Maggie Bird just wants to relax into a quiet retirement, raising chickens in the cold little town of Purity, Maine. Even in these remote woods, though, trouble manages to find her. She鈥檒l have to face her past if she has any hope of staying alive.
Spy novel meets travelog with a murder mystery in 鈥淭he Spy Coast,鈥� Book 1 of the new 鈥淢artini Club鈥� series. Engrossing from the get-go, prose is undeniable 鈥� a true professional at sucking you right into the story.
When a young spy shows up dead outside Maggie鈥檚 home, her friends immediately jump to action, recalling their former lives as CIA operatives.
They may be in their 60s now, but these retirees are more than capable, exasperating Officer Jo Thibodeau. While the young police chief's involvement in the case is an annoying obstacle for Maggie, she can鈥檛 help but be beguiled by this woman who reminds her of her former self. Jo鈥檚 constant run-ins with the self-named Martini Club promise her character will have a lasting place in this fiction.
Throughout the novel, we learn about Maggie鈥檚 final job 16 years ago: Operation Cyrano. These flashbacks slowly reveal bits about Danny 鈥� the man Maggie met in Bangkok 鈥� and his connection to the messy end of her career.
In her author鈥檚 note, Gerritsen says she 鈥渨anted to write about spies who don鈥檛 look like James Bond.鈥� She exceeded her goal by miles, handling the Martini Club鈥檚 old age beautifully and foregoing a glamorized portrayal of espionage in favor of one that reflects a grind 鈥� a job just like any other, except for the high likelihood of death.
Gerritsen has dozens of titles under her belt, including the novels that inspired the TV series 鈥淩izzoli & Isles,鈥� and her wealth of experience shows. She makes it look seamlessly easy; every piece fits together, every chapter is gripping and fun, blood spatters are described with just the right level of ominous medical accuracy. And with the same level of detail, she describes amazing dishes from around the world, their flavor notes mouthwateringly cataloged.
Most chapters focus on Maggie, the only character to get first-person perspective, though Gerritsen affords us the occasional, tantalizing glimpse into what鈥檚 going on with other key players. It鈥檚 the perfect mix 鈥� Maggie completely won me over, and getting to be in her head is an absolute treat.
鈥淭he Spy Coast鈥� is a positively devourable and un-put-downable start to what promises to be an excellent series.
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AP book reviews:
Donna Edwards, The Associated Press
