Sometimes the best way to know a person is by asking questions, so let’s meet Maggie.
What is your name?
My name is Margaret Rose Hope, but most people call me Maggie.
How old are you?
Twenty-six. I’ll turn twenty-seven on March 1, 1943.
What is your profession?
I used to work for Special Operations Executive (sorry can’t tell you more, but think secret agents and spies).
Do you have a significant other?
Yes. But things are complicated.
What is his name?
DCI James Durgin
What is his profession?
Detective Chief Inspector with London’s Metropolitan Police.
Any children?
No, but I hope perhaps someday? I’d need to be married first, of course. And I’m not sure about that at the moment.
Do you have any sibling(s)?
I have a half-sister, named Elise Hess. We share the same mother. As far as I know, she’s in Occupied France now. It’s also complicated.
Cats, dogs or other pets?
One cat, Mr. K. (K. for kitty). He’s an orange tabby, but truthfully, he’s more like a tiny man in a fur suit who’s lost the zipper. He’s quite talkative and doesn’t say meow as much as, “Meh!”
What town do you live in?
I live in London, in Marylebone.
House or building complex?
An old house that took a hit during the Blitz.
Do you rent or own?
I own—I inherited the house from my grandmother (again, rather complicated).
What is your favorite spot in your house?
The library! Books, tea, and cats are some of my favorite things.
Who is your best friend?
David Greene, who works as a private secretary to Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
Amateur sleuth or professional?
Professional secret agent and spy (shhh) and amateur sleuth.
Whom do you work with when sleuthing?
Sometimes solo, sometimes with DCI James Durgin and sometimes with David Greene.
Favorite meal?
Well, since rationing, I’d have to say anything with meat, cheese, butter, and/or sugar, which are hard to get these days. And because I’m American, I’ll go with a cheeseburger, French fries and Coca-Cola. The last time I had that was back in December of 1941, when David and I were in Washington, D.C. to help Mr. Churchill with his visit with President Roosevelt.
Favorite dessert?
Chocolate cake. Imagining the rationing coupons that would take! All that butter and sugar…. Maybe someday!
Favorite hobby?
Doing math problems (I used to study math) and crossword puzzles. Reading. Playing the viola and swimming.
Favorite vacation spot?
I’d say Paris, but when the Occupation is over, of course.
Favorite color?
Blue. Redheads look good in blue. And it’s also patriotic.
Favorite author?
I love Charlotte Bronte. And Dashiell Hammett.
Favorite sports team?
In the U.S., the Boston Red Sox (since I grew up in Wellesley, Massachusetts, not far from Boston). In England, Chelsea for football (soccer).
Movies or Broadway?
The West End, particularly the Vic-Wells Ballet, since my friend Sarah is a dancer.
Are you a morning or a night person?
Morning person. I get up and exercise, usually swimming.
In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
I do my best to do my duty to King and Country in a world at war. No day is typical, and there could be Irish assassins, undercover Nazis, or serial killers involved. One never knows. . .
Giveaway: Tell us, would you like to revisit the period of time that Maggie lives in? Leave a comment below for your chance to win a print copy of The Prisoner in the Castle. U.S. entries only, please. The giveaway ends August 13, 2018. Good luck everyone!
You can read about Maggie in The Prisoner in the Castle, the eighth book in the “Maggie Hope” mystery series. The first book in the series is Mr. Churchill’s Secretary.
A series of baffling murders among a group of imprisoned agents threatens the outcome of World War II in this chilling mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of Mr. Churchill’s Secretary.
World War II is raging, and former spy Maggie Hope knows too much.
She knows what the British government is willing to do to keep its secrets.
She knows the real location of the planned invasion of France.
She knows who’s lying. She knows who the double-crossers are. She knows exactly who is sending agents to their deaths.
These are the reasons Maggie is isolated on a remote Scottish island, in a prison known as Killoch Castle, out of contact with friends and family.
Then one of her fellow inmates drops dead in the middle of his after-dinner drink—and he’s only the first. As victims fall one by one, Maggie will have to call upon all her wits and skills to escape—not just certain death . . . but certain murder.
For what’s the most important thing Maggie Hope knows?
She must survive.
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About the author
Susan Elia MacNeal is the New York Times, Washington Post, and USA Today bestselling author of the Maggie Hope mystery series. She is the winner of the Barry Award and was shortlisted for the Edgar and several other awards. She lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn, with her husband and son. Photo courtesy of Noel MacNeal.
Visit Susan at susaneliamacneal.com, on Facebook, on Twitter and on Instagram.
All comments are welcomed.
I definitely would! This was a fascinating, if horrible, time in recent history and these books make it come to life
Sounds like an exciting series to read but no, I wouldn’t want to live in that time period. War? Nazi occupation of Paris? Rationing? No, I’d rather live in present time.
A good series and time for me to play catch up../no I would not want to relive those times. I may have been small then, but I remember some of them.
I have been enjoying this series from the beginning, but I would not want to live during those war years. My mother was an army nurse operating near the Battle of the Bulge, and my father was an army officer with the corps of engineers fighting in Burma. There was nothing glamorous at all about a time of all out worldwide war.
This is a fantastic historical mystery series. Maggie is a wonderful character to follow. I would love to win a copy of any book in this series.
This series is captivating, profound, fascinating and memorable. My favorite era of all since I was born in the 1940’s and read all about the Second World War and Britain. I would have liked to experience this time and meet all the courageous men and women who withstood deprivation and sacrificed for their country.
I’ve always thought it would be interesting to live in the past, although I don’t know if I would be able to survive without my computer. lol! The World War II period has always had a draw for me since my father served in the Army during this time period. He didn’t share much about his time in the service but when he did it was always interesting.
I would like to visit the time period that Maggie lives in. There were many, many hardships, of course — bombings, rationing, food shortages, the threat of Germany being so close — but also the opportunity to work at some amazing jobs for women (Bletchley Park and ferrying RAF planes, for example), meet some amazing hard-working people doing who love their country and do all they can to survive and bring an end to the war. I can’t wait to read this book!
I have been enjoying this unforgettable series and look forward to this new release. Reading about this period is uplifting and important since life was difficult but so many were brave and had principles and values which they followed. I admire anyone who was there and was brave enough to give of themselves. Living during the war years gives me a different perspective on life and I would have loved to.
I am fascinated in the time period that Maggie lives in. I seem to read many books of this period. Never tire of reading about it. This book looks really good.
No, I would not like to visit such a time to experience myself, though I find the reading of it to be fascinating.
This is one of my favorite series because the time period that it is written in is so fascinating. I would love to visit this time period because I am captivated by so many stories of sacrifice and bravery of people that lived during this time. I would love to experience that. I can’t wait to read this book!
I like living in the 2000’s because I have a laptop!! No going back for me!!
Another fantastic addition to this series!
These are great books, and yes, Maggie’s life is pretty complicated! It’s hard to say if I’d want to live through that time period, I like reading about it because I know things from my grandmother. I don’t know if I would want to live through the Blitz and it’s aftermath. Thanks so much for the chance to win!
I was 10 in 1947. Revisiting would be okay, but I wouldn’t want to stay.
I don’t think I would like to live in the WWII era, but I would like to read about it. That was a really horrible time in world history.
I wouldn’t mind visiting as long as I could return to the present.
This is a fascinating time period, but I’d prefer to only visit it in books.
**** WINNER ****
The Prisoner in the Castle is Pearl
Congratulations!
No I would not revisit that time line who wants to be involved in a war.