Review: Princess Elizabeth's Spy

Princess Elizabeth's Spy: A Maggie Hope Mystery by Susan Elia MacNeal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I requested this book from NetGalley as I really liked the sound of the blurb and thought it sounded like a fun read.

It took me a little while to get into this book as it took me a while to accept the Americanisms and American spelling in the book. This is a small point, but as the book was about England in the 40s, it took me a little while to get used to it, especially as other than that it was very authentic feeling. I understand that the author and main character are American, but it would have worked slightly better for me if the other characters hadn’t used American phrases. However, this is the only thing that I could find wrong with the book!

Maggie Hope has been recruited as an agent by Mi5 and is assigned to protect the Princess Elizabeth at Windsor under the guise of tutoring her in maths. The book is littered with references to members of the Royal Family and their staff, and also has a really interesting sub plot featuring the abdicated King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson. I loved the references to Churchill and his Private Office and his relationships with his staff, including former secretary, Maggie.

The book is a really fun whodunit sort of story which keeps you guessing over who the bad apple is. It is thrilling and once I had got into it, it really kept me on the edge of my seat and wanting to read more. This book is the second in a series, with a third due to be published next year. I haven’t read the first book, but will definitely look for it and will keep an eye out for more of the books in the future in order to keep up with Maggie’s adventures.

A well deserved 4 stars.


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