Locked in Pursuit by Ashley Weaver is the fourth book in the Elektra McDonnell series. I have not read the previous books and it is still enjoyable to read this one. Yes, there are references to previous events but it doesn’t take away from this story.
The Battle of Britain is raging over London almost every night and Ellie is at loose ends. She notices an unusual robbery story in the paper and contacts Major Ramsey. Espionage is suspected. They start investigating and come across a brutal murder.
The author has an easy flowing writing style. I liked the characters and hope for more between Ellie and the Major.
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC.

I have to confess that I get unreasonably excited whenever I see a new Electra McDonnell book is coming out. I was so happy to get to read an advance copy of this through NetGalley.

This new volume in Electra's story did not disappoint. What an absolute emotional rollercoaster!! The author does an impressive job of balancing the espionage/mystery with each character's storyline... I find myself caring about all the people in Ellie's life just as much as I care about her will-they-won't-they with Major Ramsey. And both Ellie and Ramsey do some excellent growing independently and together in this book 👏

AND THAT CLIFFHANGER. Please send help. I may not breathe until Ashley Weaver releases rhe next one...

The more of this series that I read, the more that I love them. This is a fabulous mystery set in England during WWII. Locksmith Electra 'Ellie' McDonnell is a former thief and currently working with Major Gabriel Ramsey in missions to keep information out of enemy hands. When Ellie realizes that something seems off about a robbery that she's read about in the newspaper, she brings it to the Major's attention. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntary given review. I love that while Ellie is working with the Major, she is also trying to unravel some mysteries about her parents. I also love the growing relationship between Ellie and the Major. This is a suspenseful book and I can't wait to read the next one.

This is a series long on my TBR list but that I had not started. Jumped on the NetGalley and Minotaur books offer of an ARC and I am so glad I did. While this is definitely well into the series, it was easily enjoyable as a stand alone.
Primarily I loved Electra McDonnell as a heroine. What a clever twist on a heroine- a woman who's family "business" is thievery working for the intelligence service during WW2.
I very much enjoy the author's style of writing. This book was not put downable!
Ellie works with her handler Major Ramsey who is also a very intriguing character. The relationship between the two is clearly something so interesting to follow in the series. Other characters that I enjoyed were Ellie's friend Felix, her uncle and Major Ramsey's sister. For me the characters and their quirks really make the series pop.
The plot was interesting and had lots of unexpected twists. The ending was epic and I cannot wait to read the next installment!. In the meantime I will move the other books to the top of my TBR!
Highly recommended for fans of historical mysteries- really a different twist on WW2 fiction.

This book fits between cozy mystery and thriller perfectly. It is just complex enough to keep the reader engaged, but not overly tense. The writer's style is very smooth, the characters are not only well-developed but likeable, and the story is quite original. There is just enough romance and sexual tension that the reader is left wanting more at the end of the book. I can't wait for the next installment! Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur books for providing me with an advanced readers copy. It was a very enjoyable read.

I’m a sucker for historical fiction, and I always enjoy those set amidst WWII. In LOCKED IN PURSUIT, which I learned is part of a series, is fast paced and kept my interest throughout. Set in London in 1941, Ellie is a safecracker and is working with British intelligence in the war effort. I always enjoy stories about strong women, and Ellie is definitely unique and interesting in this sense.

I enjoyed the romance and the mystery. I really wanted to see Ellie and Ramsey together but it looks like I’ll have to wait …I know this is part of a series, but wow did LOCKED IN PURSUIT end with a cliffhanger! Although I understand that building excitement for the next book is important, I’d still like things wrapped up a bit more.

Although this was a good enough book, it didn't capture my imagination the way I wanted it to. I think the ambiguous ending ruined it for me a bit.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the advanced digital copy of LOCKED IN PURSUIT in exchange for my honest feedback.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Electra "Ellie" McDonnell hasn't seen Major Ramsey for a couple of months, but contacts him after she sees a story in the paper about multiple robberies in London. They work to solve these burglaries while also working through the spy network of London and their own relationship. In addition, Ellie tries to work through her family secrets.

I couldn't wait for this book to end. This is the fourth book in a series, and maybe I should have read one through three to get some context about the inner workings of this character. However, there was nothing intriguing that gauged my interest at all. I found myself thinking about every task that I had to do in my life instead of the story itself.

I also thought that there were way too many characters introduced and way too many storylines. It's as if the author had multiple storylines when she outlined the book and just put them together, trying to make them fit, but when they actually turned into this story, it ended up being a boring hodge-podge of story.

Unfortunately, I was hoping for suspicion, intrigue, and some interesting 20th century history (this is considered a historical fiction since it is set in the 1940s). I got a complete bore instead.

I really enjoyed this book, even though I've not read any of the others in the series. The concept of this woman being a safecracker and fighting the Nazis by doing some behind the scenes thievery was intriguing. I loved Electra - what a firecracker! She definitely has a mind of her own and puts herself into some sticky situations, which sure riles up Major Ramsey, but I am so rooting for the two of them to find their footing and just make out again. I enjoyed this book so much that I intend to go back and read the first 3. I appreciate that Weaver was able to summarize the relationship between Electra and Ramsey so that without that prior knowledge of their interactions you were able to catch on quickly.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

This is book four in a series and it is best to read books 2-3 in order before reading book four as they do build on one another. I wish I knew that before I bagan reading book four as I was list at some points. I did quickly figure it out and was able to read and enjoy book for without to much trouble.

I will be reading books 1- 3 and look forward to the next in the series.

Recommend.

This is the first book in the series that I have read. I loved it! It might be book 4 but it completely stands alone. The characters are charismatic, funny and real. The story takes place in London during WW2, but as the background is gloomy, the story is not! Electra aka as Ellie, is a master safe cracker, but is also involved in espionage activities to protect the British Government. It is this role that takes the reader on a rollercoaster fun filled journey of love, spies and adventure. A page turner, that I hated to put down. The writing is sharp and crisp and there is no way you will not want to read more about Ellie and her hopeful love Major Ramsey.

This is the second book of the series that I have read and enjoyed. I like racing through Loudon with blackouts and bombs bursting almost every night. I'm a bit weary of WWII Loudon but this story moves fast and keeps me, the reader, interested in how they all seem to manage each day. Set in WWII in 1941, the story gives the reader romance, danger, and the inner workings of British intelligence. Complications abound the thwart the relationship of Ellie and Major Ramsey and creates a continuing line of interest.
I liked Ellie's, the main character, background of unusual skills development in safe-cracking, lock picking and more. To wit, Ellie's neighborhood abounds in dangerous characters who ensnare her in criminal schemes despite her attempt to stay on the straight and narrow so she can continue to work, or not, with Major Ramsey by his rules.
By the end of the story., those rules and roles trip up almost everything. However, the ending was awkward, a rushed scene that seemed out of place. It may be explained in the next book, I hope so.
Thank you, Net Gallery, for providing the book for me to read and comment.

This was a tough rating for me, rounding up to 3 stars. I was really excited for this book, having though this series really found its footing in the third installment. In Locked in Pursuit, we pick up a few months after Ellie and Major Ramsey's mission in Sunderland, with contact between them having been minimal. Ellie pursues a side plot in helping a friend, but also, through her family's contacts, hears about a burglary that sets off her internal alarms and compels her to reach out to Major Ramsey. He enlists her in his work to track down the agents behind the burglaries and reasons for them, requiring disguises, infiltrations, and break ins.

There were some very fun elements in this book, with the undercover work and Hitchcockian break ins. However, I felt like this book had the same problems as number two in this series, in that it felt like it had been rushed to publication and was twisting the characters to fit into required plot tropes. I disliked in particular that Ellie - who is supposed to be clever and wily - acts in a way that is both incredibly foolish and deeply out of character to set some future plot machinations in action. I like Ashley Weaver and the conceit of this series, but I hope the next installment has a bit more time to cook.

Ellie and her boss, Major Gabriel Ramsey, investigate a series of thefts and a murder which may be tied to German espionage efforts in this engaging novel, set during World War 2 in London. The author does a good job of bringing wartime London to life, and the details about the espionage each country was carrying out against its enemies was interesting. The relationships between the characters are always a fun part of the books, with developments in Ellie's love triangle and some interesting new characters (Ramsey's sister, for example). To learn the characters' histories and see the relationships develop, strongly recommend reading the series, but this entry in the series would work as a standalone. Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC.

4.5/5⭐️

I’m loving this series!

Set during WW2, this 4th outing finds Ellie called on to aid Major Ramsey with a series of robberies that may be connected to a bigger German threat. She’s also decided to investigate shocking allegations that her father may have been a spy. There are further developments on the personal side between Ellie and Ramsey (both good and bad) which led to some frustration for me with some choices Ellie made. Ended with a good cliffhanger for their next adventure.

Great characters, great stories! Bonus…seriously beautiful cover. Recommended for Lady Darby and Verity Kent mysteries fans.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for providing the free early arc of Locked in Pursuit for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

I love this series, but I hope it doesn’t break my heart. I want Electra and the Major to be together! I hope the series will continue with them as a team, together. I can’t wait for the next book, I can’t take another cliffhanger!

Excellently done as the setting captures the essence of the era. A quick read that is helped if you suspend reality a bit as the main characters display skills in many areas as they try to foil the bad guys.

I enjoyed this so much. Great relationships and mystery with just the right amount of romance. I cannot wait to read the next book

"Locked in Pursuit" is the fourth installment in Electra McDonnell series by Ashley Weaver. I think it reads well as a standalone novel; I was unaware it was part of a series when I read it.

Set in England during the Second World War, Electra (Ellie) and her uncle/caretaker have been convinced to change from a life of safecracking and home robbery to work for the war effort.

Felix cares deeply about Ellie. Ellie would like to care deeply about Major Ramsey, her supervisor in all things espionage. He did kiss her once. Does she dare hope for more?

Ellie would also like to know more about her parents. Her father was found dead under suspicious circumstances and her mother was charged with the crime and sentenced to hang. However, Ellie's mother was pregnant. After delivery, Ellie stayed with her for several months and then was given to her Uncle Mick. Ellie's mother died of illness before she could be hanged. Ellie wants to know more of the story.

The story ends precipitously. I don't know if the previous three do as well. I found it unsettling.

"Locked in Pursuit" moves quickly and is an enjoyable book. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader's copy. This is my honest review.

Thank you to @netgalley and @StMartinsPress for this ARC. Electra McDonnell, along with her uncle, is a safecracker. When she was caught redhanded, Major Ramsey recruited her for the good of the war. In book 4, Electra comes across news of an odd robbery. When she brings her findings to Ramsey, they embark on the truth. I absolutely love this series. It is a light, cozy mystery and enjoyable to read! #LockedinPursuit #AshleyWeaver #StMartinsPress #May2024

This fourth book in author Ashley Weaver's "Elektra McDonnell" series, is a delightful historical mystery. The setting is January of 1941, London. The evening German bombings had subsided a bit through the holidays and the bitter days of winter have settled into the city. While our plucky Elektra McDonnell ("Ellie" to her family and friends as well as locksmith and reformed thief) was reading a newspaper article about a recent burglary, there were a number of details which appeared off to her. It had been a while since last she worked with the dishy Major Ramsey. These observations of hers may be just what the good Major needs to to be apprised of. When she arrived at his flat, he was already on the case but glad of her intuition and professional observations. There appears to be more at stake then the purloining of precious baubles, and the Germans want whatever it is at all costs. Can this on-the-surface-mismatched-duo find the sought after prize before it's sold to the highest bidder? So much is at stake and danger lurks around every corner.

In this installment, there were several story lines which all eventually converged. The element of a love triangle continues with Ellie at its center. The writing is clean, well crafted and the characters are interesting and well-developed. The mise en scène was deftly created and one could imagine strolling through the chilly and rough streets of blitzed London. All in all, this was a sweet and enjoyable historical mystery. Although this fourth book in series can stand alone, there is a continuing story thread for which you may wish to start at the beginning. If a fun historical mystery is your jam, then this may be just the right series and book for you.

I am grateful to Minotaur books for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

Publisher:‎ Minotaur Books
Publication Date: ‎May 14, 2024
No. of pages:‎ 272
ISBN-13:‎ 978-1250885906