Electra McDonnell #4
I am a huge fan of this series, set in London during the blitz. Safecracker Electra, working with her uncle Mick, was picked up by British intelligence in the first book for special “help” on a government job, and now four books in, she’s wanting to give up her former life of crime and is completely committed to government service. Weaver also has the soul of a romance writer, and Electra has two possible and delightful beaus: Felix, whom she’s known since childhood, and the dashing Major Ramsey, her “handler”. In the last book the two shared a passionate kiss but they now seem to be trying to forget about it. However, the heart wants what the heart wants.
As the book opens, Electra, a bit at loose ends and frankly missing the major, decides to drop by his office after she’d noticed a newspaper account of a robbery at a swanky dinner party. Something seems off about it and she wants to point it out to the Major. They are prickly and uncomfortable with one another but sure enough he quickly gives her a call, saying something is indeed off. The two set out to interview all the party guests who still remain in London. Their investigation sharpens when they discover the dead body of one of the robbery victims in her hotel room.
It seems the burglars – whose take seemed haphazard to Electra – were after something more than jewels: they are looking for a map to pass along to Germany. An operation is put together wherein Felix, a gifted forger, creates a new map and Electra heads to a party to attempt to swap it out.
These vivid books are filled with action scenes, romance, and a bird’s eye view of wartime London. At one point Electra reflects that she’s lucky to have a basement to wait out the almost nightly German bombing attacks, and she and her uncle and their housekeeper (and her defacto mom) feel almost cozy down there.
Electra is the daughter of a woman who died in prison after being accused of murdering her father, who was apparently a German spy. She hides this secret from most people but she’s dying to find out the facts of the story, as they are murky, and in this novel a new clue emerges that has her thinking she might be able to finally crack this secret.
These speedy reads are also good at extending the puzzle of both the secret of Electra’s parentage, and the choice she must make between Felix and Ramsay. Because each novel ends with a cliffhanger that leads directly to the next instalment, this extension of these parts of Electra’s life only add to the interest and suspense of the books.
There’s a really heartbreaking scene toward the end of the book which was a shocker and Weaver supplies more than twist before she finishes this tale. As I closed it, I said to myself, “damn, a whole year before the next one!” These books are a complete blast. If you are fan of Susan MacNeal’s Maggie Hope series, you should be equally enchanted by these books. Four books in, they are a must read for me. — Robin Agnew