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

My favorite book of the whole series.

Weaver left no stone unturned and wrapped everything up so well. It was everything I wanted out of the end of a series.

The new setting was a nice touch and I loved how things played out.



CONTENT WARNING COULD BE CONSIDERED A SPOILER. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

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Content: off page bedroom scenes, death, violence, war crimes

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CONTENT WARNING COULD BE CONSIDERED A SPOILER. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

One Final Turn by Ashley Weaver

I love the Electra McDonnell series, but I think we say goodbye to Ellie McDonnell in this one, in more ways than one. No, don’t worry, she’s fine. She leads us through another exciting chapter in her life as a lock picker.

Major Ramsey fired Ellie last book, but Captain Archie Blandings needs her expertise for a big job, which could lead to finding POWs in Portugal, including her captured cousin Toby. The Major will also be in on this caper. There are many surprises and twists in this book which will entertain the reader.

Ellie holds her own in her sleuthing and up against the men, both good and bad. She’s always sharp and paying attention, doing whatever the job calls for! Above and beyond in this adventure.

Always a fun read with author Ashley Weaver, I give this book five stars and recommend for any reader.

Electra finds herself headed to Lisbon to help find her cousin who has escaped from a German camp to freedom in Portugal. She is no longer working with Ramsey but he is in on the mission. Her conflicted feelings make for awkward moments, but they put aside the past to focus on the mission. A well written conclusion to this series with a satisfying ending. You don't want to put this book down! A great read!
I was given an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review. #minatourpress, #ashleyweaver

Absolutely amazing! In every way! The twists and turns, the mystery, the action and adventure, the travel, THE ROMANCE!!!
And even though I'm sad this series is now over, this book was the perfect ending!! It was everything I was hoping for!
These characters have my whole heart and I enjoyed every second of this book!

“The last thing I am is indifferent to you, Electra. As hard as I have tried to be, you make it impossible.”

What a fantastic and perfectly satisfying ending to the Electra McDonnell series. It was action-packed but also had some sweet tender moments.

Ellie had some hard lessons to learn at the end of the last book. Those and her personal trials and heartbreak help her so much on this new mission. She’s still feisty and willing to do whatever it takes to complete her mission. It was fun to get little peeks at her family. I enjoyed Ellie’s interactions with Archie and him being in charge of the mission. He made a great addition to the team. Ramsey was his same self-assured, determined, and protective self. He may have kept his temper in check but his passions maybe not so much. Ramsey’s swoon level multiplied by 10, for sure. Ellie and Ramsey’s chemistry, teamwork, and dare I say personal relationship were fire!

A few quotes:
“What do you want from me, Electra?” “I don’t want anything from you, Major Ramsey.”

“I trust you, Gabriel. I should have trusted you before. I understand that now.”

“I felt disinclined to get into a brawl with your cousins before I’ve had my coffee.”

This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review, rating and opinions are my own.

One Final Turn is a clever title for the fifth and last in the Electra McDonnell series. Ellie grew up in a "loving criminal family" which is a fun premise. She and her beloved Uncle Mick were cunning locksmiths. Her family held many secrets and she discovered more than she bargained for in this novel. Her cousin Toby was allegedly an escapee from a POW camp and she was desperate to rescue him. Not only did she encounter adventures but also realized she was love with Major Ramsey. Captain Archie was on the scene as well. Romance is sprinkled throughout but it was the mystery and characters which grabbed me. Ellie was no stranger to danger and murder didn't much faze her.

Ashley Weaver's writing style is quick and witty, an auto-read author for me. I like the vivid descriptions and crime family aspect, loyal to the very end. Family secrets are revealed layer by layer and the unraveled threads are tidily gathered together in the conclusion. A tiny bit neat but that's just me. Questions and cliffhangers are my cup of tea. Still, this was a fabulous series, one to easily get immersed in. Wonder what the author has in store next?

This is the last instalment in Ashley Weaver’s series following safecracker turned intelligence agent Electra McDonnell. She lives in 1940’s London with her “locksmith” (and safecracker) uncle, as both her parents died when she was young. She feels as close to her two cousins Colm and Toby as she would to brothers. Since the start of the war, her cousin Toby has been missing, and in her secret heart, Electra is afraid he’s dead.

She has a real pall of gloom hanging over her in general – not just because of the war, but because her last assignment with one Major Ramsey had ended with his injury and her dismissal. She realized too late that she was actually in love with him and she’s trying mightily to get over it. When an assignment comes through with Archie Blandings, an underling of Ramsey’s, she’s off to Lisbon to hopefully locate her long lost cousin. As it turns out, Ramsey is a part of the operation as well, much to Electra’s discomfort.

Portugal was neutral during WWII but it didn’t stop an enormous amount of espionage operations from happening there, Lisbon being full of people from every country in Europe.

When she and Archie arrive, on the lookout for spies watching them as well as for the contacts they’ll need to locate Toby and any other refugees from Germany making their way to Portugal, a series of deaths and double crosses make things very tricky for the three of them as they attempt to find any contacts or clues that will lead them to Toby.

Weaver is wrapping up several storylines in this final book in the series. One is the search for the long lost Toby; one is the discovery of the guilt or innocence of Electra’s murder, who died in prison, accused of murdering her father; and most significantly in this book is the romantic destiny of Electra herself. While she’s sure things are finished with Ramsay, there’s also her old friend Felix back home (now working undercover himself) who is in the romance mix.

The story has a mix of espionage, a little bit of misdirection – who is leaking their whereabouts to the Germans? – and a lot of romance. This was not the strongest entry in this very enjoyable series, the best of which focused on Electra’s lock picking skills. She does get to use those skills some here, and she’s certainly brave and intrepid, but this book is in the main a romance.

Weaver does skilfully tie up all her loose threads, and she’s a wonderful storyteller – things move along, and by this point in the series, as a reader, you’re awfully fond of Electra and hope for the best for her. I enjoyed the read but I will say nothing in it was really a surprise. I compared it mentally to Susan Elia MacNeal’s masterful wrap up of her Maggie Hope series, The Last Hope, which also took place in Lisbon.

That said, I won’t say I didn’t shed a tear or two at the end, and I did enjoy the read, it’s just not my favorite in this wonderfully engaging series.