I like it ...

I am a young black woman and felt offended by the terms that were used in the book, though not so offended that I didnt finish it.
it was 1942, of course black people were called "colored" and "darkie"
it stung, it did, I won't lie; but I must say I did enjoy the book just as I did the other books.
i cant wait until the I get the next one.

5 people found this helpful

Good, but my least favorite so far.

I've really been enjoying these books; the writing is top notch and the main mysteries within are gripping and thrilling - but this one got very preachy - as if the author were determined to LECTURE the reader about racism and bigotry, rather than just explore them within the confines of the story.

The author also seems a bit obsessed with homosexuality. Besides the aunt and the best friend, it just comes up an inordinate amount - particularly considering the time frame.

This particular book - about protecting the First Lady's heterosexual standing and the long (tedious) discussions between the characters about the history of racism around the world seems a lot more contrived to serve the author's liberal agenda than in giving the reader a great WW II spy story.

Hoping Book 7 returns to the main themes and leaves the preaching for some non-fiction.

4 people found this helpful

Huge Disappointment

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Changing the storyline. I think it should have focused more on the story of Churchill and Roosevelt and the struggle of Britain needing the US to enter the war.

What was most disappointing about Susan Elia MacNeal’s story?

The political slant of the story line taking in things that seemed to border on the point of ridiculous. I didn't buy the book to be preached at about the death penalty.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment that a series I had enjoyed this far ended up a wasted credit. Not sure I'll buy any more in the series.

3 people found this helpful

Entertaining

I read the first few books in this series and enjoyed them but somehow forgot about the series, glad I came across it again. Soon after Peal harbor, Winston Churchill and special Agent and code breaker Maggie Hope, posing as his typist arrive at the White House. One of the First Lady’s aides is mysteriously murdered. Eleanor and Maggie investigate and uncover a conspiracy that could jeopardize the War effort.

The book is well written and meticulously researched. What I like about MacNeal is the historical detail she puts into her story. There are multiple plotlines and points of view which allows the reader to easily follow the action. How could I not like this book, it contains my two favorite people Winston Churchill and Eleanor Roosevelt. This book sort of reminded me of the Elliott Roosevelt series of murder mysteries featuring Eleanor Roosevelt.

Susan Duerden did an excellent job narrating the story. I was impressed with her narrating ability when I listened to “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” book. She brought that book to life as she did with this current book..

11 people found this helpful

Question Mggie Hope story

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

This was a stretch and the performance, especially of the black characters was demeaning.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Susan Duerden?

Someone who did not exaggerate the black dialect

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment

Any additional comments?

I have loved the Maggie Hope books so far - especially for the historical references, but this book was demeaning to all the characters: Churchill, Mrs Roosevelt, and the black characters.

2 people found this helpful

hard to get past the inconsistencies

I struggled to finish this book. There were multiple inconsistencies and the story was terribly unbelievable at times. I love Maggie Hope mysteries, but this one lacked finesse.

2 people found this helpful

RACIST AND INSULTING TO BLACK AMERICANS

I haven't read the preceding books in this series but this one is just awful! The author has chosen a subject - racism in America - which she lacks knowledge and sensitivity. Her depiction of blacks during the World War II era is appalling. In a purely literary sense,I really tried to get past it because the story plot began in such an interesting way. But the author made me feel really uncomfortable. It takes a lot to upset me when it comes to literary license. I fought to have Audible allow reviewers to use the word "nigger" instead of the really outrageous "n-word" if the term is in the book reviewed and does not insult or degrade. I embrace realism in literature. One cannot read a fictional account about slavery and believe that we were referred to as "African Americans". There are instances in which being "politically correct" makes no sense. However, this author stepped over the line in this book, showing a marked level of insensitivity to blacks, Jews, and other minorities and nationalities. I can't speak for the others in any degree of depth, but I can tell you how this book affected ME as a black American.

Much of the book takes place in Washington DC, where I was born and raised. Her depiction of black Washingtonians was way off. She had the black employees in the White House acting like slaves. I was stunned by the way Winston Churchill talked to the main White House steward. This was 1941 but the white people act like it was 1861!!!

Just in general, the author tried to pack in every famous living person of that time, from the Kennedys to Josephine Baker to Ernest Hemingway. The storyline got bogged down in name-dropping after a while. And while I normally enjoy this narrator, she is not suited to acting out such distinctive voices as FDR, Eleanor Roosevelt and Churchill. It was a really painful listen.

I am descended from free people of color who have lived and worked in Washington since BEFORE the Civil War. Susan MacNeal's story enraged and insulted me and my ancestors, some of whom helped to build the White House and Capitol Building. This book would have been better if the author hadn't tried to include every ounce of our struggle and our history into a storyline that we didn't even need to be included. It is a walk that she has never taken. She took our history too lightly, making us look like minstrel caricatures. MacNeal should be ashamed to release such a racist and insulting book in 2015.

47 people found this helpful

A little over the top this time

I like this series but this one is a little too dramatic and too preachy. It's okay but not as good as the others in the series. And I really don't care for the narrator.

4 people found this helpful

Dissapointing

Would you try another book from Susan Elia MacNeal and/or Susan Duerden?

I have listened to and enjoyed other books in this series. This book however, is not up to the standards of the previous books. First of all, the narration is difficult to listen to - the names of places and people are mispronounced, the narrator has the irritating habit of changing the cadence of her speech at the end of sentences - sometimes seems that she is out of breath. The accents seem forced and exagerated.
More disturbing is the language used to describe African Americans - I doubt that Elinore Rooseveldt ever used the term "darkie" to describe a black person. i know that the book has been well reviewed- but I dissagree.

Any additional comments?

Prior books in the series more interesting

10 people found this helpful

It's OK, but preachy

I've read all the Maggie Hope novels up to this point, and none has quite lived up to the original.
Long anachronistic speeches spoil this thin story of what value it might have had. I found that running at about x1.35 speed helped get through it faster.
The fast speed also help the reader's penchant for sing-song, punctuation-bedamned passages. She does somewhat better when reading conversation, but then falls back into, well, don't quite know, sing-song. It's not Midwestern American "girl-speak," or monotone, but if you diagrammed it on a keyboard, you'd see what I mean.

1 person found this helpful