonstrated how easy it is to get caught up in something until its too late. Though there are a prolific number of WWII books out there, this story takes a unique angle, close to home, that I have never learned much about. I rooted for the Vi and Veronica on their journey and thought MacNeal showed the moral and emotional struggles that they faced by being two different people. I highly recommend for WWII buffs and historical fiction readers!

This book is centered on WW2, but it is based off of a real-life mother & daughter spy duo working in Los Angeles. Veronica and her mother Violet have just moved to LA after Veronica loses a lucrative job opportunity in New York City. Eager to get right back on her feet, Veronica takes a secretarial job, but quickly finds out that her employers may be involved in the propaganda business. Veronica's suspicions quickly result in learning about the Nazi recruitment efforts in the United States and plans to create an American base for Hitler.

Through a series of meetings, both women agree to go undercover and help gather information for the appropriate authorities. There is a good amount of tension and intrigue as the story develops, and it was very interesting to learn more about this little-known about part of history.

With MOTHER DAUGHTER TAILOR SPY, Susan Elia MacNeal tells the story of two extraordinary women, a mother and daughter who chance upon a Nazi cell in Los Angeles, who then enter a dangerous and critical role in battling Nazi and isolationist movements. Until this story, I had no idea of the deliberate subversion of information and spread of propaganda undertaken by the Nazis in the United States. Based on real people and events in Los Angeles, MacNeral's story is gripping, well wrought, and engaging from the first pages, dropping me into a time and place and events and keeping me up way too late to read one more chapter. I received a copy of this novel and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

An interesting look at the efforts of determined people to infiltrate and destroy Nazi groups in Los Angeles during WWII. Veronica loses all her career plans when the wife of the married man she was having an affair with gets her blackballed in the NYC publishing community. Luckily, her uncle owns a cottage in Santa Monica that he's willing to lend to her and her mother Violet- a fresh start. Unfortunately, the job market is tight and the best she can do is as a typist for what turns out to be a paper of the American Nazi party. She reaches out to the police, the FBI to no avail but it's her mother Violet, a Navy widow, who makes a connection with the men who are working to identify and stop them. The fact that the women are of German heritage and speak the language, as well as Violet's excellent skills with embroidery (much desired by the Nazi women) means that they gain excellent access and then put themselves in peril. MacNeal provides further information on the characters, most of whom are based on real people, in the afterword. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I learned from this look at a seldom examined segment of life in WWII America. For fans of historical fiction.

The parallels to the present add a layer to this story of American Nazis in California during WWII. Veronica Grace and her mother Violet (Vi) Grace manage to infiltrate the California reich. Based on a mother and daughter’s experiences, this is a deeper examination of the very real issues happening at that time that MacNeal wrote about in The Hollywood Spy, her latest Maggie Hope.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great look at the roles of women in WWII as spies right here in America. It has intrigue, suspense and well developed relationships. It was a great look at the home front in a whole new way.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for a honest review. This book was hard to put down as it follows Violet and Veronica Grace, mother and daughter who agree to spy on Nazi members in Los Angeles during WWII. Violet and Veronica are based on the real life mother and daughter duo, Grace and Sylvia Comfort. Veronica and Violet are given the opportunity to move to California when Violet’s brother offers them his Santa Monica home. From there their adventure starts as Veronica becomes the secretary for Donald and Harriet, printers of Anti-Semitic pamphlets and flyers. After her first day, things don’t sit right with her and she goes to both the police and FBI, both telling her the McDonnells’ are well within their First Amendment rights. Pushing forward, Violet calls an old friend of her husband, and thus starts their path as being spies. This book hooked me and I couldn’t put it down. This is a part of WWII history that’s not discussed, so I was not familiar with any of this. Susan does a great job of discussing what was fiction and what was real at the end of the book and I was surprised that a lot of it was real life events. If you’re looking for a different part of WWII history, I’d highly recommend this book!

This story was inspired by a real mother-daughter spy duo who thwarted Nazi plots in Los Angeles during WWII.

Set in 1940, Americans saw the war as something happening “over there,” until Veronica and Violet Grace learn that Nazis are actively recruiting Americans to spread propaganda…and Veronica, a typist, is caught in the midst of it. They go undercover to gather information to provide to the authorities. But when Pearl Harbor is bombed, it all becomes very real – and dangerous - for Vi and Veronica.

The book had a slow build, and I found myself setting it aside frequently and then having to re-read portions. It just never held my interest. I was really disappointed as I was intrigued by the story of the Nazi movement in the US. I have never read much about it. The topic was of interest, but the writing did not support it.

The Afterword and Historical Notes were really interesting, as they explained who the book’s characters’ lives were based on. . I was surprised that some of the seemingly outlandish portions of the story were actually true. I was surprised at how bad anti-Semitism was here in the US. Probably the most problematic part of the book is just how close we came to losing our democracy if not for a few courageous people who took a stand.

I received an advance galley from Penguin Random House. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

I really loved this book. This is a part of our history I was not aware of. Such inspiring people to pose as believers and spy to stop the Nazis from infiltrating the US as they planned. The courage and conviction of Vi and Veronica was amazing. I don't know that I could have done what they did.

I really liked reading all the information at the end of the book. Generally, I skip that part but this was worth reading. The research the author did made the book so good. I like reading about the real people each character was based on. I am going to try to read some of the books the author mentioned to learn more about that era.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction. Would be a great book for a book club.

If I did not have other time sensitive to dos, I would have read Mother Daughter Traitor Spy in a single sitting. Great read. Vi, the mother, and Veronica, the daughter, make a new life for themselves moving from NYC to LA in 1940. Vi was widowed and Veronica a budding journalist. Life and a bad decision by Veronica, which impacted her career, forced this change. Reaching out to Vi's husband friend from the Navy again changed their course into becoming spies. The mother/daughter story is loosely based on the story of the real mother/daughter team that infiltrated the Nazi cell in Southern California. This book kept me from putting the book down. If you are interested in the true story, here is an article from the LA Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-apr-18-me-28616-story.html

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author for early access to this great read.

Inspired by the real mother-daughter spy duo who foiled Nazi plots in Los Angeles during WWII, this is an awesome read that I had a hard time putting down! The Grace women uncover a Nazi group in LA and after authorities dismiss them, they decide that they need to try to gather more evidence and try again. Can they help break up the Nazi ring, or will the Nazis win?