Monday, May 17, 2021

On My Radar: Susan Elia MacNeal's The Hollywood Spy!


Susan Elia MacNeal writes a historical mystery series that I've loved from the very first book, Mr. Churchill's Secretary. There's just something about Maggie Hope that captures both my imagination and my heart. Maggie does some pretty amazing things during World War II, and I enjoy absorbing the historical nuggets that MacNeal has woven into her stories; however, I think one of the things I like best about Maggie is that she isn't ten feet tall and bullet proof. What she's had to do during the course of the war has had an effect on her, has changed her, and she has to face the consequences of those changes. Maggie's ongoing story has me wanting to read the next chapter in her story soooo much-- let me tell you a bit about The Hollywood Spy!
 

Available July 6, 2021!
 
 
Synopsis: "Los Angeles, 1943. As the Allies beat back the Nazis in the Mediterranean and the United States military slowly closes in on Tokyo, Walt Disney cranks out wartime propaganda and the Cocoanut Grove is alive with jazz and swing every night. But behind this sunny façade lies a darker reality. Somewhere in the lush foothills of Hollywood, a woman floats lifeless in the pool of one of California’s trendiest hotels.

When American-born secret agent and British spy Maggie Hope learns that this woman was engaged to her former fiancée, John Sterling, and that he suspects her death was no accident, intuition tells her he’s right. Leaving London under siege is a lot to ask. But John was once the love of Maggie’s life . . . and she won’t say no.
 
Maggie struggles with seeing her lost love again, but what’s more shocking is that her own country is as divided and convulsed with hatred as Europe. The Zoot Suit Riots loom large in Los Angeles, and the Ku Klux Klan casts a long shadow everywhere. But there is little time to dwell on memories once she starts digging into the case. As she traces a web of deception from the infamous Garden of Allah to the iconic Carthay Circle Theater, she discovers things aren’t always the way things appear in the movies—and the political situation in America is more complicated, and dangerous, than the newsreels would have them all believe.
"


Looks like another winner, doesn't it? I can't wait to see how Maggie deals with Hollywood, and I'll bet other fans like me can't either. How about you? Are you a Maggie Hope fan? If you are, what's the thing you like about her the most? If you're new to Maggie, are you tempted to read about her now? Inquiring minds would love to know!

8 comments:

  1. This series does sound really good, Cathy. And it's been on my radar for a while. I feel bad that I haven't even tried it yet, since I've been wanting to do that. But I will! Thanks for the reminder.

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    1. And I'll keep reminding you until you read it, Margot! ;-)

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  2. I did try the first book in the series and just couldn't get into it. I think it was me, not the book. Maybe I will pick it up again one day, it does sound good.

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    1. If you read enough, you can usually tell when your reaction to a book has more to do with your own mood than it does with the way the book is written. I do hope you'll gave Maggie another try in the future, but if you don't, there are still plenty of wonderful books to read. :-)

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  3. I'm not familiar with the character or the series, but you've most definitely tempted me to learn more about them. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres because of the almost painless history lesson that you get for free.

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    1. And there are people who emphatically state that they only read non-fiction because fiction is a waste of time. HA!

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