Princess Elizabeth's Spy

A Maggie Hope Mystery

De: Susan Elia MacNeal

Narrado por: Susan Duerden

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.

Reseñas de la Crítica

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

Engaging

After enjoying "Mr. Churchill's Secretary", we looked forward to this 2nd book in the series. It is a wonderful story, moving briskly and giving insights to the characters and events of WWII. Our one disappointment was the narration. We might have been satisfied with Susan Duerden as narrator if we had not become accustomed to the superior narration of Wanda McCaddon in the earlier book. "Princess Elizabeth's Spy" ends in a real cliffhanger situation and we are anxious for the release of Book 3.

Good thing it's a good story...

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I'm intrigued by the time period, and the personalities in World War II. Although this is fiction, the characters of young Princess Elizabeth and her parents, the king and queen, and Winston Churchill contain enough of what is known to be true to keep the story interesting.

What did you like best about this story?

The plot is believable, and the play between MI5 and MI6 together with basic spycraft make the story fun.

How could the performance have been better?

If it were not for the strength of the story, I would have deleted this after the first 15 minutes. The narrator speaks in a sing-songy voice that about drives me nuts. At one point I nearly decided to stop listening and buy the book. I bought the entire series, and hope that there is an improvement in the subsequent audios.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The interaction between Molly and the young princesses is touching.

The narrator was a bit irritating.

Ms. Duerden has a beautiful voice but her lyrical way of ending sentences drive me nuts.

A female mathematician protagonist

Like the math and science references that integrate with the story along with a realistic and strong female protagonist

Storytelling at its best

Finally trying to catch up on Susan Elia MacNeal’s “Maggie Hope” series … The story is quite a good WWII yarn … characters you get attached too and look forward to seeing again … Susan Duerden is a great narrator giving life to each character… on to the third book in the series!