Princess Elizabeth's Spy: A Maggie Hope Mystery

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Princess Elizabeth's Spy: A Maggie Hope Mystery (Maggie Hope Mystery #2)

by Susan Elia MacNeal (Goodreads Author)

3.85 of 5 stars 3.85 · rating details · 1,164 ratings · 301 reviews

Susan Elia MacNeal introduced the remarkable Maggie Hope in her acclaimed debut, Mr. Churchill’s Secretary. Now Maggie returns to protect Britain’s beloved royals against an international plot—one that could change the course of history.

As World War II sweeps the continent and England steels itself against German attack, Maggie Hope, former secretary to Prime Minister Wi...more

ebook, 352 pages

Published October 16th 2012 by Bantam (first published January 1st 2012)

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Apr 22, 2013 Ashleigh Hvinden rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Thanks to NetGalley, I was able to read this book and it is nothing short of fantastic! I absolutely loved this book. I was absolutely saddened in the beginning by the twist of the novel in the first twenty pages but Mrs. MacNeal has an excellent way of sucking in readers and delivered what is a spectacular sequel! I squealed at the end it was so fantastic! Thank you, Mrs. MacNeal for writing something so wonderful! I cannot wait until the third novel!

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Oct 15, 2012 Judith Starkston rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-mystery, mystery, strong-women

With the recent celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee, it’s especially engaging to read a novel about her as a young Princess—set in some of England’s darkest days during the brutal bombing attacks by Germany during WWII. While the adventures of Maggie Hope, spy and mathematician, with the fourteen-year-old Princess are fictional, MacNeal’s portrayal of Elizabeth rings delightfully true. Here’s the very young woman who already holds a powerful sense of duty to her people and carries her respo...more With the recent celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee, it’s especially engaging to read a novel about her as a young Princess—set in some of England’s darkest days during the brutal bombing attacks by Germany during WWII. While the adventures of Maggie Hope, spy and mathematician, with the fourteen-year-old Princess are fictional, MacNeal’s portrayal of Elizabeth rings delightfully true. Here’s the very young woman who already holds a powerful sense of duty to her people and carries her responsibilities with great love and care, even while she’s still a mischievous child as well—and those black-and-sable corgis! No matter that Elizabeth’s favorite dog has the habit of biting, the Princess is still devoted to him, and riding is her favorite activity. The “inside view” from Windsor is warmly entertaining from beginning to end. Maggie’s rooms at the top of Victoria Tower come complete with a loo on the roof. Creative plumbing added in later, apparently. Keep checking the closets because the scoundrels have slipped into the castle and it will take all of Maggie’s intelligence and gumption to keep the Princess safe.

As with her first Maggie Hope book, Mr. Churchill’s Secretary, MacNeal excels both at creating a sense of place in history and at developing characters that draw us in and hold us there. She’s particularly good at giving us a cast of characters with multiple people we feel compelled to suspect. She’s great at planting clues, along with a fair share of misleading but true clues, so that you keep turning the page in anticipation of figuring out what’s up, but you’re unlikely to catch the Nazis before all is revealed. MacNeal’s plot is pleasantly twisted.

The idea of betrayal and what drives people to it arises in a number of ways in this book. Sometimes blind chauvinism, too arrogant to see the value of a woman’s mind, causes inadvertent, stupid betrayal. Sometimes war, both on the home front and on the battlefield, wounds so deeply and destroys men so thoroughly that they thrash about trying to save themselves from emotional drowning and in doing so betray those around them. Sometimes the heart has to have certainty to hold onto love, and a kind of betrayal can hide in the shadows among even the most loyal. Sometimes people must choose who to betray and who to protect when they are forced by evil circumstances.

The variations on this theme underlie many of the intertwined plotlines of the mystery, but despite this seemingly heavy idea, the novel is primarily a fun read with a sense of humor and a playfulness that will entertain you. Take for example—at one point Princess Elizabeth takes a cue for defensive action from her Corgi and bites a villain in the ankle. If you’re not laughing, you’re made of stone (and biting your own nails—it’s a scary moment, clever of MacNeal to combine with humor).

I definitely recommend curling up with Princess Elizabeth’s Spy.

For an interview with Susan Elia MacNeal about Princess Elizabeth's Spy, her research, the dungeons of Windsor and why the theme of betrayal appears in her books click here.
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Oct 18, 2012 Christal rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, female-lead, mystery-and-thrillers, assassins-spies-and-mercs, shady-government-agency, war, arcs

See this review and others like it at Badass Book Reviews!

Princess Elizabeth’s Spy was even better than Mr. Churchill's Secretary! It had a quicker pace, a higher-stakes plot, and added more interesting characters. Susan Elia MacNeal has engaging, flowing prose and it is obvious that she has done her research about the time period. Her characters are all well-rounded and the events throughout the book come together beautifully to create an absolutely intriguing mystery. The tone and events in t...more See this review and others like it at Badass Book Reviews!

Princess Elizabeth’s Spy was even better than Mr. Churchill's Secretary! It had a quicker pace, a higher-stakes plot, and added more interesting characters. Susan Elia MacNeal has engaging, flowing prose and it is obvious that she has done her research about the time period. Her characters are all well-rounded and the events throughout the book come together beautifully to create an absolutely intriguing mystery. The tone and events in the book are very serious, but the dialogue and the quick pace keep this book a compelling read throughout.

I love Maggie Hope; she doesn’t let anyone push her around. Here she finds herself surrounded by royalty and yet she still keeps her plucky, determined attitude. She doesn’t let anyone speak down to her and she knows her worth in every situation. My only (minor) complaint this time around was that she let herself get fixated on a suspect because of a personal dislike and ended up missing the real villain. I appreciated that Ms. MacNeal did have her realize this at the end of the novel, so I don’t think we will see Maggie making that mistake again.

I enjoyed the central mystery this time around more than the one in the first book. I liked how personal the previous one was for Maggie, but this one felt very important and meaningful. Maggie really proved that she can handle herself and think well under pressure. I loved all the characters we met at Windsor Castle but I adored the little princesses. They were cute and believable without becoming too twee. Gregory was an incredibly sad character and, because of what happened to him in the war, leaves me with very conflicted feelings. It was great having Mr. Churchill back for a little bit and good to see David, Chuck, and Sarah again.

Maggie learns much more about her family and her mother in this book. That plotline should be front and center in the next book, His Majesty's Hope, and I can’t wait to see how it plays out. I don’t want to say much more about it because I don’t want to spoil the surprise. We learn why Maggie’s father has been so distant and why Fain tends to keep so much information from her. It was good to see Maggie finally put her foot down with him. She basically told him to tell her what she wanted to know or she would find out herself. Go Maggie!

When Maggie begins her assignment at Windsor castle, she is assigned a handler – another agent named Hugh. I am conflicted with their relationship by the end of the book because of John. Poor, sweet John; his airplane was shot down over enemy territory and he is now missing, presumed dead. I do feel that it is Maggie’s right to move on with her life and I was starting to get behind the relationship and then the ending happened… Oh Ms. MacNeal, how could you do that! Needless to say, I cannot wait to read the next book in this series and will snap it up as soon as it is released.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Bantam for providing an ARC copy of this book.(less)

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May 25, 2013 Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Well, I really wanted to like this one because I enjoyed the first book in the series, "Mr. Churchill’s Secretary," although it also had its flaws (see my Goodreads’ review). My major problem with this book, though, was Maggie Hope herself. I liked her spunky, Nancy Drew style in the first book, but in this volume, I am not sure if she could have been any more clueless, annoying, irritating, whiny, petulant, etc.

I could not believe how both ridiculous and ridiculously unprofessional Maggie acted...more Well, I really wanted to like this one because I enjoyed the first book in the series, "Mr. Churchill’s Secretary," although it also had its flaws (see my Goodreads’ review). My major problem with this book, though, was Maggie Hope herself. I liked her spunky, Nancy Drew style in the first book, but in this volume, I am not sure if she could have been any more clueless, annoying, irritating, whiny, petulant, etc.

I could not believe how both ridiculous and ridiculously unprofessional Maggie acted towards her boss and her coworkers in MI-5. Are you kidding me? Where should I start?

How about with Maggie’s childish reaction to her Windsor Castle assignment, being a “sponge” and protecting the Princess? Maggie, did you forget that you were failing your training at “Camp Spook” in Scotland? Did you remember how Peter Frain, the freakin’ head of MI-5, saved your butt and gave you an awesome assignment at Windsor Castle in spite of your craptastic training? Since when is it a disappointment to work with the rulers of England, both the Royal Family and Mr. Churchill? It must really be difficult to have to deal with such high powered people while on the job. To Maggie’s credit, I will say that her request for more information about the assignment was a fair request, as Frain should have given her the details to start with, but I cannot believe that she was so upset to be considered a “sponge.” I mean, isn’t that what a lot of espionage is—soaking up information?

Here’s a small peeve: Maggie’s complete cluelessness about formal etiquette and, I suppose, royal etiquette. She apparently does not know what “dress for dinner” means. I know much is made of Maggie’s American childhood—seriously, MUCH is made of it—but wouldn’t she have realized that living and working in a castle with the Royal Family would entail some specific etiquette rules to follow? Wouldn’t that have come up in pre-assignment training, if she had any?

Another small peeve: Maggie’s oft-repeated bitterness about giving up her dreams of a mathematics graduate degree from MIT, which leads into a bigger peeve: the reader is told over and over how smart Maggie is, but the reader is certainly not shown that. Maggie blunders about while trying to find some answers after Lily is killed (really gruesomely, too, may I add. Geesh.) and stumbles across a book that holds a very significant clue, but then when Maggie receives a book from her father, a SPY at Bletchley Park (hello, clue!), she does not realize the significance of the book (perhaps there’s a code in it, Maggie!) until Princess Elizabeth spills tea on it. Edmund even states in his note with the book, “Dear Margaret, So sorry we missed each other. Thought this book might answer some of your questions.”

And now we come to one of my biggest problems with this book: how is it in any way appropriate for Maggie to blackmail her boss, the HEAD OF MI-5, because she no longer wants to work a different, but more experienced, handler? Yes, Nevins is a total jerk, but guess what Maggie: sometimes we have to work with jerks. And her original, rookie handler, Hugh? A total dreamboat of a man, whom Maggie falls for, in spite of the fact that her almost-fiancé, John, is MIA (literally, his plane has been shot down in Germany, but they have not recovered a body, so he is probably still alive, as far as Maggie knows). Maggie really is a piece of work here. I dislike the introduction of an unnecessary potential love triangle (does this story really need the romance? No.). I dislike Maggie’s speedy recovery from the heartbreak of John’s disappearance. I especially dislike the completely unprofessional relationship between Maggie and Hugh, which results in Maggie’s childish tantrum that results in blackmailing her boss, the HEAD OF MI-5. Perhaps in real life spies really do fall into bed with one another; I do not know because I am not a spy, but I do know that it is probably not a good idea to be romantically and sexually involved with a supervisory coworker as Maggie is with Hugh. After all that ranting, let me just point out that I did not mind the actual character of Hugh, per se; I just really disliked the romantic relationship he and Maggie have.

I also disliked the bizarre red herring-ish subplot of Alistair Tooke, the Head Gardener, who according to Sam Berners, the Royal Falconer, put up the wire that decapitated Lily. Apparently, Tooke was so upset that his German wife was removed from the castle, but not the German lady-in-waiting, Lily, that he rigged up this crazy way to murder Lily. What? What if someone else had been riding ahead of Lily, like one of the princesses? This was just a very unlikely way someone would murder a specific person.

Finally, the revelation about Maggie’s mother was surprising, but, after everything else that has happened to Maggie, not shocking. What is shocking is the hare-brained new assignment Maggie will apparently be working on in the next volume of this series in which she goes undercover to Berlin and will at some point interact with her mother, the dreaded master spy Commandant Hess (this is from the set-up in chapter 30). MI-5 must be desperate to send such an inept spy undercover to Nazi Germany to deal with her own Nazi master-spy mother, whom she thought was killed in a car accident twenty years ago. Yeah, no potential for disaster there!
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Nov 16, 2012 The Bookwyrm's Hoard rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, arc, historical-mystery

Review originally published at The Bookwyrm's Hoard.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Princess Elizabeth’s Spy, MacNeal’s second Maggie Hope novel (after January’s Mr. Churchill’s Secretary.) Perhaps I shouldn’t have been. It is, after all, right up my alley in terms of content: a mystery-cum-spy-novel set in WWII-era Britain and featuring an intelligent and capable young heroine. But I had read Mr. Churchill’s Secretary and been slightly disappointed; the novel offered an intriguing main ch...more

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Apr 06, 2013 Lyn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I only started the book today, but I'm already intrigued by the background that's been set. The clothing, manners, society feel right for England during WWII. I'm looking forward to seeing the connection with the Princess being built. I'll update when I've finished, but I think Ms. MacNeal has a winner....and I have a keeper!

OK,I was right (love when that happens): Just finished the book & it continued to feel 'right' throughout. I lived in a country village (which grew to a town full of day...more

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Mar 26, 2013 Colleen rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

After reading the first book in this series, I was excited to pick up the second. I expected a enjoyable, if not particularly historically accurate, novel and that is what I got. The characters are fun, the insights into life in WWII England interesting, and the code-breaking tidbits intriguing. All was well until the entire sub-plot regarding Maggie's parents started to emerge- as a fan of the TV show Alias, I was shocked to discover the wholesale use of the entire plotline about Sydney's paren...more

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Jan 30, 2013 Lucy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library-book, series, england, mystery

Very interesting view of the early stages of WWII. Sequel to Mr. Churchill's Secretary. Maggie Hope, British but brought up in America, is an excellent mathematician and excels at code-breaking. After training with MI-5 she is assigned to tutor Princess Elizabeth (the future Queen Elizabeth II), age 14, in maths as a cover for watching over her and watching for dangers that might attack the royal family. It's 1940 and the Germans seem to be winning. Even though she's at Windsor Castle with the p...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Kellie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

http://www.simplystacie.net/2012/12/p...

Princess Elizabeth’s Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal is the second book in the Maggie Hope Mystery Series of books. In the follow up to Mr. Churchill’s Secretary, protagonist, Maggie, when the world is at a standstill due to World War II, is now training to become an MI-5 agent. Unfortunately for Maggie, she was not gifted with the physical talents necessary to become a full-fledged agent in the midst of the war. Therefore, she is soon sent back to London for a...more http://www.simplystacie.net/2012/12/p...

Princess Elizabeth’s Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal is the second book in the Maggie Hope Mystery Series of books. In the follow up to Mr. Churchill’s Secretary, protagonist, Maggie, when the world is at a standstill due to World War II, is now training to become an MI-5 agent. Unfortunately for Maggie, she was not gifted with the physical talents necessary to become a full-fledged agent in the midst of the war. Therefore, she is soon sent back to London for a new assignment. She must work as Princess Elizabeth’s governess, while doing a bit of spying. Maggie is quite modern for a woman of her era, therefore, she is more than a little offended by her new assignment. She is a woman of high intellect and fully trusts her abilities; therefore, such an assignment appears demeaning. However, Maggie’s opinion of her new assignment soon changes after her arrival at Windsor Castle. A murder has happened on the grounds and she realizes that this may be her most challenging job yet.
Some old faces from Mr. Churchill’s Secretary, return in Princess Elizabeth’s Spy. From the loveable David to her enigmatic father, they are all relevant to the story, as well as Maggie’s progress as a character. We are also introduced to new characters, such as Hugh and Gregory, which are critical to the plotline. Also, Maggie’s character is a delight. She is a strong and modern, yet caring woman in intense times. Her character’s attributes are much needed and hard to come by in most novels, which is why MacNeal must be applauded for creating such a complete protagonist. The surrounding cast also adds needed depth, it was easy to find myself questioning the motives of certain characters and wondering if he/she could be trusted. Also, of note, the character of Princess Elizabeth is beautifully crafted. She is portrayed as an empathetic and wise 14 year old who realizes the importance of her position in life.
The novel’s pace moves well and is easy to follow, which is important when delving into a suspenseful read. Maggie also finds a potential new love in Hugh, which is a positive for her, after recently losing her first love, John. New twists and turns are also unveiled in this mystery, the most major one pertaining to her mother and father. I look forward to reading the follow up to Princess Elizabeth’s Spy, His Majesty’s Hope and gladly recommend that all lovers of mysteries read the Maggie Hope series of books.(less)

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Jan 03, 2013 Brenda Mengeling rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 49, fiction, mysteries

I read this in one sitting (an across the country airline flight), and it was very entertaining provided I didn't think about it too much. The story takes place in Britain in the late autumn and early winter of 1940 during the Blitzkrieg. The main character of Maggie Hope, a Brit who grew up in America, was engaging. Princess Elizabeth's Spy is actually the second book in the series, and I haven't read the first. In this book, Maggie has gone from being one of Primer Minister Winston Churchill's...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, suspense

Did nobody else see how closely (almost unethically closely) parts of Maggie's story followed that of Sydney's from the TV show Alias? It was enough that it pretty much disturbed the way I felt about the rest of the book - which paints this supposedly intelligent, reasonable woman as a complete dunce with all the clues she misses.

After reading the book, I was curious about the connections to Alias, so I pulled up Netflix and was astounded.(view spoiler)...more Did nobody else see how closely (almost unethically closely) parts of Maggie's story followed that of Sydney's from the TV show Alias? It was enough that it pretty much disturbed the way I felt about the rest of the book - which paints this supposedly intelligent, reasonable woman as a complete dunce with all the clues she misses.

After reading the book, I was curious about the connections to Alias, so I pulled up Netflix and was astounded.(view spoiler) I don't know if it was meant as an homage, or if it was inadvertent or deliberate, but parts of the story and the dialogue skirt the edge. Beyond all the that, the story wouldn't have been so bad had Maggie, this gifted woman, actually noticed obvious things that were right in front of her. The elements of life for the princesses in Windsor were interesting, but for me, not enough to overcome the shadow of Alias.

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Dec 07, 2012 Maureen Timerman rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

I just finished reading this page turner. Susan Elia MacNeal spins a web of espionage to the point who don't truly know who the good guys are, and they change.
We travel the road in England during WWII, and before the American's enter. Maggie Hope, with her smarts and skill, is sent to protect the Princess's Elizabeth and Margaret, at Windsor Palace. While Maggie's desire is to be a spy on the Continent for the MI-5, she washes out in her training. Churchill wants to keep her and thus she is sent...more

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Nov 29, 2012 Ann Woodbury Moore rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I picked this up because of my interest in the British royal family. During the early days of World War II Maggie Hope, a Brit raised in America and now working as a spy for MI5, is sent to Windsor Castle to ferret out a plot against the teenaged Princess Elizabeth, posing as her math (or "maths," depending on MacNeal's mood) tutor. Unfortunately, MacNeal's depiction of life at Windsor and its occupants is superficial and, often, both silly and inaccurate (in 1940 Princess Margaret was 10, not 8...more

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Nov 14, 2012 Andrea Guy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-reads, britlit, cozy-mystery, tlcblogtours

I've been reading a lot of pre WWII cozy mysteries. Just a few days ago I posted the review for Elegy For Eddie and now there's Princess Elizabeth's Spy.

This book is fabulous.

I really loved the author's attention to detail in the historical aspect of the story. It was great to get a picture of Queen Elizabeth II in the days when she was just Princess Elizabeth.

It is a historical novel of intrigue that touches on the cozy side, but Maggie Hope is a little more than your typical cozy mystery heroi...more

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Nov 12, 2012 Judy Alter rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have become really enam0red of Susan Elia MacNeal's WWII mysteries, first Mr. Churchhill's Secretary and now Princess Elizabeth's Spy. The first, as I said in an earlier review, is set during the gathering storm, when England still hoped it could pacify Germany and Winston Churchill knew it couldn't. With Princess Elizabeth's Spy, MacNeal moves further into the war, with the devastating bombing of England's major cities.
Maggie Hope, frustrated mathematician turn spy for Prime Minister Churchi...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Suspense Magazine added it · review of another edition

“Princess Elizabeth’s Spy” is a historical mystery, featuring Government agent, Maggie Hope. The story starts in the midst of WWII, with agents at Bletchley working on breaking Nazi naval decrypts. Having completed her training to work as a spy for MI-5, Churchill’s former secretary, Maggie Hope, is sent undercover to Windsor Castle to tutor Princess Elizabeth in math.

The British Government suspects someone working for the Royal Family of secretly sending encrypted messages back to the Germans....more

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Sep 11, 2012 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This charming mystery grabbed me from the start when feisty Maggie Hope is struggling with the physical requirements of becoming a spy. Unfortunately, she doesn't have any luck but she feels somewhat better when she is chosen to protect young Princess Elizabeth from a death threat. Her job is to pretend to be a Maths tutor to the teenage princess at Windsor Castle.

Here she has to stay with a fairly nasty pair of girls (one even has a pet snake), a drunken ex-soldier and various other strange cha...more

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Feb 02, 2013 Cameran rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-reads

I don't think this series is for me. After being disappointed with Mr Churchill's Secretary I was also disappointed with Princess Elizabeth's Spy. Those responsible for the threat are too predictable, the "action" toward the end is so over the top that it's nearly laughable, and characters who were strongly formed in the first book seemed to crumble apart.

Maggie irritated me in this book. She couldn't even solve the mystery because she was too busy being prejudiced toward others. Then there was...more

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Nov 04, 2012 John rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I just finished reading this book, having recently completed the first book in this new series, "Mr. Churchill's Secretary." I absolutely loved these works of historical fiction.

The two books focused on the early years of World War II, particularly on what was happening in England at this time. I especially like books whioh deal with this era. These works by Susan Elia MacNeal compare quite favorably with other novels I have read revolving around this period.

The books introduce an intriguing ne...more

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Feb 08, 2013 Victor Gentile rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Susan Elia MacNeal in her new book, “Princess Elizabeth's Spy” Book Two in the Maggie Hope Mystery series published by Bantam Books takes us back into the life of Maggie Hope.

From the back cover: Susan Elia MacNeal introduced the remarkable Maggie Hope in her acclaimed debut, Mr. Churchill’s Secretary. Now Maggie returns to protect Britain’s beloved royals against an international plot—one that could change the course of history.

As World War II sweeps the continent and England steels itself agai...more Susan Elia MacNeal in her new book, “Princess Elizabeth's Spy” Book Two in the Maggie Hope Mystery series published by Bantam Books takes us back into the life of Maggie Hope.

From the back cover: Susan Elia MacNeal introduced the remarkable Maggie Hope in her acclaimed debut, Mr. Churchill’s Secretary. Now Maggie returns to protect Britain’s beloved royals against an international plot—one that could change the course of history.

As World War II sweeps the continent and England steels itself against German attack, Maggie Hope, former secretary to Prime Minister Winston Churchill, completes her training to become a spy for MI-5. Spirited, strong-willed, and possessing one of the sharpest minds in government for mathematics and code-breaking, she fully expects to be sent abroad to gather intelligence for the British front. Instead, to her great disappointment, she is dispatched to go undercover at Windsor Castle, where she will tutor the young Princess Elizabeth in math. Yet castle life quickly proves more dangerous—and deadly—than Maggie ever expected. The upstairs-downstairs world at Windsor is thrown into disarray by a shocking murder, which draws Maggie into a vast conspiracy that places the entire royal family in peril. And as she races to save England from a most disturbing fate, Maggie realizes that a quick wit is her best defense, and that the smallest clues can unravel the biggest secrets, even within her own family.

I have not read anything else by Susan Elia MacNeal before bu rest assured I will make up for this oversight. Ms. MacNeal is a wonderful writer who uses very clever plots to absorb us in her writing. History, secret codes, World War II and Nazis all come together in a suspense plot that will keep you guessing as to what is going to happen next. Maggie Hope is working undercover at Windsor Castle and it is more than her life that is at stake, the lives of the royalty of England are at risk as well. Ms. MacNeal has written a nail-biting, page-turning thriller. She also knows how to write a good romance as well as Maggie’s fiance is missing in action and presumed killed. Ms. MacNeal creates characters are so real that you care for all of them. “Princess Elizabeth’s Spy” is great fun to read. I am so looking forward to the next book in this series.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bantam Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”(less)

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Dec 27, 2012 Cathy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm super mad at this book. :P She's supposed to stay faithful to John, not stupid Hugh! :P
Besides that part...I really did like the book. (:

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Nov 10, 2012 Denise rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, world-war-ii, read-in-2012

Maggie Hope is back in action but this time at Windsor Castle. Maggie goes undercover as a tutor to Princess Elizabeth and finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation and on the trail of German spies at the castle.

While I loved the first book and enjoyed reading about Maggie as a secretary for Winston Churchill I loved reading about Maggie as a MI-5 agent. Maggie is such a refreshing character to read about and as a MI-5 agent is where she really shines. She is feisty, intelligent, ind...more

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Oct 09, 2012 Mara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: wwii, historical-fiction, espionage

In my review of Winston Churchill's Secretary, the first of the Maggie Hope books, I said that the series showed promise as MacNeal settled into her talents as a writer. With this second installment, MacNeal is certainly starting to live up to that promise. Although some of the language is still a bit clunky (and there are far too many mentions of birds), the story itself flows much more smoothly than it did in the first book and MacNeal takes fewer shortcuts to get her characters in and out of...more

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Sep 21, 2012 Ericafoferica rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I received a copy of this book as a Goodreads first read giveaway.

I was actually surprised at how good this book really is. From the very first chapter all the way to the end, there is nonstop action and suspense. I literally could not put the book down as I learned about Maggie and her mission as a spy in the King's castle. It's hard to give a good review when the book hasn't even hit the shelves yet and it would totally ruin it for the next reader if I gave all the details away. But what I ca...more

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Nov 13, 2012 Patty rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the second book in a series, the first being Mr. Churchill's Secretary. I had the good fortune to have read that first book but don't feel you have to read both to enjoy Princess Elizabeth's Spy. It stands alone quite nicely. In fact it had been quite a while since I had read the first book and I could honestly say that I didn't recall much anyway.

Maggie Hope is a very intelligent young woman who after saving Winston Churchill's life is sent off to spy school so she can further help the...more

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Oct 29, 2012 Sharon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I liked this book until the very end at which point all I could say was really............then I read the author's notes and chapter for the next book in the series and decided I was through reading about Maggie Hope. Maggie Hope was born in Britain but raised in America after the death of her parents. She inherits her grandmother's house in Britain. While deciding what to do with the house, she gets a job and decides to remain while WWII breaks out. She is educated with a mathematical backgroun...more

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Oct 28, 2012 Gwyneth Stewart rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My opinion of this second Maggie Hope book is the same as it was of the first. On the upside, it's a fun quick read with some interesting historical detail, especially about life at Windsor Castle during WW II. In this book, Maggie is sent by MI-5 to keep an eye on Princess Elizabeth, because of rumors that she is in danger. Her cover story is that she is Princess Elizabeth's maths tutor. While there, she gets involved with a lot of upstairs/downstairs drama with the castle's staff and guests.
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Oct 17, 2012 Cristal rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Princess Elizabeth’s Spy takes place during WWII with Maggie Hope not passing her undercover agent training for MI-5 and getting reassigned. She is then sent to Windsor Castle under the premise of tutoring the young Princess Elizabeth in math. Protecting the Princess and helping to stop the Nazi’s in their attempt to take over England becomes the real agenda for Maggie. As she tutors the young Princess, she has to deal with family issues arising, and not to mention a murder, spies, and a kidnapp...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Anne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love historical fiction set during WWII in England so I was really looking forward to reading this book. Unfortunately I did not enjoy it as much as I thought I would. MacNeal does a good job with the setting and I liked how she showed the war from the point of view of the British spies. Reading about the British trying to crack the German codes was interesting and my favorite part of the book. I also thought the main character, Maggie Hope, was likable and fun to read about. The main problem...more

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Sep 11, 2012 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: british, edwardian, 2012, 20th-century, england, mystery, historical-fiction, royalty, female, wwii, smart-ass-women, spy

Finally able to write a review!

Maggie Hope is assigned to be a tutor for the young princess and she quickly realizes that this is hardly a fluff assignment. More than an hour math tutoring session will be needed for this mission!
We read of smart women on both good and bad sides and we see that Princess Elizabeth is spunkier than we might have thought :-)
The rest of my review can be found here.

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About Susan Elia MacNeal

Edgar, Dilys, and Barry Award-nominated Susan Elia MacNeal is the author of the Maggie Hope Mystery series from Bantam/Random House. The first is Mr. Churchill's Secretary, nominated for the Mystery Writers of America's 2013 Edgar Award for Best First Novel, and also the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association's 2013 Dilys Award for "the mystery title of the year that booksellers have most enj...more

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Princess Elizabeth's Spy: A Maggie Hope Mystery (Maggie Hope Mystery #2)

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