Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Ellie McDonnell and her Uncle Mick get busted cracking a safe in London during WWII. They are conscripted into helping Major Ramsey to help the government foil a Nazi plan to get important blueprints. Ellie is a great character and I can't wait for her next adventure. I loved how many different ways Major Ramsey's eyes are described.

Narrator Alison Larkin did an excellent job bringing the various characters to life.

Electra McDonnell, Ellie for short, is a member of a hard-working London family. The McDonnells are locksmiths with a bit of safe-cracking on the side. They take care to only break and enter empty homes to make absolutely sure no one is hurt. Plus they leave the scene just as spotless as they found it, minus the safe contents, of course. So it is a complete shock when Ellie and her Uncle Mick are apprehended at the scene of their latest job. They had cased the house for days; it should have been a piece of cake!

It is even more of a shock when the "police" turn out to be military intelligence who blackmail Ellie and Uncle Mick into helping them crack a safe in order to retrieve stolen top secret documents about a new weapon. To avoid prison, they have to comply. Plus there is a war on and the McDonnells are as patriotic as any British family. And they'll get paid for their help. What's not to love?

Well, Major Ramsey, the aristocrat in charge of the secret department, for one thing. He might be tall, blond and handsome but he has an irritating way of getting on Ellie's nerves. He might be super sophisticated and educated but she took great pleasure in assuring him that she knew what fork to use at a posh dinner party and could hold up her end of a conversation about art and the theatre.

So Ellie, Uncle Mick and assorted friends on both the sunny and shady sides of society find themselves fighting Nazi spies and English traitors for the war effort. If, at first, things do not turn out well, like a dead traitor next to an empty safe, they carry on. Ellis shines at a house party as she scopes out the five possible suspects. She did her research on each one, much to the Major's surprise. In fact, he has to admire her ingenuity....she can think on her feet and almost single-handedly saves the day!

This is going to be such an enjoyable series. Ellie is a wonderful heroine, smart, sophisticated, and sassy. Major Ramsey is already losing some of his stiff upper lip. And the secondary characters from London's hard-working not-quite-legit class are a pure delight

I listened to the audio version and Alison Larkin did a marvelous with the various voices.

I’ve been wanting to get into women’s mystery and this was a great listen. Loved the twist of a thief needing to be for hire. Curious what will happen on her next adventure.

This was a 2.75 stars for me.
This book wasn't my cu of tea. It lacked originality, it felt simplistic and a bit childish.
From burglar to espionage police in 60 seconds. And succeeding where everyone else failed.

As with Weaver’s other mystery series, I enjoyed the protagonist and the plot.

I actually think I like Ellie better, and I really enjoyed her extended family. The historical setting was also evocatively drawn and played well into the mystery.

Unfortunately, also as with the first series, the male romantic leads are grating and dull, dull, dull (I was going to say ‘in equal measure’ but since I didn’t feel compelled to write ‘grating’ out three times, I guess not). There’s a sort of halfhearted triangle set up in this one, and the underdog is slightly more interesting to me but I’m pretty sure I can tell which one Weaver favors and it’s not him.

Anyway, this was a fun audiobook and the narrator gave a lively performance that was easy to listen to, but it’s not going to stick with me and I might or might not pick up the next one when it comes out.

If you like cozyish historical mysteries with romance elements give it a shot!

I enjoyed this... it was quite an easy read as far as historical fiction goes, but I loved Ellie as a character. A little mystery, a little romance... I wish the relationship with Major Ramsey was elaborated upon, but alas, it was the first in a series. Very cool info on lock picking! Thank you @netgalley for the e-copy!

Ellie works in the family business which is not always on the up and up. When they get caught on the job she thinks prison is in the future but it turns out to be a recruiting exercise for another job. The job is to put their skills to use for the British government during World War II. Will this be the opportunity to put their skills to good use? An enjoyable mystery with characters you are drawn to.

The narrator brings listeners into the story. and gives Ellie her voice.

We have here an adventurous WWII spy novel with a little bit of romance written into it. Electra has a great backstory. She is a thief who was born in prison to a woman who would later be murdered. Electra's own father is convicted of her mother's death. So, she has issues. One night she and her uncle are caught after robbing a safe in an empty home. They are brought into the world of subterfuge and violence as they are enlisted to help keep the Nazis from getting important war plans.

Where it goes from there is action packed. There isn't really much new here. This isn't the type of novel you finish and think, "Wow, I've never seen anything like that." Which isn't bad. It's a good old fashioned spy thriller. I have become pretty bored with British books set in WWII. I sometimes think they see it with a nostalgia that is unrivaled anywhere in the world. However, in this book it was quaint.

I look forward to seeing what more we can find out about Electra and the Major.

I was super disappointed in this book. It started off great - I was into the plot, I liked Ellie as a strong female lead, and I was rooting for her and her story. Things took a pretty disappointing turn after the first few chapters. The plot became really convoluted - it was almost like a comedy of errors that wasn't meant to be (and wasn't) funny, and it dragged on with the characters essentially trying to do the same thing over and over. There were several tropes without any type of new take on them, and Ellie really lost her strong female lead status, especially with two love interests that never really become anything.

The main issue, however, is the narrator for this book. Firstly, she sounds about 2 decades older than Ellie is supposed to be, which is confusing and off-putting from the start. She has a whimpering, whiny, grating, lispy voice, and all her characters sound exactly the same. I would never listen to another book narrated by this individual and it hurt the overall enjoyment of the book.

3.5 stars
This book was average. I enjoyed the characters, I enjoyed the plot, but nothing really jumped out at me as totally amazing. I also liked the setting as it's during WWII and the characters were trying to find spies and things like that.
The main character Electra (Ellie) is in the business of breaking in and stealing from rich people with her Uncle Mick. I really liked the relationship between Ellie and Uncle Mick. He called her "Ellie girl" which I thought was adorable and it was so heartwarming that he was her father figure. Even though they both enjoyed breaking the law.
After getting caught robbing a house, Ellie and Uncle Mick become employed by Major Ramsey and it all takes off from there. They find a dead body, need to find a double agent and intercept top secret war plans.
If Ellie has more adventures in the future, I would look forward to reading them!

A PECULIAR COMBINATION by Ashley Weaver was an entertaining read with lots of action. It is the first book in the new historical mystery series entitled “Electra McDonnell”. I particularly enjoyed Electra’s wit and sass and her undeniable chemistry with Major Ramsey. The plot is well delivered and offers a lively ending. I am looking forward to seeing where Ellie and Gabriel’s partnership to fight the Germans and save Great Britain will take them. Fantastic book!

The audiobook was a wonderful listen. The reader knows when to put just the right intonation to put excitement in the story. Well done!

I received a free NetGalley copy (Audio version).

I enjoyed Ashley Weaver's Amory Ames Mystery series very much, and I was looking forward to Weaver's new series. I was not disappointed.

I liked Amory but I wished she worked for money rather than being a rich (and bored) wife. I'm very excited to know that Weaver's new heroine Electra McDonnell is a skilled professional! She is especially good at breaking into houses and picking locks. She learned the skill from her Uncle Mick. Amidst the World War II, uncle Mick no longer could make a living from his honest work as a locksmith and started a different "family business" to break into houses of wealthy family. One day, Ellie (Electra) was caught red handed while helping her uncle. Ellie had to make a deal with British government official Major Ramsey to avoid jail time.

Major Ramsey blackmailed Ellie to help him deal with German spies, and Ellie disliked his superior manner and loftiness. As they work together, Major started to show a respect and kindness for Ellie and she in return started to feel some kind of affection.

What I like about Ellie is that she is not only street smart but also intelligent. I have a feeling that I'll like Ellie better than Amory. There are some dangers and actions like Amory Ames Mystery but as mild as the previous series. There are a hint of romance and a love triangle, but we have to wait and see the next volume.

Audiobook narrator Alison Larkin did a great job.