The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen is a very highly recommended, excellent spy thriller and the first book in a new series featuring a group of retired CIA operatives living in Purity, Maine.

Maggie Bird, 60, retired from the CIA sixteen years ago and now considers herself a chicken farmer. She enjoys her quiet life on Blackberry Farm and the book club/martini club she attends with a group of long time friends who are also retired. When a mysterious woman who shows up asking about a former associate is later found dead in Maggie's driveway, it's clearly a message and threat. Maggie's friends are quick to jump in to help her with their special skills. Acting police chief, Jo Thibodeau, however, is puzzled by this group of senior citizens who are competently conducting their own investigation.

The narrative alternates between the past and the present in Maggie's life and told through the point-of-view of Maggie or Jo. Although the story moves around in time, it is very easy to follow and readers will know which character is the focus. The main story concerns Maggie and her life. Maggie is a fully realized, well-developed character and she will immediately garner your support and sympathy

Everything about The Spy Coast is excellent, the writing, plot, and characters, and represents the start of a wonderful new series that I will most definitely follow. The Martini Club is composed of likeable, skilled former CIA agents who may be retired seniors but are still intelligent and capable. The pages flew by in this entertaining, fast-paced, and engaging novel. The ending was a complete surprise.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Book Browse, Edelweiss, X, and Amazon.

This book kept me involved/interested, but some of the story felt a bit..absent. A possible love interest that suddenly appears in the end and ultimately gets no resolution, a hesitancy to trust the former employee that isn't fully explained/developed, and a group of former coworkers that are clearly very tight, but also didn't work together for very long, many years ago? Ultimately, I finished the book, so I'd give it a 3.5.

Tess Gerritsen is a prolific author known for writing quality thrillers and giving readers the fan favorite Rizzoli and Isles series. But I do believe she has outdone herself in THE SPY COAST. The story line is brilliant! A retired CIA agent and her circle of friends that are just trying to live under the radar of those who might be looking for them. They call themselves "The Martini Club". Thinking this group of retired....old, but not as old as you think....friends have lost their skills is a mistake their enemies will only make once. If you've watched any of the RED or EXPENDABLES movies, you would have an idea of the tone of this book. But Gerritsen has her own style and these characters will keep you entertained as they work together to defeat this first wave of old enemies. We can hope that this is not a stand alone book but the beginning of a series I'll be happy to read.

When the life of former spy Maggie Bird—now retired and living in coastal Maine—is threatened, the other retired spies in town rush in to help. Who knew that there were so many ex-CIA agents in this small town? Tess Gerritsen has penned a thoroughly engaging thriller that jumps back and forth from the present to Maggie’s last job, as she tries to figure out who has come back to kill her, and why. Maggie and her similarly unassuming friends have lots of experience, extensive contacts, and the ability to figure out this mystery. The book is fast-paced and captivating, and I’m already looking forward to the next book in what seems to be a new series. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this top-notch thriller.

Loved The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen! This action-packed thriller had several intriguing plot lines running from the past to the present. There was action, drama, friendship, competition, contentment, and love.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this ARC.

The Spy Coast, Tess Gerritsen’s latest venture into the thrilling adrenaline-filled world of espionage, is a quiet adventure centered in an equally quiet town of Purity, Maine. Maggie Bird is an elderly chicken farmer who lives contentedly with her flock. That remains true until a young lady knocks for help. Hours later, she is found brutally murdered at Maggie’s doorstep. Intrigue establishes itself as one wonders how an older woman gets embroiled in the world of crime.
True to the likes of all of Tess Gerritsen’s works, this novel also is a guaranteed page-turner. Yet it lacks the presence of nerve-racking danger, skilled forensics analysis and deductive reasoning to solve a crime scene that Tess is famous for.
Maggie is not the usual young and charming femme fatale that a so-called “spy” novel always features. In contrast, she is an experienced and retired field agent of the CIA with ordinary, undistinguishable features – sort of those who melt in the crowd. She finds comfort in her co-retired professionals, and together, they all lead a quiet existence.
One might wonder how tranquility and thrill go together. That is where the flashback arrives, and we see a glimpse of the femme fatale Maggie had been over a lifetime ago. This forms the pulse that powers the novel. One would feel adrenaline, emotions, and the incessant need to turn the page; one would want to skim through the current timeline to travel to the past and revel in the backstory.
And that is where the novel presents its exciting tone. Instead of danger and grotesque crimes, the world of espionage is explored through the eyes of a seasoned expert. It is more of a reflection of a time gone by than anything else. As the story converges with the past and present elements, the connection is beautifully drawn. Emotions like trust, loyalty and patriotism intermingle to present a double-edged sword – wherein each side is a haunting alternative. You will always get hurt. You will always live with regrets. There are no two ways about it.
Maggie experiences the repercussions, and with her, the reader is also compelled to contemplate. With love and country in the mix, which side would you choose?
For those craving a light-hearted and fast-paced thriller novel to relish a cozy night read, this might be just the right pick!

The Spy Coast by T. Gerritsen, published by Thomas & Mercer is the first book in the new The Martini Club Series.
Maggie , an ex-spy, is living in Maine a quiet life. Together with other retirees she just wants to raise her chicken, live in peace and tranquillity. That's about to change when old acquantances show up. Local cop, Jo is compllicating the efforts of Maggie and friends.
A fantastic read, I was intrigued right from the start, sitting on the edge of my seat I read the whole book, cover to cover, in one sitting.
The author did a marvelous job with this suspenseful thriller. A story of its finest, a fantastic read.

No surprise that this book has a great plot and excellent characters, and the writing itself is, of course, very good. The surprise is the storytelling, with the changing POV and all the jumping around.

An intriguing adventure with retirees whose past has come back to haunt them. Nice of have interesting characters near my age. Great to see this is the beginning of a series. Lots of potential for this group. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

The Spy Coast is one of the more recent books that covers older assassins/government agents who have retired and are forced back into action. The few that I have gotten my hands on so far have all been a great tribute to women of "a certain age" that I love. I was already a fan of Tess Gerritsen's, but this book has increased my admiration for her writing. The Spy Coast is the first in the Martini Club series where several friends have all relocated to Purity, Maine, and still meet as friends in their everyday lives.

Maggie is a former spy who has left some serious baggage from her active career that appears to be following her to her new retired home at her farm in Maine. She tells her story throughout the book, and the reader just likes her strength and resilience more. The other retirees rally around her and work to help her find out the truth of the threat against her and also to stand with her as the threat grows more dangerous. The title of the second in the series has already been released, and I am really looking forward to the next installment in this series. This review can also be read along with other reviews at Lady Techie's Book Musings http://LadyTechiesbookmusings.blogspot.com

I would have loved The Spy Coast even if it didn't place in my beautiful home state of Maine, but, in the end, that was only part of what made The Spy Coast so good. The idea of a community of retired spies living their now quiet lives and calling themselves The Martini Club is just so intriguing, but so is the character of Jo Thibodeau. She's tough, persistent, and deeply committed to making her community safe, and I'm hoping that we see more of all these compelling characters in future installments of the series. After all, who does a series better than Tess Gerritsen?

The Spy Coast is the start to a new series The Martini Club by Tess Gerritsen.
I love this authors books. Her writing always keeps me hooked and wanting more.
A retired CIA operative in small-town Maine tackles the ghosts of her past in this fresh take on the spy thriller.
Former spy Maggie Bird is an interesting character and I loved her role and character in this story.
An excellent book with fascinating characters that keep me turning the pages.
It grabs you from the beginning and does not let go. Had to read it in one sitting.
The mystery and build up of tension kept me turning the pages and I can’t wait for book two The Summer Guests.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this spy novel! Retired from the CIA, a group of mature adults look out for one another. When one of their own is threatened, they all pitch in to find out who is responsible! Loved the characters, the writing, the plot…loved everything about it!

A fun start to a new spy series! Maggie is a retired CIA operative, now living a quiet life on a farm in Maine. Maggie is enjoying that quiet life when one day a body is found in her driveway, clearly meant as a message for her. Maggie teams up with a few friends who also happen to be retired spies, working together to solve this mystery while trying to remain under the radar.

Maggie and her “Martini Club” make for an entertaining and likable group to root for. There’s plenty of action and intrigue and adventure in this story, but also a good deal of humor, and insights into what it means to be considered “past your prime.” This was a quick read with no lags or time wasted. I was engaged from start to finish and will definitely be sure to pick up the next in the series when it is released.

Thank you Tess Gerritsen, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

Very cool back story!! I love it! Great book! The characters were awesome and just pulled you in! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, Action, intrigue, mystery, murder, a sort of who done it, great plot twist, and some crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle!! This was definitely a great mystery! I definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Tess Gerritsen introduces her exhilarating new series, The Martini Club #1—THE SPY COAST, featuring five fascinating retired CIA agents settling into Purity, Maine, without anyone in the town knowing their past. They want to blend in like their ordinary neighbors (known as the Martini Club) who meet for book club, martinis, great food, gossip, and much more.

However, after sixteen years, the past may come calling to Maine for Maggie, and an over-eager acting police chief suspects there is more to this group of friends than meets the eye.

Having lived all over the world as a CIA operative, retired Maggie Bird (age 60) purchased Blackberry Farm and has settled into a chicken farm in Purity, Maine. With gray hair, she fits in like any other retired senior citizen, which is what she wants. She has a website and a former occupation that fits in the event people start digging that should satisfy them. She checked all the backgrounds of her neighbors before buying the farm. (loved Luther & Callie next door).

However, it appears someone has found her. She has been tracked down with an operative showing up asking for her help.

She then heads to book club (Martini Club) with her retired old friends—(Maggie, Ingrid, Lloyd, Ben, and Declan), who have retired in Purity, as well. While there, she gets a call. The Fed ex-man found a woman dead in her driveaway. It appears she was moved.

Enter Jo Thibodeau, acting sheriff, who is complicating matters. She thinks this group of friends is not as they appear.

Told from POV: Maggie and Jo, the Author takes us on a wild adventure from past to present.

Jo's investigation collides with the Martini Club's moves and Maggie's search for answers from revisiting the globetrotting from eighteen years earlier —Bangkok to Istanbul, from London to Malta. The ghosts of her past have returned; however, with the help of her Martini Club friends and maybe Jo Thibodeau, Maggie might be able to keep the quiet life she has worked for.

THE SPY COAST is fresh, fun, and a cracker of a read. I loved the Martini Club and this age group! (I am in this group) and love books featuring these characters. They have so much experience and more than meets the eye. This is an excellent example of how often people overlook those after a certain age. My favorite parts were back in Maine with the group of friends, neighbors, and town.

Expect plenty of humor, thrills, mystery, suspense, spies, and action with a fun, entertaining cast of characters with many secrets! I am looking forward to Martini Club #2!

Fans of Mark de Castrique's Secret Lives series will enjoy this one!

AUDIOBOOK: I purchased the audiobook, narrated by my two favorites, Brittany Pressley and Hillary Huber, for an outstanding stellar performance! I also read the e-book for reference. Highly entertaining!

I usually am not a fan of spy and espionage tales; however, I enjoyed THE SPY COAST due to Maggie, Jo, and The Martini Club! I thoroughly enjoyed the Author's note and her inspiration for the book. Too Cool! Remember to consider seniors and their backgrounds and never underestimate them—retired but not dead by any means.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for an early reading copy. I also purchased the audio (I highly recommend it).

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Nov 1, 2023
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The Spy Coast had the recipe for things I love - spy stories, retirees that have secrets, and a good mystery. It did not disappoint.

In a small town in Maine, Maggie Bird is trying to retire quietly, but a body soon turns up in her driveway. Things go downhill quickly from there. She turns to her Martini Club friends (who all just happen to also be retired CIA) for help despite the police chief wanting desperately to get to the bottom of this saga. Told from dual time lines, we discover more about what is unfolding in the present day as well as the history of the "mission gone bad" that led to the current crisis.

This is the first of the series, and I am looking forward to the next installment.

Maggie is retired from the CIA living a quiet life under a new name in Maine when someone contacts her looking for an old colleague. Maggie may be retired but she hasn’t lost her skills and when a dead body is found in her driveway and an attempt is made on her life she needs to find out why. Maggie’s past is coming after her. This is an espionage thriller that I couldn’t put down. This is a fast paced spy novel that will keep you guessing. I hope this is the start of a new series, I would definitely read another book with these characters. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

This was my first title from Tess Gerritsen but, certainly won't be my last! In fact, I am crossing my fingers this is the first in a series of spy thrillers about Maggie and the rest of her retired friends! I was captivated from start to finish and loved reading about Maggie's abilities for "reading the room" with a trained eye and the dual timeline of learning what brought Maggie to where she is now. Un-patiently waiting for the next installment in this series!

Is it just me or do we all have that little desire in the back of our minds fantasizing the life of a spy? Well @tess.gerritsen first book in a new series brings that desire to life! The Spy Coast combines an intriguing tale of international espionage and the everyday life of a self-proclaimed chicken farmer. Or is she? Maggie Bird is not your typical old lady. This retiree has a past and it's coming for her.