Princess Elizabeth's Spy Audiobook By Susan Elia MacNeal cover art

Princess Elizabeth's Spy

A Maggie Hope Mystery

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Princess Elizabeth's Spy

By: Susan Elia MacNeal
Narrated by: Susan Duerden
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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. Women Sleuths Spies & Politics Historical Fiction Mystery Thriller & Suspense 20th Century Espionage Historical Traditional Detectives Feel-Good

Critic reviews

Praise for Mr. Churchill’s Secretary

“Delightful may seem a strange word to describe a novel that takes place against the backdrop of the bombings of London during World War II, but it’s appropriate for this debut novel. . . . As sweet as it is intriguing.”—USA Today

“A captivating, post-feminist picture of England during its finest hour.”—The Denver Post

“Daring . . . Blends meticulous research on the era, psychological insight into Winston Churchill, and the creation of a riveting main character, Maggie Hope, into a spectacularly crafted novel.”—Bookreporter

“A ripping good yarn [that] enthralls and satisfies.”—Richmond Times-Dispatch
Engaging Plot • Historical Detail • Excellent Character Differentiation • Strong Female Protagonist • Interesting Spycraft

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Finally trying to catch up on Susan Elia MacNeal’s “Maggie Hope” series … The story is quite a good WWII yarn … characters you get attached too and look forward to seeing again … Susan Duerden is a great narrator giving life to each character… on to the third book in the series!

Storytelling at its best

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Is there anything you would change about this book?

I didn't like the voice of Maggie Hope. She sounded like a teenager.

What was most disappointing about Susan Elia MacNeal’s story?

I was disappointed that the character, Maggie Hope, seemed weak. She missed clues, did not keep her full attention on the Princess at a critical moment. Over all, she seemed like a different character from the Churchill's Secretary story.

Did Susan Duerden do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

She was ok with some of the characters, but Maggie Hope's voice did not fit the character.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No

Not the Best Maggie Hope story

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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would, but the narrator drove me crazy. Every sentence she said was as if it was a tagline for a movie.

What didn’t you like about Susan Duerden’s performance?

She said every sentence with a downturn at the end, turning it into a movie tagline. Just imagine: "In 2014, there was an event. An event that changed... the world." Except for the entire book.

Not every sentence is thriller movie tagline!!!

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I’ve already read this on Kindle, so I know the story, but I decided to listen to it on Audible, and boy am I sorry I did. The narrator for her first book was very good, but Susan Duerden’s narration is so over-affected, and Maggie’s voice is like Minny Mouse. What a waste of money.

Narrator is awful

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What did you love best about Princess Elizabeth's Spy?

I liked the historical setting, intricacy of plotting and nice writing.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The protagonist, Maggie Hope is interesting, but more minor characters and portrayals of historical characters are compelling and seemingly quite accurate.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narrator has a lovely voice and accent, her French accent is usually good. However, she drops her voice at the end of every sentence. The monotonous inflection line is truly annoying. The narrator for the first volume in the series is much better. The narrator for this book and all further volumes in the series is Susan Duerden. I think they have made a mistake. I hope that she can change what feels like an ingrained inflection pattern - her voice is beautiful, but aargh!!!

Good book, Annoying narration

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