The Last Hope by Susan Elia MacNeal

THE LAST HOPE by Susan Elia MacNeal is the final entry (after The Hollywood Spy) in the mystery series featuring Maggie Hope. That WWII era character started out thwarting an assassination attempt as a secretary for Winston Churchill and eventually received spy training which led to travels in Europe and the United States. This time, Maggie is sent to Madrid where she has a meeting with Coco Chanel and the British Ambassador to Spain in an effort to hasten the end of the war. There’s talk of possibly assassinating a scientist, double agents, and threatening police. Maggie also has to deal with personal issues and bereavement while trying to stay focused on the mission’s objectives. All in all, an excellent ending to a very popular and suspenseful mystery series. Library Journal praises it, saying, “It's sad to see the story end, but this novel, filled with MacNeal's signature character-centric plot and minute attention to historical details, does so magnificently.”