Although this is my first Ashley Weaver book and the 4th in the series, I had no problem becoming completely immersed in the Electra McDonnell series. There was enough backstory to bring me up to speed without slowing down the storyline. Ellie is an endearing and smart character that you just can not help but love. It is an excellent historical mystery that will have me going back to explore the earlier books in the series.

Locked in Pursuit is the 4th book in the Electra McDonnell series and I have enjoyed them all. Safecracker Electra McDonnell has been fighting Nazis as World War II looms over London, but has not seen her handler, Major Ramsey, since her last mission with him, three months ago. She recently heard about a suspicious robbery in London, so contacts him to see if they should be investigating. They discover many more robberies all leading back to a group of spies operating out of Lisbon, Portugal. There is also a mysterious object that has been brought to London my a courier that seems to be wanted by this group. As the spies and thieves become more desperate, Ellie and Ramsey must figure out what they are after before anyone else is killed. Is the saying right: It takes a thief to catch a thief?

I found this book to center more on Ellie's and Ramsey's relationship than on the mystery, unlike the previous books. Each book has had that tension between them ramping up a bit more. In this book, Ellie turns to some shady characters for help, but must repay them for their help, and finds herself crossing the line into illegal activities. When it is determined that the Germans are after a map, Ellie and her uncle are in a race to find it before anyone else. There is a murder in the hotel, as they get closer to finding what they are looking for. Who can they trust? The death of Ellie's father is still a storyline that is smoldering in this story, which makes her more relatable for me. There is a twist at the end that hints at what is coming in the next book. I enjoyed this one, but not as much as the previous books. I am looking forward to what is to come in the next installment.

Ashley Weaver immerses Electra McDonnell, thief and safe cracker, in government espionage in the Second World War: Locked in Pursuit is her fourth adventure with Major Ramsey as they try to trace why robberies are happening in London and find they are connected to a map, fake or real, being chased by the Gestapo/Germans from Portugal to London. Along the way Electra has to return favors for those who helped her and she has to use her illegal talents to do so. This puts her at odds with the major. Fast moving and well plotted.

Locked in Pursuit is the 4th in Ashley Weaver's engaging Electra McDonnell series. Set amidst the Blitz, this installment finds Electra using her skills from the "family business" (robbery) to help the British espionage effort.

Electra is a great character. Weaver writes her in such a way that she is a morally complex, thinking, feeling human being. She is surrounded by a fascinating cast of characters that we gradually learn more about in each book (and yes, I would suggest reading the series as a whole), including her handler and romantic interest Major Ramsey, and her Uncle Mick who connects her to the London underworld. This would be a great addition to a cross-curricular language unit on women in World War 2.

While I very much enjoy Electra, and really appreciate the sense of place and time that Weaver brings to this series, I need Electra to get unstuck. I keep hoping for a resolution of her romantic life as well as more information on her background. The wee bits we get teased with in each episode of this series are becoming more frustrating to me than enticing.

This is a 3.75 star read (rounded to 4) for me, because of that pacing issue.

A solid addition to a fun series. I love a "bad guys working for good" plot line and this one is well done.

I am so in love with this series. Electra and the Major are two of my top favorite cozy characters. This installment takes sweet romance and intrigue to the next level. It’s a must read!

Ugh, I love this series so much! The only bad thing I can say is that I get to the end of each book and am dying for the next one. The slow burn is spot on, and I love the types of scenes that play out as part of solving the mystery. It’s nice to have a mystery per book as well as a mystery playing out over the series. Such a fascinating time period+setting (home front London) with spy plots that doesn’t show up a ton in WWII fiction.

Locked in Pursuit (Electra McDonnell Mystery, Book 4) by Ashley Weaver

272 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books
Release Date: May 14, 2024

Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Sutherland, 1940, German Spies

A map showing a tungsten deposit has been stolen. Word has it that it is being delivered to a German spy. Major Gabriel Ramsey is still recovering from the attack in Sutherland. Electra “Ellie” McDonnell must team up with a French operative to replace the map with a forgery, so the German’s receive the wrong location. In finding information, Ellie makes a couple of deals in return for favors. Although they seem harmless, they could jeopardize her contract with the government. Ellie has found disturbing information about her parents.

The story has a fast pace, the characters are developed, and it is written in the first-person point of view. Ellie is an independent young woman not afraid to speak her mind.

This is book four of the Electra McDonnell series, and it is an excellent addition. Locked in pursuit doesn't have as much going on as the last book in the series, but the mystery is still very intriguing.

This is such an entertaining series with a great cast of characters and a strong and likable heroine. There was a lot of time in this book spent exploring what happened to Electra's parents and setting up the next book in the series. Things are starting to heat up between Ellie and the major, and I can't wait for Portugal!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Thanks so much for this ARC! I really enjoyed the combination of mystery and historical fiction. I will have to go read the other books in this series as this was my first from this series. The characters were dynamic and well developed which I enjoyed. I look forward to reading more of these characters.

4.5 stars

I so enjoy this series. I am a fan of Ellie and how real she is, emotionally speaking. She is relatable in how she is fickle in relationships and loyal to keeping her commitments even sometimes to her detriment. The author proves that you don't need to add foul language or even open-door scenes to tell a story with depth and character. I am grateful when I find authors that take readers, like me, into account when it comes to those things. I look forward to the next adventure.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions are honest and my own.

Thanks so much for the ARC, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley! This book was so good! I love a historical fiction so the fact that this was married with a mystery was even better! I loved the vivid characters in this book, the development of the scenery and the overall plot. It was so interesting to learn more about the characters in this novel and I found myself looking forward to picking up this book. Thanks again!

This book was well written and kept me engaged the whole time. The story is in a series and takes place during WW2. Electra is a former thief who now works for the government. Along the way and trying to find out who stole an item there are people getting murdered and will Electra be one of them?

A quick and fun read – great for a summer vacation…

I’ve read a few books by Ashley Weaver, and have enjoyed them, but hadn’t read any in her Electra (Ellie) McDonnell series. So I was happy to receive a review copy of Locked in Pursuit, which is the fourth and most recent title. And I liked it a lot.

Although I was starting late, I was able to pick up what was going on without much trouble. Ellie is part of a family of long-time burglars, who have been recruited to help the British government during World War II. (Part way through, I learned that the “recruitment” actually was a result of Ellie getting caught…) Apparently, though, their last mission ended badly, with their handler, Major Ramsey, badly injured and still recovering. So Ellie and her Uncle Mick haven’t had any assignments recently.

As the book opens, however, Ellie notices an odd report of a robbery in the newspaper. She can’t quite put her finger on what is wrong, but she figures it may be worthy of the Major’s attention. After initially being dismissive, he soon becomes aware of a couple of other thefts that may be linked to this one: all of the victims had recently been on the same plane from Lisbon. Then Ellie and the Major discover a dead body. And things really get moving.

Locked in Pursuit is a fun, quick, and engaging murder mystery/spy story, although there are some somber moments (Christmas without Ellie's cousin, missing since Dunkirk; the Major's ongoing pain; London's nightly bombings). But it's still great fare for a summer vacation read. My only minor complaint is that I’m not generally a fan of “muddled” romantic storylines, and one of the secondary story arcs in Locked in Pursuit is exactly that. Hopefully things will resolve in the next book, however, which I’m definitely planning on reading. And finally, my thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the review copy!

Hello! Firstly many thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of Locked in Pursuit. I greatly appreciate having been granted the access to such a wonderful mystery/novel. In fact I loved this book so much I bought it upon its release. While my favorite periods in which I prefer to immerse myself in books are those of the eighteenth century as well as Recency, Gothic and Victorian, I have become enamored of late with books set in WWI and WWII. Locked in Pursuit is one of those rare historical mysteries that draws the reader into its orbit and does not let go. Because the WWII era is relatively close to ours (vs., for example, Regency) this story almost eerily winds around the reader to give him or her a 'close encounter/' 360 view. I love books that take place in Europe. And that this book has roots in Portugal and England, owing to the WWI dynamics, is so fascinating. I had not really known much about WWII impact and espionage activities in Portugal during the war (this country does not receive as much coverage as do other countries, but there were some interesting dynamics there.). This book, even though fictional, offers a fascinating window into the mysteries and back-room planning during this global war.  The romance and tension building between Ellie and Major Ramsey, in many ways, mirrors some of the escalating tension of the war. Without revealing storyline or plot, that this mystery and romance serve on the 'frontlines' for the battles on the field, is well done! Thank you! I definitely recommend Locked in Pursuit! :)

This is another thrilling installment in this series. The romance and intrigue combine for a compelling read. Highly recommend.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

This fourth installment finds Electra again working with Major Ramsey. Although their shared kiss kept her thinking about him, Electra knows how important their work is to help defeat the Germans. A map is missing, which details where important weapon making material is found, and it’s up to Electra and the Major to retrieve it and catch the spies. Always entertaining, and exciting, this mystery is a great addition to her series. Recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Electra (Ellie) McDonnell hasn't seen her government handler in months, but after a series of suspicious break-ins, Ellie believes these attacks aren't as random as they appear. Major Ramsey and Ellie are able to track the break-ins back to those who recently arrived on a flight from Lisbon and now must do what they can to keep everyone else on the flight safe while searching for the thief (and possibly killer). Ellie and Major Ramsey must rely on some of Ellie's unsavory acquaintances. All the while, Ellie is also trying to figure out if her dad really was a spy for the Germans during WWI which led to him getting killed. She doesn't want to alarm Major Ramsey about her personal matters and potential connection to the Nazis, so she must do this covertly. Will Ellie be able to keep her secret from Major Ramsey? Will Major Ramsey ever view Ellie truly as a peer? I couldn't put this book down and recommend this book for lovers of mystery, historical fiction, and romance. Can't wait for the next book in this series.

I have been lucky enough to have read all four books in the Electra McDonnell series now and in my opinion each new installment kept getting better and better. Locked in Pursuit was perhaps the best book in this series so far. Ashley Weaver masterfully wove a very captivating spy thriller with just enough historical details to make this book feel authentic and believable. All the old characters were back plus a few new ones that just added a new dimension to this well plotted mystery thriller. I particularly enjoyed meeting Major Ramsey’s twin sister and learning more about Major Ramsey’s earlier life through her eyes and seeing the friendship that Ellie and her started to forge. I was glad that Ashley Weaver continued to portray the undeniable romantic connection between Major Ramsey and Ellie. I’m still hoping they will find a way to make their feelings known to each other and finally not let anything interfere with them. Locked in Pursuit was set in London in the cold winter months of 1941 while German planes continued to bomb London, blackout curtains were strictly enforced and food rationing had become the norm.

Ellie McDonnell had not had any contact with Major Ramsey for the last several months. It’s not that she hasn’t thought about him in all that time but Ellie was becoming concerned that he might have found a replacement for her since the awkwardness of how their last assignment ended. Their last assignment together found Ellie and Major Ramsey sharing a passionate kiss that they both agreed to ignore and erase from their memories. Major Ramsey had also been inflicted with several gun shot wounds that had required him to be hospitalized for a time.

One morning while Ellie was having breakfast with her uncle, an article in the newspaper that her uncle had been reading caught Ellie’s attention. The article in the newspaper described a robbery that occurred during a dinner party. Something about this robbery didn’t seem right to Ellie. Ellie decided that it was time to pay Major Ramsey a visit and see if he had heard about the robbery and what his thoughts were about it. That impulsive meeting with Major Ramsey led him to ask Ellie to join him in working this case. Ellie and Major Ramsey worked together or mostly together to uncover the people that were responsible for that robbery and the others that were committed after the first one. They also discovered that a murder had been committed that was probably associated with the robberies. Major Ramsey, with the help of his contacts, was able to determine that the robberies and the murder had some things in common. For one, everything associated with them had originated in Lisbon, Portugal and the other thing that Major Ramsey learned was that the robbers were meant to retrieve something that had been smuggled into London by an unknown person of interest that flew from Lisbon to London. Would Major Ramsey and Ellie be able to work together again to solve this mystery?

I’m not sure how Ashley Weaver keeps making each book in this series better than the one before it but she has definitely accomplished this in my opinion. Her choice of new characters were a mix of good vs. bad and in some cases evil. The ending of Locked in Pursuit took me by surprise. I was not expecting it to end in a cliff hanger. I only hope that Ashley Weaver writes the next installment in this series quickly so I don’t have to wait too long to find out what is going to happen next. I also hope that Major Ramsey and Ellie will finally embrace their romantic feelings for one another and not find more excuses to ignore them. I really enjoyed reading Locked in Pursuit by Ashley Weaver and highly recommend it.

Thank you to Minotaur Books for allowing me to read Locked in Pursuit by Ashley Weaver through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you like your mysteries with a strong dose of romantic interest, then Weaver’s latest in her Electra McDonnell series will please you mightily. It certainly did this reader.

The usual cast returned, to my satisfaction: Electra “Ellie” and her Uncle Mick, petty criminals until recruited by British Intelligence and the aristocratic Major Ramsay, the usual villainous suspects, in this case German spies and collaborators, and a few new intelligence heroes to add to the Major’s team. We also once again meet Felix, master forgerer, and Ellie’s best friend and possibly something MOAR, except foiled because we finally FINALLY have an acknowledgement of feelings on Ellie’s and the Major’s part. Things end up in an emotionally thornier place than ever, but I’ll take it. For the deets, the publisher’s blurb will suffice:

Safecracker Ellie McDonnell hasn’t seen Major Ramsey—her handsome but aloof handler in the British government—since their tumultuous mission together three months before, but when she hears about a suspicious robbery in London she feels compelled to contact him. Together they discover that a rash of burglaries leads back to a hotbed of spies in the neutral city Lisbon, Portugal, and an unknown object brought to London by a mysterious courier.

As the thieves become more desperate and their crimes escalate, it becomes imperative that Ellie and Ramsey must beat them at their own game. Fighting shadowy assailants, enemy agents, and the mutual attraction they’ve agreed not to acknowledge, Ellie and Ramsey work together to learn if it truly takes a thief to catch a thief.

The “thieves” never quite come clear: collaborators? Germans spies? working in London? I was never quite sure, but the mysterious “object”, a map leading to a Portugese tungsten mine, a material much-needed for the Nazi war effort, would give the enemy an advantage Major Ramsay, hero and patriot that he is, wants to stop. He can’t do it without Ellie and he, once again, has to make his vulnerability for her the necessary sacrifice to his mission. I like how Weaver is bringing these characters along: Ramsay ever more caught between his feelings, to be squelched, and his duty, Ellie’s too darn good at this espionage stuff to give her up. As for Ellie, I really like how Weaver shows how a sense of mission and purpose eclipse her previous petty criminal “career”. Under Ramsay and in service, Ellie can’t return to who she was and I like it that it looks like her Uncle Mick can’t either.

As with every McDonnell volume, Weaver’s Ellie is caught in too many narrative threads: Ellie’s pursuit for the truth about her mother’s death (of influenza but meant to hang for her husband’s murder) and her father’s, the victim’s, mysterious past; Ellie’s attraction for Ramsay, her friendship with Felix and the something more between them. To add, Weaver added several “jobs” to Ellie’s repertory that created conflicts with Ramsay. These hang contrived to move the relationship in a certain direction. On the other hand, these conflicted loyaltiess lead to a doozie of a cliffhanger that has only made me anticipate the next book more than I usually do. (Frankly, this series volume is worth reading for Ellie’s new-found relationship with Ramsay’s sister, Noelle, and a certain dress Noelle lends her to wear to a mission. The dress, the suspense, Ramsay’s stalwart presence and steely silver-grey eyes, the moonlight and the passionate kisses: great stuff.) Another suspenseful, emotionally satisfying addition to a wonderful little series.

Ashley Weaver’s Locked In Pursuit is published by Minotaur Books and released on May 14th. I received an e-galley from Minotaur Books, via Netgalley, in exchange for this review. This did not impede the open expression of my AI-free opinion.