The final Electra McDonnell novel opens with Ellie pining over Major Ramsey and his firing of her, and getting ready for her next assignment, which will take her to Lisbon on a rescue mission. Her cousin Toby has supposedly escaped from a German prisoner of war camp, and she and Archie Blandings have contacts to question and Toby to find.

Ellie is captivated by Lisbon, but danger stalks her and Archie, as contacts keep getting murdered. Then Ramsey turns up, and author Ashley Weaver uses the trope of her main character having to pretend to be married with the guy she's attracted to but who has rejected her; Ellie and Ramsey must pose as a loving couple to get closer to possible sources of intelligence, then formulate a rescue plan.

There is a lot of action in this final entry. There are German agents everywhere despite Lisbon's supposed neutrality. It's hard to tell who is an agent on their side, and who is up to no good so the danger level is high on this mission.

Meanwhile, Ramsey is by turns jealous, controlling, caring, and just generally insufferable (I have realized that I really can NOT stand the male romantic figures in Weaver's stories; whereas, I like the female protagonists a lot, but have to seriously question their romantic preferences.)

The ending is happy, which I expected, as this is the last in the series. I'm sad to part ways with Ellie, but was left wondering if she'll be sitting out the rest of the war not working, now that she's married that Ramsey guy. I really hope not, as she's too intelligent and too quick thinking to be staying at home all day.

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Five stars! What a great ending to this wonderful historical mystery series!

I’ve enjoyed Electra’s growth over the series from safe-cracker to a spy. I thought the author did a great job wrapping up the loose threads generated during the series. Along the way, there was a lot of action and adventure, plus some spy work in Portugal to reach the climactic ending.

I did not realize, when I read the previous book last year, that this one would be the last in the series. However, as a friend so wisely said recently, "better a satisfying conclusion than a slow and disappointing descent into banality."

All this to say, if by the end of this review you are interested in the series, I wholeheartedly recommend you start at the beginning, so as to experience the evolution of the characters and their relationships as they occur.

The story is again told in first person, past tense, by our heroine, Electra "Ellie" McDonnell; raised by her father's brother after her mother was found guilty of her father's murder, she's a locksmith by day and thief by night until a fateful encounter, five months prior, with Major Ramsay, a British intelligence officer.

Much has passed in the intervening time, the highlights of which Ellie efficiently recounts for the reader in the first couple of pages, setting the stage for this next adventure, as she 'distracts' herself from heartbreak by investigating the truth about her father's murder, while preparing to go abroad to help Ramsay find her cousin Toby, and the important information he is likely to provide for the war effort.

This is a harder book to review than I anticipated, so please bear with me as I try to explain why without giving out too many spoilers.

Over the course of the series, Ellie has learned that there's a lot more about her father's murder than what her family, and the British public, were told at the time of her mother's trial. Her anxiety over Toby and a certain innate recklessness, drive Ellie to make less-than-wise decisions in her pursuit of the truth. This is the main reason Ramsey ends their professional and personal relationship at the end of the previous book, which only compounds Ellie's general misery.

The book is set in early 1941, and the strain of war is taking its toll on everyone, even without a failed first love. In this last entry in the series, the author doesn't shy from some of the most terrible realities of war; from Ellie's realization of how months of living under blackout orders have affected her, to seeing first hand the extremes people on both sides of the conflict would go to, even in a supposedly neutral country.

This plot itself focuses more on the covert mission that brings Ellie, Major Ramsey, and Captain Blandings to Portugal. The way spying during war is depicted here, it seems that there was a lot of fumbling about with crossed fingers, risking one's life over rumors and innuendo, with very hard facts to go on--then again, when one reads it told by some of the people who actually did it and lived to talk about it, there was more than a bit of that, as many who volunteered did it on guts much more than on training.

So while they're on Lisbon on a mission, there's a lot of waiting around, with the occasional bit of terror and violence to advance the action, and the circumstances force Ellie and Ramsey to face the emotional tension between them.

As ever, Ellie's characterization is top notch; from her fear of flying for the first time, her marvel at the very technology--not necessarily new, but nonetheless not commonly in reach of regular folk--and her wonder at her first international travel. Details like worrying about the cost of the hotel, always carrying her lockpicks with her, and her awareness of how easy it would be for someone with quick fingers to steal a fortune in jewels at any of the many casinos and nightclubs in the city.

Ellie's heartbreak over Major Ramsey is very well done; she's angry as well as sad, and given how young she is, she does much better than I would have managed in her circumstances, having to work with the man she loves, whom she believes has feelings for her, yet who could so coldly dismiss her from his life.

"Even now I felt the sting of the cold, officious way Ramsey had dismised me as if I'd been an employee caught stealing money from the till. ... When one looked at it in black and white, his decision couldn't be argued with. But it wasn't black-and-white. Two nights before he had dismissed me, he had kissed me breathless in the moonlight." (Chapter 10)

With a first person narrative, the other party in a romantic relationship can be opaque to the reader; it is to Ms Weaver's credit that Ramsey's feelings have been always pretty clear to the reader, while leaving Ellie believably uncertain, and to be confused on the issue by his demeanor and manner. After all, they haven't known each other all that long, even if they've shared more than one intense moment of dread and danger.

I enjoyed the secondary characters, Archie especially, quite a bit--in fact, no one will convince me he didn't plan it that way from the start. And the action is well done, from the moments of terror to those of normalcy or even tedium.

My issue with the book is that, even though all the narrative threads but one are tied off at the end, and even though all the people involved have as happy an ending as you can have in the middle of a war that will last another four years, the last chapter and epilogue left me unsatisfied. The ultimate climax felt too pat, too simple, too facile, for the five book buildup; it lacked the emotional oomph! I expected to feel.

It's not that I am unconvinced of the viability of the relationships, as much as those last couple of chapters felt much more like telling--rather than showing--than the rest of the book. Or indeed, than the rest of the series.

It did not help that there was more repetition in this book than in the others; it's not terrible by any means, but things like a couple of instances where Ellie uses the same phrase, or nearly, twice in the span of two pages, or her mulling of her feelings for Ramsey at least one time too many, could perhaps have been avoided with a more rigorous editing pass.

Then again, it is very likely that all these complaints say a lot more about me than they do about the novel, so please bear that in mind.

Still, I feel how I feel, and thus, while this is not my least favorite entry in the quintet, it's still nowhere near my favorite.

One Final Turn gets an 8.25 out 10

I really wanted to get into historical fiction vibes this year but unfortunately it just isn’t for me. I enjoyed the storyline and the importance though!

One Final turn being the last book in the series has me utterly heartbroken! I will miss Electra, Mick, Ramsey and even Nacy! I loved this final book as I did the other BUT it did feel a bit rushed in places and that made me sad. I felt that these characters deserved so much more with this being the end. The side story having to do with Electra’s parents felt lacking. As in the other books there are many twists and turns relating to the main plot and characters.

This final installment is a good ending to what has been an engaging mystery/thriller/romance series set in London during WW2. An appealing story with interesting characters, clean romance and not excessively thrilling thrills. Ashley Weaver strikes a good balance in these novels that will appeal to a wide range of readers.

This was a great book. I loved every paragraph, every sentence and every word of this masterpiece! I read it in 12 hours, which is a lot for me to do! It had everything and more laid out in the novel! I sure hope There is more to come from this author! I am totally hooked!

It's become quite fashionable for series to end nowadays, rather than just go on and on and on, with authors tiring of their main characters, slipping in their attention to details and probably becoming uninterested in the stories and people they created but have been living with for year. This is the gift Electra McDonnell World War II mystery, but it was the first I read in the series. Electra's cousin Toby, working with the resistance, has disappeared in Europe, and she and Ramsey go to Portugal to see if they can find his trail on one of the escape routes from Nazi-controlled territory. This final entry has to finish two competing story lines: whether Toby is alive, and if he is, can he be rescued, and the relationship between Ramsey and Electra, apparently over at the end of the previous book, still has embers threatening to reignite. I will admit this was not a favorite of mine. There was a lot more romance than I care for in my mysteries (a personal preference, of course), but more importantly, our spies are probably the worst spies ever. They talk about plans in lobbies full of people, they draw attention to themselves when setting out on midnight reconnaissance missions by walking through the lobby--it all reads as very amateurish. If you've been reading the series all along, this book provides a satisfactory end to Electra's story. If you haven't been reading this series, I can't recommend you start based on this book.

Suspenseful, well paced storyline

Likeable characters searching for answers during a volital world war.

When Electra first met Captain Ramsey, she had just completed a safe heist with the uncle who raised her. The British military had entrapped them as a manipulative recruiting measure to engage them in uncovering German plots against the government. In this fifth book in the series, Electra finds herself in Lisbon, Portugal, searching for her cousin who has escaped a World War II prison camp. Ramsey arrives to assist her quest and once again they find themselves in close quarters. Electra's transformation from small time criminal to international freedom fighter is complete. What a fun romp!

An extremely satisfying conclusion to the series. Weaver is in fine form, especially with the character development and the end of the love triangle that's been dragging this series down. Our mystery is also one of the best in the series and I loved the way it all played out. Excellent work by Weaver to wrap up a series I've enjoyed from the start.

This book was the perfect ending to such a wonderful series. This series is one where you come for the mystery and stay for the characters. I was lucky to read an advance copy and let's just say I literally read it FOUR times. I just loved it that much.

There's nothing quite like a book that takes me back to my Portuguese roots! Ashley Weaver truly brings the sights and sounds of Lisbon to life in this thrilling mystery set during World War II.

Readers follow former thief, turned intelligence recruit, Ellie McDonnell, as she embarks on a mission to find her cousin who has escaped a German POW camp. The pages come to life as this brave gal takes in the beauty of the land during her mission.

With a healthy dose of romance and plenty of action, this novel is sure to ignite your travel desires! Even though this is the fifth book in a series I haven't read, I never once felt lost—everything flowed perfectly. I truly savored every page!

Many thanks to partners, @minotaur_books and @netgalley for this #gifted review e-copy!

One Final Turn is the fifth and final mystery in the Electra McDonnell series. Safecracker, Ellie, is going to Lisbon to help on a mission in Portugal that might just lead to answers about her missing cousin. This is her riskiest mission yet and there is danger around every corner. Will Ellie and the team be able to complete their mission and make it back to England unharmed or will the Nazis stop them in their tracks?

I have loved this series since the beginning and am sad to see it end. With that being said, this book was a great ending to this historical mystery series and I am really happy with how everything tied up. This was a great, engaging read that kept me on the edge of my seat. I love the characters in this series and really liked seeing Ellie and Ramsey work together again. If you are a historical mystery fan this is a great series to pick up. I’m sad to see it end, but am happy with the conclusion.

It’s finally time for One Final Turn to be released in the world! Why do I say finally? Not just because it’s been almost a year since the last book in the Electra McDonnell series was released. No, it’s more to do with the fact that I read my egalley of Ashley Weaver’s book way back in October! I happened upon the series in 2024 and started reading the books in October. I quickly blew through all four books on audio and when I realized the last book was being released this year, I put in my request and it was granted! I gave myself the gift of reading all five books in the same month and it was a glorious gift. This series is so very good and incredibly enjoyable and I think all historical mystery fans need to read it.

Here’s the book’s description:

Ellie McDonnell is about to embark on her most perilous mission: go to Lisbon, Portugal to save her beloved cousin Toby who has reportedly escaped from a German prisoner of war camp. Toby has been missing since the Battle of Dunkirk and Ellie had all but lost hope in ever seeing him again until Major Ramsey, the British military intelligence officer she had been working closely with over the past few months, shared the news he’d intercepted.

Nothing will stop Ellie from finding her cousin, not even the awkward experience of having to travel to an unknown country with Ramsey after he’d dismissed her for being untrustworthy just as she’d realized she had fallen in love with him. Under the supervision of Captain Archie Blandings, a charming intelligence officer based in Lisbon, Ellie meets with undercover operatives to track down where Toby might be hiding from the Nazis and whether they are too late to safely recover him, all the while fighting her feelings for Ramsey and the incessant burden of war looming around her at every turn.

Now, how to review the final book in a series when I haven’t reviewed any of the others! What I love about this series is each book centres on a different mystery or case that Ellie and Ramsey are working on. It’s kind of like a crime or medical TV show - each episode focuses on one thing as a standalone but a central storyline is woven through the season. It’s best to read from the beginning, of course, since you really get to know the characters. The key things that are present in all five books and aren’t resolved until the end are the relationship between Ellie and Ramsey and the mystery and secrecy surrounding Ellie’s parents’ past. (But you better believe I’m not spoiling that for you today!)

I’ve written a lot lately that I’m loving the historical mystery series I’ve been finding. Weaver’s series is probably one of my favourites. The characters she created are so three-dimensional and I really felt like I knew them. It was because of them that I wanted to keep reading…and reading and reading. And the mysteries she came up with! I very often did not see the end coming, which I always find delightful in a mystery.

I also really enjoyed the time period Weaver set this series in. When we first meet Ellie, it’s 1940. Her cousins, who are like brothers to her, are off fighting in the war. One is on an air base and is relatively safe. The other has been missing since Dunkirk. Right away, the reader is seeing how much of an impact war had on ordinary families. Not that Ellie’s family is ordinary - I liked that they were just a little bit outside the law. I haven’t read many war books from that perspective. I liked how Weaver showed what it was like on the home front for Londoners and showed all the various ways people were fighting the war at home.

Now, in One Final Turn, Ellie isn’t actually on the home front for part of the book. She’s sent on a case to Portugal. It wasn’t until some time in 2022 that I realized Portugal was considered neutral during WWII. That didn’t mean they weren’t important during the war. Far from it. As Weaver’s novel shows, the country was a hotbed for intelligence and full of refugees trying to flee the warzone. I found it super interesting to read about in Weaver’s book and I appreciated how she was able to share more history with the reader without hitting us over the head with facts.

I know I may not have talked much about One Final Turn specifically in this review, but I do hope I’ve convinced you to check out Ashley Weaver’s Electra McDonnell series. Start with A Peculiar Combination and prepare to fall in love with a whip smart safecracker and an emotionally guarded Major. I can’t wait to hear what you think about this series - or read more of Weaver’s novels in the future.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Minotaur Books, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Closing with a flourish a saga of books that has been a great adventure.

I agree with those who described it as a soft historical, a first approach for those who want to get into this genre.

Ellie, who comes from a family of thieves, is hired to help solve certain problems given her skills and is working with Major Ramsey, with whom she develops a relationship over the course of the five books.

In this last installment, answers to the unknowns left over from the other volumes are answered and the romance is brought to a close.

I am so delighted to discover this story and these characters, I will miss them.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC.

Closing with a flourish a saga of books that has been a great adventure.

I agree with those who described it as a soft historical, a first approach for those who want to get into this genre.

Ellie, who comes from a family of thieves, is hired to help solve certain problems given her skills and is working with Major Ramsey, with whom she develops a relationship over the course of the five books.

In this last installment, answers to the unknowns left over from the other volumes are answered and the romance is brought to a close.

I am so delighted to discover this story and these characters, I will miss them.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC.

I have beeen a fan of the Electra McDonnell series since reading the first book, A Peculiar Combination. Ellie was hired for her skills as a thief to help the war effort. Her relationship with her superior, Major Ramsey, developed through the previous books until a heartbreaking moment in the last book, when she broke his trust and he fired her, turning his back on their relationship. When she is approached by Captain Archie Blandings to accompany him on a mission to Lisbon she jumps at the chance. Her cousin Toby was captured by the Germans, escaped the POW camp and is making his way to Portugal. The mission is to contact members of the resistance aiding escapees and keep the route secure. Unfortunately, Ramsey is also a member of the mission team. Archie is attentive to Ellie, but she suspects that it is just to annoy Ramsey until he realizes what he has lost. When someone begins attacking their contacts before they can secure their help, Archie devises a plan to unobtrusively make the next contact. It will require Ramsey and Ellie to pose as a couple. Ramsey has his doubts, but it may be the last chance to rescue Toby so she is determined to go through with it.

Ellie comes from a family of thieves, raised by her uncle Mick after her father was supposedly killed by her mother. Throughout the series Ellie has been working to discover the truth. Her mother died of influenza in prison, but she will not have her remembered as a murderer. Ashley Weaver presents One Final Turn as the last book in this series, revealing the truth of her father’s death and resolving the difficulties in Ellie and Ramsey’s relationship in a way that will please her fans. I will miss Ellie’s daring adventures. I also look forward to reading whatever Weaver presents to her fans in the future. I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur or providing his book.

I’ve loved every step of Ellie’s journey through this stage of her life, so in her final novel I was expecting great things, but I could never have anticipated what happened. This book takes Ellie to Portugal to find her cousin, if possible. I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll just say that Lisbon’s architecture sounds marvelous and I’d love to visit one day. As an ending to an excellent series, this book will not let you down!

This is the final book in series. It might be more fun if you have read about Ellie's previous escapades. She is a lock smith working undercover during World War II. This time she is going to Lisbon to rescue people who have crossed into Portugal from France and have been captured by Germans. She is also looking for her cousin, who may be among those who need to be rescued. A somewhat unrealistic story, but a good light read. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc with no pressure for a positive review..