I am enjoying this series. I got started because my best friend gave me one that is further along, so I decided I ought to read the preliminary adventures of Maggie Hope.

I especially like the historic details, the main characters, and interesting plot twists. I don't usually go in for anything that involves clandestine sneaking around - makes my teeth itch and knees sweat. But this was fun.

I did, however, have to chuckle and mentally thank a previous reader (my copy was from the library) who made a few unobtrusive notes, pointing out some small but rather glaring content errors. And all in the midst of the denoument!

Was Ms. MacNeal on a tense, impossible deadline? Did she lose some of her notes to Nazi saboteurs? Were her editors asleep at the switch? Because honestly someone should have caught them, particularly the one that was a complete contradiction only 4 sentences apart.

Mind you, I do not blame the author. No author can possibly catch things like that, especially having led us on such a merry chase for hundreds of pages.

No, that is what the long list of acknowledged supporters at the back of the book were supposed to have been doing. I hope they'll serve her better in the future.

I look forward to gobbling down the next volume, and not only to find out if they do! ( )

Susan Elia MacNeal introduced the remarkable Maggie Hope in her acclaimed debut, Mr. Churchill’s Secretary. Now Maggie returns to protect Britain’s beloved royals against an international plot—one that could change the course of history. As World War II sweeps the continent and England steels itself against German attack, Maggie Hope, former secretary to Prime Minister Winston Churchill, completes her training to become a spy for MI-5. Spirited, strong-willed, and possessing one of the sharpest minds in government for mathematics and code-breaking, she fully expects to be sent abroad to gather intelligence for the British front. Instead, to her great disappointment, she is dispatched to go undercover at Windsor Castle, where she will tutor the young Princess Elizabeth in math. Yet castle life quickly proves more dangerous—and deadly—than Maggie ever expected. The upstairs-downstairs world at Windsor is thrown into disarray by a shocking murder, which draws Maggie into a vast conspiracy that places the entire royal family in peril. And as she races to save England from a most disturbing fate, Maggie realizes that a quick wit is her best defense, and that the smallest clues can unravel the biggest secrets, even within her own family.Praise for Mr. Churchill’s Secretary “Delightful may seem a strange word to describe a novel that takes place against the backdrop of the bombings of London during World War II, but it’s appropriate for this debut novel. . . . As sweet as it is intriguing.”—USA Today “A captivating, post-feminist picture of England during its finest hour.”—The Denver Post “Daring . . . Blends meticulous research on the era, psychological insight into Winston Churchill, and the creation of a riveting main character, Maggie Hope, into a spectacularly crafted novel.”—Bookreporter “A ripping good yarn [that] enthralls and satisfies.”—Richmond Times-Dispatch

At Benji's while puzzling. Terrible narrator. Missed some of the previous characters, her girlfriends and john. Overall enjoyed as a puzzle companion. I liked the character of princess elizabeth. ( )

When I first heard of this series, I really wanted to read this book, but dutifully read the first book first which I ended up liking more. I doubt I will continue this series. I had a couple of problems with this book I have been to Windsor Castle and wondered why the Germans would fly over it to get to London, when it's west of London. Also, I don't think the period after each word was a thing until recently. The author uses it quite a bit. I did like her portrayal of "Lilibet" and even looked up a picture of her online. ( )

4.5 stars. The extra half star is because the princesses were such well-developed characters. ( )