• Mr. Churchill's Secretary

  • A Maggie Hope Mystery
  • By: Susan Elia MacNeal
  • Narrated by: Donada Peters
  • Length: 9 hrs and 45 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (2,800 ratings)

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Mr. Churchill's Secretary  By  cover art

Mr. Churchill's Secretary

By: Susan Elia MacNeal
Narrated by: Donada Peters
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Publisher's summary

BARRY AWARD WINNER • Heralding the arrival of a brilliant new heroine, Mr. Churchill’s Secretary captures the drama of an era of unprecedented challenge—and the greatness that rose to meet it.

“With any luck, the adventures of red-haired super-sleuth Maggie Hope will go on forever. . . . Taut, well-plotted, and suspenseful, this is a wartime mystery to sink your teeth into.” —Kate Quinn,
New York Times bestselling author of The Rose Code

London, 1940. Winston Churchill has just been sworn in, war rages across the Channel, and the threat of a Blitz looms larger by the day. But none of this deters Maggie Hope. She graduated at the top of her college class and possesses all the skills of the finest minds in British intelligence, but her gender qualifies her only to be the newest typist at No. 10 Downing Street. Her indefatigable spirit and remarkable gifts for codebreaking, though, rival those of even the highest men in government, and Maggie finds that working for the prime minister affords her a level of clearance she could never have imagined—and opportunities she will not let pass. In troubled, deadly times, with air-raid sirens sending multitudes underground, access to the War Rooms also exposes Maggie to the machinations of a menacing faction determined to do whatever it takes to change the course of history.

Ensnared in a web of spies, murder, and intrigue, Maggie must work quickly to balance her duty to King and Country with her chances for survival. And when she unravels a mystery that points toward her own family’s hidden secrets, she’ll discover that her quick wits are all that stand between an assassin’s murderous plan and Churchill himself.

In this daring debut, Susan Elia MacNeal 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.

©2012 Susan Elia Macneal (P)2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“This wonderful debut is intelligent, richly detailed, and filled with suspense.” (Stefanie Pintoff)

“A terrific read.... Chock full of fascinating period details and real people including Winston Churchill, MacNeal’s fast-paced thriller gives a glimpse of the struggles, tensions, and dangers of life on the home front during World War II.” (Rhys Bowen, author of Royal Blood and winner of the Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity awards)

“Think early Ken Follett, amp it up with a whip-smart young American not averse to red lipstick and vintage cocktails, season it with espionage during the London Blitz, and you’ve got a heart-pounding, atmospheric debut. I loved it.” (Cara Black, author of Murder in Passy)

What listeners say about Mr. Churchill's Secretary

Average customer ratings
Overall
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Pleasant Period Piece

Where does Mr. Churchill's Secretary rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Pleasant. Easy on the ears. I ran out of Rhys Bowen to listen to and tried this one. Not sorry, but not yet a "can't wait for the next one" series. I'll order the next one, but not sure about the third.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Mr. Churchill's Secretary?

Silly question for a mystery read. When the character reveals him/herself to be a scoundrel.

Have you listened to any of Wanda McCaddon’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Mine wasn't done by Wanda. It was Donada Peters, which is what the cover says, and she was very good. Get it straightened out, eh?

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Nope. Just very pleasant.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Jr High level story

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I wanted to like this book but the overly simplistic plotting and writing were a disappointment. It seems like I was reading a book aimed at a Jr High audience.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Brave Britons

It seems World War II never looses its appeal. Inspite of being hard to believe during some of the story this was entertaining.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

took a second, but worth it

It took me a while to get fully invested in this book (especially after recently reading Maisie Dobbs). I kept on and it was worth it. The narrator is good and the character development is such that I'll be getting the next in the series now.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Good story

I chose this rating because it was very well told. Good story. I have already told my friends about it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The best

Fantastic all the way around , the reader, the story ❤️❤️❤️🎹🎹 I would listen 3 times over and over❤️❤️

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Jolly Good Time

I listen while I craft, I make cards, most go to a charitable foundation. It’s perfect accompaniment

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

hard start for me but hooked..

Narrator terrific. story well laid though sometimes implausible. good WWII yarn bringing a taste of the horrors war brings.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great!

Enjoyed leaning about this period in Britain’s history, about London and Churchill. Voices very convincing. Very entertaining story within this historical setting.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good historical fiction

I enjoyed listening to this book as it transported me back to 1940 London. The author does a wonderful job describing how all senses felt during this horrific time in history.

The reader has a lovely voice however several characters sounded so similar, this made it hard to distinguish which character was which.

Overall a good book. I look forward to continuing the series.

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