The Prisoner in the Castle
The Prisoner in the Castle A Maggie Hope Mystery by Susan Elia MacNeal Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Bantam Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date 07 Aug 2018
Review
Imagine Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None played out on an island where British spies who are an “inconvenience” are kept. The newest Maggie Hope mystery, The Prisoner in the Castle, reinterprets Christie’s classic plot in a manner that is fresh rather than derivative. Maggie Hope was sent to Killoch Castle without explanation - her assumption is that she knows too much. After a new resident arrives, the deaths begin. First the kindly soldier ostensibly in charge, then one spy after another. Anyone present is capable of killing, but what would be the reason? As each turns on the other in suspicion, Maggie tries to hold things together and keep everyone alive. Meanwhile her good friend DCI Durgin realizes Maggie has gone missing and pursues her with the help of her friends and allies in the service.
The Prisoner in the Castle is a thrilling historical mystery set against the backdrop of WWII. Maggie Hope is a strong, capable woman - like many who worked in British intelligence during the war. At the same time, she is not without compassion. She is an exceptional heroine. MacNeal’s application of the premise behind And Then There Were None was skillfully done, and I particularly liked the Agatha Christie references in the text. The Prisoner in the Castle is an excellent addition to Susan Elia MacNeal’s successful series.
5 / 5
I received a copy of The Prisoner in the Castle from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
-- Crittermom
Description
A series of baffling murders among a group of imprisoned agents threatens the outcome of World War II in this chilling mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of Mr. Churchill’s Secretary. World War II is raging and former spy Maggie Hope knows too much. She knows what the British government is willing to do to keep its secrets. She knows the real location of the planned invasion of France. She knows who’s lying. She knows who the double-crossers are. She knows exactly who is sending agents to their deaths. These are the reasons why Maggie is isolated on a remote Scottish island, in a prison known as Killoch Castle, out of contact with friends and family. Then one of her fellow inmates drops dead in the middle of his after-dinner drink . . . and he’s only the first. As victims fall one by one, Maggie will have to call upon all her wits and skills to escape—not just certain death . . . but certain murder. For what’s the most important thing Maggie Hope knows? She must survive.
