The Prisoner in the Castle

This latest outing in the Maggie Hope mystery series (#8) finds Maggie imprisoned with nine other highly trained British spies in an eclectic mansion on an isolated island off the windswept Scottish coast. Each of the prisoners, including Maggie, is considered a security risk to England in the midst of WW II. Although they have no communication with the outside world their stay at the island resembles a weekend retreat at an upper class country home, including dressing for cocktails and dinner, and activities such as fishing, poetry readings and hunting on the grounds.

There is a nod to the format of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None as prisoners die one by one, by different means. The remaining spies go to work trying to show more figure out who is the killer. Unease builds as the plot twists and turns, with good old-fashioned red herrings thrown in that keep Maggie and the reader guessing as to the murderer and motive for the killings. The author develops a great sense of the rugged Scottish setting and maintains tension up to the conclusion.

The enjoyable Maggie Hope series involves a competent and strong female protagonist. This latest is a satisfying mystery to sit down with. show less

This installment of the Maggie Hope WWII mystery series is both a nail-biting thriller and an homage to Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None” (aka “Ten Little Indians”). The “training camp” where Maggie is confined holds trained agents of the SOE who for one reason or another are deemed unsuitable for field work, but who know far too many war secrets to be let loose in the general population. But one of them is a Nazi spy who wants the secrets they hold and is willing to kill to get them. Meanwhile, back in London, the “Blackout Beast” unexpectedly pleads not guilty to the murders Maggie helped solve in “The Queen’s Accomplice” and her testimony will be vitally needed to put him away. But no one can or show more will tell DCI Durgin what’s happened to Maggie.

MacNeal does well building the tension and claustrophobia of the situation, and leads up to a very cinematic climax, that I can’t help thinking would be spectacular on film. There are rather a lot of characters to keep straight, and more than a few plots as well, so the story does at time seem a bit cluttered. It would likely be hopelessly confusing to readers who do not have at least some familiarity with the series. But overall, it is fine entry in the saga, and a very enjoyable mystery-thriller.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. show less

If you have a suspicious nature like mine, it won't be all that difficult to narrow down the field of suspects in MacNeal's homage to Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, but it's still a fun read, and anyway, the best mysteries are about more than merely deducing the identity of a killer. The Prisoner in the Castle satisfies on so many levels, such as... The way MacNeal weaves historical facts into her narrative. The way she breathes atmosphere into her Hebridean setting. The way the action sequences in her book have your eyes glued to the page. And I could go on. In fact, I think I will.

The main strength of this book (and the entire series) is the character of Maggie Hope herself. Longtime fans have seen her grow from a show more clerical position at Bletchley Park to Winston Churchill's secretary to secret agent, and each step is believable. Maggie Hope is extremely intelligent and extremely dedicated. She can think on her feet, and she doesn't know when to give up. The high-powered ending of The Prisoner in the Castle shows how tough and resourceful Maggie is. Femininity is far from being a disadvantage, as many women actually proved during World War II. And-- lucky for her-- she's gathered friends around her who care deeply for her and who also refuse to take no for an answer. In war as in life, we all need friends.

If you're new to the series and simply cannot face going back to the beginning (Mr. Churchill's Secretary), you can begin here, but Maggie is such a wonderful character, I do hope you will reconsider. Susan Elia MacNeal's Maggie Hope series is one of my favorite historical mystery treats. Neither woman disappoints. show less

This happens to be the eighth book in Susan Elia MacNeal's Maggie Hope Mystery series, set in WWII where Maggie has gone from being Winston Churchill's secretary to a major spy who has encountered the likes of Princess Elizabeth, Eleanor Roosevelt and even the Queen herself during her various adventures. Here, she's deemed too risky to be in the field so Maggie is sent to a distant island along with other agents sharing her unofficial status.

While their confinement is not severe,due to being kept at a mock Tudor mansion where the previous owner gave his prior guests the quite the grisly end, there is plenty of danger to be had as one by one, Maggie's fellow exiles are being eliminated. Since all of them have been trained to kill, this show more makes the suspect pool both wide spread and growing narrower with each death.

Granted, this story is placed far within the series yet the plot set forth has an echo of Agatha Christie's classic tale of deadly isolation And Then There Were None, a story that I'm pretty familiar with, which made it less intimidating to get into. Also, the engaging writing makes even a newcomer like myself feel more than welcome.

Yes, I have decided to read a couple of earlier titles in this series as well and it will be good fun to catch up with Maggie Hope's adventures. show less

This installment of the Maggie Hope WWII mystery series is both a nail-biting thriller and an homage to Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None” (aka “Ten Little Indians”). The “training camp” where Maggie is confined holds trained agents of the SOE who for one reason or another are deemed unsuitable for field work, but who know far too many war secrets to be let loose in the general population. But one of them is a Nazi spy who wants the secrets they hold and is willing to kill to get them. Meanwhile, back in London, the “Blackout Beast” unexpectedly pleads not guilty to the murders Maggie helped solve in “The Queen’s Accomplice” and her testimony will be vitally needed to put him away. But no one can or show more will tell DCI Durgin what’s happened to Maggie.

MacNeal does well building the tension and claustrophobia of the situation, and leads up to a very cinematic climax, that I can’t help thinking would be spectacular on film. There are rather a lot of characters to keep straight, and more than a few plots as well, so the story does at time seem a bit cluttered. It would likely be hopelessly confusing to readers who do not have at least some familiarity with the series. But overall, it is fine entry in the saga, and a very enjoyable mystery-thriller.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. show less

Maggie Hope is a British spy in WWII. This is the latest in a series of books about her,only one of which I have read. Maggie is a great character, and it is not difficult to drop into this book without reading the earlier ones. I won’t spoil the plot, but it was an engrossing page-turner, well written with interesting details of place and especially its time. If you like strong female characters, engaging mystery and a bit of thriller action and a neat plot twist, this is for you.

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 show more 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. show less