4.5

Don’t you dare read this if you haven’t read the first four Electra McDonnell books!

While there aren’t any real spoilers from“One Final Turn” in this review, this review (as well as the book itself) contains spoilers from the series leading up to book five, as well as my own general satisfaction levels with this final book.

Consider yourself warned.

I know things had to get bad before they became good, but the last book was such a letdown for those of us rooting for Electra and Ramsey. Obviously they could be written back together easily, but how could it be believable? The disappointment and lack of confidence he had in her and their completely different interpretations of the situation seemed unsurmountable. Then, something about Portugal and sending her to a place where there isn’t really even a war? And with a playboy like Archie?!

It was surprisingly easy to be swept up into this journey and the arrival someplace that, even those of us who have lived in or traveled Europe extensively, may be less likely to know well. I only ever heard of Portugal during the war as the hub for transatlantic flights and Edward and Wallace potentially meeting with representatives of the Nazi party.

There are so many layers. Then, Ramsey shows up and Archie, if not Electra, is ready for him. Archie knows exactly which buttons to push. It’s impossible to not give everything away and I really had no idea how this was going to all work out, even if I knew it had to somehow. I think there is enough intake, conflict, and outcome resolution at each step of the way that it is satisfying. Still, when I passed 70% and there was so much I hoped still to cover, I got a little nervous. Rest assured, things will happen until the very last page and, since I warned you, everything I wanted to be addressed was addressed to my satisfaction.

It was an excellent book end to this interesting series, however unlikely the concept was. I mean, Ramsey always had all the answers ahead of time so that she could just swoop in and open the safe and get it for them, even though it seemed like they already had that information in advance.

I am a happy reader if this had to be a goodbye. Amery Ames and Electra McDonnell were both quite different from each other so I can’t wait to see what Ashley Weaver comes up with for her next series. Who would have thought she’s a librarian from Louisiana!

Thank you to Ashley Weaver, NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book for my unbiased review.

#OneFinalTurn #NetGalley #bookreview #ADHDreader #mystery #historicmystery #historicalfiction #romance #ElectraMcDonnell #WWII #Portugal #stmartinspress

A fitting conclusion to a delightful World war II mystery series. Well researched, with a fascinating twist in that the heroine begins as a criminal, but ends up using her lock-picking and safe-cracking skills assisting British intelligence. While this book could be read as a standalone, the family relationships and personal dynamics are better developed in the earlier books. I found it hard to put down. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

I've enjoyed this series. Sad to see it end but enjoyed the story. The mystery kept me guessing. I've enjoyed the characters and the different locations.

I look forward to the next series this author comes up with.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

My thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books/St. Martin's Publishing for the ARC of "One Final Turn" in exchange for an honest review.

Such a clash of conflicted feelings while reading this. I'm elated to delve into another adventure of Electra (Ellie) McDonnell, alluring beauty, safecracker and thief extraordinaire and unlikely spy for British Intelligence in the harrowing midst of London during World War II.. And this one, like the four previous entries is a corker of story, filled with intrigue, danger, twists and even a slow burn romance.

But I'm also plunged into a sad funk. The final entry? The last book in the series? Please, Ashley Weaver, say it isn't so. When I reached that last page, it was like having to say fond farewells to people who'd become best friends over the years.

Ellie, coming from a close, loving family of professional thieves, has been given a new mission - travel to Lisbon, Portugal to rescue her dear cousin Toby, a British POW who's escaped his Nazi captors in France. Toby and a few fellow prisoners have possibly made their way through an escape route to Lisbon, but murderous German agents are on the hunt for the prisoners and the path they took to freedom.

While Electra's now taking orders from genial Capt. Archie Blandings, also along on the mission is her taciturn former boss (and object of a long simmering mutual attraction).,Major Gabriel Ramsey. The strict, dour Ramsey has previously dismissed Ellie for her reckless plunges into dangerous situations, but there's no doubt of the unspoken, sexual combustion between them. Though they're determined to now keep their interactions professional and formal, the mission throws them together in ways neither could imagine......or cope with.

Once again this series tosses you into a captivating mix of wartime history, espionage and suspenseful action. I especially loved the ambitious finale of Ellie's final perilous undertaking, reminiscent of the wartime adventure novels of Alistair MacLean. And those wondering what's to become of the Ellie-Ramsey 'will-they-or-won't-they situation......your answers await.

I've never been more sorry to see the end of a 5 star series than this one. 'One Final Turn' can be read as a stand-alone, and I'm pretty certain readers who start out with this book will then want to catch up on all the others right away.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this well-written historical mystery series, and reading the final installment was bittersweet for me. While I'm sad to see the series come to an end, Weaver delivers an intriguing mystery, ties up loose ends, and gives the series a great send-off.

Electra "Ellie" and her family, locksmiths, turned to safecracking to make a living outside the law when World War II began, as they were unable to pay their bills. They got caught and presented with the choice of jail, or Ellie could use her unique skill set to work for British Military Intelligence. She's embarked on several dangerous missions with handsome Major Ramsey, and the latest one takes her to Portugal to rescue escaped POWs, including her cousin Toby.

The historical detail in this book is incredible, making it an atmospheric read. It is well-paced, packed with danger and action, and a high-stakes race to find the missing soldiers. The story also includes moments of humor and heart.

The characters have been wonderfully developed throughout the series, and I have grown very fond of Ellie. She is brave, smart, observant, and spunky. In this installment, she and Ramsey need to address some unresolved issues while Captain Archie Blandings accompanies them on the mission. This trio makes for compelling reading. There is more romance in this book than in previous installments, but it provides Ellie and Ramsey with a satisfying conclusion. I also enjoyed seeing an overarching mystery from the series resolved.

I will miss this series, but I can't wait to see what Weaver writes next! While this book could technically be read as a standalone, fans of historical mysteries will want to add the entire series to their TBRs, given how the series is structured.

Thank you to St, Martin's Press, MInotaur Books, and Netgally for the gifted eARC

This time the mission is personal

Ellie McDonnell's pedigree is unusual, to say the least, for someone working for British military intelligence during WWII. She was born in a prison to a mother convicted of murdering her husband (Ellie's father). When her mother died there of influenza, Ellie was taken in by her widower Uncle Mick who was already raising his sons alone. Uncle Mick was a locksmith by trade but was known to use his skills in some not-quite-legal endeavors when his workday was done...cracking safes a specialty...and Ellie learned the trades, legal and not, at his knee. It was a happy childhood despite the element of criminality...she loves and is loved in return by her uncle and cousins. It turns out that the family skills could be used to help the war effort, and Ellie in particular had come in quite useful to the government in several instances. She was supervised in those efforts by Major Gabriel Ramsey, who admired her contributions but was unnerved by her impulsiveness, and a strong attraction between them became the final straw. Let go from her official position within the military intelligence world and pushed away on a personal level by Ramsey, the man she loved despite the differences in their social levels, Ellie is nursing a broken heart when she is approached by Captain Archie Blandings to come to neutral Lisbon to help find and extricate three escaped POWs, one of whom is her cousin Toby. Ramsey, outmaneuvered and displeased, will work with Ellie and Archie in Lisbon....quite awkward all around, but Ellie will do whatever it takes to bring Toby back home. Things quickly go from bad to worse, with each lead they are given extinguished before they can pursue it and extreme measures need to be taken. As the bodies mount and the trio receive accounts that the POW's have been captured and Toby killed, Ellie is determined to rescue those who survive. She also decides to grab whatever moments of happiness she can, even if she risks heartbreak all over again.
In this, the fifth and final novel in the series, Ellie has seen and endured far more than she ever expected. She still loves the adrenaline of a mission, but realizes that this is no lark....it is dead serious business with lives on the line, including those of people she loves. Set in the beautiful city of Lisbon, the first place outside of England to which Ellie has ever travelled, there is intrigue around every corner and Ellie finds many uses for her lock picks. The friendly, slightly flirtatious relationship she develops with Archie infuriates Ramsey (a little jealousy might be just what he needs), but while Ellie enjoys seeing the sights of the city and visiting restaurants and casinos on Archie's arm, she knows that she is being watched at all times and that the clock is ticking for the escaped POWs. Blending a bit of historical mystery with espionage and the on-again off-again romance between Ellie and Ramsey, One Final Turn brings a successful conclusion to the different plot lines threaded into the series' narrative. Will the mission be a success? Will Ellie ever find out the truth about her father's death? And will Ellie and Ramsey get out of their own ways and find happiness with one another? A quick and enjoyable read, one which those who have enjoyed the preceding installments must read as should those who like Susan Elia MacNeal, Jacqueline Winspear and Kate Quinn. My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for allowing me access to this satisfying finish to an entertaining series in exchange for my honest review.

My thoughts:
My first thought when finishing One Final Turn?
I am so very sad this is the last installment in the Electra McDonnell series!
I have loved each book in this series. But, I think One Final Turn was my favorite of all.
I don’t like to share too much about a book. I hate spoilers!
All I can say is, you will love main characters Electra and Ramsey. And, all the adventures they get into.
I do recommend reading the books in order….so much background to each character that is important to know.
Highly recommended series!
Thanks to all for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s for an ARC of this book.

As the 5th and last installment of the historical mystery series in which she stars, this is indeed the final turn for Electra (Ellie) McDonnell. For those who are not series followers, Ellie is a fierce, brave, sometimes foolhardy, clever pickpocket/lock-picker turned legitimate locksmith in her Uncle Mick’s family business. She is also beautiful, especially as concerns her frequently noted tousled hair. Raised by the loving Mick, her father’s brother, and his doting cousin Nacy, she grew up in London with her cousins Colm and Toby in a close and happy family. As she tells us in the book’s opening paragraph, she was born in prison. This is the central mystery of her life, and, as in previous volumes, she wants to find the truth about her parents. The bits she has discovered suggest a conspiracy to hide it.

Ellie is also a British secret agent, the setting is the Second World War, and her skill set is extremely useful in covert activity.

This is the backstory, conveniently reiterated for new readers in Book 5. These threads weave through the current novel, as does that of the testy relationship between Ellie and her immediate commander, Major Gabriel Ramsey. Their potential romance ended just as it was starting at the end of Book 4.

Ellie’s new mission is one very close, possibly too close, to her heart. Both her cousins enlisted but intelligence reports tell that Toby, the younger one, taken prisoner at Dunkirk, had escaped the Nazis and was heading through the treacherous Pyrenees route to Portugal. Naturally Ellie had to be involved in bringing him and two fellow prisoners home.

When she arrives in Lisbon with the mission commander, the charmingly slippery Captain Archie Blandings, his superior officer, guess who, joins them. What follows as they go about following leads while pretending to be tourists and lovers (yes, all three) is the classic romance novel trope, love you-hate you interaction. Underlying bitterness and guilt fuel some tense, often very funny, and always witty exchanges. Add to this the inadvertent (or not)antics of Blandings, whose complicated manoeuvres stoke the embers in more ways than one.

With three storylines—the truth of Ellie’s origins, the Ramsey matter, and bringing Toby home alive without also getting killed in a Lisbon swarming with Nazi agents, other foreign agents, the British, the Portuguese on both sides, and various double agents and traitors, there is a lot going on. The lead characters are all shot, knocked out, stabbed, etc. The damage seems substantial but is fixed with a hot cup of sweet tea and maybe brandy. Blandings comes up with a scheme to exchange intelligence with a Portuguese ‘helper,’ a civil servant under constant Nazi surveillance. He then pulls out of the crucial performance part and foists it all on the barely speaking couple.

Electra McDonnell fans will feel a certain pang at not being able to follow her antics anymore. But this finale does what it should do, which is some comfort. New readers should be enticed to find out exactly how things got here. The writing as usual is crisp and lively, though, as usual, there were too many references to Ellie’s tousled hair and the many provocative pins needed to confine (or loosen) it, and also to Ramsey’s eyes that shift colours to varying blue shades depending on his mood. The real action comes at the end, and then it’s fast and furious. But what a fun trip along the way!

If you haven’t had the pleasure of reading the Electra McDonnell series, do yourself a favor and procure book one, A Peculiar Combination. Now is the best time to start the series because the final installment, One Final Turn, publishes on June 3. Then you can join me in loving this WW2 mystery series featuring Ellie, an expert lock-picker and thief, who in exchange for no jail time, is brought in as an agent of the British government, working closely with the ever-so-serious Major Ramsey.

Our story is set in Lisbon, which I found to be a refreshing change of pace. Ellie and Captain Blandings are on assignment, attempting to figure out what happened to Ellie’s cousin Tobey. Ellie is none too thrilled when Major Ramsey arrives because of their falling out at the end of the last novel. For his part, he is less than enthusiastic about Ellie and Blandings’ cozy cover story.

Listen, this book gave me everything that I wanted. I got answers to burning questions I’ve had for years. I got closure in terms of all the unresolved relationships in this series.
There was murder. There was intrigue. Best of all, my favorite character got everything I ever wanted for her. Did I fully understand why the British government would allow Ellie to be on the mission to locate her own cousin? No. Was the ending rather rushed? Sure. Did I care? Not in the least. I adore these characters and had so much fun getting to dip into this world one last time.

This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Net Gallery for the ArC.

Oh my goodness I'm so sad to see the end of this series. I loved both Ellie and Ramsey.

This final book tied everything up nicely and I was super happy with how things ended.

I'd love to see even a Novella from Ramsey, or one future adventure as them being more of a team.

Excellent ending one I'm very sad to see end

One Final Turn is book 5 and final installment in the Electra McDonnell series by Ashley Weaver.
Ok, so this was a remarkable historical cozy mystery.
This is a WWII-era series that takes place in London.
The mystery is excellently plotted and the book is well-written and perfectly paced.
It has all the feels of a cozy mystery.. there’s intrigue along with slowly dialed up tension.
I am so invested in these characters. They are just the best!
The character cast is complex, intriguing, and likable.
One Final Turn is a cozy historical mystery that kept me turning pages. It had Ashley Weaver’s typical attention to historical detail with a beautiful layer of mystery and intrigue.
I enjoyed the plot, pacing, direction of the narrative, characters.
If you’re interested in starting a series that is entertaining + fun with a great historical mystery to solve.

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

With One Final Turn we come to the conclusion of this wonderful series set during WWII. Those familiar with the series know that Electra McDonnell was raised by her Uncle Mick (a criminal) and his two sons and was recruited by British Military Intelligence. She worked under Major Ramsey. Electra's cousin Toby has been MIA and she has finally gotten information that he has escaped a prisoner of war camp and is crossing the Pyrenees. The British want to find him and learn what he has found out about the French. Captain Archie Blandings is the lead for this mission with Ramsey as back up as Ramsey and Electra head to Lisbon. Now Electra must work once again with Ramsey, after their falling out. This is a man she has begun to fall in love with.

The author wraps up the multiple storylines that have been part of the background for the entire series. I loved getting a satisfying conclusion. I highly recommend reading this series from the beginning to see how the relationships began and developed. I hope that we get the chance to revisit with Electra, Ramsey, Nacy and Uncle Mick. i can't wait to read what Ashley Weaver comes up with next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for an ARC. The review is my own.

It's always bittersweet to come to the end of a really good series. There's a sense of not wanting to read the final book because it IS the final book, but yet you REALLY want to find out how the final adventure/epilogue will turn out. And so, I approached this book with mixed feelings, but in the end, it was a very satisfying closure and goodbye to some wonderful characters.

This adventure takes place immediately following its prior one, and in some ways, it was the one that I've been waiting for since the beginning of the series. Electra is sent along with a new handler, Captain Archie Blandings as well as her former (estranged) handler, Major Gabriel Ramsey to Lisbon to search for her POW cousin Toby and determine the path he took to escape to Portugal and perhaps aid other captured soldiers.

There are thrills and mayhem involved along with some jealousy (Ramsey) and humorous hijinks (Archie) thrown in... also a bit of comeuppance following the fraught ending from the previous book Locked in Pursuit. There was a satisfying growth arc for both Ellie and Ramsey as they began to see the other in new lights and with more patience. And while the denouement and epilogue felt a bit rushed, it all worked together to expedite a proper send-off for the team.

I will miss Ellie and Ramsey, but I'm happy to have shared some wonderful hours with them and their ensemble cast of characters.

And by the way, if you plan to delve into this series (and you really should), I would definitely recommend starting with the first in series (A Peculiar Combination) as the development builds quite nicely.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for providing the free early arc of One Final Turn for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Weaver wraps up the Electra McDonnell series and tie up all the loose ends in this novel that will be most appreciated by fans who have been following along on the adventures of a safecracker during WWII. Here, Electra's cousin Toby, captured by the Germans, has gone missing but is believed to be in Portugal so Electra is recruited by Captain Blandings to travel to Lisbon to find and rescue him. Oh and the dashing Major Ramsay who is her love interest is there as well. These three troll through the underworld of war time Lisbon and concoct an over the the top plot with long lasting implications to get information and ultimately Toby. It's all a bit simplistic and I wish someone had edited out the repeated references to Electra being unable to eat (I kept wondering if there was something I was missing). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. While I've been a huge fan of the series, this is the weakest of the stories (implausible among other things) but it is nice to have answers about Electra's parents and a resolution of the relationship with Ramsay.

5/5 stars

What will I do without Ellie and Major Ramsey? A perfect ending to one of the best series I have ever read. Truly wish I could give this book more than five stars.

I held off as long as possible on reading this ARC because I just knew Ashely Weaver was going to do this series justice and I'd both love the book and be devastated the series was over. I was right. A perfect final mission for Ellie and Ramsey. If you've read the other books, you'll recognize the basic premise of their mission--this one again has them leaving London--and the types of methods they use in their efforts to collect information. This culminates in another dangerous climax where Ellie's lock breaking skills are needed.

But what makes this book a bit different from the previous four, is we get so much of Ellie and Ramsey's more personal interactions in their downtime. And Ellie's internal monologue is no longer vague or in denial about the tension and feelings she has for the major. Without giving away spoilers, I'll just say that the resolution to their personal relationship was immensely satisfying and I think a lot of readers will be as pleased with this ending as I was.

Can't wait for whatever Ashely Weaver's next series will be. Electra McDonnell and the Amory Ames series before it were both wonderful. Highly recommend this book and the entirety of both series.

ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

Thanks to Ashley Weaver for giving us such a wonderful, complex character as Electra McDonnell! And, even though I'm sorry that this ends the series, I am grateful that things were wrapped up in such a satisfying manner. Ellie and her family of petty thieves, their 'employers' in the war department of WWII Great Britain, and the good (and bad) guys...all characters that will continue to delight readers. In this final installment, Ellie travels to Lisbon for the government in an attempt to ferret out information about a possible underground operation smuggling allied prisoners of war from Germany to freedom. Hoping that her missing cousin might be one of the escaping prisoners, she agrees to assist.
A fitting final assignment for our heroine! I read well into the night (and I wasn't sorry either!).

A very satisfying end to Weaver's historical mystery series featuring the irrepressible Electra "Ellie" McDonnell. Weaver did a great job wrapping up all the loose ends while still providing an entertaining plot. In Ellie's final mission, she's off to Portugal to rescue a group of escaped POWs, one of whom is rumored to be her cousin. And of course Ellie and Major Ramsey have to figure out their relationship. The way Weaver decides to have them do that may strain credulity, but it also provides a lot of fun along the way. I will miss Ellie, but I look forward to seeing what Weaver writes next. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for a digital review copy.

I have LOVED the Electra McDonnell series. I devoured all 5 books in 8 days. I haven’t stopped thinking about them since.

So World War II isn’t always my favorite time period - it seems like everyone writes about it. However, this is the perfect blend. I absolutely loved the details - dressing up for dinner, the shortage of stockings, the hairstyles, lipstick, everything! (Well, ok - maybe not the smoking. I’m very much a proponent of clean air.)

Ellie is such a fun character. There’s sass and snark, and fierce loyalty and bravery too. Her knowledge of people, ability to make friends, not to mention the skills for sneaking around and breaking into safes, buildings, etc. keep the mysteries going throughout.

And. Wait for it - (Or SKIP this part because it might be SPOILERY-)
There’s a love triangle-ish-square thing going on throughout some of these books and I - LOVED IT! (I know I know. I may never say that again!) I somehow did not know that, but I was here for every TENSION FILLED moment. It was SO well done and carried throughout. The slightest twitch of lips or barest brush of a hand had me squealing. Gah. I may never be over it.

Which brings us to One Final Turn - out NEXT WEEK. It was EVERYTHING I never knew I ALWAYS WANTED! I do not jest when I say the mission had my heart pounding, the tension up until THAT CHAPTER was on point. And I have read that CHAPTER three (3) TIMES! I fully plan on listening to the audio for this final installment because these characters are now lifelong friends. Also, Uncle Mick has the best sayings.

Do yourself a favor and pick this one up today! The audio (for the first 4) was delightful as well. I will never be over hearing our favorite character say “Electra…”

Stars: 5
Content: Closed door, smoking

After reading this, I was both sad and elated. Elated because this is the end of the series that I always wanted but sad because, after this, there will be no more books in the series! As always, the characterization, the description, writing and the plot of this book are all top rate. If you haven't read the first four books, you should be fine reading this. However, for the best impact, you should start with the first in the series: A Peculiar Combination. Once again, Weaver has created a historical spy thriller with a hefty dose of romance that draws you in and won't let you stop reading.

This fifth and final book in author Ashley Weaver's "Elektra McDonnell" series, is a delightful, albeit bittersweet, historical mystery. It is February of 1941, and our plucky heroine, Elektra McDonnell (Ellie) has been engaged in a covert British military operation in neutral Lisbon, Portugal. It's a major clandestine destination for spies of all sides. Elektra is hoping to gather additional intel on the whereabouts of her cousin, Toby, who reportedly escaped the Germans' grasp. It's a daring and dangerous operation and the presence of Major Gabriel Ramsey, has her all in a flutter. The two had been on the outs but there is an obvious spark between them which they struggle to keep in check. If they survive this operation, perhaps they can finally resolve their issues.

In this installment, there were several story lines which all eventually converged. The cat and mouse relationship between Elektra and Major Ramsey brings sparkle to the story. The writing is clean, well crafted and the characters are interesting and well-developed. The mise en scène was deftly created and one could imagine strolling through the historic and dangerous streets of Lisbon. All in all, this was a sweet and enjoyable historical mystery. Although this fifth book in series can stand alone, there is a continuing story thread for which you may wish to start at the beginning. If a fun historical mystery is your jam, then this may be just the right series and book for you.

I am truly saddened to see the end of this series. It is one for which I had eagerly awaited each book, but alas all good things must come to an end.

I am grateful to Minotaur books for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.


Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication date: June 3, 2025
Language: English
Number of Pages: 304
ISBN: 978-1250350930