Cover reveal for THE KING'S JUSTICE, Maggie Hope #9

Ta da! 

THE KING'S JUSTICE is scheduled for publication February 4, 2020. Pre-order now at your favorite independent bookstore, or Barnes & Noble, or Amazon.

Thank you, President Clinton!

As you might know (if you're not living under a rock), President Bill Clinton and novelist James Patterson have writen the new thriller, THE PRESIDENT IS MISSING.

Mr. Clinton did an interview with the New York Times, "Bill Clinton: By the Book" — and it came out that one of his favorite novelists is ... me!

Yes, I had to pick myself up off the floor.

Here's the quote: "And I can’t wait for the next Lee Child, Harlan Coben, Robert Crais, Louise Penny, Sara Paretsky, Susan Elia MacNeal and Daniel Silva."

Wow!

And then after posting about it on social media, I heard from none other than the lovely Chelsea Clinton, who had this to say:

Chelsea Clinton‏Verified account @ChelseaClinton

Chelsea Clinton Retweeted Susan Elia MacNeal

Hi Susan! We are all huge Maggie Hope fans in our family!

Chelsea Clinton added,

Susan Elia MacNealVerified account @SusanMacNeal

Thank you, President @BillClinton mentioning my books in @NYTimes. Can't wait to read THE PRESIDENT IS MISSING! (And if you ever need another pair of eyes for your manuscripts...) https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/31/books/review/bill-clinton-by-the-book.html … @ChelseaClinton @HillaryClinton

1:46 PM - 31 May 2018

Again, wow!

Traveling to Arisaig, where Britain's WWII Agents Trained

So happy to be in Arisaig, Scotland — where Britain's SOE agent trainees did their paramilitary training during World War II.

Now Arisaig House (which was used as the command center) is a lovely hotel and restaurant. (Thank goodness—I'd flunk out of one of those courses within a week if not sooner!)

Here are some photos you might enjoy:

Arisaig House in the distance.

Yes, it's official —we're in the right place!

The flower gardens were victory gardens during WWII.

It's a dog's best life.

The current croquet lawn is where the SOE agents practiced jujitsu and Fairborne Sykes knife fighting. 9Our croet matches have become heated, but not that violent...)

Taken shortly before I collapsed into a lovely nap.

And you get their by the Jacobite Steam train, a la Harry Potter!

PRISONER IN THE CASTLE Tour

Want to talk about Maggie, World War II, female spies, and/or Mr. K?

I'll be doing readings/talks the week of August 7 in New York, Houston, Ann Arbor, and Scottsdale.

Hope to see you!

THE PRISONER IN THE CASTLE is almost here!

TV deal with Daisy Ridley and Blueprint Pictures

BREAKING NEWS!

Can finally reveal actress Daisy Ridley has made a deal with Blueprint Pictures to produce a TV series based on the Maggie Hope novels. Daisy Coulam ("Grantchester") is writing the pilot script. Now, this still doesn't mean anything definite, but it's all good!

THE PRISONER IN THE CASTLE, Maggie Hope 8!

Big news here: just turned in THE PRISONER IN THE CASTLE, Maggie Hope #8 to my editor. It's scheduled to be published on August 7, 2018!

Also, great news about THE PARIS SPY! It made the New York Times, Washington Post, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists, and is currently in its third printing after less than three months on sale!

THE PARIS SPY! Finished books!

Well, here they are! 

THE PARIS SPY, officially out on Tuesday, August 8th!

THE PARIS SPY video and author tour dates

THE PARIS SPY, Maggie Hope #8, is coming out August 8th! Here's a video, to mark the occasion and serve as a little preview for the novel:

To celebrate, I'll be doing a series of author talks and signings. Cities include Brooklyn, Houston, St. Louis, Scottsdale, Buffalo, Brooklyn again, and Toronto. Hope to see you!

Details for THE PARIS SPY author tour below:

Tuesday, August 8 – ON SALE

7:00 pm

Talk & Signing

Barnes & Noble
267 7th Avenue Brooklyn, NY, 11215

Wednesday, August 9

6:30 pm

In Conversation w/ John Kwiatkowski

Murder By The Book

2342 Bissonnet Houston, TX 77005

Thursday, August 10

7:00 pm

Talk, Q&A, Signing

St. Louis County Library

1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63131

Moderator: Laura Benedict

Details: An onstage interview with historical suspense author Laura Benedict

Susan Elia MacNeal presents the sixth installment in the popular mystery series starring World War II-era spy and code-breaker extraordinaire Maggie Hope. Maggie has come a long way since serving as a typist for Winston Churchill. Now she’s working undercover in the eerily silent city of Paris. When Maggie’s half-sister Elise goes missing, Maggie must employ all her talents for deception and spycraft to root out a traitor, find her sister, and locate the reports crucial to planning D-Day in a deadly game of wits with the Nazi intelligence elite.

Saturday, August 12

2:00 pm

Poisoned Pen

4014 N Goldwater Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Wednesday, August 30 – BUFFALO, NY

6:00 pm

North Tonawanda Public Library

505 Meadow Dr, North Tonawanda, NY 14120

Thursday, August 31

4:00 – 6:30 PM

Barnes & Noble

4401 Transit Rd Clarence, NY 14221

Saturday, September 9

Slice Literary Conference

St. Francis College in Brooklyn

10:00 - 11:10 am

Panel: What Happens Next?

Writing a book takes a long time. A rich, tightly woven manuscript can take years to complete, and that time is often spent in fits of solitude. But as you write, the marketplace keeps spinning around you. Publishers may clamor to publish a certain kind of book one year (“We want the next Wild!”) and then quickly feel fatigued by those very books (“If we get one more manuscript about a woman’s quest to find herself …”). It can seem impossible to know what agents and publishers are looking for at the moment you’re pitching your book, or where your book falls in the marketplace at any given time. Hear from a group of agents and publishing pros who are actively seeking debut authors. Find out what they think is working, what’s not, and what’s on their (and editors’) wish lists for 2018 and beyond. They’ll also share insight into how to look at your manuscript through the lens of the current marketplace and how you can make sure your project is seen as timely and timeless rather than as a passing trend.

Friday, October 13

Bouchercon—Toronto  

Oct 12 – 15 in Sheraton Hotel Toronto

123 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario M5H 2M9  

11:30 to 12:30

PANEL: Mysteries set during a war

Location: Sheraton A room

Thank you Talbots Book Club!

Delighted to share the news that the women's clothing store Talbots is featuring THE PARIS SPY and THE QUEEN'S ACCOMPLICE as part of its new summer book club.

From WWD: "As of Memorial Day weekend, Talbots will be expanding the Book Club through a partnership with Random House that will tout some of the publisher’s leading writers. Each week, a different author will be spotlighted in stores and on a designated landing page. On deck are Elizabeth Strout’s “Anything Is Possible,” Nancy Thayer’s “Secrets in Summer,” Lisa Wingate’s “Before We Were Yours,” Fannie Flagg’s “The Whole Town’s Talking” and Susan Elia MacNeal’s “The Paris Spy.” Once in full swing, shoppers will be able to get a sneak peek of chapters from their latest books, as well as exclusive interviews with big-name writers."

Happy shopping and reading!

THE PARIS SPY, Maggie Hope #7, to be published August 8

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: Delighted to announce that THE PARIS SPY, Maggie Hope #8, will be published on August 8, 2017. Not too long to wait! I absolutely love the cover—art, as always, by the incredibly talented Mick Wiggins. 

And here's the gorgeous full painting—"without any of those pesky words!" as Mick says...

As soon as I can, I'll post more about appearances and other exciting developments. Cheers!

THE QUEEN'S ACCOMPLICE and Balancing Work and Life

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: It’s summer, and I’m desperately trying to balance family time and working on THE PARIS SPY (Maggie Hope #7). This basically consists of taking my computer on our family vacations to Hudson, NY and Providence, RI. 

So far I’ve worked — and missed going on a water park adventure, a hike, to a horse show, and a barbecue. 

And I've also played hookey from work (don’t tell my editor!) — to go to the horse stables to watch kiddo, have a lunch date at an amazing French place with my husband, and go swimming with all the kids and then take a nap in a hammock. 

I think the solution is to be fully present in whatever mode I’m in — family or work— but it’s hard. This summer, especially, I seem to be struggling. Whenever I’m doing one, I’m worrying about what I’m missing on the other side. There’s just always this feeling of not having enough time.

Right now we’re driving from Hudson, NY to Providence and I’m writing this blog post from the backseat of the car, with my computer propped up on my travel bag, while kibitzing on the conversation going on right now: “Why Aren’t Eleven-Year-Olds Allowed to Drive?” (Kiddo is saying that they should; Daddy is providing the counter argument.)

I don’t know that there’s a solution to this work/life dilemma. But I have been lucky enough to have a loyal writing buddy, Zola, on this leg of the vacation. She’s an elderly black lab mix who likes to curl up and sleep near me as type. When her family's around, she loves them. And when they're gone, she naps (her "work"). I love her. “Be like Zola” is perhaps the wisest thing I’ve come up with so far. It's my new mantra.

Hey, we’re getting closer to the October 4 release of THE QUEEN'S ACCOMPLICE! Here’s the description from Penguin Random House:

Spy and code-breaker extraordinaire Maggie Hope returns to war-weary London, where she is thrust into the dangerous hunt for a monster, as the New York Times bestselling mystery series for fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Charles Todd, and Anne Perry continues.

England, 1942. The Nazis’ relentless Blitz may have paused, but  London’s nightly blackouts continue. Now, under the cover of darkness, a madman is brutally killing and mutilating young women in eerie and exact re-creations of Jack the Ripper’s crimes. What’s more, he’s targeting women who are reporting for duty to be Winston Churchill’s spies and saboteurs abroad. The officers at MI-5 quickly realize they need the help of special agent Maggie Hope to find the killer dubbed “the Blackout Beast.” A trap is set. But once the murderer has his sights on Maggie, not even Buckingham Palace can protect the resourceful spy from her fate.

And the first review, from Kirkus, lauds THE QUEEN'S ACCOMPLICE: "Maggie ... is a thoughtful spy whose dangerous escapades never disappoint." Thank you! To celebrate, I’m giving away an autographed ARC to one lucky reader, who posts in the comments.

In the meantime, here's the prologue of THE QUEEN'S ACCOMPLICE. Enjoy!

The winds were changing.They were blowing in from the east now, Vera Baines noted, from the East End. Even though the air raids had stopped for the moment in London—as Hitler turned his attentions toward Russia—the docks, railroads, and factories were still burning. Through her open bedroom window, she could smell cold wind scented with smoke and destruction. She watched as it ruffled the bare black branches of the trees of Regent’s Park, rustling dead ivy. 

Since the war had begun, the park had become a desolate expanse of meandering walkways, overgrown shrubbery, and long air-raid trenches—an ideal location for crime. 

But not on her watch. As an ARP warden for her section in Marylebone, Vera Baines knew not only the winds but the intricacies of light and dark. Sunset in London in late March 1942 arrived after six, but the violet shadows began to lengthen at least an hour earlier. This evening’s sunset was extraordinary—bright red, with crepuscular rays piercing wispy clouds. 

Despite barely clearing the five-foot mark and a slight figure, at eighty-three, Vera was a redoubtable woman. She was more wiry than frail, her energy giving the impression of her being much taller than she actually was. She had impeccable posture and moved with a force and confidence her friends and family hadn’t seen since her husband died ten years ago. And her face, with its high cheekbones and clear blue eyes that missed nothing, radiated strength.

Vera hated the war, hated the loss of innocent lives—but she couldn’t deny it had brought a certain clarity to her existence. As an ARP warden, she now felt she had a purpose: She would protect her own. As she surveyed the park’s deepening shadows from the window of her bone-colored Georgian terraced house, Vera felt responsibility, plus a fierce sense of love and pride. This was her London. These were her people. Nothing would happen to them on her sentry. 

It was time to begin her shift. Vera took one last look at the fad- ing light, listening to the forlorn cries of the birds, then picked her way downstairs, leaning on the railing. At her door, she put on her ARP tin hat, dark blue wool overcoat, and gloves, and reached for her walking stick—with a silver British bulldog on the handle. Then she went down the outside stairs and onto the icy flagstone pavement, bracing herself against the wind. She paced the street with her usual vigor, the pale symmetrical Nash architecture reflecting the last light of the dying sunset. The temperature was dropping and the air smelled of imminent storms. 

A passing white-haired man tipped his black bowler hat, and she nodded in return. “Oh, Mr. Saunders—” she called after him, her breath making clouds in the chill air. 

The man stopped and turned. “Yes, Mrs. Baines?” 

“I noticed a chink in your blackout curtain on the second floor last night. Please see to it no light is visible from now on.” 

He took a few steps forward and frowned down at her. “We haven’t had an air raid in months, dearie.” 

Vera was not deterred by his bulk, his height, or his condescending tone. “And the Luftwaffe might be choosing tonight for a return visit, Mr. Saunders. Let’s not give them any light to guide them to us, shall we?”

She strode on, chin high, taking her usual route past the charred remains of Regent’s Park’s brick wall. The last of the sun’s light melted away, but Vera didn’t mind the dark; she liked being out alone at night. Without electric lights to pierce the darkness, the nighttime took on a new beauty in the icy bright moonlight. Her shuttered flashlight illuminated the strips of white paint on the curbs and tree trunks, giving off a ghostly glow. 

In the distance, she could hear the sounds of the city: the faint rumble of motor traffic, the clip-clop of horses’ hooves on cobble- stones, the screeches and flaps of bats off to their night’s hunt. The wind picked up once again, causing the ancient tree branches to sway and creak, the dead leaves and lipstick-stained cigarette butts in the gutters to dance. 

Without artificial light, Regent’s Park at night could have been any era in London—from the time when ancient Britons painted themselves blue, to the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, to the period of Victoria and Albert. Even the clocks obliged: When the Nazi bombs exploded, all nearby timepieces ceased to function, paralyzed at whatever time they were at the instant of impact. These comatose clocks were another reason Vera could imagine time telescoping—the suspended present creating an atmosphere where time travel seemed no mere fantasy. Really, anything seemed possible, especially in the shadows of night. It even smelled as it could have hundreds of years ago—the same stink of urine against the crumbling brick walls as there would have been in Pepys’s day. 

In the darkness, Vera tripped and nearly fell, saved only by her trusty walking stick. “What the—?” she muttered, her grip in leather gloves tight on the silver handle. She righted herself, glad Mr. Saunders hadn’t been there to see. 

She looked down at a long blanket-wrapped bundle. Leaning over, flashlight in one hand, she lifted and pulled back the wool covering with the tip of her cane. 

Vera gave a sharp inhale, but didn’t cry out when she saw the butchered body of a young woman. The body looked to have be- longed to a girl in her early twenties—healthy and athletic, hair curled. Her throat had been slashed so savagely her head was nearly severed from her body. Her belly had been slit through her ATS uniform, which was soaked through with blood. 

Vera felt as if she’d been struck dumb. But she swallowed, braced her shoulders, gathering her strength. “Murder!” she managed to croak. “Murder!” she cried, louder this time. “Someone— someone fetch the police!” 

A blond boy in a tweed cap walking past stopped and stared. “What the devil’s going on? Are you all right, ma’am?” 

Vera lifted her chin, squared her shoulders, and deployed the stiff upper lip she’d perfected over a lifetime of practice. “Yes, yes, of course I am,” she reassured him. “But I’m afraid she isn’t,” she added, pointing to the woman’s mutilated body with the silver tip of her walking stick. 

The boy squinted in the darkness, eyes following the flashlight’s beam When he realized what he was seeing, he tore off his cap and crossed himself, whispering, “Bloody hell.” He looked from the body back to Vera. “She’s been ripped, ma’am.” He shook his head, his hands worrying at his hat. “Looks like she’s been done in by Jack the Bloody Ripper himself.” 

“What are you going on about, young man?” Despite her occasional daydreams—or night dreams—Vera had no patience for macabre nonsense. But the boy was looking past her to the park’s brick wall, gaping at lettering. 

With a shaking hand, Vera raised her flashlight. The words scrawled across the wall were painted the same ghostly, glowing white paint as the curbs.

They read, JACK IS BACK. 

(First published on Jungle Red Writers, www.jungleredwriters.com)

MRS. ROOSEVELT'S CONFIDANTE debuts at #7 on the New York Times Bestseller list!

MRS. ROOSEVELT'S CONFIDANTE is #7 on the New York Times Bestseller list for the week of November 15, 2015! 

Check it out here!

Thank you for the lovely flowers, Team Maggie at Penguin Random House!





Doesn't MRS. ROOSEVELT look lovely next to Neil Patrick Harris? 

MRS. ROOSEVELT'S CONFIDANTE and the great Churchill vs. FDR Martini Battle

(Reprinted from Jungle Red Writers, 11/27/15)

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL:   To celebrate the publication of MRS. ROOSEVELT'S CONFIDANTE, Maggie Hope #5 — which takes place in December of 1941, during Prime Minister Winston Churchill's historic post-Pearl Harbor visit to the Roosevelts' White House— we had our own FDR-inspired "Children's Hour." 

And we pitted (pun intended) the two great leaders' very different versions of the classic Martini cocktail against each other. 

So, let's see who wins the Great Martini Smackdown of 2015, shall we? 

I mixed both Churchill's more pristine ("bow in the direction of France" instead of adding vermouth) and FDR's vermouth and olive-brine heavy Martinis. 

Husband Noel, and our guests, Rob, Victor, and Leila, were encouraged to be candid in their reactions to each cocktail.

Here's my recipe for Winston Churchill's Martini:

Winston Churchill's enjoyment of spirits was legendary, but by all accounts, he preferred his drinks unmixed. According to various accounts he was appalled at the copious amount of vermouth in President Roosevelt’s martinis, but drank them agreeably, in the name of diplomacy.

* gin
 (according to some he preferred Plymouth, according to others, Boodles or Beefeater)

* crushed ice

Shake gin in a container half filled with chipped ice. 

Bow respectfully toward France (where dry vermouth is produced)

Strain into a chilled cocktail glass or coupe. 

Garnish with lemon peel, if desired.

  

And here are the guests' opinions of the Churchill Martini: 

NOEL: This is a really good cocktail — it would be great in the summer. You can really taste the gin but also taste the lemon. Very refreshing.

ROB: I love the simple simplicity of it.

  

SUSAN: Simple simplicity?

ROB: Simple simplicity.

SUSAN: It's elegant. Tastes like the martini at Dukes Hotel, in London. 

VICTOR: The Churchill Martini is very European — "We don't care about driving later — we want alcohol now!" It has a good aftertaste, too — juniper and citrus.

ROB: It's nice to look at the lemon rind floating around in it.

SUSAN: Rob, how many have you had?

ROB: Hey, this is my first drink!

  

LEILA: It's like a tickle in the throat, but a nice one — smooth and not harsh.

SUSAN: It almost tastes like a Gimlet.

NOEL: Is that the one with the little pickled onions?

  

SUSAN: No, that's a Gibson. A Gimlet is gin with lime and sugar syrup. It was Betty Draper's cocktail of choice on Mad Men. But that’s another blog post....Or at least another party.

  

And now on to President Roosevelt’s Martini:

President Franklin D. Roosevelt did always mix drinks at Children’s Hour and reportedly enjoyed making martinis. As far as I can tell there’s no exact recipe, but we know from his personal secretary Grace Tully’s memoirs that they were heavy on the vermouth (which was considered old-fashioned) and he was also known to add a few drops of Pernod, orange blossom water, or olive brine for flavor.

Here’s my best approximation of his martini. Enjoy!

* 2 parts gin
 (according to some he preferred Plymouth; according to others, Beefeater)

* 1 part dry vermouth

* splash olive brine




* 2 olives for garnish


* crushed ice

  

Shake gin, vermouth, and olive brine in a container half filled with chipped ice. 

Strain into chilled cocktail glasses. 

Add garnish.

Reflections on FDR's Martini: 

ROB: I do like a Dirty Martini! Did President Roosevelt invent the Dirty Martini?

SUSAN: I don't know if he invented the Dirty Martini, but he's reputed to have made and served them — much to Churchill's horror. FDR really liked to garnish, apparently. 

ROB: Well, I love it. It has a richer and plumper taste than the Churchill one.

  

NOEL: Plumper?

ROB: Plumper, I say!

  

SUSAN: I like the vermouth and gin together. It's a cocktail for heaven's sake, not just cold gin!

VICTOR: Yes, I can see how this was more popular with the American palate — less alcohol, more ingredients. It's heavier.

NOEL: This is more of a winter cocktail. 

LEILA: This is not a Dirty Martini — this is more like dirty laundry. Yuck.

SUSAN: I like it! More olives, please!

And the winning Martini is.....

SUSAN: So, which do you like best?

NOEL: I think Churchill's for summer and Roosevelt's for winter.

  

SUSAN: That's a very politic answer, dear.

  

VICTOR: I vote for the Churchill. And I'm taking a taxi home.

SUSAN: I must admit I like any excuse to eat olives. I'm going with Roosevelt's.

LEILA: Oh, olives in gin are yucky. I pick Churchill's.

ROB: Must we choose? Can't we just enjoy both? I pick both!

SUSAN: And so the Churchill Martini wins — by one vote! Cheers, everyone!