Princess Elizabeth's Spy

August 6, 2012
Early in WWII, after the Battle of Britain, fears of a German invasion of England remain high in MacNeal’s enjoyable sequel to Mr. Churchill’s Secretary. American expat Maggie Hope, formerly the prime minister’s secretary, is training in Scotland to become a spy for MI5. Dismissive of so-called “women’s work,” Maggie reluctantly accepts her first assignment—to go undercover at Windsor Castle as math tutor to the 14-year-old Princess Elizabeth. After the initial, somewhat slow scene-setting chapters, which depict scheming Nazis as well as the dubious loyalty of the duke and duchess of Windsor, the plot picks up momentum with false starts, double agents, and red herrings. MacNeal provides a vivid view of life both above and below stairs at Windsor Castle. Excerpts from actual news broadcasts and speeches by the future Elizabeth II and Churchill add historical authenticity. Agent: Victoria Skurnick, Levine Greenberg Literary.

September 1, 2012
A mathematician born in Britain and raised in America adds spying to her resume. Maggie Hope has left her job as a secretary to Winston Churchill to enter MI5's school for spies. Although her grades are stellar, she doesn't do well enough on the physical tests to be sent to France. Instead, MI5 finds a job for her as maths tutor to the Princess Elizabeth so that she can keep an eye on Elizabeth, fondly known as Lilibet, who, as heir to the throne, may be a Nazi target. Maggie arrives at Windsor Castle with a lot on her mind. Her boyfriend has been shot down over Germany, and the father she had long thought dead is working at Bletchley Park--and may be a German spy. Maggie soon becomes a favorite of Lilibet and her younger sister, Margaret, if not their beloved Corgis, and bonds with the large and varied castle staff, both upstairs and downstairs, despite their understandable fears following the recent murder of a friend of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting. As she pokes around, Maggie begins to suspect one of the snobbish ladies of Nazi leanings. Taken under the wing of Lord Gregory Strathcliffe, a badly disfigured RAF pilot, Maggie soon discovers several disquieting things after someone else is killed on the castle grounds. It's good that Maggie is willing to risk her life to protect Lilibet, but will things indeed come to such a pass? Maggie's second adventure (Mr. Churchill's Secretary, 2012) is a romantic thriller detailing the life of the royals during the perilous times of World War II.

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Starred review from September 1, 2012

Churchill and the crew at 10 Downing Street move their fledgling spy, Maggie Hope, into Windsor Castle ostensibly as a math tutor for 14-year-old Princess Elizabeth, but really because they've been alerted to a possible kidnapping plot. While Maggie learns the ins and outs of royal society, she also endears herself to Elizabeth and her sister Margaret by teaching them simple codes and math games. Then one of the ladies-in-waiting is killed on the grounds, and Maggie finds an unexpected clue in the victim's bookcase. As in all good spy thrillers, the clock is ticking, and soon Maggie's job will be more dangerous and complicated than she calculated. VERDICT MacNeal's sophomore historical outing (after Mr. Churchill's Secretary) synchronizes perfectly with the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's reign. With a smart, code-breaking mathematician heroine, abundant World War II spy intrigue, and a whiff of romance, this series has real luster. The author leaves readers with a mind-boggling conclusion that hints at Maggie's next assignment.

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