Princess Elizabeth's Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal

It's tricky business writing historical fiction, especially when at least some of the players are still alive, but MacNeal does a commendable job giving us some, but not too many, hints at life in the royal household and those who inhabit it. At Windsor Castle, walls where paintings and tapestries once hung are empty, their precious adornments stored away windows are taped to minimize breakage and even the royals are subjected to war-time rationing. Susan Elia MacNeal has imbued her book with the sense of tragedy, loss of innocence, and sacrifice that must have been widespread in England during this period of the war. Hope is sent to Windsor Castle to tutor the young Princess Elizabeth in math and to keep an eye on the queen-to-be midst the raging German air attacks of World War II. A 'softer' assignment is sought for this fledgling spy, a sort of test mission. And as she races to save England from a most disturbing fate, Maggie realizes that a quick wit is her best defense, and that the smallest clues can unravel the biggest secrets, even within her own family.Maggie Hope, the former secretary to Prime Minister Winston Churchill, is in the final days of her training to become a spy for MI-5-and it's painfully apparent that although she meets the intelligence and psychological qualifications, her physical skills are somewhat, well.lacking. The upstairs-downstairs world at Windsor is thrown into disarray by a shocking murder, which draws Maggie into a vast conspiracy that places the entire royal family in peril. Yet castle life quickly proves more dangerous-and deadly-than Maggie ever expected. Instead, to her great disappointment, she is dispatched to go undercover at Windsor Castle, where she will tutor the young Princess Elizabeth in math.

Spirited, strong-willed, and possessing one of the sharpest minds in government for mathematics and code-breaking, she fully expects to be sent abroad to gather intelligence for the British front. Now Maggie returns to protect Britain’s beloved royals against an international plot-one that could change the course of history.Īs World War II sweeps the continent and England steels itself against German attack, Maggie Hope, former secretary to Prime Minister Winston Churchill, completes her training to become a spy for MI-5. Susan Elia MacNeal introduced the remarkable Maggie Hope in her acclaimed debut, Mr.

Princess Elizabeth's Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal