The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen – a review

I must confess I’m not always a massive fan of spy novels, yet I love Tess Gerritsen so was keen to give this a go, and I was certainly not disappointed. 

The Spy Coast introduces us to Maggie Bird, chicken farmer, good neighbour just your average retiree living quietly and enjoying life with her ‘book group’ which is nick named the Martini Club. However when a dead body turns up on Maggie’s doorstep it seems that her past is coming back to haunt her and the Martini Club are going to have to come out of retirement.

I absolutely loved this gripping, funny and charming wild ride of a spy tale. Told from multiple viewpoints and with multiple timelines it was a great story that had me absolutely hooked. The writing was the high quality you expect from Tess Gerritsen and it moves seamlessly backwards and forwards.

I liked the main character of Maggie, she was smart and clever yet also showed her soft side that her years as a spy hadn’t quite managed to wear out of her. The group as a whole all seemed believable and I loved the way they all turned up with food whenever a crisis was happening. People dealing with the criminal underworld and saving the country still have time to cook a moussaka for friends.

The story itself was interesting and the flashbacks gave us an insight into Maggie’s history and what has lead to the point of the story we meet her. The ending was also enjoyable and fingers crossed it means there will be a second installment. 

Since I read this every conversation I’ve overhead on my many recent train trips where people are talking about travelling lots I’ve assumed they are a spy which has certainly made listening into conversations even more interesting. I for one can’t wait to see what the Martini Club and Maggie Bird do next.