Electra McDonnell #3
If Nancy Drew had lived during WWII and had the skills of a safecracker, she might have grown up to be Ashley Weaver’s appealing Electra McDonnell. Electra, or Ellie, has been trained by her safecracking uncle and in the first book is recruited by the government to put her skills to a more patriotic use. While Ellie’s past is criminal, her present is in the service of her country, and as the book opens, she’s given an assignment with few details other than “get to know the locals.”
The assignment calls for her to take the train from London to Sunderland, a small town on the northeast coast of the U.K. Because it’s small, the bombings are far fewer than in middle-of-the-blitz London, and Ellie appreciates the break. She’s given an identity (one she’s used before), a place to stay, a cover story, and a book on birding. She studies the book but is no closer to finding out what it might mean, though she does learn a bit about birds.
Weaver has given Electra two possible suitors: Felix, who is practically family, and her “handler,” Major Ramsey. He’s the one who’s given Ellie her assignment and has told her he’ll turn up at some point. Meanwhile, Ellie is greeted on arrival by a mysterious traffic death of a young officer in the street in front of her rooming house. Accident – or murder? This is a mystery, so that bit is easy to figure, but the overall storyline which involves birding, the man’s mysterious death, the appearance of Major Ramsey and a printing company that seems to be in use for unknown purposes all turn into a well told, mysterious, and enjoyable tale.
The tension between the Major and Ellie is strong, and Felix is off canvas for this instalment, so their feelings are given somewhat free reign, albeit under wartime circumstances. Weaver is great with a brisk plot and she’s also great with character. Both Major Ramsey, and more importantly, Ellie herself are well drawn and interesting. While Ellie as a character is somewhat in the intrepid female heroine mould, but she has some differences that make her a standout.
For one thing, she’s been raised as a criminal, and for another, she has lock picking and safecracking skills. She’s interestingly uncertain about her future, and so is the reader. She’s found this undercover work during the war, but what happens next? She’s appealingly curious as well as intelligent, and she sticks up for herself (just like Nancy Drew!) She also has an intriguing backstory: her mother died in prison, accused of her father’s murder. This thread has been pulled through all the books.
There are several local characters that provide both a suspect pool and an insight into the life of a small town, and Weaver makes each of them different enough from one another to stay in the reader’s mind as they add complexity and interest to the plot. And much like a good Nancy Drew story, this book ends with a couple cliffhangers: what’s next with the Major and Felix, and what’s the truth behind the death of Ellie’s mother. This juicy backstory is obviously the plot for the next novel, and I just can’t wait. This engaging and insanely enjoyable series has real reading sparkle. — Robin Agnew