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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • For fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Laurie R. King, and Anne Perry, whip-smart heroine Maggie Hope returns to embark on a clandestine mission behind enemy lines where no one can be trusted, and even the smallest indiscretion can be deadly.World War II has finally come home to Britain, but it takes more than nightly air raids to rattle intrepid spy and expert code breaker Maggie Hope. After serving as a secret agent to protect Princess Elizabeth at Windsor Castle, show more Maggie is now an elite member of the Special Operations Executive—a black ops organization designed to aid the British effort abroad—and her first assignment sends her straight into Nazi-controlled Berlin, the very heart of the German war machine. Relying on her quick wit and keen instincts, Maggie infiltrates the highest level of Berlin society, gathering information to pass on to London headquarters. But the secrets she unveils will expose a darker, more dangerous side of the war—and of her own past.
“You’ll be [Maggie Hope’s] loyal subject, ready to follow her wherever she goes.”—O: The Oprah Magazine. show less
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First Line: The urn the ashes came in was beautiful-- shiny and black, with an enamel swastika on one side.
Since protecting Princess Elizabeth at Windsor Castle, Maggie Hope has been training as a new member of the Special Operations Executive, an elite black ops group whose mission is to aid the British war effort abroad. Maggie's first mission as a part of the SOE? To parachute into the heart of Germany to deliver badly needed supplies-- and to plant a listening device in the Berlin office of one of Hitler's trusted advisors. She will be the first female spy sent across the Channel. While in the Nazi capital, she takes the opportunity to gather information to pass on to SOE headquarters in London. The information she uncovers exposes show more an even more malevolent side of Nazi policy and puts her-- and others-- in mortal danger.
After the high octane conclusion to Maggie's last adventure in Princess Elizabeth's Spy, I assumed that there would be more of the same. There wasn't-- and that's not a bad thing. What this book may lack in nail-biting, rapid-fire action, it more than makes up for in Maggie's undercover work as a spy. Let's face it: all that action and chasing and running around would spell a quick ending to Maggie's career as a spy, and I definitely would not like to see that happen.
The action may be toned down slightly, but MacNeal shows readers the very real danger people faced if they opposed Hitler's policies. She does this by introducing several fine new characters. There is a Gentile woman married to a Jewish doctor, a German secretly fighting as a member of the Resistance, and a gifted young nurse whose mother is a high-ranking member of Hitler's team of wizards. Permeating the entire story is the evil of one of Hitler's lesser known plans that was carried out in German hospitals.
Maggie continues to grow in these books. She's not the weak-limbed, naive young girl she was at the beginning. She's gone through rigorous physical training and has even more opportunity to use that keen mind of hers to piece bits of information together. Her impetuosity has been tempered a bit, probably because she's more capable of recognizing her own mortality. In addition, she learns even more about her past because three members of her family figure quite prominently in the story.
Susan Elia MacNeal brings war torn Europe to life through her characters. His Majesty's Hope stands alone well, but it would be a shame for you to miss any part of Maggie Hope's adventures. I'm looking forward to discovering what this strong, intelligent woman will be up to next. show less
Since protecting Princess Elizabeth at Windsor Castle, Maggie Hope has been training as a new member of the Special Operations Executive, an elite black ops group whose mission is to aid the British war effort abroad. Maggie's first mission as a part of the SOE? To parachute into the heart of Germany to deliver badly needed supplies-- and to plant a listening device in the Berlin office of one of Hitler's trusted advisors. She will be the first female spy sent across the Channel. While in the Nazi capital, she takes the opportunity to gather information to pass on to SOE headquarters in London. The information she uncovers exposes show more an even more malevolent side of Nazi policy and puts her-- and others-- in mortal danger.
After the high octane conclusion to Maggie's last adventure in Princess Elizabeth's Spy, I assumed that there would be more of the same. There wasn't-- and that's not a bad thing. What this book may lack in nail-biting, rapid-fire action, it more than makes up for in Maggie's undercover work as a spy. Let's face it: all that action and chasing and running around would spell a quick ending to Maggie's career as a spy, and I definitely would not like to see that happen.
The action may be toned down slightly, but MacNeal shows readers the very real danger people faced if they opposed Hitler's policies. She does this by introducing several fine new characters. There is a Gentile woman married to a Jewish doctor, a German secretly fighting as a member of the Resistance, and a gifted young nurse whose mother is a high-ranking member of Hitler's team of wizards. Permeating the entire story is the evil of one of Hitler's lesser known plans that was carried out in German hospitals.
Maggie continues to grow in these books. She's not the weak-limbed, naive young girl she was at the beginning. She's gone through rigorous physical training and has even more opportunity to use that keen mind of hers to piece bits of information together. Her impetuosity has been tempered a bit, probably because she's more capable of recognizing her own mortality. In addition, she learns even more about her past because three members of her family figure quite prominently in the story.
Susan Elia MacNeal brings war torn Europe to life through her characters. His Majesty's Hope stands alone well, but it would be a shame for you to miss any part of Maggie Hope's adventures. I'm looking forward to discovering what this strong, intelligent woman will be up to next. show less
I just got back from a vacation that was wonderful in almost all ways except that I knew an ARC of His Majesty’s Hope would be arriving in the mail at home and I’d have to wait a week to start reading. Set during WWII, this series features Maggie Hope who has gone from being one of Winston Churchill’s secretaries to being an undercover spy. With a determined personality and a knack for codes, languages, and mathematics Maggie has come a long way since the first book when she worked as one of Winston Churchill's secretaries. Now she will be parachuting into Germany to work as an undercover spy and encountering her mother, a well connected Nazi, who until recently Maggie thought was dead.
Her previous adventures and training have show more made Maggie hard, competent, and physically much stronger than she was, but she’ll need a lot of emotional strength to cope with new challenges and revelations. There is humor in this book but it’s not a light mystery. Among the darker realities Maggie discovers is that Hitler’s crew is covertly murdering children they deem genetically inferior, loved children with issues like epilepsy or Down’s syndrome. Maggie will also be dealing with love complicated by war, men who think women lack the necessary skills to be a spy, and the discovery that there is more to her family than she knew.
This fast paced, riveting story is told from multiple points of view but I had no trouble keeping track of what was going on. There are maybe a few too many coincidences in the plot, but the character development and storytelling are so good I didn’t care. show less
Her previous adventures and training have show more made Maggie hard, competent, and physically much stronger than she was, but she’ll need a lot of emotional strength to cope with new challenges and revelations. There is humor in this book but it’s not a light mystery. Among the darker realities Maggie discovers is that Hitler’s crew is covertly murdering children they deem genetically inferior, loved children with issues like epilepsy or Down’s syndrome. Maggie will also be dealing with love complicated by war, men who think women lack the necessary skills to be a spy, and the discovery that there is more to her family than she knew.
This fast paced, riveting story is told from multiple points of view but I had no trouble keeping track of what was going on. There are maybe a few too many coincidences in the plot, but the character development and storytelling are so good I didn’t care. show less
As you can see from my reviews of Winston Churchill's Secretary and Princess Elizabeth's Spy, I predicted that the second Maggie Hope mystery would be better than the first, and I was duly rewarded. I therefore had high hopes for this third installment, but unfortunately, Maggie's mission to Berlin didn't exactly live up to its promise.
Now with the elite Special Operations Executive, Maggie continues her somewhat maverick approach to acts of derring-do on behalf of His Majesty with a two-pronged mission in Berlin. Unfortunately, most of the people she encounters during her exploits there fail to come alive on the page. Add to that less-than-convincing mission details and some entirely-too-coincidental meet-ups, and this adventure just show more doesn't measure up. But MacNeal has already proven that she has what it takes in this genre, so I'll continue to hope for good things in future Maggie Hope adventures.
Two additional notes: First, this book shouldn't really be called a mystery, since there is no mystery to be solved. Second, MacNeal shouldn't feel the need to rip off scenes from tv shows, although I'm sure it was entirely an unconscious thing on her part. She chose one of my favorite scenes from an excellent show (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), but I was still very disappointed. Her writing is strong enough without resorting to copying, even from the greats. show less
Now with the elite Special Operations Executive, Maggie continues her somewhat maverick approach to acts of derring-do on behalf of His Majesty with a two-pronged mission in Berlin. Unfortunately, most of the people she encounters during her exploits there fail to come alive on the page. Add to that less-than-convincing mission details and some entirely-too-coincidental meet-ups, and this adventure just show more doesn't measure up. But MacNeal has already proven that she has what it takes in this genre, so I'll continue to hope for good things in future Maggie Hope adventures.
Two additional notes: First, this book shouldn't really be called a mystery, since there is no mystery to be solved. Second, MacNeal shouldn't feel the need to rip off scenes from tv shows, although I'm sure it was entirely an unconscious thing on her part. She chose one of my favorite scenes from an excellent show (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), but I was still very disappointed. Her writing is strong enough without resorting to copying, even from the greats. show less
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.Oh dear. Such a disappointment. Partly because the series had been a bit on the fluffy, fuzzy side and with this book it is neither of those. It is dark and the main character loses her charm by the end of the book. Granted the story line is about the SOE and Hitler’s Germany (maybe too close to home to read?) but there is also an overwhelming thread of Catholicism from two of the characters to the point that there is much quoting of scripture. Given the fact that the CC was silently complicit to some extent, this is interesting. It was new to me, however, that two well known bishops and more priests did stand up and condemn Hitler and the camps. Nonetheless, this was a disturbing read in some ways: it seems to change its mood from show more the previous books; the main character undergoes a fundamental personality change; and the ending clearly hints at a sequel. The train went off the tracks for me. show less
I am really enjoying this early-WWII-era series from MacNeal. The characters are fresh in the genre and immediately likeable. There is an air of both luxury and deprivation, from champagne flutes to bomb shelters, that flashes light and dark through the story and seems to propel the characters along. With the blessings of hindsight on our side, we get the feeling that this cycle vastly benefits the Britons, "stiff upper lip" and all that, and the same clinging-to-normality attitude is a sign of desperation in their German counterparts.
MacNeal's research must be impeccable; her immersion of characters in the humdrum details of their present day is fleshed out and real. Part of this might be because spies themselves must be highly aware show more of the details of their cover, but MacNeal could easily have phoned some of the little things in, but didn't. It indicates to me her dedication as an author, and as a reader I appreciate it for the lush story that results.
Following on that, I wish the historical notes at the end had a bit more further reading resources listed! I know very little about, and want to learn much more about, the moral-ethical-religious thinking of the early Third Reich, particularly the return to pagan Germanic beliefs and the "Brides of Hitler," one of whom Maggie Hope meets during her mission. The idea is mentioned twice, separately, in the book, so I wonder if the theme won't be further developed in the next installment. I won't say anything more -- Spoilers! show less
MacNeal's research must be impeccable; her immersion of characters in the humdrum details of their present day is fleshed out and real. Part of this might be because spies themselves must be highly aware show more of the details of their cover, but MacNeal could easily have phoned some of the little things in, but didn't. It indicates to me her dedication as an author, and as a reader I appreciate it for the lush story that results.
Following on that, I wish the historical notes at the end had a bit more further reading resources listed! I know very little about, and want to learn much more about, the moral-ethical-religious thinking of the early Third Reich, particularly the return to pagan Germanic beliefs and the "Brides of Hitler," one of whom Maggie Hope meets during her mission. The idea is mentioned twice, separately, in the book, so I wonder if the theme won't be further developed in the next installment. I won't say anything more -- Spoilers! show less
This is yet another engaging installment in the Maggie Hope mystery series. It's April 1941. Our heroine, Maggie Hope, has just completed intensive spy training at a remote British Estate and is ready to jump into the fray - literally. Her first solo assignment is to drop into Germany and deliver a package and plant a bug in a high-level Abwehr member's personal office. Everything goes smoothly but an interesting opportunity presents itself and Maggie, following her keen intuition, opts to stay on to dig deeper for vital information, secure Britain's advantage and put the Führer out of business. She accepts the position of companion to Herr Oberg's teen-age daughter who as a "racially pure Hitler Bride" carries a baby for the show more Vaterland. Sensing danger, Maggie reacts and the cat and mouse game commences. When all is said and done, Maggie has lost her edge and possibly the hope for her future. I eagerly await the next installment in this series - "The Prime Minister's Secret Agent". show less
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.His Majesty's Hope A Maggie Hope Mystery by Susan Elia McNeal is even better than the previous in this series, Princess Elizabeth's Spy. Why? Maggie is in really dangerous territory now. She is the first woman to be parachuted into Germany and only 60% of the secret agents survive their mission in Germany. She has a two part mission but there is a third part that no one tells her apart. And Maggie seizes the opportunity to extend her spy duties on her own.
It is easy to pick up the tension and fear in the air when Maggie is in Germany. Germany under Hitler is easy to imagine. The author cites plenty of sources in the back of the book for events that really happened. She did change a few names but there were plenty that weren't. What does show more it feel like when you are a spy and the guards ask for your papers? What happens when you learn about one of Hitler's programs that most people are not aware of? Some loose ends from the two previous books are resolved, or are they? When I was reading about Maggie and another brave young woman, my hands were sweating. This book is exciting and doesn't lack for action.
Susan Elia McNeal is an extremely talented writer; she took me to Nazi Germany and back. And not all the Germans were bad. There are some very heroic acts in this book. I want to learn more about the brave German Resistance and other brave people working against the Third Reich. The details in this story that make you feel like you are really in Nazi Germany like the poster in the hospital that gives you chills. This book is also heartbreaking when you read about innocent children and elderly who not treated like humans.
I highly recommend this book. Can't wait until the next one!
I received the ARC of this book from the Amazon Vine program and that in no way influenced my thoughts in this review. show less
It is easy to pick up the tension and fear in the air when Maggie is in Germany. Germany under Hitler is easy to imagine. The author cites plenty of sources in the back of the book for events that really happened. She did change a few names but there were plenty that weren't. What does show more it feel like when you are a spy and the guards ask for your papers? What happens when you learn about one of Hitler's programs that most people are not aware of? Some loose ends from the two previous books are resolved, or are they? When I was reading about Maggie and another brave young woman, my hands were sweating. This book is exciting and doesn't lack for action.
Susan Elia McNeal is an extremely talented writer; she took me to Nazi Germany and back. And not all the Germans were bad. There are some very heroic acts in this book. I want to learn more about the brave German Resistance and other brave people working against the Third Reich. The details in this story that make you feel like you are really in Nazi Germany like the poster in the hospital that gives you chills. This book is also heartbreaking when you read about innocent children and elderly who not treated like humans.
I highly recommend this book. Can't wait until the next one!
I received the ARC of this book from the Amazon Vine program and that in no way influenced my thoughts in this review. show less
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16 Works 6,527 Members
Susan Elia MacNeal graduated cum laude from Wellesley College, with departmental honors in English literature and credits from cross-registered classes at MIT. She attended the Radcliffe Publishing Course at Harvard University. She is the author of the Maggie Hope Mystery series. Her writing has been published in The Wall Street Journal, The show more Huffington Post, Fodor's, Time Out New York, Time Out London, Publishers Weekly, Dance Magazine, and various publications of New York City Ballet. She's also the author of two non-fiction books and a professional editor. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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- Canonical title
- His Majesty's Hope
- Original publication date
- 2013-05-14
- People/Characters
- Maggie Hope; Margareta Hoffman; Clara Hess; Miles Hess; Elise Hess; Fritz Frommel (show all 20); Frieda Klein; Ernst Klein; Gretel Paulus; Gottlieb Lehrer; Frank Nelson; Noreen Baxter (SOE); Kim Philby; Adelwin Karl; Torsten Ritter; Frank Kraus; Stefan Kreuger; John Sterling; Hugh Thompson; David Greene
- Important places
- Berlin, Germany
- Important events
- World War II
- Epigraph
- The right of personal freedom recedes before the duty to preserve the race. There must be no half-measures.
-Adolf Hitler
In the higher ranges of Secret Service work, the actual facts in many cases were in every respect equal to the most fantastic inventions of romance and melodrama. Tangle within tangle, plot and counter-plot ,ruse and tr... (show all)eachery, cross and double-cross, true agent, false agent, double agent, gold and steel, the bomb, the dagger and the firing party, were interwoven in many a texture so intricate as to be incredible and yet true. The Chief and the High Officers of the Secret Service reveled in these subterranean labyrinths, and pursued their task with cold and silent passion.
-Winston Churchill - Dedication
- To Idria Barone Knecht
Thank you - First words
- The urn the ashes came in was beautiful -- shiny and black, with an enamel swastika on one side.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Clara turned back to the window, staring out over the Thames and Tower Bridge, a small smile playing on her lips.
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