I learned a lot about politics in the years leading up to World War II. The author developed the characters. The plot was well constructed. I was on the edge of my seat during the suspenseful parts.

Mother Daughter Traitor Spy is my first book by Susan Elia MacNeal. It will not be my last Her ability to tell a story and set the scene with description immediately drew me into this story. I had trouble putting this book down.

In this story we meet Violet and Victoria, a mother and daughter duo who find themselves relocating to California. In the process of trying to adjust to their new surroundings and find jobs, they some across a group of people neither expected to, Nazis in America determined to change the very way of life in the United States. In an effort to find out as much as possible and to help stop this from taking place, the two go undercover to help gather as much information as possible and help convince the authorities there is a real problem.

In order to gather the necessary information, Violet and Victoria are having to pass themselves off as people invested in the Nazi cause which is the very last thing they want to do or that they believe in. This is where the story is so good, the way they can get information, cover when they misspeak, and convince a group of people they are on their side. '

The result is outstanding and the conclusion had my jaw dropping and me shaking my head. To learn at the end of the book that much of what is written in this story is based on a real mother daughter team and actual events made this story that much more powerful.

I wasn't all that familiar with the Nazi effort in America. I learned so much from this story and am so glad I was given the opportunity to read and review it.

I voluntarily accepted a copy of this book from Random House. All views are my honest opinion.

Mother Daughter Traitor Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal is a standalone historical fiction spy novel inspired by real people and events. It brings to life the conflicting sentiments that existed in America at the time. One aspect that is unique to this novel is that it is not set in Europe, but instead is set in Los Angeles, California. Overall, this story is inspiring, well-written, and well-researched and it is a story that will stay with me. While there was fear and hatred, there was also courage, love, and duty. The Afterward, Acknowledgements, and Historical Notes are enlightening. They, along with the sources section show the amount of research the author did to make this novel authentic to the times. I don’t know that I’ve ever read about mother-daughter spies, and it was entertaining and heartwarming to see how the relationship between Veronica and Violet deepens. Both women and their male allies are admirable but flawed, and thus believable as well as being sympathetic; the Nazis have abhorrent views but are at times likeable, showing how they hid in plain sight. I like my historical fiction thoroughly researched, and this book did not disappoint! The excellent author’s note reveals not only the sources consulted but also the real people behind the characters. This book is an important read, as too often we forget that there were Americans who embraced Nazi ideology and even some who wanted to create a dictatorship by overthrowing FDR. The parallels between this period and our own left me with chills.

FYI: violence, murder, attempted murder, anti-Semitism, Nazi ideology, sexism, marital infidelity.

Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Bantam and Susan Elia MacNeal provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. Publication date is currently set for September 20, 2022.

World War II Fiction is one of my favorite genres and this one was different. It is the first one I've read that was set in the United States and I really enjoyed that aspect.. It was set in 1940s Hollywood and I almost felt as if I were there. Veronica and her mother Vi move to the west coast and end up being recruited to spy against the Nazis. Even though the books had said at the beginning that these two women were based on a real mother/daughter spying team it had slipped my mind until I read the afterward. I was amazed at the strength and courage that this took. The book was fast paced, suspenseful and I cared about the character (except for the Nazis). Veronica really grows from the young college grad who left New York and her mother really grows and finds herself after grieving for her deceased husband and raising her daughter. Both are different and much stronger people then they were at the beginning at the book. I also had not been aware of the Nazi movement in this country. It's a scary realization in light of today's climate.

I really enjoyed this book ! The story takes place in California before America was in WW2. I learned just how scary the pro Nazi movement had taken root.
Veronica and her mother Vi were indispensable in bringing down the Nazi leaders plotting to take over the city.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. You

violet and Veronica Grace are a mother daughter spy team. They recently moved to Santa Monica, CA because of problems Veronica had with getting a job as a journalist in NYC, don't want to give the reason away. While trying to get a job as a journalist in CA, Veronica works as a secretary for Harriett and Donald McDonald, who turn out to be Nazis. Vi and Veronica become involved in the spying game to help stop the Nazi's from attaching the LA air. The great great book based on a real mother and daughter team.

Review

Mother Daughter Traitor Spy

A very strong start, intense and intriguing. The two main female characters, mother and daughter, were very likable and courageous people. Those traits alone had me rooting for them as they traversed tense and frightening circumstances.

I was shocked at the things that are talked about in this book. I had never heard of the America First Committee which was a United States isolationist group against America entering the war. It first started in September 1940, and at its peak surpassed 800,000 members. Charles Lindbergh was a big supporter and once made a speech accusing Jews of being “war agitators” which made many suspect the group was spreading Nazi propaganda. The group disbanded after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

I learned so much from this book and thought it was such a great change of pace for a historical fiction set during WWII. Although, let’s be honest, I never tire of learning a new story, no matter where it’s set!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

📚 ARC Review 📚

Shout out to #netgalley and #randomhousepublishing for an advance reader copy of #motherdaughtertraitorspy

This #historicalfiction novel was a reading drought buster for me, providing a new perspective on a topic I thought I had read both deeply and widely - WWII. This novel takes a closer look at mindset, fears and sentiments leading up to the US entry into the war.

I recommend this novel for readers who enjoy:
⭐️ Historical Fiction
⭐️ ⭐️ Ordinary People doing Unorthodox things
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Mother, Daughter partnership

#bookstagram #bookreview #arcbookreview #wwiibookstagram

Historic fiction at its best. A compelling read based on a mother and daughter team of spies trying to keep the USA safe. While the government was still focused on Communists, a small band of people saw the move to not only keep America out of the war but to bring Hitler and his ideas here. Excellent

A captivating peek into the lives of two women written by an author new to me. This story caught my attention as my own grandmother immigrated by ship to America, alone at thirteen, from somewhere in Germany. It’s so important to be aware of history to know where and what we came from.
This fictionalized story set in LA about Nazis organizations in America during Hitler’s invasion of Britain and begins in 1940’s NYC. The story is based on two real women’s heroism and the references provided by the author are very noteworthy. The mother, Vi, widow of a naval officer, has a twentyish daughter, Veronica. Veronica’s dream has been to write and become a journalist. An affair with a married man has them fleeing NYC to LA.
Vi is fortunate to have a brother there to aide them with the use of a small cottage. The California sunshine, beach and palms are a shock to their system. Descriptions of the coastline, the people, the time period and culture are vivid.
Both Vi and Veronica are used to standing up for what they believe as each participated In protests. Veronica’s search for a job ends as she agrees to do secretarial typing and shorthand for a married couple. However, it begins an entirely new path as she discovers the pamphlets she’s labeling are Nazi propaganda. She and her mother take this newfound information to the police and then the FBI, only to be told nothing can be done in light of free speech.
What follows is both becoming undercover informants and spying on Nazi sympathizer factions. It was hard to imagine the risks they took and how hard it must’ve been to pretend to believe the opposite of what you are. Putting myself in their places and situations filled me with terror, left me unsure if I could have summoned their courage. A very thought provoking and emotional story.
Both women were subjected to different groups of the Nazi sympathizer factions. Many of the organizations mentioned, such as America First, Bund and Silver Shirts, we’re unfamiliar to me. There is also helpful information about the politicians and various laws during this period in history such as The Lend-Lease Act and Foreign Agents Registration Act. It was rewarding to read about Hitler and the Nazis from the viewpoint of actively involved Americans on US soil, not the overseas conflict most history books focus on.
The conclusion of their mission was dramatic and had me holding my breath. Even though it is a fictional story, it felt very realistic and plausible. The characters were a striking contrast between good and evil. I would recommend to anyone looking for a fresh new take on the Nazi organizations in America during the war.
Thanks so much to NetGalley for the digital advance reader copy of “Mother Daughter Traitor Spy” by Susan Elia MacNeal and to Bantam Books, Penguin Random House. These are all my own personal and honest thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

Mother Daughter Traitor Spy has an interesting premise, especially since it's based on actual events that took place in the US during WWII. The book starts off slow and I struggled keeping two of the characters straight throughout the book. The pace picked up about a third of the way in, but some parts felt rushed, and the ending fizzled out for me.

I liked that the book was entirely set in the US rather than in Europe like a majority of WWII fiction. For me, it was also based on events that I didn't know anything about which saddens me that this was left out of our high school history classes.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book will appeal to anyone who is interested in WW II fiction and to anyone interested in adventurous historical fiction. The book takes place in Los Angeles in the 1940s when pro- Nazi regimes were attempting to influence voters to favor Hitler over Roosevelt. I have not previously read about this aspect to WW II so it was particularly eye opening. The book is also well-written, suspenseful, with believable characters. I recommend reading this book.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

In this absolutely gripping take on an important moment in world history, Mother Daughter Traitor Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal (Bantam) is a fantastic historical fiction-meets-spy-novel depiction of a mother and daughter trying to foil the plots of German Nazis in the United States.

The year is 1940, right after Germany had taken France during World War II, and little did anyone know that Pearl Harbor would occur shortly thereafter. But for someone like Veronica Grace, all of the world’s problems seemed to happen “over there,” not in the United States. But when the truth of her affair with a married man comes to light, just in time for her college graduation, Veronica’s opportunity at a prestigious magazine in New York is snatched away from her. Hoping to start fresh, Veronia and her mother, Violet, leave for California, where Veronica’s uncle has a summerhouse, made available to them.

Once there, Veronica takes up a job as a typist, only to realize that she is working for German propagandists who are trying to recruit Americans to the California Reich. And that’s only the beginning.

FROM JOURNALIST TO SPY

Horribly concerned by the propaganda, Veronica and Violet attempt to contact the police and the FBI to report her findings, though to no avail. Unwilling to stop there, the two women instead contact an old friend of the family, who puts them in contact with a local spymaster. It’s here that the two women are introduced to a whole new world as they literally go underground as spies — and discover how extensive the local propagandists’ reach actually is.

Veronica’s character, as a young woman, is still somewhat naive and vibrant in the face of new opportunity, and the parallels she draws between her skills as a journalist and her skills as a new spy is endearing, and even a light during a dark moment.

This subtle detail about her character is not unique to Veronica, however. Susan Elia MacNeal creates well-developed characters with clear appearances, beliefs and values that importantly interact with the plot. Veronica and Violet commit themselves to the importance and secrecy of their new roles as spies, and they see this as their duty to protect democracy and those whose lives have been most uprooted by World War II.

WELL-RESEARCHED, CREATIVE AND ENTICING

What’s so moving, though, is that this intricate, fascinating novel is based on a true story and real people. Veronica and Violet are representations of a real mother and daughter duo who took up lives as spies against the Nazis and sought to squelch the propaganda movement and to liberate Jewish people who had been taken by the California Reich.

The story is incredibly moving, especially knowing that much of what occurs in the book very well may have happened in 1940 — which, realistically, still is not all that long ago. But part of the emotional residence of this novel must also be contributed to Susan Elia MacNeal’s quality writing style, as well as her pacing of the book. The first third of the novel feels somewhat “slower,” as the reader slips down into this world of graduation, moving from New York to California and making the worst of discoveries alongside Veronica. But once Veronica and Violet agree to be spies, the pace and the presence of danger increase dramatically, and it feels like the pages cannot turn fast enough.

Mother Daughter Traitor Spy is an incredible story of a mother and daughter who tried to make a difference for the people nearest and dearest to them, and the emotional depth of the novel is striking and lasts long after the final page. This is one of those novels that will linger long after the story has been told, but the journey from the heights of New York to the depths of California, with political upheaval in the background and foreground, is so worth it.

*** Review first appeared on BookTrib: https://booktrib.com/2022/09/23/mother-daughter-traitor-spy-susan-elia-macneal/ ***

5 out of 5 - I'll tell you to read it, even if you don't ask me

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam for this advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

This is the story of a mother and daughter duo who infiltrate the Nazi movement in California in the 1930s and 1940s to try to take them down from the inside. Based on the true story of Grace and Sylvia Comfort, this book takes some literary license and changes names, but the author takes care to discuss at the end what was true and what was changed.

I really enjoyed learning more about what was happening on the homefront prior to WWII. While I knew there were inklings of this story in history, I had no idea how prevalent and deep rooted the plans were for a Nazi led America. This has made me more interested in this side of history and I will be looking for more information.

For more information about the original mother and daughter, I found this article.
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-apr-18-me-28616-story.html

I enjoyed this WWII historical fiction thriller that focused on a brave mother-daughter duo and their willingness to risk their lives to make sure the Nazis lose the war. Mother Daughter Traitor Spy is a standalone by Susan Elia MacNeal, but I enjoyed it and plan to read some of her other work. A new perspective on WWII for those who enjoy books that take place during this time period.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for this ARC.

I found this book to be interesting as well as informative and especially enjoyed reading the historical notes at the end that made the book more than worth reading. Based on real people and actual events, this is historical fiction which obviously entailed a lot of research that was well done. Veronica Grace and her mother Vi are, new inhabitants of L.A., are not your typical espionage duo, but when they encounter a group of Nazis who are recruiting Americans to their cause, they don’t think twice about trying to report it to the authorities. Unfortunately, the FBI is too busy chasing down Communists to follow up on their tip, so the mother-daughter team gets help from a local Jewish organization that recognizes the danger of the Nazi group and helps them when they infiltrate it. I thought that there were some unbelievable parts, but most of the book read like a historical account with drama added. The feelings of the characters who encounter the Nazi sympathizers is portrayed very realistically. Once the U.S. enters the war, the pace of the book picks up and the plot that was unraveling slowly and methodically goes crazy pushing to the end. I did think that the conclusion was satisfying but it seemed a little hasty to me instead of building up to it. With themes of family, duty, patriotism and courage, this is a novel worth reading and also one that the reader can easily learn trivial war facts from.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

I loved this one . I really enjoy everything she writes she has a way of creating believable characters set in a historical time period with engaging plot that makes you want to keep reading.
Thanks for letting me review this book to Netgalley and the publisher

Mother Daughter Traitor Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal is fantastic. I have been a huge
fan of Susan Elia MacNeal's books for a long time. As soon as I was introduced to her Maggie Hope series, I devoured every one. This book came about as the result of some of the research she did for Maggie's latest adventure which took place in Los Angeles, California.

This is historical fiction at its best. It is based on true individuals and events. This story has everything to make a great read. It has intrigue, mystery, history, and suspense. This story had me glued to every page from beginning to end. (Just like the Maggie Hope Mysteries)

The story is about a mother and daughter who moved from Brooklyn, New York to California. Due to a twist of fate this mother/daughter duo become spies for the USA in seeking information about the American Nazi movement in 1940. The daughter, Veronica, is a fledgling journalist who infiltrates the American Bund. Her mother Vi is a homemaker who easily attaches herself to the America First Committee. The book outlines many of the plots of Nazi sympathizers in Southern California and Vi and Veronica’s role as spies.

Ms. MacNeal has a gift for making strong women characters. She has once again created two women who are very strong, likable, human, flawed, and real. Combine all that with a complex mother/daughter relationship and a very strong sense of right and wrong and you end up with two great characters. These two women are perfect for Ms. MacNeal to weave her magic of secrets, espionage, risk, nerve wracking undercover work and covert investigation.

Ms. MacNeal also does a wonderful job with the various settings throughout the book. You can feel the sun, picture California during 1940, see the various venues where the American Bund and America First Committee meet, picture Veronica’s workplace and see both women in their home.

While I have been a fan of Ms. MacNeal for years, I was slightly skeptical of her departure from the Maggie Hope series. My mistake. I absolutely loved this book. I can’t wait to see what Ms. MacNeal has in store for us next. Well done.

I would like to thank Ms. MacNeal, Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This was a fantastic book! I can’t believe how much I didn’t learn about this topic as a student. It’s also shocking the similarities between this period and things going on today. Although fiction, this book and characters are based on true people and events. Set in the WWII era, Veronica has graduated from college and has a bright future ahead of her. As she is preparing for her new job, she receives a phone call from her employer stating that her services are no longer required. She had an affair with a man that she didn’t know was married in the beginning. Unfortunately for her, the man’s wife belonged to a major publishing company, and she became blackballed in New York. Her uncle encourages Veronica and her mother to move to California. She’s discouraged with her job hunt out there. One day while she and her mother were out, they met a woman who was delighted with their German ancestry and offered Veronica a job as a typist for one of her family members. When Veronica begins her new job, she finds that the job involves Nazi propaganda and is horrified. Meanwhile, her mother has met some women who are impressed with her embroidery, and they take her under their wing. It turns out that these women are not as nice as they appear. I don’t want to say more about the plot because I don’t like spoilers, but you will not be disappointed in this book.

Also reviewed on B&N under 1IrishEyes430V and Kobo under IrishEyes430

I've long been a fan of Susan Elia MacNeal's Maggie Hope series and was looking forward to this new stand alone novel. I definitely was not disappointed. Based on true events and real people, this historical fiction novel tells the story of a mother and daughter who become spies on the American Nazi isolationist movement in the U.S., known as "America First". So much of the story parallels themes and movements we're seeing repeated today with Nationalist movements and themes of racism and fear mongering used to influence a less informed public. It was a great read and I highly recommend it to any fans of historical fiction, WWII fiction, or women's history. Strong 4.5 stars.