London, 1940. After years of stealing from the rich and giving to the poor--well, to themselves, anyway--Ellie McDonnell and her family have turned over a new leaf as they help the government's war effort. The second in the Electra McDonnell series.
One of the best things about Weaver’s story are her obvious research skills and her ability to use that research to enhance the story. Weaver keeps her cast of characters at a reasonable level, not to overpower the story with too many or too few ... The story unfolds in a logical process while leaving the reader wondering who the guilty party is. Weaver clearly ties up all the obvious loose ends, discards the red herrings, and the foreshadowing she set forth earlier in the story ... As this is only the second in her series, Weaver opens the door to garnering many fans as she develops her characters and possible romances travel between Ellie and the major or Felix. It’s easy to get wrapped up in Weaver’s storytelling skills as she carefully unfolds her story.
... excellent ... The setting of London during World War II comes to life in this absorbing plot with its fresh take on spying, murder and war on the home front. Each of the characters is well-developed and endearing, and Ellie's sharp wit and criminal expertise play brilliantly against the by-the-book persona of Major Ramsey and the suave, slightly felonious leanings of Felix. The novel can easily be read as a stand-alone story, although readers will surely wish to enjoy the first installment as well.
... [a] thoroughly ingenious blend of rom-com and spy cozy ... Ellie narrates, in a witty, matter-of-fact way, filling us in about picking locks, using her contacts with shady antiques dealers and fences to find the mysterious clock, and coping with the myriad privations of living in London during the war. Ellie is wonderfully resourceful and divinely funny. Let’s hope this expertise-and-romance-filled series continues for a very long time.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay[/caption]
