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’ve read all of the books in this series. This is good but not the best. The plot is heavily borrowed from the Agatha Christie book And Then There Were None. The WWII details were interesting.
WWII spy novel with a female lead. Great series
This book was a page-turner. A good addition to the series.
Set in WW II Scotland, this is very much in the school of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None.
Terrific historical fiction, a wonderful series.
Entertaing historical fiction based on some actual events.
Susan Elia MacNeal does a great job capturing the feeling of the period and producing characters that are unique and interesting.
Not as good as the other books in the series. Maggie saw very little action since she was being held “prisoner” for most of the book.
I’m a big fan of the Maggie Hope series and this lastest book did not disappoint. Interesting and believable characters and lots of plot twists and turns with a surprise ending.
i really like this series by this author.
Where have Maggie Hope and Susan Elia MacNeal been my whole life, and why haven’t I picked up one of these Maggie Hope mysteries before? This eighth installment in the series drew me in from the very first page and kept me reading until late at night. I was transported to the beautiful and yet sinister Scottish Isle of Scarra in the midst of World War II, where British spies with too many war secrets were sent to wait out the war. Maggie is a remarkable heroine, and this book had such an intriguing cast of characters and mystery that I had a difficult time, like Maggie, determining just who could be trusted until the very end of the book.
The Prisoner in the Castle is, without doubt, the best book I have read this year, and Susan Elia MacNeal is an extremely talented writer. I recommend this book without hesitation, and although it can definitely stand on its own, I can’t wait to start reading this series from the beginning.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are solely my own.
Yet another masterful work in the Maggie Hope Mystery series. Where previous books in the series are perhaps more action driven, the suspense in this story is more cerebral in nature. That is until the book draws near to the end, where the action accelerates, the scenes change quickly and it all draws to a pulse-pounding conclusion.
The British agents, all broken goods in each own’s way, banished to a remote Scottish island are dropping like flies. Surely, none among them could be the murderer, or could they? It’s a race against time for Maggie Hope as she runs for her life and tries to save others along with herself.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, especially the references to poetry and other classic literature. The natural settings drawn are painterly and the made-to-look-old castle grotesque in description. Author Susan Elia MacNeal’s pen is wielded with a masterful flourish and she has delivered yet another great read for mystery and historical fiction lovers. Well done!
I am grateful to author Susan Eliza MacNeal, publisher Bantam Books and LibraryThing First Reads for having provided a free advance uncorrected proof of this book. Their generosity, however, did not influence this review – the words of which are mine alone.
This is one of the best books of this series. I learn so much background information on the War through these books and always enjoy the historical backdrop. A great read.
The best so far in series exciting til end really interesting plot and characters not too heavy into womens issues
I have read all of Susan Elia MacNeal’s books. I love this series and the history about WWII.
most disappointing of this series
Brilliantly researched and plotted. Love her books.
This is the most recent of the Maggie Hope series and is just as good as the others. It certainly makes you think and gives a bit of historical perspective.
With a Nod to Agatha Christie!
This is the second Maggie Hope novel I’ve read and my TBR contains the first seven as “must reads.” What a wonderful series!
Set on an isolated island, pre-D-Day, this meticulously researched tale snatches you back in time to the glamor and austerity of the 1940s, when the baronial estates are being seconded by the war effort to serve as offices and hospitals and training camps. “Loose Lips Sink Ships” is the motto and several individuals in power have taken it seriously enough to create a prison camp for operatives who know too much. There is a fair amount of philosophy, or, should I say, conflicting philosophies, shared and examined, revealing the core beliefs of the characters and contributing to their actions and reactions. Winston Churchill, for instance, is a larger-than-life presence and yet humanized. This story works wonderfully on myriad and intricate levels as thriller and romance and mystery (back to Agatha Christie). Maggie in many ways resembles the intrepid, adventurous Nancy Drew, but as a highly trained (adult!) SOE operative. I am looking forward to the next episode!
My Review of “The Prisoner in the Castle” by Susan Elia MacNeal, Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine, August 7, 2018
Susan Elia MacNeal, Author of “The Prisoner in the Castle” has written an intriguing, captivating, suspenseful, riveting novel. The Genres for this Novel are Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, with a touch of Historical Fiction. This is the eighth Maggie Hope novel in the mystery series, but can be read as a stand alone. The author describes her colorful cast of characters as complicated and complex.
Can you imagine that our Heroine Maggie Hope is imprisoned on a secret island, with other agents for knowing too much information? The powers that be are afraid that certain agents can change the course of World War Two by having too much information, and the solution seems to be to imprison them. Unfortunately one or more of these prisoners is a cold-blooded killer and possibly a spy.
The name of the game for Maggie Hope is to survive, and somehow find help. But who can she trust? All the characters are seem suspect in one way and another, and her loved ones don’t know where she is. I highly recommend this novel for those readers that like a tense, and suspenseful story. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.