A series of baffling murders among a group of imprisoned agents threatens the outcome of World War II in this chilling mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of Mr. Churchill’s Secretary.November, 1942. World War II is raging, and former spy Maggie Hope knows too much: what the British government is willing to do to keep its secrets, who is lying, who the double-crossers are. She … the double-crossers are. She knows exactly who is sending agents to their deaths. These are the reasons Maggie is isolated on a remote Scottish island, in a prison known as Killoch Castle. When one of her fellow inmates drops dead in the middle of his after-dinner drink—he’s only the first. As victims fall one by one, Maggie will have to call upon all her wits and skills to escape—not just certain death . . . but certain murder. For what’s the most important thing that Maggie Hope knows? She must survive.
Praise for The Prisoner in the Castle
“The colonel sums it up best on page ten: ‘If you take a pretty girl and teach her how to kill, it can cause problems.’ Not just problems—electrifying action and nonstop surprises. I loved this book!”—R. L. Stine, author of the Goosebumps and Fear Street series
“Another literary tour de force . . . From the book’s perfectly calibrated plot to its incisively etched characters, everything is handled with perfect finesse by the author.”—Poisoned Pen Newsletter
“One pleasure of a mystery series is connecting with a character that changes and grows with each novel. . . . Maggie’s intelligence and loyalty to the war effort continue to evolve in [Susan Elia] MacNeal’s series. . . . Solid twists keep the plot of The Prisoner in the Castle churning until the surprise finale.”—Associated Press
“A mystery . . . tailor-made for readers in the post-election, #MeToo era. . . . If you love a tricky puzzle that requires you to keep track of multiple alibis over time, this is your summer read.”—The Washington Post
“Evocative.”—Publishers Weekly
“MacNeal uses [Agatha] Christie’s And Then There Were None as a framework for a character-driven mystery/thriller that successfully emulates the original.”—Kirkus Reviews
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I am a big follower of this series. I was surprised by the setting and beginning of this novel. I don’t recall it’s prequel at all. I went looking for it and I’m uncertain I was able to figure out which book it actually was. Last I knew Maggie Hope had been in Washington D.C.
I cannot say I enjoyed this novel at all. It didn’t help that the very next novel I read was similar (The Scandal at Bletchley Park). I feel as though this novel has been written and the movie recorded many times. Just putting Maggie Hope in this situation did not really make it more interesting.
I recommend skipping this book or skimming it. I wish the author had added something unique to this sort of suspense tale. But it was all about who’s next and who did it. There were so much more interesting things to write about in this time period than to just have Maggie forced to sit it out in luxurious, deadly isolation.
This series is something you don’t want to miss. You don’t necessarily have to start with the first book, but all are great!
Just like Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None”
This is an Agatha Christy type murder mystery set off the coast of Scotland during World War II where British SOE agents are being kept against their will in Killoch Castle. This is my first Maggie Hope mystery series book and the eighth in this series. I don’t usually read this type of book but it was well written and full of mystery and suspense. I did enjoy reading it and probably would have enjoyed it more had I read the previous seven books. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoy spy stories about WW2 and this one fills the bill.
THE PRISONER IN THE CASTLE, the eighth installment in the excellent Maggie Hope Mystery Series, is a worthy homage to Agatha Christie’s AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, and it deviates enough from the original work to stand on its own merits.
Maggie Hope finds herself virtually imprisoned, though a somewhat comfortable prison, with other SEO agents who know too much, on an island off the west coast of Scotland. They are expected to ride out the rest of the war isolated, determined to be a danger to British national security and the greater war effort. When the commanding officer suddenly dies, everyone assumes it is of natural causes. Even when an “inmate” also dies shortly thereafter, it is not obvious that it is foul play. That is, until the body count continues to rise. In a castle full of secret agents, all trained to kill, who could possibly be behind the murders? Maggie and the other agents find themselves walking on eggshells waiting for the next offense to occur. As the tally rises, the danger is palpable, and Maggie does what she can to get to the bottom of things.
Even though Maggie is not on the front lines of WWII in this installment, there is more than enough danger and plenty of intrigue to make a compelling read. There are a few clues, red herrings, and unexpected twists along the way to keep readers guessing. I do, however, wish there had been more active investigating for Maggie to do. Most of the information she came across seemed to be by accident. The agents are all interesting in their own rights, and I enjoyed learning a bit of their back stories as the story progresses. The plot moves along a steady pace, and the writing is descriptive and clean.
I greatly enjoyed my time with Maggie and look forward to many more adventures with her.
I received an ARC of this title through NetGalley from the publisher and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.
Loved the book and the author
Interesting
Love this series. Maggie is a courageous hero with strength of character and problem solving that is ingenious.
“The Prisoner in the Castle” by Susan Elia Macneal is book number 8 in the Maggie Hope series, which is centered on Mr. Churchill and England during World War II. It is the first of this series I have read but I intend to remedy that situation. Maggie works for various British intelligence agencies, apparently personnel transfers around. In this case she finds herself on a remote Scottish island living in a hunting lodge with a commander and fewer than a dozen prisoners as well as three caretakers. She has been sent into isolation but she is not certain the reason. All she knows is she takes her oath seriously and share no part of her professional life, even with the psychiatrist who visits one a month. No outside contact is allowed-family and friends are simply told “…on a mission.” People start dying. At first it is unclear if it is by accident or ill health but it quickly becomes obvious it is murder.
Macneal’s story is kind of homage to Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None,” a type of locked room mystery…in the case an isolated island mystery. Frightening things happen as people start to suspect one another. Surprises are around every turn. A truly enjoyable wartime mystery enticing one to suspect even their own government, as common theme these days, sadly. Maggie is a strong character who displays professionalism, common sense, and an empathetic heart. She relates to other characters no matter their lots in life and deals with them in the kindest possible ways.
Quite a good book. I recommend it to anyone who loves mystery, historical mystery, or Agatha Christie.
I was given a free ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. #netgalley
This story is full of twists and turns. It reads like Agatha Christie’s “Ten Little Indians.” One of the characters/suspects even mentions that book. Maggie Hope is sequestered on a Scottish island against her will, along with other spies considered security risks. None of her friends or acquaintances knows her whereabouts. The inmates are allowed free rein of the island but no outside communication. A young lady arrives one day, believing she is there for specialized training. And then the murders begin. I found it very hard to put down. As always the Maggie Hope books reveal interesting bits of WWII history as well as a good mystery.
this is a “you can’t put this down” mystery/adventure starring Maggie Hope. this is a series which starts with Mr Churchill’s Secretary. Maggie is an American who. Comes over to deal with a house that a deceased Aunt has left her. She is caught up in the beginning of the war and becomes one of the many secretaries for the Prime Minister. Maggie goes on – through the series of books – to become a secret agent infiltrating Germany and France. Well written and well plotted, this is a don’t miss.