Title: The Spy Coast

Author: Tess Gerritsen

Genre: Thriller

Publisher: Bantam

Publication Date: 18th January 2024

Rating: 5/5

Cover:

Summary:

Maggie Bird is many things. A chicken farmer. A good neighbour. A seemingly average retiree living in the seaside town of Purity. She’s also a darned good rifle shot. And she never talks about her past.

But when an unidentified body is left on Maggie’s driveway, she knows it’s a calling card from old times. It’s been fifteen years since the failed mission that ended her career as a spy, and cost her far more than her job.

Step forward the ‘Martini Club’ – Maggie’s silver-haired book group (to anyone who asks), and a cohort of former spies behind closed doors. With the help of her old friends – and always one step ahead of the persistent local cop – Maggie might still be able to save the life she’s built.

The Spy Coast is the first novel in the Martini Club series.

Review:

I’ve heard of Tess Gerritsen’s books before and had her on my list of authors to read so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read The Spy Coast and I have to say, I’m so glad it was my first by this brilliant writer! The Spy Coast is a whip smart, compelling and brilliantly plotted thriller with an utterly fascinating cast of characters. I can see this drawing comparisons to The Thursday Murder Club because of the retired character aspect – however, in my personal opinion, The Spy Coast is better. It is also really rather different, in that these retirees are not merely amateur sleuths, but actually ex-CIA!

Maggie Bird, the main character, is very easy to root for. She is cool headed, intelligent and completely unflappable, without being cold or distant in any way. The story jumps around in time, from the mysterious events of the present to the complex and thorny events of the past – which have been haunting Maggie ever since. We also jump around in place, covering Istanbul, London, Malta, Bangkok and, of course, the town of Purity, Maine where the retired spies are living. I really can’t recommend this fabulous book enough and I also would say to definitely read the Authors Note which added a fascinating piece of context for me. I’m so pleased this is the start of a series because I cannot wait to read more in this fabulously crafted world! The Spy Coast is a clever, fantastically written and completely engrossing first class thriller that you do not want to miss.

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Thank you so much to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for inviting me on this tour and organising it. I kindly received a copy of the book from the publisher. My review is entirely my own honest opinion.

Buy the book:

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