Maggie Hope Books In Order

Publication Order of Maggie Hope Books

Maggie Hope is the main character in a book series written by author and Barry Award winner, Susan Elia MacNeal. The character’s debut takes place in Mr. Churchill’s Secretary, published by Bantam Books and her story weaves through several other novels which form a book series centering on events surrounding World War II. You can start following Maggie Hope’s story by purchasing Mr. Churchill’s Secretary at Amazon.com or any other book retailer and you will not be disappointed for having the copy.

Background

Maggie Hope is a young woman born in Britain, but raised in the United States by an aunt following the untimely death of her beloved parents, who were killed in a traffic accident. When she comes of age, she returns to Britain in the summer of 1939 according to terms set forth in the will of a grandmother she never knew as a child. There, she endeavors to settle her estranged grandmother’s estate and sell her grandmother’s house. This puts on hold plans to attend graduate school indefinitely as the rackety, old Victorian home proves difficult to sell.

Early Adult Life

Being unable to sell her grandmother’s home as Britain enters the war against Nazi Germany, she uses it to provide housing for friends now engaged in the war effort. This event, in turn, galvanizes her to support her birth country, and she finds work by taking a job in the Prime Minister’s office as a typist even though she finds the tasks quite remedial and uninteresting. However, things begin to take a turn from boring to mysterious when she visits the cemetery in which her parents were laid to rest – only her mother’s gave exists. This drives her into questioning her aunt back in the States, who confesses that her father survived the accident, but fell into mental illness and is now permanently institutionalized. Maggie is now determined to locate her father, but in doing so she wades into the shadowy world of conspiracy, murder, and politics.

Beginning of Her Career

After the backstory of Maggie’s early adult life is told, readers are spun into a world of spies, and war. A historical fiction filled with mystery and intrigue, Maggie finds herself centered in a conspiracy to murder the Prime Minister and destroy England as it battles through the treachery of war with Germany. As a result, Maggie must work quickly to unravel the mysteries before her, and in her efforts, become one of Britain’s top spies whose intelligence and code breaking abilities rival that of her male counterparts. In this book, Maggie’s life is just beginning to get interesting and in her daring debut, she uncovers the machinations of a menacing faction determined to change to course of history.

The Next Chapter

We are reunited to Maggie Hope and her story in the second of Susan Elia MacNeal’s novels concerning our heroine. Here we encounter a far more seasoned main character than the first – though still just as charming, intelligent, and crafty as the last. However, this time we encounter her far more sullen after she washes out of MI-5 physical training and is subsequently assigned to Windsor Castle as a tutor for Princess Elizabeth in math. As she arrives upon the castle’s campus, however, one of Princess Elizabeth’s Ladies-in-waiting is murdered and this catapults Maggie into action as the spy many fans new her to be from the previous novel.

Through her initial investigation, Maggie quickly presumes that the killer must be from within the court of the castle walls and does everything she can to protect the often willful princess from harm. Searching for clues while mastering the art of royal etiquette as she navigates her new role as tutor to the royal princess of England, Maggie once again comes to the aid of Britain in its hour of need.

Behind Enemy Lines

After her dealings in the affairs at Windsor Castle, Maggie’s bravado earns her the attention of some important figures in MI-5. As a result she is re-activated as Britain’s top female agent in the intelligence war against Germany and is dropped behind enemy lines in the effort to attack the Nazi government from within. Along the way, she discovers shocking information about the identities of her parents and her family’s history which has been clouded by secrecy. In a chance encounter, Maggie finds an opportunity to pro-long her stay in Germany past the completion of her original mission. The decision puts her further in harm’s way but the chance to gather further intelligence in an effort to aid Britain compels her to take the risk.

An Awaited Peace Broken

The Prime Minister’s Secret Agent is the second to last (so far) of Susan Elia MacNeal novels where we encounter the brave heroine, Maggie Hope. As World War II continues to rage onward, Maggie is able to find some rest on the pastoral coasts of western Scotland as a teacher in her old training camp for British Intelligence. However, this peace is short lived. Again she is drawn into the dangerous world of State espionage when three ballerinas fall ill in Glasgow. Being a dear friend to one of these ballerinas, Maggie’s heart rages for answers into this troubling turn of events, and so she once again partners with MI-5 to discover the truth behind the poisonings. What she uncovers points to troubling government secrets yet to be exposed, and has to potential to put thousands of British lives at risk. Even then, more drama and intrigue ensue as, turn after turn, Maggie’s fate is shaped by the impending war in the Pacific between Japan and the United States.

The Final Act?

Yet to be released, Susan Elia MacNeal will introduce Maggie Hope again to readers in the Fall of 2015. This time, however, the story takes us to just as the title suggests: the United States. There, she poses as Winston Churchill’s typist, aiding him in the effort to negotiate the US’s entry into the war. But when one of the First Lady’s aides is murdered, once again Maggie is thrown into action in an effort to stop a conspiracy that jeopardizes American support for the war effort.

5 Responses to “Maggie Hope”

1. Isobel: 9 months ago

   Was wondering what order do u need to Maggie hopes books in a wee bit confused she got so many

   Reply
   • Graeme: 9 months ago

     Best to read in the order they were published which is listed above.

     Reply
2. Suzanne: 1 year ago

   Very good books–well researched and well written. I’ve read them all but the last one. Waiting for it to come out in paperback. Maggie Hope is the heroine who started me reading WWII novels, preferably with a female protagonist and written by a woman. Check out The Alice Network, by Kate Quinn, In Enemy Hands, by my friend Wilma Counts, or the WWI Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear. Also the Billy Boyle series, by James Benn. Alan Furst, Helen MacInnes….

   Reply
3. Suzanne: 2 years ago

   I agree, the Maggie Hope books are among the best of this genre. Remember, this series takes place during World War II, roughly 1938-1945, so the bad guy is Hitler, but he rarely shows up as a character.
   There are many well-researched, well-written novels of this period. I prefer those with a female protagonist and written by a woman. You can always find new or used books at Amazon (link at this website) or a nearby bookstore, or used at a thrift shop.
   Happy reading!

   Reply
4. Carol Curreri: 2 years ago

   I’ve only read ‘Mr. Churchill’s Secretary” and ‘The Princesses Spy”. Enjoyed both but couldn’t pick out the bad guy. Am headed for Barnes & Noble tomorrow and hope to find more. Short chapters and space between paragraphs makes the books an easy read.
   Keep up the great writing. I pass them on, but the people MUST return the book.

   Reply