I enjoyed this book. It was a little unbelievable at times but overall had a catchy storyline and some good twists.

4.5⭐This story is sure to surprise you. I have apparently been living under a rock because this is my first Tess Gerritsen book, and I am hooked. A gripping psychological thriller with compelling characters that captivated me from the very first page.

The story follows the life of Maggie Bird, a former spy who now resides in the seaside village of Purity, Maine. After a mission that went tragically wrong, she moved to Purity with the hope of leaving her past behind. Maggie now lives a quiet life on her chicken farm, but she still fears the repercussions of her past actions. But when a body turns up in Maggie’s driveway, she knows it’s a message from former foes who haven’t forgotten her. The acting police chief of Purity, Jo Thibodeau, is puzzled by Maggie's reluctance to share information with her. Jo is more accustomed to dealing with rowdy tourists than homicide and finds it difficult to understand Maggie's odd circle of friends, who always seem to be a step ahead of her.

The author skillfully portrays the relationships between characters in a realistic manner, which adds emotional depth to the reading experience. Additionally, the pacing of the novel is well-balanced. Gerritsen expertly blends action-packed scenes with quieter moments of character development, allowing readers to take a break while eagerly anticipating the next plot twist.

I adored Maggie and her retired spy crew, who were eager to utilize their useful skills once again. I wish I had a crew like that.

The book is a must-read for anyone who loves winter thrillers. The only criticism is that the repetitive dialogue about the characters' age, specifically their grey hair, is mentioned too frequently.

This was soooo good and I looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Content: closed-door/language

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Maggie Bird is a retired member of the CIA and thought she had put that life behind her after she moved to a chicken farm in Maine. As it turns out, she's been tracked down by former enemies who leave a dead body in her driveway. Not a neighbourly thing to do.

She asks her local circle of friends (all also retired CIA spooks) for help and things get complicated as the town's acting police chief, Jo Thibodeau, starts investigating the murder.

I enjoyed this Tess Gerritsen novel. The plotting was complex enough to keep me guessing and turning the pages. I do hope this is the start of a series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC in return for an honest review.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for a gifted digital copy of the book for my honest opinion.

I loved the retired spy theme and the remote retirement location of Maine. This book is great for fans of the Thursday Murder Club and Killers of a Certain Age. I look forward to another installment in this new series!

How long can you keep running for? Maggie has settled in Purity, Maine she has put down roots for the first time but someone is about to shatter it all. But why now after all this time? Jo knows that she will always have to prove to everyone that she has what it takes to be in Chief in Purity. She knows that there is something more to the story to the body that has been found in Maggie’s drive away. Firstly the person had been tortured and she is getting the impression that Maggie knows more than she is saying. But what is she hiding?
Maggie thought that her old life was behind her after she lost her husband Danny everything changed for her she has always blamed herself for that day as she couldn’t stop the plane crash. But someone wants her to pay for the past.
Can she & her friends find the killer? Will Jo beat them to it?
A great read. Jo is a strong woman that doesn’t give up easily and she will find the truth. Maggie & her friends are a good bunch they always look out for each other & even after all these years they still have what it takes to solve the crime.
Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for the copy. This is my voluntary review.

I absolutely loved everything about this book. The intrigue. The mystery. The danger. The friendships. Jumping back and forth in time from young spies to retirees just wanting to be left alone. I will make read every book that comes out in this series.

An unusual spy thriller that was fun and just the right group of eccentric characters and dangerous missions.

Maggie Bird left her life as a spy and found a quiet little village outside of Maine along with other former spies to enjoy their early retirement. All is going well until a body turns up on Maggie’s driveway and the message is clear, her old enemies haven’t forgotten about her. These retired spies may not be on the clock anymore, but they still have some tricks they can use to help save each other when danger looms ahead. The group must also work around local police chief Jo Thibodeau as she tries to investigate the dead body and what else Maggie and her group are up to. The more they investigate, the more danger they all find themselves in and it’s up to Maggie to try and save the life she has built.

I didn’t realize when I started this book that Gerritsen is the author of the Rizzolli and Isles series, which I love. As I read more, I realized the writing was familiar as I continued to fly through the pages. Maggie was a fun and different character, the way she was trying to enjoy a quiet retirement and yet it was not meant to be, made the story that much more enjoyable. There were lots of moments throughout that were enjoyable and the ending twists were very nice. This is the start of a new series by Gerritsen and I can’t wait to see what else the series brings about. This will be a fun read for anyone that enjoys espionage thrillers.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC copy.
I was so excited when I saw a new Gerritsen novel was coming out. I flew through so many Rizzoli & Isles books years ago and remember being unable to put them down.
My hope for this new series was that it would be another one that would hook me from the start. Unfortunately, this first in the Martini Club series did not live up to my expectations or it just wasn't what I was hoping it would be. I was excited to see a story about older people who have since moved on from being spies but get pulled back in.

The many mentions of how 'old' these people are (they are in the early to mid-60s) seemed a bit much. The characters were not written with a lot of depth. I was taken out of the story more than several times by the repeated physical descriptions of characters and body shaming based on their size. One of the characters was a young teen girl who was described in many different ways that were insulting and unnecessary to the story.
In this world, larger bodies = bad, eat a lot, ugly, unattractive and small bodies = beautiful, rich, smart, successful. It got to me so badly that each time I came to another mention, it made me focus on it even more.
Maybe I just wasn't mindful of these things when I was reading the older books, I just don't remember. But there are so many other ways to build a character in a book. So disappointing.

That's my main beef, but the story itself was just fine for me too. It didn't feel realistic, or overly mysterious. The supposed 'romantic' storyline felt super contrived as well.

Five golden stars!! I’m going to start this by saying I adore this author but the title gave me pause as I’m not really into spy novels. If you feel the same …. Do not let this title fool you. Yes they’re a “spyish” element but really this is a fantastic Tess novel in the style we have come to love. The characters are down to earth and so well written. The setting is amazing. And the suspense oozes throughout. I loved the main character and I loved the storyline. It had twists and turns. I really felt for the main character as this story was woven. This was a read in one sitting, can’t put it down book for me. I was that captured by the characters lives. Twists turns and suspense with one heck of an explosive ending.
A must read.

I loved this spy thriller from Tess Gerritsen! It is a fresh take starring a cast of characters that sort of reminds me of the movie "Reds" about retired spies. But this is not dark humor and is deadly serious. The characters really make this series stand out, especially Maggie, whose past is catching up with her. Give this book a read and thanks for the ARC! I will definitely recommend this to my readers and book club members at the library.

Tess Gerritsen knocked it out of the park with her first foray into the spy thriller genre. I’m not usually a fan of the spy novel due to the lack of focus on character development. In the last one I read, you could have replaced the lead with a cardboard cutout, and no one would have noticed. “The Spy Coast” is of course full of suspense and intrigue but most importantly, interesting characters. I loved the quirky retired superheroes that make up the Martini Club as well as the unflappable small-town cop, Jo. I didn’t realize starting this book that it is going to be a series, but I am so excited to return to this group and see what happens next!

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Retired CIA agents, Hit men, Action, Suspense, Mystery... what;s not to like?

There is a group of retired agents who are hiding all over the globe. They were all involved in a mission many years ago and someone wants all traces of this mission and these people gone. Who can they trust? Should they help each other or is it one of them?

This story takes place across the globe. it is so well written that I forgot I was reading and was watching the movie in my head. Is it realistic? Who know and who cares. It's fun and action packed and I would love to read a follow up!

Thank you to the author, the publisher and to Netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review. . The only reason this is not 5 stars is that I save those for the "Wow"

“𝘞𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴.”

Thanks NetGalley for the e-copy.

This was a good take on the retired-spy-gets-pulled-back-into-the-game trope. I liked the parallel timelines that provided insight into why things were occurring in the present. Had a few theories about how things would turn out and actually none were right! I always think if a book, but especially any in the thriller/suspense/espionage genres, can pull that off then they’re a good one. To me the pace felt slow despite how much actually happened but overall I liked it just fine. Seems like this is the start of a new series so I’ll certainly pick up the next one when it releases.

Fair and solid 3.5 (was good, not a favorite, but clever enough to keep me entertained and intrigued). Content and trigger warnings include violence, some profanity, a brief detailed recall of a sexual encounter, a brief mention of a slaughtered animal (a goat on a farm) and a person tortured, kidnapping, and loss of a spouse.

I went into The Spy Coast thinking it would be a fun read along the lines of the Thursday Murder Club books and Killers of a Certain Age. Those books have quirky characters and are pretty light-hearted. That sense of fun is missing from The Spy Coast, but the book is still excellent. Maggie Bird is a 60-year-old retired spy who lives in the village of Purity, Maine, and enjoys raising chickens. But someone wants her dead, and it must be connected to her final case with the CIA. The book is told through two timelines -- the present and Maggie's past as an agent. Gerritsen has created great characters and a plot that zooms along. I am glad that this is the first book in a proposed series.

Maggie Bird is enjoying her life in the small coastal town of Purity, Maine. She raises chickens and lives alone but has several close friends in the area. Maggie has retired from her job as a CIA operative after her last operation went horribly wrong.

She thinks that she has been very careful about her location and stays away from forming many new friendships.

“But when a body turns up in Maggie’s driveway, she knows it’s a message from former foes who haven’t forgotten her. Maggie turns to her local circle of old friends—all retirees from the CIA—to help uncover the truth about who is trying to kill her, and why. This “Martini Club” of former spies may be retired, but they still have a few useful skills that they’re eager to use again, if only to spice up their rather sedate new lives.”

I really enjoyed the background on Maggie’s life and got to know this character well as she solves the mystery of who is trying to kill her and why. We follow her from Bangkok to Istanbul, from London to Malta.

Purity’s acting police chief, Jo Thibodeau knows that something terrible is up in her small town. When a dead body is found in Maggie’s driveway she wants to know what is going on.

Maggie is reluctant to share information and Jo won’t really know the answers until the end of the novel.

This novel sets up the cast of characters well for what I hope will be the next installment of “The Martini Club”. This is listed as #1 so I’m hoping #2 will follow soon.

This was a quick fun read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.

This was super enjoyable. A group of ex CIA agents have retired to a small Maine town to live pleasant, ordinary and anonymous lives ... until the past comes calling for one of them, Maggie. The friends immediately spring into action to support Maggie and to unpack the traumatic past that she has tried to keep secret in order to find out who is behind the threats to her life.
It was refreshing to read about intelligent older people, and the town sherrif, Jo, has a lot she can learn from them if she gives them the chance.
I'm looking forward to more in the series and wondering what form they will take - whether Maggie will continue to be the central character, or whether each of the group will take turn to have their stories told. Either way I'm in. I'm also looking forward to seeing how Jo's relationship with the Martini Club develops.

The Spy Coast is a new series opener from Tess Gerritsen, who is best known for her Rizzoli & Isles crime fiction novels. This one follows the recent trend of featuring senior citizens as the heroes, in this case a group of retired CIA spies who live in a small town in Maine - but still know how to get the job done when one of their own is threatened. I liked the premise of this more than the execution - it’s taken me more than two weeks to finish because the pace is very slow, but ended up quite enjoying the last quarter, when it finally turns into a spy thriller, although plenty about the plot didn’t make sense.

Maggie Bird left her career with the CIA behind to live on a small farm in Purity, Maine, with her chickens and her memories for company. Then she receives an unexpected visitor, asking her to help an old associate who has disappeared. When the woman is subsequently found dead on her driveway, and then Maggie herself comes under attack, she knows that her past has come back to haunt her, and she will need the help of her old friends in “The Martini Club” to survive.

This is told from three perspectives - Maggie’s in first person present (🤢), and those of her old colleague and nemesis Diana, and Purity’s Acting Police Chief Jo Thibodeau in third person past.
Unfortunately this really didn’t work for me - I liked Jo as a character, but she’d have been better as the heroine in her own book/series, rather than getting in the way of the plot here. The story was unfortunately slowed down to a crawl by Maggie’s frequent flashback sequences, and while she talks a lot about her work as a spy, we never get to see her doing it. The action only really got going towards the end, and that was the part I enjoyed - I thought the twist was good, but lots about the plot didn’t make sense. 3.5 rounded down for the present tense - I’m undecided about whether I would continue this series - I’d be more interested if one of the other silver-spies takes the main role next time, as I didn’t warm to Maggie as a heroine.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the Advance Reviewer Copy. I am posting this honest review voluntarily. The Spy Coast is available now.

The Spy Coast is a completely new direction for Tess Gerritsen. As a fan of the Rizzoli and Isles books, I knew I wanted to read this first book in The Martini Club series.

Maggie Bird, a retiree, enjoys her life in peaceful, rural Maine; tending to her hens, and enjoying the company of her small circle of friends. Until, this peace is destroyed by a calling card. A body has been abandoned on her property, a move which is neither accidental, or coincidental.
This discovery is a shock to the small community, though not surprising to Maggie’s book group. They are an eclectic posse. All retirees, with a mutual penchant for excellent Whisky, but this is not all that unites them. And so our adventure through the pages begins.

The story is told by multiple POVs, and via a dual timeline, allowing the reader to live alongside the characters. The pacing is fast, and the engaging book flows well, as you would expect from the author. There are lighter moments to offset the shade, to break through the tension that builds, in both the past and present timelines.

There is a valuable lesson in the book. Don’t judge a book by its cover, grey hair doesn’t symbolise that you are no longer of use, underestimate people at your peril.

I thoroughly enjoyed the intriguing characters, and very much look forward to reading more of their futures, and backstories as the series progresses. The door has been very much left open for a number of storylines to develop. I am very happy to find that the second book, The Summer Guests, has already been planned, I just wish I didn’t have to wait until 2025.

Writing a new series must be a bold leap for an author. Setting the stage for new characters, hoping that loyal readers will follow you to your new vision. Tess Gerritsen has absolutely nailed it for me, as I loved The Spy Coast. 4.5⭐️ from me.

Maggie Bird was hoping to spend retirement in a quiet little town in Maine with a few old friends. When a dead body shows up in her driveway, Maggie and her friends slip right back into operative mode.

I really enjoyed this first Martini Club book, and I am looking forward to the next book in the series. The characters are well developed, quirky, and easy to like. As with all the authors books, the plot moves along at a good pace and the story kept me interested right up until the last page.

Thank you to Tess Gerritson, Thomas & Mercer, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this ebook.

An excellent thriller. It had great pace, great characters, a great twist (albeit one I figured out around the 75% mark). I really like the cast Gerritsen has established here, with the start of this new series. There's so much story potential among them. I will absolutely be reading the next one.

Oh, and it's funny! I loved the sly humor of these retirees, pretending to be mundanes, running circles around poor beleaguered Jo Thibodeau.

Note: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley.