The Prisoner in the Castle by Susan Elia MacNeal is book 8 in the Maggie Hope Mystery Series. This was the first book that I read in this series and I was definitely able to read it as a standalone novel. However, I certainly wished that I had read the others first because this novel was amazing, which is quite a feat for book 8 in a series. Set in World War II, these books are full of interesting historical tidbits. In this book, Maggie finds herself in a prison but the mystery and tension never ends here as people start dying there. I loved this book and I think readers of historical fiction and thrillers would love this book. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher. These opinions are entirely my own.

3.5 stars. Enjoyable murder mystery set on a remote Scottish island. This is number 8 in a series, but the only one I have read. The book has some good characters and the suspenseful plot kept me guessing. I like Maggie, a WWII spy, well enough that I plan to go back and start the series from the beginning, even though this book didn't have as much of Maggie's spy skills as I had hoped.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.

The latest Maggie Hope novel finds the erstwhile secret agent trapped in a remote Scottish castle, forced to wait out the war with a group of misfits and undesirables. It seems like a mindnumbing torture, but soon Maggie finds her skills called out when her fellow housemates begin dying in mysterious ways. MacNeal's novels have always been enjoyable, but this was suspenseful and claustrophobic in the best way.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this latest book in the Maggie Hope series. I have certainly grown attached to Miss Hope and the group of friends who've become her family. 'The Prisoner in the Castle' was very enjoyable and very much in line with the quality and story twists and turns seen in the previous books. I noticed two instances where certain colloquialisms were used that I wasn't sure were in style at that time in history. It didn't take anything away from the story; it was just something that I noticed. I will certainly look forward to your next installment. Thank you again!

I thought this was excellent. I love Maggie Hope. In this one, Maggie has been sent to an island where she is being kept with other agents who have information that is vital to the war effort, even though their own usefulness to the effort has ended. Then people start to die. Then Durgin needs Maggie to testify in a trial, but where the heck is she exactly? It has parallels to And Then There Were None, which is one of the classics in the mystery genre. The character development is on point. I thought this was a great addition to the series. I could not put it down. I definitely recommend the entire series.

Where have Maggie Hope and Susan Elia MacNeal been my whole life, and why haven't I picked up one of these Maggie Hope mysteries before? This eighth installment in the series drew me in from the very first page and kept me reading until late at night. I was transported to the beautiful and yet sinister Scottish Isle of Scarra in the midst of World War II, where British spies with too many war secrets were sent to wait out the war. Maggie is a remarkable heroine, and this book had such an intriguing cast of characters and mystery that I had a difficult time, like Maggie, determining just who could be trusted until the very end of the book.

The Prisoner in the Castle is, without doubt, the best book I have read this year, and Susan Elia MacNeal is an extremely talented writer. I recommend this book without hesitation, and although it can definitely stand on its own, I can't wait to start reading this series from the beginning.

Toward the end of 1942, British special agent Maggie is ensconced at Killoch Castle, a onetime Victorian hunting lodge on the tiny Hebridean island of Scarra. This top secret British facility was where agents who knew too much were placed. Soon after she arrives, nine agents begin to be murdered. It is up to Maggie to help solve this mystery. Similar to the type of plots of Agatha Christie, this book has the makings of a good murder mystery.

Susan Elia MacNeal’s eighth book in her Maggie Hope World War II series, “The Prisoner in the Castle,” is an homage to Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None.” Maggie Hope, a British spy whose last assignment was in France for Britain’s Special Operations Executive, now resides in a deserted castle on a Scottish island with other British spies.

No one but a few government officials know where they are or why. When a dead body turns up, the spies are concerned, and that concern turns to fear when, one by one, the residents of the castle are murdered.

Maggie teams up with Sayid, an attractive doctor, to figure out what is going on and to try and stay alive. The problem they all have is knowing whom to trust. They are all spies, trained to gain the trust of people and then betray that trust.

MacNeal does a great deal of research for her books, and if you close your eyes, you’d swear that you are right there in the castle, on that island. There is an incredibly tense scene near the end, with Maggie’s life in danger, that will have your heart pounding as you turn the pages.

Maggie Hope, British secret service agent, on a remote Scottish island. Very Agatha Christie-esque! Wow! Well written, quirky characters, engaging. Thank Net Galley for the opportunity to read. 4 Stars

I love the Maggie Hope series! It is one of my favorite mysteries that is on par with Maisie Dobbs! This mystery was very layered and well-done! Maggie is one of the best female sleuths in historical mysteries! Overall, this novel did not disappoint, and Mrs. MacNeal has proven that she is once again one of the best mystery writers.

Maggie Hope knows too much about the plans of the Allied forces so she is being held on a remote Scottish island with other agents that also know too much. Little do they know that their ranks have been infiltrated by a German spy and that one by one this spy is killing them off while waiting to be pickup by a German U boat. Who is, how will they all protect themselves, will they survive until help comes?

Fascinating change of pace for the series. Lots of plot twists and character changes. Loved it!

Maggie Hope knows too much. At least that is the thought of her superiors. Since Maggie will not cooperate with them, they send her to a remote island in Scotland along with other agents who have been deemed untrustworthy. There, the agents start to mysteriously die. Stranded on the island due to a storm, the agents must figure out who is trying to kill them and why while trying to stay alive until help can come. Meanwhile, Maggie's friends start to suspect that something is wrong.

While not the best in the series, it is still an enjoyable read. This one is more of a cozy Agatha Christie type murder mystery than the WWII adventures of previous books. I also missed the interaction between Maggie and the other series regulars. I hope that the next book gets back to the war exploits of Maggie.

If you are a fan of WW II era books, this one will not disappoint. This is the first Maggie Hope series book that I have read and I will definitely go back for more. While the author calls some of the characters by both their first name sometimes and then, again, by their last name, I did not find it confusing at all—it just served to keep me on my toes. I very much recommend this book.

I have enjoyed the Maggie Hope series very much and have been looking forward to this newest installment. As usual, the characters are well drawn, the setting feels real and the pacing strong. I enjoy how the books build on the last but was a bit disappointed to have Maggie removed from her friends and isolated in this volume. So much of the fun is watching how the war is impacting not just her, but her friends, as well. This is a good volume, and I will look forward to future ones in the series, hoping to be reunited with the cadre of characters that she has amassed in London.

It won't take fans of Agatha Christie very long to see the nods to one of her popular mysteries. This had some great twists and was surprisingly suspenseful at times. Knowing some very sensitive information, Maggie has been sequestered off the coast of Scotland in the commandeered Killoch Castle. Among the other inhabitants are a variety of other SOE type agents, all who think they are going into special training until they arrive at the castle. When the monthly boat brings a new member along with supplies, the familiar order of things is shaken up. And when their commander is the first death, Maggie convinces the housekeeper to let her use the wireless to call for help. Stymied by weather, help won't arrive for a while and a killer is definitely walking among those on the island. In London, no one knows where Maggie is, and when her presence is needed for a trial of a serial killer, help finally seems near.

I love this series. Every book just gets better. The historical facts and the atmosphere are really terrific. The research and the character development are exquisite. If you want a great historical series you have to read this one. The author is very talented.

The Prisoner in the Castle

By John English Sunday, September 09, 2018

Format: Kindle

The copy I have is a pre-release copy, which as I understand it has no strings attached.

The Prisoner in The Castle by Susan Elia MacNeal is a book set in Great Britain on an Island off the coast of
Scotland; it is about the life of a number of special agents from various services of Britain and the events they went through in a time during World War Two. It’s a good and well written book, which held my attention from the first page. Apparently it is a novel that is a part of a series that the author has written focused on the main person of the story Maggie Hope; it is an historical fiction novel. This is the first of her books that I have read; but I’ll be looking for others as she writes them and go back to those she has already completed.

I really like the book and highly recommend it; I’m reading history right now so an historical novel about WWII was a good way to take a break from actual history books. The characters are all interesting; and the plot seemed to me to develop well but not give away the ending so it was fun to read.

Review was published in the August 2018 issue of Gumshoe Review.
You may read it here: <http://www.gumshoereview.com/php/Review-id.php?id=6163>

Thanks to NetGalley for the ecopy for my Kindle.
Maggie Hope has the title of Lady Hope and is considered a woman of high esteem during WWII. But she wants to be know as a strong woman who wants to enter the world considered only for men and do her part in the war. This is an easy read and a cozy mystery which reminds me of Agatha Christie or even a little like a Mary Higgins Clark novel.

This was the first Maggie Hope mystery I have read and now I want to binge read them all! Maggie Hope is an agent working in the midst of WWII and she is sent to an isolated island because she was perceived as a threat for knowing too much information about British secrets. So.eone thought she'd spill to the Nazis. What she encounters on this isolated island off Western Scotland is others like her cut off from the rest of the world and who knows for how long. Unfortunately, someone is killing her peers, throwing Maggie into a race against the clock and a rush to discover one of these things is not like the others. Who is it? Will help come in time? The pages couldn't turn fast enough for me as I was glued to this story. Excellently written and how she weaves the different languages and cultures into what shapes each of the prisoners keeps the story captivating. Now I have to go get her backlist!
Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for my opinion on this title.