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    The Prime Minister's Secret Agent: A Maggie Hope Mystery, Book 4
    Unavailable
    The Prime Minister's Secret Agent: A Maggie Hope Mystery, Book 4
    Unavailable
    The Prime Minister's Secret Agent: A Maggie Hope Mystery, Book 4
    Audiobook9 hours

    The Prime Minister's Secret Agent: A Maggie Hope Mystery, Book 4

    Written by Susan Elia MacNeal

    Narrated by Susan Duerden

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • For fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Charles Todd, and Anne Perry comes a gripping mystery featuring intrepid spy and code breaker Maggie Hope. This time, the fallout of a deadly plot comes straight to her own front door.

    World War II rages on across Europe, but Maggie Hope has finally found a moment of rest on the pastoral coast of western Scotland. Home from an undercover mission in Berlin, she settles down to teach at her old spy training camp, and to heal from scars on both her body and heart. Yet instead of enjoying the quieter pace of life, Maggie is quickly drawn into another web of danger and intrigue. When three ballerinas fall strangely ill in Glasgow-including one of Maggie's dearest friends-Maggie partners with MI-5 to uncover the truth behind their unusual symptoms. What she finds points to a series of poisonings that may expose shocking government secrets and put countless British lives at stake. But it's the fight brewing in the Pacific that will forever change the course of the war-and indelibly shape Maggie's fate.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJul 1, 2014
    ISBN9780804165754
    Unavailable
    The Prime Minister's Secret Agent: A Maggie Hope Mystery, Book 4

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    Reviews for The Prime Minister's Secret Agent

    3.5/5

    113 ratings22 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I was very intrigued by this series, and I enjoyed the earlier books, but after this one, I am not sure that I will continue reading, I love almost everything about this series: the detail, the historic research, the vividly drawn scenes and characters. I particularly enjoyed the tragicomedy leading up to Pearl Harbor, although that doesn't have too much to do with Maggie, per se. However, even before this book, I was getting tired of the Hope-Hess family melodrama. I am very skeptical about the faked car-crash death, and the seemingly unlikely survival in this book. People in fires die mainly from smoke inhalation. Frankly, I have had entirely too much of Clara Hess, super-villainess. The psycho-babble in this book was almost unendurable, and I suspect that it is all a clever fraud. Her move from insane asylum to a new prison seems all too quick and convenient.It is interesting reading this after reading Lynne Olson's non-fiction account Last Hope Island. According to Olson, although MI-5 had a great reputation, it was actually rather amateurish. The British apparently had a tendency to think that "the right sort of people" could do anything, no experience or knowledge needed. The Peter Frain / Clara Hess interaction in this book fits right in. After the Special Operations Executive (SOE) was founded, Olson tells us that the two organizations devoted themselves chiefly to battling one another for bureaucratic supremacy. I got the feeling that the war could have been somewhat shorter is they hadn't been so busy sabotaging one another.
    • 3/5
      Maggie (A British WWII Spy) is recovering and retraining in Scotland when 3 ballerinas fall deathly ill in Glasgow.... They have the same symptoms of a dead sheep that Maggie found washed up on the beach....Interesting look at chemical warfare, spies, covert government operations...The story was interesting and the characters realistic
    • 3/5
      I have read the three previous installments and really enjoyed them, so I was very much looking forward to reading this one.
      It was a bit disappointing and I'm trying to pinpoint why that the case. Maybe it was a bit too dark? Maggie is feeling the stresses of war intensely in the first half of the story, and I found myself struggling to stay with it, but once she was had a mission to work on and she rose above her demons the story improved as well.

      It's a great series and I look forward to #5!
    • 3/5
      It started so slow. I came very close to giving up on it. I had enjoyed the earlier books in the series, which is the only reason I kept going. It did get better in time.
    • 4/5
      2014, Random House Audio, Read by Susan DuerdenPublisher’s Summary: adapted from Audible.comWWII rages on across Europe, but Maggie Hope has finally found a moment of rest on the pastoral coast of western Scotland, where she settles down to teach at her old spy training camp – and to heal following her undercover mission in Berlin. But Maggie is quickly drawn into another web of danger and intrigue when three ballerinas fall strangely ill in Glasgow – including one of her dearest friends. Maggie partners with MI-5 to uncover the truth behind their unusual symptoms. What she finds points to a series of poisonings that may expose shocking government secrets and put countless British lives at stake. But it's the fight brewing in the Pacific that will forever change the course of the war – and indelibly shape Maggie's fate.My Review:It took a while, but I’m now completely endeared to and engaged in this series. [The Prime Minister’s Secret Agent] was thoroughly enjoyable. I was intrigued by the mystery of biological warfare, evidence of which Maggie first discovers on a deep sheep by the seaside. The fight brewing in the Pacific is, of course, Pearl Harbor. I thought MacNeal did a superb job of presenting the events leading up to this disaster – of the decision on the part of the Japanese, the intelligence that suggested the imminence of such an attack, and of the global implications of the Americans’ decision to join WWII. I’ve been remiss in mentioning previously that Susan Duerden is a fine narrator, and a perfect fit for the Maggie Hope series.
    • 4/5
      Can't wait for number 4
    • 4/5
      Not much was advanced in this book in the way of spy stuff. I hate to play "spoiler alert," so I won't be saying much. What I will say is that this book is a place marker in the war. Luckily Japan bombed Pearl, Hitler declared war on the U.S., and the U.S. had no choice but to join the fray--thereby saving the free world in general and Britain in particular.
    • 4/5
      For some reason I liked this much better than the third book. I found most of it riveting and wanted to read all night to find out what happened. I will probably spend a lot more time reading about Pearl Harbor because of that plot line.
    • 5/5
      I absolutely loved this book! In it we have Maggie Hope the way we've come to expect her to be. In the beginning she is angry, bitter and suffering PTSD from her time in Berlin. She has accepted an instructor's position a the spy training school in Abishaig on the western coast of Scotland. It is late November in 1941. When Maggie's friend Sarah and some of her ballet company succumb to a mysterious but deadly illness, Maggie jumps in to solve the mystery. The more she becomes involved in gathering the information for this case, the more she is letting her "black dog" go. While all this is happening, the war rages on, and Japan is planning their attack on Pearl Harbor. Winston Churchill knows that England is suffering greatly and he also knows that the Americans have to come and join the allies, or all may well be lost. As to how much Winnie knew about the planned attack, it is conjecture still, but Ms. MacNeal's story hints that he knew more than we may have thought he did. This is an excellent mystery as well as an espionage tale, and it all sets up nicely at the end for Maggie's return to the States where she was raised I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.
    • 2/5
      This book, like the other Maggie Hope book I listened to, took quite a while to get into the story. Maggie is in Scotland, and drawn into a murder almost accidentally. More of the story seems to be focused on the lead-up to Pearl Harbor, and the secret communication of the various governments. Better than her first novel, but not sure I'd recommend reading more of her.
    • 3/5
      Book's plot based upon quite correct historical foundation but audio version with its faked accents and classical posturing was a turnoff. I did like the story and probably will read the book as well. Liked the heroine but most of the males are stereotypical, insipid toffy-nosed Brits. Will try others in the series.
    • 3/5
      Maggie's back in Scotland, working as a trainer at the same SOE outfit where she trained, dogging the demons left behind from her last adventure in Germany. When her friend Sarah's ballet company comes to town, Maggie reluctantly attends. A dead ballerina and a cooperative investigation into it with a member of MI-5 help Maggie work through her lethargy. In other sections of the book, her mother, Clara Hess is imprisoned in London and the Japanese and Americans dutifully attempt negotiations as the series heads toward the end of 1941. It was nice to see a very human side to Maggie, although the foray into this life seems a bit pale compared to her usual jobs.
    • 4/5
      Maggie Hope is back from Germany, working at the SOE's training camp in Scotland, and suffering from depression. A threat to a friend gets her back on her game. Elsewhere in the war, the build-up to Pearl Harbor begins, with cryptography, deception, double-dealing, and incompetence all playing a role.Not a lot of action here, more of a waiting game.
    • 3/5
      I like this series but this book is my least favorite of the 4 so far. Maggie is an instructor in Scotland for MI5 and is hardened by her experiences and the bullet that is embedded in her side. Her friend sends her an invitation to watch her perform in the ballet in Edinburgh and when Maggie goes two ballet dancers die from a mysterious illness and then Maggie's friend gets sick. Solving this took up very little of book and the rest of the story, though interesting, was more of the days of Maggie Hope.
    • 3/5
      Secret Agent Maggie Hope is looking for a well-deserved break from the action and is working in Scotland training other future spies. Hoping to relax by visiting a friend who is performing in the ballet, she is soon drawn into a mystery when two ballerinas die and her friend is seriously ill. Maggie partners with someone from MI5 to uncover a crime much bigger than murder.This is my first Maggie Hope mystery and it is clear that I have jumped into the middle of the series without really having context about Maggie or her situation. There were parts of this novel that I really enjoyed - there is a side story about the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the entry of the US into the war. The historical part of this was fascinating, but Maggie isn't directly involved in any of this and it made the story very choppy. Also, the murder mystery was weak and melodramatic - not really much of a mystery at all. I'm hoping this series gets better since I like the combination of historic fiction and mysteries, but this one definitely fell short of my expectations. 2.5 stars for me.Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the digital ARC.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoy following Maggie Hope to see what war intrigues she gets herself into. This time we see a very different woman who's been changed by her experiences in Europe in the previous book. She's a leaner, meaner Maggie, and when she begins work on saving her friend, she's in no mood to put up with government subterfuge. MacNeal has done her research, and she doesn't try to paint historical figures we've come to think of as heroes as saints. Men-- like Churchill for example-- had to make impossible choices because they knew they were in a life-or-death struggle with Hitler. Sometimes, the choices that were made were questionable. The author does readers a great service by giving them a more complete picture.One element that made this book even more suspenseful was the constant weaving in of facts surrounding the impending attack on Pearl Harbor. Everything from what the Japanese were doing and when they were doing it to what people like Roosevelt and Churchill knew-- and when they knew it. This is some fascinating reading that gives a real sense of foreboding to the narrative.This book can be read as a standalone, but for the evolution of Maggie's character, I would suggest that you begin at the beginning with Mr. Churchill's Secretary-- especially if you've read and enjoyed authors like Jacqueline Winspear or Charles Todd. And don't be surprised if you find Maggie Hope just as addictive as I do.
    • 2/5
      I enjoy MacNeal’s Maggie Hope mystery series a great deal and was delighted to receive #4 in the series. Because this is an uncorrected proof of The Prime Minister's Secret Agent from Netgalley, it’s unfair of me to really review a copy 4 months before its release. As you might expect, it’s in need of a serious rewrite and final polishing. There are also too many plot lines in its 240 pages -- the lead up to Pearl Harbor, imprisonment for Clara, Maggie suffering through PTSD plus a bio-warfare induced murder. Even the name of the novel doesn’t make sense until the very end of the book. So this early version of The Prime Minister’s Secret Agent was a disappointment.
    • 4/5
      Maggie Hope has returned home from her undercover assignment in Berlin, injured both physically and emotionally. Assigned as an instructor at a spy training site in Scotland, her spirit remains scarred as her body recovers. Entangled in a new network of secrets, Maggie must put aside her own feelings to discover what is threatening the life of her friend and other civilians while the war rages and the global threats increase.I thought that the plot on this mystery was a bit thinner than any of the previous but possibly that was in preparation for Maggie's next adventure. Moving forward historically, there may have been lulls that needed to be handled to get the characters to the next phase of the adventures.Seeing Maggie battle her inner demons was enough to carry the story. Waiting for the next one!
    • 4/5
      Yet another engaging story of WWII secret agent, Maggie Hope. Maggie is broken, haunted by flashback visions, full of anger, guilt and shame and is unsure of her future and whether it's worth having one. She is hard on her students at Arisaig House, the British espionage training facility in Scotland. Her charges refer to her as, "Lady MacBeth". Her handler forces her to take time off and go to Edinburgh to see her ballet dancer friend perform, "Les Sylphide". While there, murder ensues, her dancer-friend is on the edge of death and Maggie's well-honed detective skills are reignited - launching her back into action where she again feels alive. With its twists and turns. and the occasional red herring, this is a book I just could not put down. I cannot wait for the next installment in this action-packed series, "Mrs. Roosevelt's Confidante". Synopsis:World War II rages on across Europe, but Maggie Hope has finally found a moment of rest on the pastoral coast of western Scotland. Home from an undercover mission in Berlin, she settles down to teach at her old spy training camp, and to heal from scars on both her body and heart. Yet instead of enjoying the quieter pace of life, Maggie is quickly drawn into another web of danger and intrigue. When three ballerinas fall strangely ill in Glasgow—including one of Maggie’s dearest friends—Maggie partners with MI-5 to uncover the truth behind their unusual symptoms. What she finds points to a series of poisonings that may expose shocking government secrets and put countless British lives at stake. But it’s the fight brewing in the Pacific that will forever change the course of the war—and indelibly shape Maggie’s fate.
    • 2/5
      This book is so bad on so many levels, I don’t know where to begin. And I loved the first three books in this series. The plot is so scattered, it’s hard to figure out where the story is headed. The main plot is resolved 100 pages before the book ends. The author spends an inordinate amount of time on the events leading up to the attack at Pearl Harbor, when it isn’t really relevant or necessary. The secondary plot about Maggie Hope’s mother is overblown and takes too much ink. (SPOILER ALERT) And then, where did the title come from? Maggie doesn’t become the prime minister’s secret agent until the last pages of the book. And what happened to Maggie? I know she’s been through tough times, but to have her contemplate suicide – that’s not our Maggie. Maybe the author has lost confidence in herself. Or someone else who’s less proficient is ghost writing for her. It’s really hard to explain. Let’s hope the author gets her act together for the next book. I allow my favorite authors to have one “stinker.” If there’s a second stinker, however, I give up on them. The Prime Minister’s Secret Agent is definitely a stinker.
    • 5/5
      Once she'd been so sure of black and white, of right and wrong. She wasn't anymore. But she was certain of one thing—while there was no such thing as a good war, this particular one was a necessary war.I have to start this off with a warning because this review might just turn into me rambling about how great this book is. I absolutely love this series and love reading about Maggie Hope. I didn't expect to finish this book the same day that I started it but once I picked it up I just couldn't put it down.Maggie went through some really traumatic things during her mission in Berlin so now she has decided to go teach at her old spy training camp. Maggie is really depressed and has basically turned into a different person. When she finds herself investigating a case in which ballerinas, one of which is her friend Sarah, she uncovers horrifying things but she also manages to distract herself from her depression.I really felt sorry for Maggie in the beginning of this book. She was just a completely different person and it was hard to see her so cold. She was still struggling from the events that happened in Berlin and it was great to see her slowly get better once she started the investigation. I just loved the emotional depth in this book and really enjoy Maggie Hope's growth throughout the series.There were a couple other story lines that were also being played out in addition to following Maggie and I found those story lines to be interesting as well. I like how some of the story lines eventually connected. I have to say that the story line with Clara Hess was crazy (that woman is just crazy) but it was really easy to get sucked in to it.I think that I found a minor discrepancy between the previous book in the series and this book. In this book Maggie says that Hugh never told her why he was fired by MI-5 but I went back and looked in the previous book in the series and he did tell her why. It is very minor and doesn't affect the story any but I noticed it because I had just re-read the other books of the series.I loved Maggie's cat K (or Mr. K). I loved his personality and how Maggie was able to connect with him and how he helped her heal a bit. I am really hoping to see more of Mr. K in this series.Overall I loved this book for Maggie's emotional depth and growth, Clara Hess' livening of the book with her psychoness, Mr. K's amazing personality, oh and getting to see David and John working together again. I highly recommend this book and series if you enjoy WWII historical fiction. I eagerly await the next installment in the series.Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the galley.
    • 5/5
      Whenever I get a new Maggie Hope book everything else in my life drops by the wayside while I turn my back on the world to read. The series is moving slowly through the WWII years, this is the fourth book and it’s just getting to Pearl Harbor, but that is no criticism because the details of the changing circumstances and moods of the time are fascinating, and the story plots within the books race along. With her determined personality and a knack for codes, languages, and mathematics Maggie has come a long way since the first book where she worked as one of Winston Churchill's secretaries, and she’s become one of my favorite characters. Her brains, perseverance, and good intentions coexist with human emotions, physical limitations, and flaws in judgment so she’s no superhero, which I find a lot more interesting. In the last book Maggie parachuted into Germany where she worked undercover as a spy, encountering her Nazi mother for the first time since she was a baby. The harrowing things she discovered and had to do mean Maggie is grappling with depression and what we would now label PTSD as this book opens, but overall The Prime Minister’s Secret Agent isn’t quite as unsettling as its predecessor. Maggie has been staying at a remote estate in Scotland training spies to undertake missions like her own, but when she’s forced to take some R & R in Edinburgh because her emotional state is interfering with her work, the trip is anything but restful. The friend Maggie went to visit gets caught in a deadly scheme, and to save her Maggie forces her way into an MI-5 operation that involves murder, ballet, and biological weapons. The books in this series always have several interconnected plot-lines, which this time around involve Maggie’s Nazi mother, who’s now a prisoner in the Tower of London awaiting execution, Winston Churchill, who’s hoping the Americans will finally join the war effort, and various Japanese and American officials, who are supposed to be trying to prevent war. Ian Fleming (debonaire) and J. Edgar Hoover (cantankerous) have cameo appearances. This is a work of fiction of course, but I’ve learned a lot of history from the series because author Susan Elia MacNeal has thoroughly researched the era. She lists her sources in an appendix at the end of each book, and she always makes clear where her stories incorporate historical fact and where some artistic license is in use--something I greatly appreciate.