Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
Helpful Score: 4
I really enjoy following Maggie Hope to see what war intrigues she gets herself into. This time we see a very different woman who's been changed by her experiences in Europe in the previous book. She's a leaner, meaner Maggie, and when she begins work on saving her friend, she's in no mood to put up with government subterfuge. MacNeal has done her research, and she doesn't try to paint historical figures we've come to think of as heroes as saints. Men-- like Churchill for example-- had to make impossible choices because they knew they were in a life-or-death struggle with Hitler. Sometimes, the choices that were made were questionable. The author does readers a great service by giving them a more complete picture.
One element that made this book even more suspenseful was the constant weaving in of facts surrounding the impending attack on Pearl Harbor. Everything from what the Japanese were doing and when they were doing it to what people like Roosevelt and Churchill knew-- and when they knew it. This is some fascinating reading that gives a real sense of foreboding to the narrative.
This book can be read as a standalone, but for the evolution of Maggie's character, I would suggest that you begin at the beginning with Mr. Churchill's Secretary-- especially if you've read and enjoyed authors like Jacqueline Winspear or Charles Todd. And don't be surprised if you find Maggie Hope just as addictive as I do.
One element that made this book even more suspenseful was the constant weaving in of facts surrounding the impending attack on Pearl Harbor. Everything from what the Japanese were doing and when they were doing it to what people like Roosevelt and Churchill knew-- and when they knew it. This is some fascinating reading that gives a real sense of foreboding to the narrative.
This book can be read as a standalone, but for the evolution of Maggie's character, I would suggest that you begin at the beginning with Mr. Churchill's Secretary-- especially if you've read and enjoyed authors like Jacqueline Winspear or Charles Todd. And don't be surprised if you find Maggie Hope just as addictive as I do.
Thomas F. (hardtack) -
This has to be the worst book in this series, and some of them are pretty bad historically. The plot is contrived, with everything so apparent you wonder why our heroine doesn't know what is going to happen next.
The author is also on a PC kick. On several occasions she has men treating women as if they were stupid. She has them calling the women 'honey' and 'dear,' telling them to get them coffee, tea or go home to fix dinner, even though, in one case, the woman just figured out the Japanese are going to attack Pearl Harbor. I don't mind this so much, but as the series progresses, the author does this more and more often.
Then there are the numerous mistakes.
For example, she has the Japanese ambassador telling Secretary of State Hull the Japanese took Singapore and Malaysia from the British. But this was in November 1941 in the book, and the Japanese didn't conquer these areas until early 1942. She also has Admiral Kimmel speaking with an U.S. Army Major General, but in the next paragraph she refers to the man as a 'major.' Then she has Maggie Hope arresting a civilian murder suspect, which she has no right to do as she is not a law enforcement officer, despite being in SOE. Imagine, if you will, a U.S. Army lieutenant walking into a restaurant and saying to a civilian customer, "I'm placing you under arrest."
But my favorite was when she has a junior naval officer in Hawaii speak offhandedly to Admiral Kimmel at the officers club and even asking his wife to dance. Just wasn't done! Then she follows this up with something even worse, with a sailor, whom she identifies as a 'private,' "leaning in" to say something to the admiral. First, there are no 'privates' in the navy, they are called seamen recruits. Then she has the admiral suggest the 'private' have a drink and dance with a "pretty girl." This wouldn't ever happen at an officers club, not even today. And when you're an E-1 in grade (private or seaman recruit), one of the very first thing you lean is never to speak to anyone of E-3 or above (and that's just enlisted ranks) unless they address you first, and then your response is usually
"Sir! Yes sir!" Armed forces personnel at the E-1 level don't even think about speaking to ANY officer, let alone an admiral or general. The author is apparently clueless about military life.
She also states there are "two thousand" American servicemen stationed at Pearl Harbor. Actually, there were many thousands more, but why worry about factual background information when writing an historical novel.
Then she has Japanese Admiral Yamamoto speaking to the Japanese pilots before they took off from the aircraft carriers to attack Hawaii. Give me a break! This never happened as Yamamoto was in Japan and the attack fleet was under radio silence. Why did she even include this?
The mistakes continue.... In one chapter Maggie refers to a photograph of a man in his "naval uniform," the son of Churchill's secretary. In the next chapter she meets the woman and consoles her, as he was killed, saying she remembered the photograph of her son "standing next to his RAF plane." Well, he was either in the Royal Air Force or the Royal Navy, but he couldn't be in both. Makes you wonder if the author read her own book.
Is this all a game? Record the mistakes the author makes, report them on her web site, and, if you find them all, you win a signed copy of the book.
Sometime tells me the author received a hefty advance for this book, but had no good ideas, so she just threw this together.
The author is also on a PC kick. On several occasions she has men treating women as if they were stupid. She has them calling the women 'honey' and 'dear,' telling them to get them coffee, tea or go home to fix dinner, even though, in one case, the woman just figured out the Japanese are going to attack Pearl Harbor. I don't mind this so much, but as the series progresses, the author does this more and more often.
Then there are the numerous mistakes.
For example, she has the Japanese ambassador telling Secretary of State Hull the Japanese took Singapore and Malaysia from the British. But this was in November 1941 in the book, and the Japanese didn't conquer these areas until early 1942. She also has Admiral Kimmel speaking with an U.S. Army Major General, but in the next paragraph she refers to the man as a 'major.' Then she has Maggie Hope arresting a civilian murder suspect, which she has no right to do as she is not a law enforcement officer, despite being in SOE. Imagine, if you will, a U.S. Army lieutenant walking into a restaurant and saying to a civilian customer, "I'm placing you under arrest."
But my favorite was when she has a junior naval officer in Hawaii speak offhandedly to Admiral Kimmel at the officers club and even asking his wife to dance. Just wasn't done! Then she follows this up with something even worse, with a sailor, whom she identifies as a 'private,' "leaning in" to say something to the admiral. First, there are no 'privates' in the navy, they are called seamen recruits. Then she has the admiral suggest the 'private' have a drink and dance with a "pretty girl." This wouldn't ever happen at an officers club, not even today. And when you're an E-1 in grade (private or seaman recruit), one of the very first thing you lean is never to speak to anyone of E-3 or above (and that's just enlisted ranks) unless they address you first, and then your response is usually
"Sir! Yes sir!" Armed forces personnel at the E-1 level don't even think about speaking to ANY officer, let alone an admiral or general. The author is apparently clueless about military life.
She also states there are "two thousand" American servicemen stationed at Pearl Harbor. Actually, there were many thousands more, but why worry about factual background information when writing an historical novel.
Then she has Japanese Admiral Yamamoto speaking to the Japanese pilots before they took off from the aircraft carriers to attack Hawaii. Give me a break! This never happened as Yamamoto was in Japan and the attack fleet was under radio silence. Why did she even include this?
The mistakes continue.... In one chapter Maggie refers to a photograph of a man in his "naval uniform," the son of Churchill's secretary. In the next chapter she meets the woman and consoles her, as he was killed, saying she remembered the photograph of her son "standing next to his RAF plane." Well, he was either in the Royal Air Force or the Royal Navy, but he couldn't be in both. Makes you wonder if the author read her own book.
Is this all a game? Record the mistakes the author makes, report them on her web site, and, if you find them all, you win a signed copy of the book.
Sometime tells me the author received a hefty advance for this book, but had no good ideas, so she just threw this together.
Linda R. (wolfie123) - , reviewed The Prime Minister's Secret Agent (Maggie Hope, Bk 4) on + 419 more book reviews
This is a wonderful series...in this addition Maggie is struggling against her own demons...."The Black Dog" after her ordeal in Berlin...When In Glasgw, she must quickly get to the bottom of the mysterious poisoning of her friend before Sarah succumbs to the fate of others.....she partners with Mi 5 to uncover the truth behind the poisenings.....meanwhile, her mother, a German spy, is being held prisoner and is awaiting execution ......I highly recommend this series, but do read them in order, to follow the development of the plot and all the characters.....
