I enjoyed getting to follow Electra McDonnell once again. I have enjoyed the previous books in the series. I do recommend reading the books in order. There is so much back story to all the characters.
Electra and her Uncle once again are called upon by Major Ramsey to help figure out what is going on when numerous burglaries are happening. But what they are taking makes no sense.
I loved seeing Electra and Major Ramsey’s relationship development a bit more. Though once it seems the relationship is going somewhere, something happens to put the brakes on it.
The ending left us on a cliffhanger.
I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Locked in Pursuit by Ashley Weaver has an interesting premise, but I did not like the writing style much and found the book difficult to read. Really this girl is a safe-cracker but does not seem to have any courage or nerves. And, we were constantly referred back to that kiss. I did not enjoy this book and I will not continue this series. Thank you to Net Galley for my e-ARC.

Locked in Pursuit by Ashley Weaver is the fourth installment in the Electra McDonnell series. The story takes place in 1940 Europe and Electra is assisting Major Ramsey with intelligence work while also pursuing her own investigations into a situation in her own family.

I enjoyed the combination of mystery and historical fiction in this novel as those are two of my favorite genres. However I felt that some elements of the plot moved too slowly and others too quickly. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the previous books in the series as there were frequent references to events that didn’t take place in this book.

I was very satisfied with this entry into the Electra McDonnell series! While in the previous books, the plot was severely hindered by the characters' romantic drama, this one had a nice balance. We finally see some decisions made and some movement in their overall arcs, and we get a new source of tension- Electra's past coming back to make her future look very uncertain. Locked in Pursuit gave us some new faces as well that were interesting, and developed some side characters to bring us a more well-rounded cast. I also thought the mystery here was well-done, with some red herrings and surprise twists that kept me on my toes. Can't wait to see where Electra goes next, and the setup for 5 promises even more action and danger, with a very personal motivation for Electra.

"This winter was the coldest I could remember. It seemed unfair, somehow, that we should have to contend with both the Nazis and this weather."
Ashley Weaver has once again penned a page turning cozy mystery during WW2! This series has been such a pleasure to read. With her romantic triangle, loyal, warm-hearted characters, murder and mystery, this has been one of the best series ever! I have anxiously anticipated this book for a year, and it did not disappoint. I flew through the pages until I got to the end. I am now looking forward to the next installment. I am still on team Major, but I love Felix, too. I do hope they all have a happily ever!
*I was given a copy of this book by the publisher, and this is my honest opinion.

Death and German agents!

The report of a puzzling robbery at a Diplomat’s dinner party has Electra McDonnell suspicious. Nothing adds up. None of her contacts have heard anything. (Electra had been a jewel thief and safecracker until military intelligence recruited her and her family to use their skills as part of the war effort.)
Having not heard from her recently injured handler, the aloof Major Gabriel Ramsey, for some months, Electra decides to approach him about the matter.
(There is the slight aspect of a growing attraction between Electra and Major Ramsey!)
There’s also the history of Electra’s mother. She was a condemned murderer, pregnant with Electra. Electra has been following clues trying to find out what the truth was behind what her mother’s actions.
Electra’s visit to the Major leads to the uncovering of German spies looking for something important that may have come from Lisbon. The mystery is what are they after?
Spies, glamour and suspected undercover foreign agents are all grist for the mill.
Intrigue, danger and romantic tension stalks the pages.

A St. Martin’s Press ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

I've missed books 2 and 3 and, while I could still follow this story well enough without them, I was missing a lot of information. Still, this was quite a bit of growth from the last time I knew these characters. There is a lot to Electra's past I will need to go back and read. This book was the same bad guys helping the good guys-thieves stealing for good as was set up in the first book. Just as entertaining.

This is the fourth installment in one of my favorite historical mystery series. I enjoy this series so much because of the character of Electra McDonnell who is crafty, independent, and strong. Ellie can crack a safe, pick a lock, and spy on the spies.

I also liked that there is a percolating romance/relationship with the hunky Major Ramsey who recruited her into the spy catching game. Ellie doesn’t come from the world of wealth and glamor that Major Ramsey does, but that is what makes their interactions so interesting.

I was immediately sucked into Locked in Pursuit and finished it in less than 24 hours. The relationship between Ellie and Major Ramsey is what kept me reading on late into the night. There was progress to their relationship, or was there? Can’t wait for the next book!

I received a copy of this title from the publisher; all thoughts expressed are my own. Locked in Pursuit is the most recent title to feature Electra McDonnell, a young woman with special lock picking skills. She's trying to digest the information about her father that was revealed at the end of the prior book while dealing with WWII. A story about a daring robbery in the paper catches her eye as something about the robbery feels off. She eventually convinces Major Ramsey to investigate and allow her to assist. They find themselves tangled in diplomatic circles with events spilling over from Lisbon. Electra finds herself involved with dangerous characters as she continues to delve in to her father's mysterious death shortly after her birth.

As always with this series, I really enjoyed the main mystery around the robbery that Major Ramsey and Electra have to work together to solve. There are definitely some interesting developments in investigation into Electra's father's death and I'm really eager for additional books to continue to the slow reveal. Fans of Major Ramsey will definitely be interested in the peak into his background and family provided in this book. Secondary characters such as Electra's uncle and the family house keeper continue to be well written and interesting in their own right. I'm hoping more information about Ellie's missing cousin will be revealed in the next book which I can't wait to read.

This is my favorite in the series, which just gets better with each new book. The evolving relationships Electra has with her family, friends, and Major Ramsey keep me eager for the next book. Locked in Pursuit finds them investigating unusual burglaries that have possible ties to enemy agents and organized crime all the while surviving the German Blitz and uncertainty in wartime

I highly recommend this series - the books are easy reads that keep the reader's attention with engaging realistic characters, lots of action, and a little romance. Weaver also does a solid job of conveying the feeling of WWII era London.

Locked in Pursuit by Ashley Weaver

Another five star win for Electra McDonnell, Ashley Weaver’s star safecracker and lock picker! You will be entertained every second of this book. Weaver’s light hearted stories are the best! My thanks to Minotaur Books for this ARC.

There’s a tickle of romance between Ellie and Major Ramsey, which he quashed at their last encounter. Now Ellie is once again asked by Major Ramsey to do a job for him. It’s 1941 and the German Luftwaffe is dropping bombs over London with barely a break, but fearless Ellie has a job to do. She must go out. The Major needs her.

There are several characters that come into play and lots of action and intrigue. Weaver has an easy flow to her writing, yet each individual has their own voice. You’ll cheer for Ellie to succeed in her mission, and the door may have been left open for another adventure for Electra and Major Ramsey!

There is a very specific kind of balancing act that authors of mystery series that involve a slowly developing romantic relationship have to perform, wherein the suspense plots in each book have to be interesting and consistent within the universe of the series, while allowing the characters to grow–as individuals as well as towards each other.

It is the nature of the beast that some books in a series will do this better than others, and it generally benefits readers not to binge-read them, as inconsistencies and writing flaws tend to stand out more when reading them too close together.

This was the case for me here.
I have been invested in the series since last year, so I was ecstatic when I managed to snag an ARC for this entry.

Beware: spoilers for previous books; some PTSD.

The fourth novel in the Electra McDonnell series takes place three months after the harrowing events at the end of Playing It Safe. Over the intervening time, Ellie has been struggling; not only is the Blitz ongoing and her trauma over seeing Major Ramsey shot four times and herself having been left to drown, still very fresh and unresolved, but there’s also the matter of what she has learned about her father’s own role during WWI.

When a newspaper report on a burglary catches her eye, it provides Ellie with a very welcome reason to contact the major again.

The book begins with a hefty bit of infodumping, as our protagonist’s internal monologue effectively sums up the events of the previous five months, as laid out in the first three books, as well as the relationships between the main and secondary characters, and Ellie’s unresolved feelings for Major Gabriel Ramsey.

To be clear, the attraction between these two are evident to the reader, even as Ellie works hard to delude herself about her own feelings; partly in self-defense, as she’s very aware of all the things that separate them (class, wealth, family history), and partly because up until the war, she was had never interrogated her own feelings closely.

Ostensibly, the book centers mostly on the fate of an object that has been smuggled to London from Lisbon, and which may have important implications for the Allied war effort, as Ellie and the major work to identify, locate and liberate the object in question.

Though the major would prefer to rely only on his trusted military intelligence network, Ellie follows her own hunches, which involve making use of some of her family’s less savory–and more dangerous–underworld contacts. Eventually, both Uncle Mick and Felix Lacey, and intelligence assets Archie Blandings and Aristide Dupéré, are brought in to help.

Simultaneously, Ellie is trying to find out more about her own late father’s spying activities during the Great War, which leads her to ask help from yet another shady character, with easily foreseeable consequences.

The sense of period and setting is slightly more blurry in this novel than in the previous books; rationing, the Blitz, and so on, are mentioned and affect some of the characters actions, but they don’t come across as vividly as I expected. Perhaps this is due to the true focus of the novel: Ellie’s feelings.

Up to now, I have really enjoyed Ellie’s character; she’s brave and resourceful, but not infallible. My problem here is that several times in the course of the novel she does things that go far beyond spirited and into reckless. For example, she twice agrees to owe someone a favor for a favor, without setting any parameters to the kind of favor she would have to do in return, and while investigating her father’s wartime activities, she confides in no one, and she fails to make the most obvious connections the reader is expected to make.

I think I wouldn’t have found out Ellie’s behavior as jarring if the suspense plotlines had held together better. Plotlines and minor characters are brought up then dropped out of sight without much explanation, if any, in ways that don’t bear any scrutiny, which is frustrating. The main characters seem to go off half-cocked in several directions at once, like the proverbial headless chickens, and while perhaps this may have been intended to reflect Major Ramsey’s ongoing recovery and how his feelings for Ellie affect his performance, it did not have that effect on me.

The climax of this book has nothing to do with espionage and everything to do with feelings and the foreseeable consequences of reckless decisions, and it was the one thing that remained consistent with the world and characters that the author had built over the previous three books.

Given this, I was torn over the last chapter; the only reason for Ellie’s continued involvement is to further her relationship with Major Ramsey, and while I am all for it–and so grateful she has finally come clean with Felix–I dearly hope the suspense side of the books is better served in future installments.

Which is to say: regardless of my disappointment with this entry in the series, I am well invested in the relationship between Ellie and the Major, as well as in the wellbeing of the secondary characters, from Felix to Ellie’s cousin Toby, and want answers to the mystery of Ellie’s father’s murder.

Locked in Pursuit gets a 7.75 out of 10

This series is one that when you get a new book in your hands, you clear you schedule, turn off your phone, and disappear for a while. Ladies, and Gentlemen, Ellie McDonnell is back!

Picking up three months after the culmination of "Playing It Safe", Ellie finds herself dealing with the emotional fallout of what happened in Sunderland. Major Ramsey hasn't been in contact since then and Ellie, bless her, is getting a bit restless. As she's eating breakfast, she sees a news article about a robbery in Mayfair. What makes this robbery different is that neither Ellie nor Uncle Mick have heard any rumblings about the robbery. Ellie uses this peculiar situation to go see Major Ramsey.

Now, trying not to give anything away, Major Ramsey is also dealing with the fall out of Sunderland. To add to that, his twin sister, Noelle, (Major Ramsey not only keeps the secrets his military life, but also his personal life locked down tighter than the Bank of England), is staying with him. The first interaction between Ramsey and Ellie is just as cute as it is awkward. It is discovered that Ramsey hasn't heard anything about the robbery, either.. And yes, it is decided that this needs investigating.

It is discovered that the robbery is actually one of many and Ramsey and Ellie come to the conclusion that the robberies are a cover for trying to find something else. And after a body is discovered in a hotel room, our duo comes to the conclusion that whatever is missing, probably has something to do with the war.

Major Ramsey finds himself not being able to be as active in this mystery, so Ellie is somewhat left to own devices. Ellie decides that in order to get some information, she is having to make deals that Ramsey, if he were to find out, would not be too happy about. Also, as she is chasing this war mystery, she is hot on the trail of trying to figure out who killed her father. It is revealed that her father was keeping secrets, too, and those secrets might leave Ellie exposed to a greater danger that she was expecting. And with Ramsey remaining in the dark about what Ellie is doing, Ellie may be flying too close to the sun on this one.

We are introduced to Noelle, Captain Archie Blandings (serving in Lisbon, Portugal), Nico Lazaro (a man who deals on the black market) and Aristide Dupere (another asset of Ramsey). and a few people from Ellie and Mick's world. On top of all of the mysteries, Ramsey and Ellie are trying to figure how to work together while dealing with feelings that keep getting in the way (well in the way for Ramsey. Ellie, I think, would just like some resolution).

What I loved about this book is that Ellie is continuing her journey from crime to using her skills for good. She's figuring out her place in the world and what she wants., part of which is answering the question of Felix or Ramsey. But Ellie is a bit on the reckless side, and as we have seen in the three previous books, that recklessness is getting her into more dangerous situations. She still is dealing with being a woman in a 'man's world' and being excluded from things because she is a woman. I think that frustration and the need to prove that she does not need protecting is what leads her to make the choices she makes and leads to quite a climax that is both surprise and not much a surprise at all.

Ellie still has trouble completely opening up to Ramsey about her father. I think her fear is that opening up to Ramsey might lead to her being further sidelined. And of course, the secrets have a way of causing ripples that can only cause trouble.

Ms, Weaver, the wonderful story teller that she is, drops another bomb on us in the closing pages of this book, setting up one heck of an adventure for the next book. I have a feeling that Archie Blanding will be back and Ramsey and Ellie are going to have an interesting time working together again,.

"Locked in Pursuit" is a fast paced adventure where the stakes of the war are rising and the past and the present are starting to collide. The resolution of the mystery and the consequences of the choices Ellie makes this book hard to put down. So, find someplace cozy to read and disconnect from life for a bit. You will not regret it.

Chapter 29.... Ashley Weaver HOW DARE YOU?! And that ending??? (Though I said this about something in book 3 so I guess this is going to be a normal reaction to each book in this series).

While the stakes are still high, the overall pacing of <I>Locked in Pursuit</I> is slower paced. This one delves deeper into Ellie's thoughts and feelings - about Major Ramsey, Felix, Uncle Mick, and her future. Like the rest of this series, once I started reading I could not put it down. And now that I'm done reading, I wish there were more pages left... and that book 5 was already out so I can find out what happens next.

I'm dying to know what Felix is up to and love him all the more for his reaction towards the end. I'm thankful that Weaver gave readers more insight into Major Ramsey - and we get to meet a family member (I hope they make an appearance in the series again)! It was great to see a different side to Ellie too... and look forward to more details coming to light in her quest to find out more about her parents.

Overall this historical mystery series is a delightful read that I continue to suggest to patrons that I think will enjoy it.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Booksin exchange for an honest review.

I thought that Locked in Pursuit was an addicting read that I didn't want to put down. I really enjoyed the overall storyline and how it all connected to previous book. All in all, a wonderful historical fiction mystery filled with thrilling twists and turns!

It’s *ahem* safe to say, this series keeps getting better and better!

Thank you @ashleyweaverauthor @netgalley @stmartinspress and @minotaur_books for this #arc - out tomorrow!

I’ve been a fan of this series from the beginning, but this one was my favorite! Electra and all the supporting characters keep growing on me, each book’s individual mystery is balanced with the bigger picture mystery of what happened to her parents, and the love triangle (which is a #booktrope I am normally NOT a fan of) doesn’t in any way detract from the plot.

Synopsis:
Safecracker Ellie McDonnell hasn’t seen Major Ramsey—her handsome but aloof handler in the British government—since their tumultuous mission together three months before, but when she hears about a suspicious robbery in London she feels compelled to contact him. Together they discover that a rash of burglaries leads back to a hotbed of spies in the neutral city Lisbon, Portugal, and an unknown object brought to London by a mysterious courier.

As the thieves become more desperate and their crimes escalate, it becomes imperative that Ellie and Ramsey must beat them at their own game. Fighting shadowy assailants, enemy agents, and the mutual attraction they’ve agreed not to acknowledge, Ellie and Ramsey work together to learn if it truly takes a thief to catch a thief.

One of my most anticipated May reads, this did not disappoint! Weaver's writing is fantastic, and the story is compelling. I was hooked from the start and could not put this book down!

Ellie is a standout character. She has faced some morally grey decisions as WWII rages on, and this time, she has to straddle the fence a bit on both sides of the law. A very well-developed character, she is good under pressure, has some unusual skills, is quick-witted and brave, and has a heart of gold. You cannot help but root for her. In addition to the primary mystery, she has been investigating the crime that left her orphaned and faces emotional upheaval at what she uncovers. She and Major Ramsey have chemistry and a romantic tension they've been trying to fight, but their dynamic is delightfully shifting. We also get more of Major Ramsey's backstory and are introduced to his twin sister, Noelle, who was a great addition to the cast.

The world-building is excellent, with historical detail that puts you in the heart of the action. This story was a bit more character-driven this time, but still, the mystery is layered and suspenseful and keeps you guessing. A gem of a book in an entertaining series, I loved this! I highly recommend it to mystery and historical fiction lovers alike!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press Minotaur Books and Netgalley for the free book!

I love the Electra McDonnell series! Locked in Pursuit is the 4th book and so far my favorite. It’s a WWII historical mystery with a bit of romance mixed in. I really enjoyed that this story was more character driven than the others in the series. It ended on a cliff hanger so, I can’t wait for book #5!

Pub date is tomorrow, May 14th! If you haven’t read this series and are into historical fiction/romance/thrillers/mysteries I recommend it! Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for my eARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

Seemingly there are 2 plot lines in this novel. One is Electra, a professional lockpick and safe cracker, trying to find out if her murdered father was passing secret information to the Germans during WWI.
The other is helping her WWII Military Intelligence handler Major Ramsey determine what German spies are looking for involving passengers on a recent flight from Lisbon to London. Early on the resulting criminal activity involved a robbery at a Mayfair dinner party and a murder.
Both storylines could have and should have provided enough meat for an exciting espionage thriller. Neither materialized into anything that couldn’t have been well handled in a novella. The author did everything possible to avoid developing these stories with time consuming repetition of Electra’s unrequited love for Major Ramsey, his health issues, her other nefarious jobs and the inclement winter weather of London.
This is the fourth book in the series and as I have not read the first three, I have no basis for comparison. I hope they were significantly better and that she just ran out of steam on this one or was forced to churn out a sequel without adequate time for the task.
The characters are interesting and had potential even within the structure of the time period, but the execution was disappointing. It did fit well with the culture and moreover the writing style of England in 1941. However the book’s audience is not living in 1941 and adjustments should have been made to accommodate this while preserving the cultural authenticity. So much of the book was just tedious. There were engaging well put together scenes but they were either too little or too late to redeem the book as a whole. I will admit the last few chapters were very good, but overall I couldn’t wait for it to end.
Thank you to the author, Ashley Weaver, the publisher, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC.

This is a great addition to the Electra McDonnell series. The mystery in this one was intriguing, but it honestly took a back seat to all the other things happening in Electra’s life. She’s fighting her feelings for Major Ramsey, Felix keeps disappearing to Scotland for weeks on end, and she’s stumbled into new information about her father’s death. There’s also the small matter of WWII. It boggled my mind how one night Electra was huddled up in a bomb shelter and the next she was at a fancy party. Those were wild times!

Personally, I was okay with the characters being the focus in this one rather than the plot. Electra’s in pivotal moment. She finds herself having to choose between the future and the past in more ways than one. I also liked the introduction of Major Ramsey’s sister Noelle. It was interesting to see the Major interact with his own family rather than just colleagues.

This one ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. Can’t wait to see what happens next!