Mr. Churchill's Secretary: A Maggie Hope Mystery

I finished it, but the writing wasn't awesome, and the plot just kind of plodded along. The characters weren't very interesting to me. It wasn't particularly exciting, and I didn't learn anything about Mr. Churchill or the time period. I don't feel attached to the protagonist or her love interest. I wish them well, but won't be visiting again.

Superb weaving of historical facts with fictional characters based on real people. It's a fascinating look into the United Kingdom during early World War 2 and London's battle with the "Blitz". Given Churchill's disdain for bodyguards and his own personal safety, the story of attempted assasination is very plausible and Ms. MacNeal weaves a rip-roaring good tale that's fast-paced, entertaining, and at the same time clearly portrays the difficult life of Londoners at the time. Maggie Hope is an enthralling character and I hope that there will be many more books in this series.

I started reading Susan Elia Macneal books with the 2nd one (Princess Elizabeth's Spy), but it was so good, I had to read the1st one, which was also very good, and I gave one as a gift to my mother-in-law as well. I appreciate a good story line with humor, and intrigue. It kept my interest through to the end!! Now I would love to read another!

Almost always a win for me. Interesting idea for a book. I often reject fiction that imagines real characters (ie Churchill) but this one did a nice job of not putting the authors words in anyone's mouths. The real-life characters are more a part of the setting which was fine with me. I would definitely read more from this author.

Dear the store.com,

I purchased this book (Kindle edition) after my son and daughter-in-law gave me its sequel, Princess Elizabeth's Spy, for Christmas. I thoroughly enjoyed it, although I liked PES better. Ordinarily I don't care for mysteries set in the past, e.g. Victorian mysteries. But I really like this series and look forward to the next one, His Majesty's Hope, due out in May.

Ms. MacNeal thoroughly researches her time period, London during World War II. A history lesson and a good read!

Sincerely,

Mama Maybelle

I love reading about World War II. The many sacrifices that people made and did not complain, felt it was their duty to their country. The character were so real to me. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. Each person had a purpose in the book and seeing how they all came together was great.

I enjoy all things Churchill. Author is adept at creating a "you are there" experience with her skilled descriptions of fashion, locale and especially attitudes appropriate for that time. If you like the tv series "Bletchley Circle" you may like this book.

Loved the WWII setting of this book. The historical facts were great and blended well with the story. I was not prepared for who the evil doers were so that was a big plus. This was a quick, fun read. I've already started the second book in the series. Would recommend this book to others.

Wonderful storyline that takes you inside the famous War Rooms. Gives one insight as to what the everyday life experiences were for the amazing British people and what they lived though as WWII expanded. The Author does an excelent job of drawing the reader into the lives of the characters' personal rials and tribulations.

Some unlikely dialog (did jolly-hockey-sticks-Churchill really end sentences with "what"?); some predictable twists; a couple of 11th hour miracles; yet I enjoyed the pace and always love revisiting this period.

Macneal's characters and plot are sufficiently full with the focus staying firmly on the mysterious task at hand instead of straying too much into sub plots. I greatly enjoyed her characters and subtle love interest for her main character she wove her characters together well and made their relationships believable. Her mystery and twists were also very nicely done and unexpectedly complex.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and I am looking forward to future editions. The characters are wll drawn. I am something of a history student and enjoy the characteriization of Winston Churchill. Chilled by the pacifists and the IRA supporters.sadly the ati-Semitism was also accurate.

I was disappointed in the execution of this book. I thought the writing was clumsy and predictable, and though there was a lot of action in the book, it felt excessively unrealistic. The premise of the book was intriguing and full of potential, but the dialogue was contrived and unrealistic. There were many instances in the book where the writer was blatantly "educating" us in order to move the book along; preaching/teaching rather than writing. I felt little connection to the characters and to the dynamics between them. I would grade this writer as a "freshman" while writers I have enjoyed such as Louise Penny, Dorothy L. Sayers, Josephine Tey would be at the "doctorate" level. If you want to read about and be invested in characters try the Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny, which gets better with each new book. I would save my money on this one.

Macneal's Maggie Hope novels are similar to J. Winspear's Maise Dobbs novels. These also are rooted in accurate historical settings of WW II London. Maggie is a strong and interesting protagonist. Her exploits give us a fun look at historic events from an insiders vantage point. Interesting context to familiar and not so familiar events.

My mother really enjoyed this book in large print. She said, " I lived through this. It was so interesting to see it through Ms. MacNeal eyes." I will order my mother Ms. MacNeal's other novels as they become available in large print. Sharon B.

I read the second book before this one and enjoyed both. The characters are interesting and the setting is compelling, especially since my husband took me to England while we were dating and we toured the underground war rooms in London. So I found those scenes especially good.

The book is very well written and describes a time and place in history that we know very little about the circumstances described in the book. We are told some of the things that might have happened in the war offices in London, without been lead to believe that they are actual things that took place, but might have taken place.

This was a fantastic book. Never boring, it brought out a differing viewpoint of WWII - that of being in England, while still being a fiction mystery. I enjoyed the historical aspects of it, and the interesting weaving of the story through the great characters and interesting plot - I could not put this book down! I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a great mystery with fantastic historical facts.

believable characters and time line. I like books with strong females and Maggie is strong and very smart. I look forward to reading the rest of the series. plus learning more about WWII and Churchill.

If you like easy, almost juvenile reading about intrepid heroines who overcome the obstacles to unravel the mystery, if you don't mind implausible scenes and 2012 colloquialisms in 1940's dialogue, if you just want something to skim through while learning a tiny bit about Winston Churchill and his fight against the Hitler regime ...Maggie Hope is your girl. I was transported back in time as I read...to the days when I couldn't get enough of of Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden.

Cardboard characters don't make me care about them. I felt the book was just designed to be politically correct and up-to-date when I expected it to feel like WWII England when I sincerely doubt being openly gay was acceptable and I very much doubt women were so openly self-centered. There was nothing about poor John that could have attracted any woman unless it was just looks. He was dumbed-down and without charm. Mr. Churchill's cameo appearances didn't make me feel I knew anything about him. I didn't believe any of the characters, whether they were good or bad. I was interested in the ballet history the author threw in, and some of the info about the war, but otherwise, I felt it was a waste of my time to read it. Sorry! Many of the ladies in our book club loved it and have bought the other books. I'll stick to better writing and stronger characters in the books I select for myself.