IBR - The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

Members Starting the BR: Chapter Champions
Challenge: Book Quest Adventures
Book: The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen

Anyone is free to join in this Buddy Read! Happy Reading!

[Teddie]

Hey team! Do you guys want to read this in the second half of the month?

[Trisha]

That sounds good to me! Was there a day you were aiming for?

[Heather]

Since this is a KU book, there's no expiration date. I am happy to read it whenever it works out for everyone else.

[Teddie]

I swear I check those Notify Me boxes, and then - nothing and they are magically unchecked - lol.

I am thinking of starting this one sometime this week, if that works for you guys as well? I'm flexible :)

[Vicki]

We can all start any time that works best for us as long as we finish it before the end of the month.

[Trisha]

Yeah, I have 1 audio to get through and then I'll start!

[Heather]

Starting it now.

[Heather]

I'm on chapter 7 and enjoying it so far. Apparently I'm in the mood to read about super competent retired spies solving a mystery.

[Heather]

And Teddie, it's been several months since I've gotten any thread notifications. GR! 😝

[Vicki]

Through Ch. 4

I'm liking it a lot so far. I don't know if I'll get more read tonight since I have to get up super early (4:00) tomorrow to watch my grandkids, so I'm going to comment here, just a bit sooner than usual.

(view spoiler)[ I like all of these elderly people who are retired CIA operatives. Poor Maggie just wants a peaceful little town and to be a chicken farmer and get away from her past, but it looks like after 16 years of retirement it's caught up to her. I like the martini and book club too. All former intelligence operatives should make for some interesting book reading. lol

Jo is pretty savvy so she's on to the fact Maggie is withholding something from her. Maggie's old life is colliding with her current one and that murdered woman, poor thing. Jeez...so young and dead. I wonder what the message was. I would assume it's something like "you're next."

I'm guessing her club of intelligence operatives will band together and figure out what's really going on and why Bianca was murdered. (hide spoiler)]

[Heather]

Chapter 21

(view spoiler)[ I'm dreading the end of her romance with Danny. They're so in love right now. (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

Through Ch. 21

(view spoiler)[ Yes, but I don't like how she's lying to him. I know it's to protect him, but it seems to me like if he knew at least the danger they're both potentially in that he'd at least be aware more of his surroundings, etc. I worry that the "posse" will eventually get Danny involved but maybe unknowingly and his part and Maggie's. With all of the lies and the deception, using Danny for her operatives, I think she needs to come clean before he finds out from someone else.

The deaths...ugh. I'd be so scared that I was next! Especially since they know for those who've been tortured they might've snitched.

I like the relationship she has with Belle. I think Belle will help get anything against her father for (hide spoiler)]

[Heather]

Yes!

[Trisha]

10 chapters

listening to this one and really enjoying it!

(view spoiler)[ I agree, really love that they are all retired and kind of minding their own but also keeping an eye on each other!

so far I really like Jo and I really like Maggie! (hide spoiler)]

[Heather]

I just finished it. (view spoiler)[I like how Maggie is such a complex character. Good deep down, but not all good, and certainly not all bad. She has been living with so much guilt. And I like the idea of bringing Jo into it all with those sharp retired spooks. (hide spoiler)]

It's interesting that Maggie landed in northern Maine because that harsh no-nonsense life suits her perfectly.

And I need to read the next book in the series!

[Trisha]

21 chapters

(view spoiler)[
I agree, they are so in love it breaks my heart this is going to end badly. either he's going to be a real bad guy or he's going to be so upset when he finds out who she is that he won't trust her

but who could be after her now? Could it be Danny? or the daughter? why go after her?

and I hated that as soon as she found out she had to stay in the mission, her marriage to Danny did start to feel a bit. . .like she was angling it for information - it felt more like a business transaction (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha]

and done

OMG this was great! fingers crossed we can read book 2 next month for this challenge!!

(view spoiler)[
wow, it was the daughter. I wondered if she'd made it out and if she'd be the one going after her - so glad she left her alive.

I'm glad she believed her.

and wow, her handler Diana - what a crappy person she was!
and that she didn't get the husband off when she could have

also. . .I'm still not 100% sure why we had Jo's POV other than to add the frustration of trying to pin this group down - otherwise I didn't fee like she added much (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

Finished (I had a very LONG day so I couldn't read this until tonight.)

I loved this one! It was so good and twisty! ;)

(view spoiler)[I was shocked that it was her! I never dreamed it would be.
I was sitting on the edge of my seat reading that scene when we didn't know if she'd leave her dead or alive...jeez!

I couldn't stand Diana. She was one selfish/self-centered woman who cared about nobody but herself.

I hadn't thought about why we got Jo's perspective. It didn't bother me, but I think you're right. There was no real need for it.

I don't always like espionage, but this one was super good and I'd read book 2! (hide spoiler)]

[Heather]

Trisha wrote: "and done

OMG this was great! fingers crossed we can read book 2 next month for this challenge!!


wow, it was the daughter. I wondered if she'd made it out and if she'd be the one going after her..."

It would be great to read the 2nd one next month! I already grabbed it from KU. I'll listen to it even if it doesn't work with our challenges.

I liked the addition of Jo. To me she was the opposite of the Martini Club - young, and sort of plodding in the way she worked. But still smart. She just doesn't have the experience of the former spies. I suspect there will be a lot that they can teach her.

[Teddie]

I'm about a third of the way in and digging it! I love when strong women characters are done well. And being a woman no longer in the flush of youth, I appreciate that older doesn't equal useless. I also like the clean writing - I just finished a book that was so overwritten (of course, I did it as an audiobook and seem to be more sensitive to overblown prose in that format. When I read in my head, I can tone it down a bit, you know? lol)

I'm enjoying peeling back the onion layers on this one :)

[Teddie]

And I'm totally on board with trying to read the next one next month :)

[Heather]

Teddie wrote: "I'm about a third of the way in and digging it! I love when strong women characters are done well. And being a woman no longer in the flush of youth, I appreciate that older doesn't equal useless. ..."

I know! It seems like all the flaws are magnified when it's read aloud.

[Teddie]

Heather wrote: "I liked the addition of Jo. To me she was the opposite of the Martini Club - young, and sort of plodding in the way she worked. But still smart. She just doesn't have the experience of the former spies. I suspect there will be a lot that they can teach her."

I totally agree - love that Jo is so dogged and notices everything - think one of the Martini Club will get her recruited?

I also want to know more about MIT engineer Luther.

Have you guys read other older-but-not-useless series like:
The Marlow Murder Club
The Thursday Murder Club?

We old folks need our clubs, I guess lol

[bamaace83]

I really liked this book. It was a nice refreshing change to all the romance books that I've been reading lately. I love romance but sometimes I need something else. Loved the Martini Club. I really want to know now if real life CIA agents retire to Maine. That town sounded so much fun.

[bamaace83]

I'm up for reading the second book next month. I think Jo will become an honorary member of the club. I would like to see where this goes. I have Thursday Murder Club on my list to read and now need to go mark The Marlow Club.

[bamaace83]

Teddie wrote: "I'm about a third of the way in and digging it! I love when strong women characters are done well. And being a woman no longer in the flush of youth, I appreciate that older doesn't equal useless. ..."

I agree with all these things! I think that's what kept me going in this book.

[Bernadette]

Starting this book today - thanks Teddie for the suggestion for another challenge and letting me know about the IBR.

[bamaace83]

I think you'll like it. I want to read the second book and I'll probably read it next month and put it in somewhere.

[Bernadette]

I'm through the Chapter 18 and really enjoying the book so far! I loved the Thursday Muder Club series and can't wait to watch it on Netflix. @Teddie, I love your comment "being a woman no longer in the flush of youth, I appreciate that older doesn't equal useless" - so true - my next birthday will make me Medicare eligible😲.

It's great that Maggie is marrying Danny, but can it last?

Living in Maine is not for the faint-of-heart.

[Bernadette]

I liked this book and will read the next, not that I need another series to read! There are only a few books thankfully. I had this author on my TBR list for the Rizzoli and Isle's series because I enjoyed the TV show. I think I will like that series as well.

I agree with what you all said about the book and characters. I did like Jo, and it will be interesting to see if a relationship develops between Maggie and Declan.

Some of my favorite quotes:

"We're getting old, Mags. Naps are now a regular part of our days." - I don't know about the rest of you, but I love when I can get a nap into my day😴

"Getting old is not for wimps."