the key to deceit an electra mcdonnell novel

Marek, a religious 13-year-old shepherd boy who 'had grown crookedly,' lives in squalor with Jude, his brutal father, who hits him hard enough to knock out his teeth and laments the absence of his wife, Agata, who he says died in childbirth. The equally good news is that this is a well-constructed and thoughtful novel that makes timely comments about inequality and despair. Agent: Ann Collette, Rees Literary.Good news for fans of cannibalism and other grotesqueries: Ottessa Moshfegh ( Death on Her Hands My Year of Rest and Relaxation) serves up a smorgasbord of medieval ugliness in Lapvona. Readers will hope to see a lot more of Ellie. Weaver does a sensational job of evoking 1940 London and populates the story with endearing characters, none more so than Ellie, who's gutsy, smart, and completely unwilling to be outmaneuvered or left behind when danger presents itself. Meanwhile, Ellie works with Felix Lacey, a longtime friend and possible romantic partner, to undercover the secrets behind Ellie's mother's decades-old conviction for murder. Together, Ellie and the major soon realize the dead woman was working as a spy for the Germans.

When a young woman's body washes up on the banks of the Thames with a bracelet locked to her wrist, Ellie is recruited by Major Ramsey, an impassive and exceedingly handsome British intelligence officer, to remove the bracelet from the corpse's wrist. Set during the early days of the Battle of Britain, Edgar finalist Weaver's excellent sequel to 2021's A Peculiar Combination continues the adventures of Electra 'Ellie' McDonnell and her uncle Mick, who have eschewed safe cracking in favor of more legitimate work. It’s clear this woman was involved in espionage, but whose side was she on? Who was she reporting to? And who wanted her dead? A woman’s body has been found floating in the Thames, with a bracelet locked onto her wrist, and a cameo locket attached to it.

So when Major Ramsey turns up unannounced with another job, she can’t say no.

What she does miss is the challenge of unlocking an impossible code and the adrenaline rush that comes from being somewhere she shouldn’t. It’s true that the straight-laced Major Ramsey didn’t give them much choice, but still, Ellie must admit she doesn’t miss breaking and entering as much as she might have thought. After years of stealing from the rich and giving to the poor-well, to themselves, anyway-Ellie McDonnell and her family have turned over a new leaf as they help the government’s war effort. The second in the Electra McDonnell series from Edgar-nominated author Ashley Weaver, The Key to Deceit, is a delightful World War II mystery filled with spies, murder, romance, and wit.

The key to deceit an electra mcdonnell novel