The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen

 

Maggie Bird was enjoying her well-earned retirement until a stranger turned up looking for an ex-colleague. When the stranger later turns up dead on Maggie's drive, having obviously been tortured, Maggie realises you can never really retire from the CIA.

The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen is a new series featuring a small group of retired ex-CIA agents who have all chosen to live in the town of Purity, Maine. Having worked in various exotic locations they've chosen somewhere quiet to live a simpler life. Things seem to be going to plan until an ex-colleague is targeted and goes on the run. This brings the CIA to Maggie's door, hoping that she'll have some insight.

The Spy Club is primarily Maggie's story. While "The Martini Club" also consists of Declan, Ben, Lloyd and Ingrid, all of whom have also retired from the CIA, the vast majority of the novel focuses on Maggie's background. Maggie thrives on the danger as she travels the world. It is only when personal relationships develop that she begins to question her job, particularly when she realises the danger those close to her are in. The life that Maggie lives as a spy isn't glamorous, there are no James Bond type settings, but the trips to various countries are appealing. There is a hint of danger in almost everything Maggie does though and some events have devastating consequences.

When one job in particular impacts on Maggie she decides to leave the CIA, this leads to her settling in Purity sixteen years later, hoping that she can lead a quiet life. Unfortunately, she soon learns that you can never really give up the job of being a spy, especially when ghosts of the past are trying to track you down. Aided by the other members of The Martini Club Maggie has to work out who is hunting her before anyone else gets hurt.

It is great to read a novel featuring strong, mature female leads, particularly when the work that they carry out is about intelligence and stealth rather than muscle. I didn't see the big reveal coming and the open-ended nature of the story leaves lots of possibilities for the direction future books can take. Hopefully, any future novels will give us more information about the backgrounds of the other members of The Martini Club.

The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen will be published in hardback, ebook and audio on 18th January 2024. My thanks to NetGalley and Transworld Publishers for a review copy.