As usual, I'm very very satisfied with Weaver’s new book in the Electra McDonell series. The mystery keeps you guessing, and the characters are interesting and delightful. Alison Larkin does the narration for this series as well as Weaver's Amory Ames series. When first listening to Larkin, I thought her voice would be too nasally for my taste, but I was so wrong. It has a clear sweet cadence that does each voice with accuracy and; distinction.
The storyline of the series has progressed well. The author has followed the timeline of World War II at the English homefront superbly. The mystery isn’t too complicated either but still is well thought out and planned. Ellie’s love interest is still up in the air so far. But I'm sure in the next few books, that part will be all hashed out!
I have enjoyed listening to this so much this past day; that I’ve decided to go back and reread some of the Amory Ames series through narration. So happy binge-listening everyone!

I really enjoyed this one. I liked the well-developed characters and the fun plot. A strong female MC who is witty and puts men in their place? Sign me up! I recommend this one!

This is the second book in this historical fiction mystery series and I enjoyed it just as much as the first one!

The characters are all quite interesting and even though the love triangle is frustrating I appreciate it’s there to add a little more intrigue. I look forward to the next in the series!

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for this alc in exchange for an honest review!

What a delightfully fun read. Ashley Weaver really hit the mark with these characters, developing three-dimensional personalities and allowing the reader to peel back the layers along with the other characters in the story. Very nicely done.

I don’t care for stories where the hero or heroine is a criminal. In this story, Ellie has been turned – however temporarily – from the life of crime to use her nefarious skills for King and Country. It seems her Major may have inspired her to remain on the mostly straight and narrow road. Due to the enjoyment of The Key to Deceit, I had to go back and get the first book of the series. I should imagine I’ll be reading this series for some time to come.
The writing of the story is inviting, welcoming the reader into the spy game and the lives of the characters. The book is a wonderful read and the series holds great promise.

The book is based on Electra McDonnell, aka Ellie, is a locksmith/thief turned British agent during WWII. When a young woman’s body is found in a river, Ellie is called upon to remove a locked bracelet from the victim. Once the bracelet is opened, everyone is shocked by the contents…a hidden camera. Ellie is now swept up into a spy game all awhile the Blitz has started.

I was very excited for the book because the plot sounded like an action packed that would be impossible to put down. Unfortunately it fell flat for me. It was slow getting started to the point where I was forcing myself to continue on in hopes it got better, and it did…somewhat. The spies, the heist, the danger of being in 1940 London, and just the mystery in general were overshadowed by a love triangle between Ellie, Major Ramsey (who she is assisting in the investigation) and Felix (her childhood friend).

It was still a rather enjoyable read, I was just a little disappointed that the actually action of mystery of the book was overshadowed by a love triangle that seemed a little unnecessary at time. Solid 3 stars over all.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for allowing me to listen to an advance of the June 21, 2022 publication inn exchange for my honest opinion.

This second in in the Electra (“Ellie”) McDonnell series continues to make wartime England a key player in the story. This time around, we are set firmly in London, at the end of the “phony war” and the beginning of the Blitz. The Darcy-esque Major Ramsey again comes to call on Ellie, asking her to use her criminal expertise to open an unusual bracelet on the arm of a young woman’s body. The woman was found in the Thames, and Ramsey suspects she may have been involved in espionage. Obviously there would be no story if his suspicions didn’t turn out to be correct—and if Ellie didn’t insist on involving herself in his investigations.

A parallel plot to the spy story is Ellie’s decision to find out more about her mother, who was convicted of murdering her father, and who gave birth to Ellie in prison before dying in the flu epidemic. Felix Lacey, Ellie’s longtime friend—and now possibly developing to be more—helps Ellie track down those who knew her mother and might have insights into whether her mother was actually innocent.

A throwback to novels in the style of Georgette Heyer, with light romance mixed in with the suspense, this is an entertaining story featuring a sparky female lead. I don’t think there is any real need to read the first in the series before this one.

Audiobook: While the narrator (Alison Larkin) reads well, to me her voice sounds too schoolgirlish to match Ellie’s character.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

I loved this immensely! Had to go read the first book before I could delve in but you don't necessarily need to in order to enjoy this one. Great characters and an interesting plot line. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for any more in this series! I also really liked the narrator.

The Key to Deceit by Ashley Weaver, narrated by Alison Larkin. This is the first time I've actually finished a book with that kind of font on the cover. Despite the fact that I am myself a plucky heroine living in the years 1914-1946 in my mind, I like my mysteries a touch more toward the hard-boiled. However something about this one attracted me: possibly the opportunity to suspend my disbelief that a) a notorious female safecracker / burglar would be recruited as a British agent and b) said criminal and her family are classy, principled, loyal, altruistic. This was a delightful listen. I enjoyed the plot and the romance in it because Ellie has choices and she's willing to hold on to her power. Five stars within its genre, three stars within the whole canon of war mysteries and thrillers. I'd give this author another go!
Interesting pronunciation of the heroine's name McDonnell. In Nova Scotia we say MAC-do-NELL, to differentiate it from the more common Mac-DON-ald. Narrator chose the second style. I liked the narrator! Great job!
Huge gold star for the face of the heroine on the cover. I'm tired of seeing the backs of plucky women. #electramcdonnell
Thanks to @ashleyweaver #netgalley and the publisher for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a fun, quick historical mystery to dive into! This may have been the second in a series, but as someone who hasn't read the first one, I did not feel like reading book one was a must to understand what was going on in book two.

Set in WWII London, Ellie (Electra) McDonnell comes from a family that is known to do some petty crime. After she and her uncle are caught in the middle of a theft, Major Ramsey says they can help him when he needs a locksmith in exchange for not getting in trouble.

The Key to Deceit follows Ellie and Major Ramsey as they investigate the murder of a young woman found in the River Thames. We got all of the historical mystery investigation, espionage, and romantic tension. I really enjoyed it and I'll probably go back and listen to book one to keep the fun going.

I recommend this to those who have read the Maggie Hope series by Susan MacNeal.

Another wonderful, fast-paced mystery filled with spies and intrigue! This is the second book in the series and the second one I listened to this week (I have to start a series at the beginning). There are so many quirky, likeable characters in these books and they set the stage for an action-packed, non-stop thrill ride through WWII London. This series is definitely darker than the other series written by Ashley Weaver but I like it just as much (maybe a little more). Highly recommended for fans of spy thrillers and historical fiction.

The Key To Deceit is the second book in the Electra McDonnell series and I just can't seem to get enough. I enjoyed this book so much. The characters are now a part of my family. Can’t wait for the next book in this series. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary copy.

The Key to Deceit is a WW2 British espionage mystery and the second book in the Electra McDonnell mysteries by Ashley Weaver. Due out 21st June 2022 from Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 272 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This series is delightfully distinct from the author's other works and written to a very high standard. The titular protagonist is intelligent, strong, independent, and pragmatic. The background story, of a safe-cracker and locksmith from a questionable family, who is prevailed upon to use her considerable talents in service of king and country, engaged me from the first chapter. Although this is the second book in the series, the mystery is self contained, and the backstory is provided, so readers won't be lost or confused. There are, however, some spoilers from the resolution of the first book contained in this one, so it's a good idea to read them in order.

The plotting and characterizations are well and precisely engineered, the clues fitting together into an exciting climax and satisfying denouement and resolution. There *is* an element of romance, but it's not an overpowering or distracting and can safely be ignored.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 8 hours and 4 minutes and is beautifully narrated by Alison Larkin. She manages to read clearly and well and imbue all the characters with distinct voices and personalities. I'm always impressed by very talented narrators' ability to imbue each voice with its own timbre and tone, especially in rapid dialogue. She is quite talented and pleasant to listen to. The book contains characters from several different areas in England, different countries, a wide range of ages and both men and women and she manages flawlessly. The sound and production quality is very high throughout.

Four and a half stars. It's a diverting read/listen.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

The second book in Electra McDonnell's series lives up to the first and I was so ready for more interactions and romance between Ellie and Major Ramsey as they work together continuing their arrangement from the first book. I loved the ambiance of 1940's London and Ashley Weaver can always make me feel like I am looking at a person from a historical time period. I would have preferred to read this over listening to the audio book as I was not a huge fan of the V/O artist, but if you aren't bothered by that or are able to get your hands on a physical copy- there's no reason not to jump in!

I really enjoy the pacing of this one it kept me interested and curious enough to finish it within a day or two

I had a hunch that while I wasn't overwhelmed with the first book in this series, I should definitely read the second

I was not disappointed.

When a book opens with ... a man's mouth often gets him punched in the nose (paraphrase), you know you are in for a ride..

And what a ride! The action, mystery and intrigue were all back and improved on.

The characters were built on and written even better.

If you liked the first book, you will loved this one. If, like me, you weren't quite sure? READ THE KEY TO DECEIT. It will hook you into this series.

Since this was the 2nd in this series I was glad the author let us know that the main character Ellie (Electra) and her uncle work as locksmith/safecrackers. Apparently something happened because they were given a choice to work for the war effort or be prosecuted.
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The novel opens up with a woman’s body being washed up on the Thames. She has a lock that holds a bracelet together. Ellie works with her uncle and Major Ramsey. They soon find themselves looking for German spies.
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My first time reading a book by this author. Enjoyed the mystery, romance, intrigue and writing throughout this story.

“Nothing wrong with taking an honest wage when you can’t get a dishonest one.”

This book was just as fun and intriguing as the first one! Electra is eager to continue her unconventional spy work alongside her uncle’s locksmith business. We get to meet a few more of her family’s underworld contacts. It was interesting to see how different characters handled their not-quite-legal business relationships. Merriweather Hastings is my favorite.

Meanwhile, Electra is slowly beginning to uncover the truth of her father’s death and her mother’s arrest. I have a feeling that story will slowly build in the background until finally taking center stage with its own book. So far, it’s been interesting to see how Felix and Gabriel differ in their reactions to Electra’s mother’s trial. Even though Felix has been more overtly helpful, I suspect Gabriel may be checking it out more discreetly. What he told Electra about the jury at her mother’s trial seemed very precisely worded. I think there’s something he’s not saying.

Note: This is the second book in the Electra McDonnell series. The books build off each other and should be read in order. Book 1 is A Peculiar Combination.

There are so many books about WW2 London that it's hard to pick up a new one, but this was fantastic. It's just really well done, in ways both large and small. Recommended.

Review copy provided by publisher.

A delightful audiobook. Loved the narrator’s portrayal of the heroine Ellie. The accent was delightful, and I very much enjoyed the story. A fun twist on the WWII mystery and race to stop a ring of spies.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Dreamscape Media in exchange for an honest review.

Ashley Weaver is back with the next book in the new Electra McDonnell series. THE KEY TO DECEIT takes place right after A PECULIAR COMBINATION. This time around, Major Ramsey ends up needing Ellie's help in opening a locked bracelet found on a the body of a woman pulled from the Thames which leads to the gang getting back together (with a new addition of Merriweather who is delightful) to try and stop a Germain spy ring.

Ellie still finds herself in a potential love triangle and I am looking forward to seeing how that all plays out. While I felt like this book didn't have as much edge-of-your-seat action as the first book did, I was fully engrossed in the story with Weaver's larger than life characters.

Overall this is a great WWII historical fiction quasi-cozy mystery series featuring a witty female protagonist that isn't defined by the men around her.

Alison Larkin is back to narrate this book as well (I really appreciate when publishers keep the same narrator for a series) and does a wonderful job again.