Former spy Maggie Bird, at 60, has settled in the seaside village of Purity, Maine, hoping to leave her dangerous past behind. She lives a quiet life on her chicken farm, enjoying cocktails with her close-knit group of friends—all retired CIA operatives. But when a body is dumped in her driveway, and someone takes shots at her, Maggie soon realizes her past isn’t done with her yet.
Enlisting the help of her “Martini Club,” Maggie dives back into the world of espionage to uncover who’s trying to kill her and why. Complicating matters is Purity’s acting police chief, Jo Thibodeau, who is more used to handling rowdy tourists than homicides and is puzzled by Maggie’s secretive nature.
Maggie’s quest for answers forces her to revisit her clandestine career, which spanned the globe from Bangkok to Istanbul, London to Malta. The plot intricately weaves through time, revealing Maggie’s backstory and how her past ties into the current danger.
The Spy Coast is a suspenseful, brisk read filled with intrigue, mystery, action, bloodshed, and a touch of humor. The plot, filled with twists and turns, culminates in a surprising ending and the characters, especially Maggie, are well-drawn and relatable; old spooks with aching bones but sharp minds.
I couldn’t put this book down, staying up ridiculously late to finish it. As a fan of spy fiction, I found this novel to be on par with the best in the genre and I am eagerly anticipating the next installment in what looks to be a promising series. 5 stars.