This is the final installment of the Electra McDonnell series. This book picks up right after the events of the fourth book, Locked in Pursuit. Electra "Ellie" McDonnell is preparing to travel to Lisbon at the request of Captain Archie Blandings - not Major Ramsey, who fired her at the end of the last book. All her hopes of seeing her cousin Toby again have been renewed by the knowledge that he has escaped from his German captors and he's on his way to Lisbon via an underground network of allies. She has been hired to help uncover a contact who can help them rescue the escaped prisoners, who in turn can hopefully give them valuable intelligence about the Germans. Prepare yourself for all sorts of twists and turns, a red herring or two, tension with Major Ramsey, and camaraderie with Captain Blandings (which causes tension with Major Ramsey, which surprises no one).

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it did an excellent job of tying the series together and it delivered a satisfying conclusion. I think that one of the main things it explores is the ways in which Ellie has matured since her work with British intelligence began. During the previous book, I kept wanting to shake her and tell her to get out of her own way. This time around, she seems to have learned that lesson to a degree.

My thanks to NetGalley for the advanced digital copy of this book. All opinions are my own. I had just finished Locked in Pursuit and immediately decided to see if One Final Turn was available through NetGalley and was delighted to find it was. I started it within an hour of finishing Locked in Pursuit.

I have one criticism on the plot, which I marked with a spoiler tag on Goodreads. A big deal is made about how important it is that the marriage between Major Ramsey and Electra looks real, but then Archie ends up taking them out for a very public evening on the town and no mention is made of how they address the fact that he is supposedly a jilted fiancé. Additionally, the morning after their wedding, Major Ramsey comes into her room by going out into the hall from his own room and then enters behind Archie. He should have used the connecting door between their rooms if they were so worried about appearing authentically married. She could have knocked on the connecting door to keep up the pretense with Archie that they were still not involved. Since I read an advanced copy, it is possible that this will change before publication, but I doubt it.

A hurried resolution to all the plot points in the series even though the POW plot was good. I wonder if more books had been planned, but the publisher said they were done. However we got here, we’re left with not much growth for Ellie, rushed explanations about her parents, a dull wrap up with what Felix was doing, and contrived situations and jealousy to move the Major along. I feel cheated out of both the character development and relationship development I was looking forward to. They got there but it was hurried. Amory and Milo got 7 books.
If you’re a fan of the series, you should read this one, but adjust your expectations.

Ahh! I loved this one, easily my favorite of the series. All mysteries solved and a romance blossomed to its fullest. A little drama and a lot of spy work, I was satisfied with the climb and the finale.

A wonderful, but bittersweet, ending to a beloved series!

Electra McDonnell has been a favorite heroine since this series started. Her evolution from safe-cracking burglar to safe-cracking spy has been delightful and the love triangle has kept me on my toes, through I had a preference for the man who recruited Ellie and her family to work for the government, Major Gabriel Ramsey.

I wasn't quite sure why Ellie was included in the mission to Portugal, but I don't even care - the change of location was great and Ellie's excitement about leaving England was charming. The sleuthing was excellent, as was the action scene that has become expected in this series.

Of course, the conclusion of the story and the series was perfect. There was one loose end that I wouldn't have minded remaining unsettled, but even it got taken care of. It made me want to start the whole series over!

Thanks to Minotaur for the advanced copy. This review is my own opinion.

Finishing this delightful series is so bittersweet for me. I have absolutely loved following Ellie McDonnell on her adventures and missions with Major Ramsey. This last book did not disappoint! With more romance, tension, and a new adventure in Lisbon, it's safe to say, I loved it!

*Closed door

Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for my complimentary e-arc. All opinions here are my own.

This book was absolutely delightful and such an incredible finale to the Electra McDonnell series! With twists and turns that I never see coming and a new mystery that feels fresh and new Ashley Weaver has given us just an absolutely fantastic series!!

I am very NOT okay with this series being over. *sobbing emoji*

What a fantastic and neat and warm ending to an extremely enjoyable series! I know all good things must come to an end, but I'm not ready to stop hanging out with Electra or fantasizing about Ramsey. SIGH.
We got some resolution between E&R... and I love that we didn't have to wait until the end of the book to see their relationship crash, burn, heal, and beautifully unfold. Weaver does an incredible job of writing flawed but lovable characters. I'm pretty well committed to reading anything she writes. Seeing Electra's personal life wrap up neatly was heartwarming, too. It might've been a little too neat and slightly rushed toward the very end- but I don't care. I will take a HEA any day over heartbreak and tragedy.
I need Weaver to start on her next historical fiction mystery series PRONTO.

Thank you Minotaur Books for the gifted books

It’s never easy to say goodbye to a beloved series, so I did a full reread before picking up this final book. I enjoyed the first 4 books even more when revisiting them and although I wish more Electra books were still to come, this was such a satisfying end to the series!

This series has mystery, intrigue, great characters, romance, and a unique spin on a WWII backdrop. I will never tire of recommending these books and it’s been so fun seeing so many new fans pick them up recently!

I’m grateful for rereads, because I’ll definitely be picking these up again in the future. I’ll never be fully ready to say goodbye to Ellie, the Major, Uncle Mick, and the rest of this crew!

Thank you for the free book St Martin’s Press @stmartinspress Netgalley @netgalley and Ashley Weaver for this free ebook.
“One Final Turn” (Electra McDonnell #5) by Ashley Weaver⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Historical Mystery. Location: Across Europe. Time: World War II 1940s.

THE SERIES: For years, smart and gutsy Electra McDonnell (Ellie) and family earned their living as thieves, breaking into the safes of the rich. When Electra is caught, the imperious Major Ramsey (with his tightly padlocked personality) makes her an offer-help the British war effort by breaking into safes and retrieving critical documents. She has help from sometimes beau Felix (an accomplished forger and disabled veteran), Uncle Mick’s wise words, and Nacy, who raised her.

THIS BOOK: Ellie heads for Lisbon, Portugal to save her beloved cousin Toby who’s escaped from a German prisoner of war camp. He’s been missing since the Battle of Dunkirk. Ellie had lost hope of ever seeing him again until Major Ramsey shared the news he’d intercepted. Nothing will stop Ellie from finding Toby, not even the awkwardness of traveling with Ramsey after he’d dismissed her for being untrustworthy just as she fell in love with him. Under the supervision of charming intelligence officer Captain Archie Blandings, Ellie meets with undercover operatives to track down where Toby might be hiding and try to rescue him. Meanwhile, she’s still fighting her feelings for Ramsey.

Author Weaver has written another clever historical mystery full of red herrings. She creates colorful, believable characters with accurate and interesting period details. Weaver’s plot is tight and twisty, and it’s a page-turner. There’s 1940s-style romantic tension amidst the horrors of World War II Nazis. Although this is book 5 in the series, you can definitely read it as a standalone. It’s everything a clever, slightly snarky, historical mystery should be, and it’s 5 stars from me!🌵📚👩🏼‍🦳 #ashleyweaver #electramcdonnellseries

A perfect ending to this series. Very sad to see it ending. Plot was a little predictable but that was part of the fun. Weaver has created engaging characters that the reader becomes very invested in. Recommend reading the other books in the series first.

ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC! I CANNOT EVEN WITH THIS BOOK!!

Ellie (Electra) uses her skills as a safecracker in slightly less than legal ways, and when she is caught by government agent Major Ramsey, he offers her a deal: help him break into a safe and retrieve some documents critical to Britain’s war effort, or be turned over to the police.

Eager to avoid jail and to help her country, Ellie agrees, though she has no idea this is just the beginning of her adventures with Major Gabriel Ramsey as they work together to thwart German spies, and that even though she will earn her freedom, she will soon be in very real danger of losing her heart.

What you’ll love about the Electra McDonnell series:
WWII era
single pov🤍
stoic, dreamy MMC🔒
spunky, intelligent heroine🗝️
adventures and mystery
THE TENSION AND CHEMISTRY🔥
slow-burn romance❤️‍🔥
witty humor
5-book story arc
White Collar vibes🔒
engaging side characters
the most perfect ending to end all endings🫠

I completely binged all 5 books in this series back to back - I could not stop reading! The rich historical setting, the characters, the mystery and espionage, the romance - everything drew me in and kept me turning page after page. This is a standout in a sea of WWII fiction!

The romance between Ellie and Ramsey is a five book story arc but let me tell you, even though it is slow burn, it is the swooniest slow burn EVER and absolutely worth the wait. And whew, there were enough sparks between them to make the pages catch on fire! This book - and the entire series - has my heart and I don’t know if I will ever get over them.

This series has quickly become one of my very favorites and the final book did not disappoint! This was a perfect culmination with all the same aspects I loved from the other 4 books— a fun page-turning plot, well-developed characters, unexpected twists and turns, and great words and descriptions.
I usually steer clear of WWII book’s because often the setting can become trite, but these books show the history of the time without becoming dark or depressing.

One Final Turn if the fifth book in the Electra McDonnell Series by Ashley Weaver with me still not sure how I feel about Ramsey. That’s not really the whole truth but for Ellie book four ended badly so I felt badly towards him. This begins with a slow start, but I felt like Ellie was processing what had happened previously, so I needed to do so too. Then the plot speeds up with some twisty surprises and a fantastic conclusion.

A great book that is part of an addictive series that reading in order would enhance the enjoyment of the complete story. Trying not to give anything away, it is an incredible story of intrigue, heroism with an amazing setting in Lisbon. I highly recommend One Final Turn.

One Final Turn is the fifth and final book in Ashley Weaver’s Ellie McDonnell series about a talented lockpick from a family of thieves who uses her skills to support British intelligence missions in WWII England. When the book opens, Ellie is not in a good place emotionally/mentally. She has had a personal and professional falling out with her handler/potential love interest Major Ramsey but is trying to put it aside so she can help another army officer locate British POWs, including her MIA cousin Toby, in Libson. Ramsey is there too so of course things are super awkward and fraught for everyone. It’s hard to say too much without spoilers but suffice to say that all the major storylines of the series come to head in this page turning conclusion.

From start to finish, One Final Turn was a thrilling read. My favorite books of this series have been when Ellie and Ramsey are outside of London and I adored the Libson setting. I also really enjoyed getting to see Ellie work with another intelligence officer and all the delicious tension/jealousy from Ramsey that came as a result. The twist there was an excellent way to bring those two back together and force them to confront their feelings for one another and about the events of the previous book that drove them apart. Weaver did an excellent job of wrapping up the mystery of Ellie’s father as well. My one quibble—the way the Felix storyline was resolved felt a bit forced. But overall One Final Turn was a terrific end to a great series! I am sorry to see it end and can’t wait to see what’s next from Ashley Weaver. One Final Turn is out in June!

Thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur books for the e-ARC; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was introduced to author Ashley Weaver's writing through the Electra McDonnell series, and I was hooked! I binged the first 4 books in 2 days, and then impatiently waited for the fifth installment, One Final Turn. The fourth book in the series, Locked In Pursuit, left us with a whopper of a cliff hanger, so I was anxious to see how the author would bring everything together while still keeping the tension we'd become accustomed to throughout the series.

I don't know if I've ever been more sad to see a series come to an end. One Final Turn was everything I wanted and more with regards to closure for the series. The mystery, the slow burn romance, the character development, not to mention the atmospheric World War II setting - everything about this series is perfection! This book is such a great, bing-worthy read. Highly recommend.

I've loved this series and am sad to see it end, but this was a very satisfying ending.
There were some parts that were very predictable, but nothing to detract from my enjoyment of the book.

One final adventure, where personal stakes are higher than ever, and everything is on the line.

This book sees Electra travel to Portugal in the hopes of discovering the fate of her cousin, a suspected escaped prisoner of war in World War II. Paired with Ramsey under a new supervisor, the delightfully incorrigible Archie, Electra must navigate a new terrain where nothing - and no one - is what it purports to be.

This book contained an eye opening glimpse of Lisbon during the War. While I thoroughly enjoyed it, I dreaded turning each page, knowing it is the last in the series. Highly recommended, especially to those who have read the earlier books.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book.

The only regret I have about this book is that it marks the end of an incredible series. Ashley Weaver is a brilliant author who masterfully tied up every loose end, leaving no detail overlooked. When I first picked up this book, I genuinely believed she couldn’t wrap up the story without another installment—but I couldn’t have been more mistaken! The chemistry between Major Ramsey and Electra was positively electrifying! You finally get to witness the evolution of their relationship, complete with several breathtaking swoon-worthy moments. The suspense and mystery kept me on the edge of my seat, too. I absolutely loved it! This installment is, without a doubt, the crowning jewel of the series. While I’m heartbroken to see it come to a close, I am eagerly anticipating Weaver's next book, as always!

This book doesn't come out until June, but I received an ARC from NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Press and I had to start it immediately. I've been reading this series since book 1 was published and I couldn't wait 6 months to see how it ended. And guess what?

AMAZING. It ended amazingly. No spoilers, I might give an in-depth review as it gets closer to the release date and I re-read it (because I know I will) but man, this book took Ellie on A. JOURNEY. as she navigates Lisbon, the war effort, her lingering feelings for Ramsey, etc and I loved being with her along for the ride. The last 25% of this I was just beaming as everything started to ramp/wrap up. Utterly beaming.

I finished reading this book with a giant grin on my face. What a great ending to this series I love so much! While the mystery plot wasn't the strongest of the books, I didn't really care because it got all the characters I love to a satisfying and happy ending. That satisfaction and happiness with the ending is why this gets 5 stars. My only other qualm was that we didn't have much of Uncle Mick & Nacy. I would love some short stories with any of our characters, a la some of the Golden Age mystery writers. I'm so sad it's over, but I sure enjoyed the ride & the ending! I'm not sure what to do with myself now.

Huge thanks to NetGalley & Minotaur for the chance to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review!