Wow this book was really awkward. That's the best term I can come up with. The Maggie Hope series is not Shakespeare, but at least the other books are somewhat believeable. This book had noticeably stiffer dialogue than the others. While the historical background is interesting, it is poorly integrated with the plot. In short, it feels like a rush job. I hope that more care is taken with both the writing and editing of the next Maggie Hope mystery.

Side note: Mrs. Roosevelt's Confidante includes several references to previous books in the series, therefore, I would not recommend it as a standalone. In fact, since it has been some time since I read the earlier novels, I would have appreciated a line or two of explanation of these references myself.

Sigh. It feels like the writing on these books is getting more and more mediocre. Not sure I'll stick it out through another one...

Sigh. It feels like the writing on these books is getting more and more mediocre. Not sure I'll stick it out through another one...

Definitely enjoying this series.

"December 1941. Soon after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Winston Churchill arrives in Washington, D.C., along with special agent Maggie Hope. Posing as his typist, she is accompanying the prime minister as he meets with President Roosevelt to negotiate the United States’ entry into World War II. When one of the First Lady’s aides is mysteriously murdered, Maggie is quickly drawn into Mrs. Roosevelt’s inner circle—as ER herself is implicated in the crime. Maggie knows she must keep the investigation quiet, so she employs her unparalleled skills at code breaking and espionage to figure out who would target Mrs. Roosevelt, and why. What Maggie uncovers is a shocking conspiracy that could jeopardize American support for the war and leave the fate of the world hanging dangerously in the balance."

Susan Elia McNeal's Maggie Hope Mysteries are one of my favorite addictions. I have been trying to ration them, since there are but seven, but in less than ten months I have devoured five, and the final two are sitting here, next to me, in my room, taunting me. I don't know how long I will be able to hold out. Especially since each one surpasses the previous.

In this, "Mrs. Roosevelt's Confidante" there is much riveting, thrilling plot as Maggie is conscripted to the service of Eleanor Roosevelt, who finds herself in a sticky situation involving blackmail and abhorrent chicanery from sources who resent her support for people of color and other categories of folks that these racist, liberal-hating bigots find offensive and a threat to white-male supremacy. Hmm, sound familiar? Yeah, I thought so, too. Mrs. Roosevelt could just as easily be Mrs. Clinton, slandered and relentlessly attacked as they both were by the conservative right wing cabal of dishonest, duplicitous ninnyhammers.

Because America is set to join World War 2, Winston Churchill travels to Washington, D.C. to meet and negotiate with President Roosevelt. Maggie returns to her home country at Churchill's behest and while there she becomes involved in sleuthing the truth of the blackmail scheme, but, also, rekindling her love affair with her RAF pilot, John Sterling, though things keep getting in the way, and, too, in other parts of the world her not-dead-after-all mother, the Nazi spy, and her not-dead-after-all father, the brilliant scientist, are up to their own devious shenanigans.

Susan Elia MacNeal juggles all of these elements with grace and wit and break-neck pacing and, too, my particular favorite character, Maggie's gay friend, David Greene, is also along for the ride. What I find especially marvelous about the Maggie Hope series is the way in which historical detail is effortlessly intertwined in the story, educating and informing me about things I'd not known, never thought about, encouraging further reading --- and Susan Elia MacNeal includes a convenient list of sources and books at the end of the story.

And, too, Maggie Hope has a sensibility and a moral compass which is distinctly modern. Without being polemical or straining credulity, Susan Elia MacNeal includes ideas relevant to the current zeitgeist. I welcome an author who has a point of view and speaks it in compelling, entertaining, and delightful prose.

Love Maggie. Love Susan Elia MacNeal. Trying to hold off on Numbers 6 and 7. Not gonna happen.

2.5 stars

I love this series but this was not a favorite. There were too many plot lines and it just didn't hold together. I think a more streamlined book would have been better.

Of the Maggie Hope mystery series, this was probably the least suspenseful and most politically-focussed. I very timely read it over the holidays and the book is set over the holidays between 1941 and 1942, set in Washington DC.

The previous Maggie story had a lot of personal issues in it and this tale was much more of a stand-alone, solve-the-mystery and move the plot sort of tale. There was a lot of historical elements weaved into the story based on actual events with names changed for drama and storytelling.

Overall, it was a pleasant story and the pace of the writing was maintained though there was some elements that were a bit far-fetched.