Something There, Maybe

Sorry about being MIA yesterday, guys! To make it up to you let's change things up a bit and take a gander at a book that didn't score high marks with me. I am a huge fan of Foyle's War and I wrote my senior thesis on the British home front during World War II, so I was hugely excited to find Mr. Churchill's Secretary by Elia MacNeal and see the strong reviews it received. As you may have guessed, I was disappointed. The upswing is that I think MacNeal has something here that she could make really fabulous if she polishes it up enough in coming sequels. My suggestion: give this a try and maybe you'll see the glimmer of something special too...

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I really wanted to like this book, but the story just couldn't raise the bar high enough for me to find real enjoyment in it. The main characters were all very flat, lacking dimension and any real originality. Even the romance lacked sparkle. The mystery wasn't really much of a mystery and the resolution was something that Maggie more or less tripped over and fumbled through. The vital components of plot and characterization were sadly weak, unfortunately, though I think MacNeal is working with a good concept here. I'm willing to hold out hope for better in later additions to the series.

Little nit-pick here: I don't really have much fun reading about how Maggie's armpits "get damp" every time something big happens. Sweaty palms or forehead are kosher, but the mention of damp armpits just kind of takes the punch out of it...

If there is one thing that MacNeal well and truly scores big on in Mr. Churchill's Secretary it is her excellent historical research and attention to detail. She reconstructed the British home front during its greatest and bloodiest test during WWII, and did it almost flawlessly. I loved the little details that she included, such as the "Hope"/"Holmes" mix-up!

KPO, Ms. MacNeal! There's something good here, and I want it to really come into its own in the coming sequels.

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LOOK FOR BOOK #4: THE PRIME MINISTER'S SECRET AGENT 

AVAILABLE JULY 1st!

:-)