A thoroughly enjoyable read! Ellie McDonnell has been raised since infancy by her widowed uncle Mick, a locksmith and a safecracker. It’s London, August 1940, Britain is in the war and Mick’s two sons have been called to duty. Ellie already is trained in both sides of the family business, when she learns her skills on the shadier side are needed for a government matter. A cast of suspects–traitors some–a dishy but distant Major, a series of mishaps, hampering a ragtag band of sorta do-gooders’ efforts to secure stolen wartime papers, and a fun array of red herrings are present. It’s enough to satisfy any fan of cozy/historical fiction mysteries. I won an advance readers copy of A Peculiar Combination in a Goodreads giveaway and I’m glad I did. I previously read Weaver’s first book in the Amory Ames series, “Murder at the Brightwell,” and found it wanting. Weaver has definitely found her voice and addressed the weaknesses in that effort, probably several books ago. The characters are well drawn. The writing is light but engaging and entertaining. And there are several hints of stories to come in the series. I definitely plan to keep up with Electra McDonnell!
The Key to Deceit (Electra McDonnell, Book 2)
Electra (Ellie) McDonnell is now in her early 20s, having been raised by her Uncle Mick, a locksmith and former thief. This is the second entry in the series, both set in WWII London. A woman was found dead in the Thames, wearing an elaborate locked bracelet. The handsome Major Ramsey, who used the family to assist in a sensitive military intelligence venture in the first novel is back seeking help to remove the bracelet intact. Ellie knows as much about locksmithing as her Uncle and cousins and, since only she is around, she gets the job. This leads to a very satisfying spy story, investigated by the Major and Ellie with help as needed from some of Ellies wrong side of the law connections. Ellie’s family would love to see sparks fly with the Major and her. After all, his uncle is an Earl. But she seems to be true to the budding relationship with her childhood friend, Felix. Meanwhile, Ellie has begun to investigate her mother’s conviction for her father’s murder, interviewing people with knowledge of the crime and her mother’s character beyond that found in a newspaper. I greatly enjoy the characters and setting and the plot was engaging as well. I look forward to more books featuring Ellie McDonnell.
Playing it Safe (Electra McDonnell, Book 3)
Major Ramsey is back and it means a new job for Electra (Ellie) McDonnell, part locksmith/part recovering burglar. She’s off to stay in a boarding house in Sunderland with basically no information about her assignment other than being sent with a copy of a birding book for no obvious reason. Early on, just as she’s getting to meet some people in the neighborhood a man who helped her near the train station is hit by a car and killed. The coincidence seems to be too much and Ellie starts to snoop. Again, this is a spy novel that rolls out with information little by little and there’s not a lot to be shared without spoilers galore. But it is an entertaining story with new characters from Sunderland and, of course, Major Ramsey. So, this is a WWII spy novel with engaging characters, a good plot and it was a fast, entertaining read. We see less of Ellie’s family this time and I look forward to their return.
I may not have mentioned it in earlier reviews, but the reason Ellie was raised by her uncle was because her mother died in prison after being convicted of killing her father. She has some reason to believe her mother was innocent and has been getting help here and there throughout the series in her effort to find out more about this. It looks like this might be shaping up to be the next entry in the series. Definitely a good series. Enjoy!
They Called me Bookworm 