The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen @tess.gerritsen @tessgerritsen.bsky.social @hillaryoutloud @britpressley @brilliancepublishing #TheMartiniClub #TheSpyCoast

the setup…
Where do spies go when they decide to retire? Apparently to Purity, Maine. Maggie Bird is a former CIA operative now running a chicken farm there, joining a group of former colleagues who like the peace and solitude. They meet regularly for book club and martinis. But that life is disrupted when Maggie receives a visit from a stranger looking for Diana Ward, the woman who ruined her life and career. That visitor later ends up dead in her driveway, signaling to Maggie that her last mission was compromised. The “Martini Club” quickly goes into action, resurrecting old skills to figure out who’s after Maggie and Diana, and managing to keep the acting police chief, Jo Thibodeau at bay.

the heart of the story…
This isn’t your typical spy story or retirees. Maggie tells her story, beginning twenty four years ago in Bangkok to eight years later in London and then two years later in Malta when her career and life were ruined by a mission gone wrong. Someone is looking for retribution and she, with help from her retired friends, needs to find out who and why now. They are a fascinating group and clearly they’ve not lost anything in retirement.

the narration…
Hillary Huber and Brittany Pressley are two of my most favorite narrators and they both delivered excellent performances, Huber as Maggie and Pressley as Jo. I loved their storytelling and voice distinctions.

the bottom line…
I wasn’t sure what kind of spy thriller this would be with this makeshift Martini Club but it far exceed any of my expectations. The slow reveal of Maggie’s past was expertly crafted and the transitions were skillfully placed and time. I couldn’t put this down and the excitement went down to the wire. Thank goodness this is a series because I need more from these “retired” spooks.

Book Info

• Release Date: November 1, 2023
• Series: The Martini Club #1
• Narrators: Hillary Huber & Brittany Pressley
• Audio Length: 10 hours, 23 minutes
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio

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(Thanks to Brilliance Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)