Thank you MB Communications & Amazon Publishing, #partner, for the finished copy of The Spy Coast in exchange for my honest review. I purchased the audiobook for my own collection.
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Published: November 1, 2023
Summary:
A retired CIA operative in small-town Maine tackles the ghosts of her past in this fresh take on the spy thriller from New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen.
Former spy Maggie Bird came to the seaside village of Purity, Maine, eager to put the past behind her after a mission went tragically wrong. These days, she’s living quietly on her chicken farm, still wary of blowback from the events that forced her early retirement.
But when a body turns up in Maggie’s driveway, she knows it’s a message from former foes who haven’t forgotten her. Maggie turns to her local circle of old friends—all retirees from the CIA—to help uncover the truth about who is trying to kill her, and why. This “Martini Club” of former spies may be retired, but they still have a few useful skills that they’re eager to use again, if only to spice up their rather sedate new lives.
Complicating their efforts is Purity’s acting police chief, Jo Thibodeau. More accustomed to dealing with rowdy tourists than homicide, Jo is puzzled by Maggie’s reluctance to share information—and by her odd circle of friends, who seem to be a step ahead of her at every turn.
As Jo’s investigation collides with the Martini Club’s maneuvers, Maggie’s hunt for answers will force her to revisit a clandestine career that spanned the globe, from Bangkok to Istanbul, from London to Malta. The ghosts of her past have returned, but with the help of her friends—and the reluctant Jo Thibodeau—Maggie might just be able to save the life she’s built.
My thoughts:
I have been a fan of Tess Gerritsen’s since discovering her Rizzoli and Isles series. I was excited to hear she had a new series coming out, this time featuring a group of retired CIA spies who have all settled in a rural area in Maine. It has all the hallmarks of what I love in a mystery/thriller series and I really enjoyed this first installment!
Maggie Bird has settled into her new life in seaside Purity Maine as a chicken farmer, quite content to keep to herself and just attend book club, which is known as “The Martini Club.” The members of this bookclub, quirky in their own right, are all former spies, including Maggie. And once a body is found in Maggie’s driveway, who has connections to Maggie’s past – it seems that past isn’t going to stay hidden for long!
I love that the group didn’t hesitate to jump into action to help Maggie with this body. While Maggie is the type of character that holds things close to her vest, making you really work to get to know her, flashbacks to the past eventually reveal bits and pieces of her history. I also loved that there is an on-going conflict between the group of “amateur sleuths” – the Martini Club – and the acting police chief, Jo Thibodeau. This might have been my favorite part of the story and I have a feeling this is going to be an on-going issue moving forward in the series.
With lots of action and her eye to detail, Gerritsen delivers a crime fiction plot that kept me fully engaged and guessing all the way through. Dark, gritty and completely addictive, this is one series I am quite eager to continue reading!
Audio thoughts:
This was amazing on audio, narrated by two of my favorite narrators – Hilary Huber and Brittany Pressley. Both do a phenomenal job with their respective parts, making this the type of audiobook that you do not want to put down!
Books in this series:
- The Spy Coast
- The Summer Guests
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