⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Ethel Fiona Crestwater Is Back and Better Than Ever

If you thought retirement meant slowing down, clearly you haven’t met Ethel Fiona Crestwater the 75-year-old former FBI agent who makes James Bond look like he needs a nap. Desperate Spies, the third book in Mark de Castrique’s Secret Lives series, is a razor-sharp and is hilarious

Loved the espionage-level tension with humor and warmth mixed in The plot twists are clever without feeling implausible and the pacing never lets up. it’s one of the smartest, most engaging mystery-thriller series out there, period. Reminded me of Killers of a Certain Age but better!

Another winner in this great series! I was happy to read this latest installment and learn more about Ethel’s adventures, thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. This series has become one of my new favorites. I’m sure it enhances the reader’s experience to read all the books in the series in order. The story is suspenseful and is related to a botched FBI mission years ago and its repercussions now. There are many twists and turns, and I loved Ethel’s network of friends and colleagues and her strategic use of their help. Very highly recommended!

A fun new installment in the Secret Lives series. I would recommend reading the series in full and in order here.

Unfortunately the writing style proved to be too difficult for me to gel with, so I didn’t wish to finish the book as it became a task rather than enjoyable. The chapters switch between different characters, however it’s not just a dual perspective, but many perspectives of different events, so that as a reader I just couldn’t find flow in the novel. I’m sure the overall story would’ve been interesting, however due to the writing style I couldn’t get into the storyline as I felt like I was flicking through several different stories for the first part of the book

I read all three books in this series over a vacation and all three were perfect vacation fare. I was charmed by Ethel and her crew and loved the twisty fun of the mysteries. A new favorite series!

Seventy-five-year-old former FBI agent Ethel Fiona Crestwater,makes for an interesting lead character as she helps out a current FBI agent in a series of murders and attempts at the same. A variety of characters are created in Desperate Spies by author Mark de Castrique. He shows a definite talent in doing so. Credit is also due for the interesting events and the way he has the characters interact/ Well done!
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.