Can a stolen violin lead secret agent and spy Maggie Hope to a serial killer terrorizing London? Find out as the acclaimed World War II mystery series from New York Times bestselling author Susan Elia MacNeal continues.“A wartime mystery to sink your teeth into.”—Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Huntress Maggie Hope started out as Winston Churchill’s secretary, but now she’s a … Winston Churchill’s secretary, but now she’s a secret agent—and the only one who can figure out how the missing violin ties into a series of horrifying murders.
London, December 1943. As the Russian army repels German forces from Stalingrad, Maggie Hope takes a much-needed break from spying to defuse bombs in London. But Maggie herself is an explosion waiting to happen. Traumatized by her past, she finds herself living dangerously—taking huge risks, smoking, drinking, and speeding through the city streets on a motorbike. The last thing she wants is to get entangled in another crime.
But when she’s called upon to look into the theft of a Stradivarius, one of the finest violins ever made, Maggie can’t resist. Meanwhile, there’s a serial killer on the loose in London, targeting conscientious objectors. Little does Maggie know that investigating this dangerous predator will pit her against a new evil—and old enemies. Only Maggie can uncover the connection between the robbery, the murders, and a link to her own past.
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What an amazing story.
It was a breakneck ride of psychological excitement.
Following up on the previous stories (you would do well to have read them all to properly appreciate where Maggie is coming from), we have Maggie who is totally stressed from all her previous adventures. She is dealing with this with excessive drinking and smoking, rather reckless driving of a motorbike, and defusing bombs!
The serial killer who tried to kill her is about to be executed.
And conscientious objectors, some who work with her on the bomb squad, are missing.
It is an exciting and amazing story.
The story ends with a good lead in to the next book.
In The King’s Justice, Maggie Hope, a veteran of missions for the Special Operations Executive, is suffering from what we now call PTSD and doing it none too quietly. The mystery is riveting, but Maggie’s emotional journey is at the heart of this superb novel as she struggles to come to grips with the impact of the violence she has endured, as did so many. I devoured this story.
I have read and loved every single one of the Maggie Hope mysteries. In her ninth, The King’s Justice, Susan Elia MacNeal raises the bar. Maggie faces old enemies, new killers, and her personal demons — not to mention unexploded ordinance — with an extra helping of her own special brand of derring-do. Longtime readers will be richly rewarded and first-timers will be made instant fans by this taut, breathtaking, and authentic read.
Set in wartime London 1943, Susan Elia MacNeal’s latest Maggie Hope novel, The King’s Justice, is a powerfully emotional work that poses difficult questions for Maggie as she searches for justice. Or is it actually vengeance she wants? Perhaps redemption? A charismatic but severely damaged heroine, Maggie’s a ticking bomb, not unlike the dangerous, unexploded ordnance it’s her job to defuse daily. The King’s Justice is a poetically nuanced portrayal of London in war, twisted souls, and hard moral choices. But more than anything else — and best of all — it’s a brilliant novel featuring a very human Wonder Woman.
A new Maggie Hope mystery is always cause for joy, and The King’s Justice proves once again that Susan Elia MacNeal sits at the top of her genre. Beautifully written and meticulously researched, this novel immerses readers in the threadbare vibrancy of wartime London and the moral complexity at the heart of justice, as Maggie battles her own despair to track down a murderer of extraordinary depravity. MacNeal spins yet another superb yarn that will leave you yearning for the next.
The word that comes to mind to describe this latest outing for Maggie Hope is struggle. Maggies has suffered through a lot of very dark and damaging events and is running from her demons by drinking way too much, driving her motor cycle recklessly (sometimes while drunk) and her current job is to diffuse unexploded bombs in London. Add to that, The Beast is now awaiting execution in the Tower of London and that brings memories front and center for Maggie. It also causes her to look inward and think about how she feels about the death sentence. Horrible as The Beast’s crimes were, if it’s accepted that the actions come from a defective mind, is that a reason to execute him? When a new series of crimes occur, The Beast wants to make a deal – information in exchange for a life sentence hence the book title, the King’s justice.
Maggie is also at odds with her policeman boyfriend with each approaching the relationship from a very different place. She wants to go fast and he wants to slow things down. Along with all of the other things going on, he presents her with an offer, asking for her help on a case involving a stolen Stradivarius violin. There is a lot going on, many twists, turns and a few red herrings and a very well constructed plot. Maggie is truly a wonderful character, a very real one. I hope she finds some peace in the next book. She’s earned it.
The King’s Justice by Susan Eli MacNeal is a Maggie Hope story. Maggie is recently returned from her ordeal in Scotland and is adjusting poorly. It is 1943 so the is still on. She drinks too much, she smokes too much. She is pretty much a mess, not ready to deal with any of it yet. She is diffusing bombs in London and training others as well. Most of them are young men; most of those are conscientious objectors. She likes the thrill of adrenalin and she likes the young men, mostly, until they begin to disappear. She understands. They are tortured by people who look down on them for not trotting off to war. It is a difficult time. Then, suddenly suitcases full of bones and a single white feather are being found at the edge of the Thames. At the same time, the execution of Nicholas Reitter, the serial killer she had helped capture was drawing nearer every day. That, as well, haunted her. The, Reitter says he can lead them to the killer but he will only talk to Maggie. She is terrified but decides she has to do it. He won’t tell her the first day, just drops hints and requests that she return the next day. Meanwhile she has her own suspicions about the suitcase killer and is pursuing her own leads. Her boyfriend, Detective Durgin, doesn’t believe in her ideas so she is on her own.
I love the Maggie Hope series. She is a strong American woman living in England during the Second World War and working for the government as a spy. Things don’t always to her way. He fiancé walked away from her, she was falsely imprisoned, she was nearly killed buy a serial killer, but she carries on. In this she is more English than many of the English. She is a terrific character and MacNeal plots the book well, giving us just enough to keep us moving forward, right along with Maggie. She tells separate stories, making them diverge at the appropriate point to it all finishes at the right time. I recommend this and the entire series.
I received a free ARC of The King’s Justice from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own.
THE KING’S JUSTICE by Susan Elia MacNeal is the ninth book in the Maggie Hope historical fiction series. Maggie Hope has had numerous jobs including secretary to Winston Churchill, a secret agent, and currently, a defuser of bombs that were dropped in London by the Germans, but had not exploded. The novel takes place in 1942 and 1943 and includes some intense scenes. Maggie has been traumatized by her past and is living dangerously. At the same time she is dealing with a broken engagement, dating Detective Chief Inspector James Durgin, looking into the theft of a Stradivarius, and dealing with the sentencing of a serial killer.
While this is the first book that I have read by this author and I enjoyed it, I feel like this series would be best if read in series order. There is a lot of backstory that would enhance a reader’s enjoyment and understanding.
Most of the characters felt well-rounded and the relationships between them did not feel contrived. Maggie was someone that I could root for with all of her flaws and virtues. She definitely had a distinct voice and believable motivations. Her internal conflicts felt realistic and organic and the external conflicts arose out of characterization and circumstance rather than feeling contrived or forced. Several strong themes run through this novel including the horrors of war, serial killers, conscientious objectors, internment camps, PTSD and much more.
Overall, the plot was engaging, well-researched, moving and thought-provoking. The prose was well-written and engrossing. If you enjoy historical fiction, then this series may be one you will enjoy. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine and Susan Elia MacNeal for a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
England, war-is-hell, WW2, bomb-defusal, PTSD, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-setting, prejudice
This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I really commend the clear exploration of the effects of psychological trauma on individuals during a war on home soil as well as that experienced by law enforcement and military personnel. Maggie has previously suffered serious wounds while working at the Met, but she still has serious problems with institutional murder of the perpetrator. And now, in 1943 there is another sequential killer on the loose. But while she can’t deal with working on that case, she can deal with excess alcohol, cigarettes, and defusing bombs left over from the Blitz. There is also a hard look at the prejudices of that time, and the wise will extrapolate to those of today. It’s a darker story than some but very well done. Held me to it well past bedtime.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine via NetGalley. Thank you!