The Spy Coast

A Thriller (The Martini Club, Book 1)

By: Tess Gerritsen

Narrated by: Hillary Huber, Brittany Pressley

A retired CIA operative in small-town Maine tackles the ghosts of her past in this fresh take on the spy thriller from New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen.

Former spy Maggie Bird came to the seaside village of Purity, Maine, eager to put the past behind her after a mission went tragically wrong. These days, she’s living quietly on her chicken farm, still wary of blowback from the events that forced her early retirement.

But when a body turns up in Maggie’s driveway, she knows it’s a message from former foes who haven’t forgotten her. Maggie turns to her local circle of old friends—all retirees from the CIA—to help uncover the truth about who is trying to kill her, and why. This “Martini Club” of former spies may be retired, but they still have a few useful skills that they’re eager to use again, if only to spice up their rather sedate new lives.

Complicating their efforts is Purity’s acting police chief, Jo Thibodeau. More accustomed to dealing with rowdy tourists than homicide, Jo is puzzled by Maggie’s reluctance to share information—and by her odd circle of friends, who seem to be a step ahead of her at every turn.

As Jo’s investigation collides with the Martini Club’s maneuvers, Maggie’s hunt for answers will force her to revisit a clandestine career that spanned the globe, from Bangkok to Istanbul, from London to Malta. The ghosts of her past have returned, but with the help of her friends—and the reluctant Jo Thibodeau—Maggie might just be able to save the life she’s built.

©2023 Tess Gerritsen (P)2023 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Through Hillary Huber's masterful performance, listeners are introduced to former spy Maggie Bird, who is now happily raising chickens on her small farm in Maine.… Huber convincingly portrays Maggie as a courageous, intelligent woman. Brittany Pressley voices Bella, the other key woman in this well-paced thriller. Pressley's performance as a spoiled, moody teenager is particularly effective. The result is a totally engaging launch of this new series.”—AudioFile Magazine

“This is a nice take on retirement—five old spooks whose bones may ache but whose minds remain sharp. You can expect mystery, action, and bloodshed in this exciting thriller launched straight from the peaceful shores of Maine.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Gerritsen…branches out into the world of espionage…expertly mixing spy drama with romance and wry comedy… Gerritsen fans and readers of Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club mysteries will love this.”—Booklist (starred review)

A thrilling but exhaustive read

This is for the ebook and especially the Audible.

Love, love all the main characters, especially Maggie and Jo. The interaction between those two women is dynamic. Can't wait to read the next book to see how it progresses.

The way the main plotline and the backstory of Maggie's present and past live was unveiled was very well written. Especially how Maggie and Danny met and fell in love. I could really imagine it happening.

The friendships of the members of "The Martini Club" is another enjoyable (sub?)plotline. The stories they could tell if they could. It must be so hard keeping your life so compartmentalize that even your closest friends don't really know you yet somehow they do. Hope that makes sense.

Bottom line, I highly recommend this book and especially the Audible. The narrator is excellent. Can't wait for the next book. And hopefully many more afterwards.

Fun listen that keeps a good pace...

Not overly action packed; this book is just a fun one. It won't blow your mind, but it's entertaining and easy to listen to. The narrator is a bit difficult to listen to at times as she sounds much like an Alexa device with a slightly robotic tone here and there. It's not annoying enough to stop listening.

Slow Narration

I like this genre, and the story line was good. There were a couple of twists you didn’t see coming.
The narration just didn’t bring the story to life. The vocal pace was very slow. I had to turn up the speed to make it through.
I liked the supporting characters very much.
I will try this author again

Brilliant book. Like a le Carré

I approached this book with some skepticism. From the reviews I thought it might be a soft story of clever old folks solving a spy crime. No way! This is a meticulously plotted and exciting story. Up to date. Totally believable and in-put-down-able! The two narrators s pleasure to listen to. Brava!

Didn’t Want It To End

I loved this! I hope she gives us more of the same. Was hoping for a slightly different ending…but that’s ok.

Narrator had a perfect voice for the character

Great story and the narrator sounded just like I’d imagine the main character would be

Entertaining

A great story to lessen to while you're working around the house or going for a walk. Relatable characters. Great narration

Fantastic!

I loved this book,kept me intrigued the entire book! Liked everything about it! Hope there is a book 2!!!

Do we ever know our neighbors?

A great cast of characters, well portrayed.
Small town America doesn't mean dull. Retirement doesn't mean useless. The past is never really behind us.
A good book for a quiet weekend.

Now an avid dan of any mystery she writes

Incredibly great mystery with all of the elements. . Plus, it’s a life affirming story involving the younger spectrum of the Boomer cohort.that says seniors are still relevsnt and can handle the XYXgen.