REVIEW: The Spy and the Snake by M. J. Robotham
One mission. One fake husband. One very real problem.
Maggie Flynn has finally earned her place at of MI5-but with promotion comes paperwork. No more disguises, no more danger, just meetings, memos, and the quiet realisation that life feels a little too safe.
With her daughter away at university and her spirited mother pursuing her own adventures, Maggie’s days in London are starting to feel decidedly ordinary. So when the chance arises to return to the field, she doesn’t hesitate.
The assignment: fly to Budapest and pose as the wife of a notorious British defector in order to smuggle him back to the UK. It should be a straightforward operation. But Maggie Flynn has never done straightforward-and what’s waiting in Budapest is anything but routine.
As Cold War tensions simmer and shadows linger on every corner, Maggie finds herself navigating a city steeped in secrets-and drawn to a mysterious stranger who may endanger the mission… or steal her heart.
TW/CW – heavy consumption of alcohol
Dear Ms.Robotham,
Last year I was delighted to make the acquaintance of Maggie Flynn in “Mrs. Spy.” When I saw that Maggie was going to get another adventure, I was thrilled. After finishing the book, all I can say is more Maggie please.
After pushing her way onto the payrolls of MI5 then serving as a Watcher for a few years, Maggie’s actions have earned her a spot as a real operative. Well, sort of. She mainly minds things and writes reports. Then suddenly the top man himself offers her a chance at real live spy work. All hush-hush you understand. Maggie grabs the opportunity but has no idea what she’s getting herself into. Can she and Rita save the day and themselves?
‘Yes.’ There, I said it – confessed to a virtual stranger of the inner terror I’ve been harbouring for the past four hours and twenty-three minutes.
‘Good,’ Dottie Hands says bluntly. ‘Then you’re ready, Mrs. Flynn. Because too much confidence will get you killed. That’s my best advice.’
So yes, I’m trying to avoid any more information about the plot beyond what the blurb offers. Fans of older, middle aged heroines rejoice because Maggie Flynn is our girl. Maggie is a hard worker, improvises on the fly, and is thrilled to finally be doing some of the work that her husband used to do before his death. All along the way, good old former Watcher Frank, her mother Gilda, and husband Davy are there, in Maggie’s head, offering her inspiration, warnings, and good advice. ‘No, stay’ or ‘Go Now!’ or ‘No, everything’s fine right now.’ Gilda’s offerings are usually facial expressions that get certain men to sit up straight and do what Maggie tells them.
It doesn’t take Maggie long to suss out where her mark is or that he’s going to be more of a handful than she expected. Maggie’s common sense has her reaching out to certain people and then taking a leap of faith. So much of spy craft is wandering around cities, scrubbing your path while watching for tails. But Maggie makes the most of this and through her we get to see Cold War Budapest and what glories have survived a world war, pissed off Nazis, and the Soviets.
Maggie does have to think on her feet and her years as a Watcher stand her in good stead. Maggie can blend, she can evade or keep an eye on others, and when she spots an opportunity, she pounces on it. The man she’s retrieving might not be impressed with her plans but others are. One thing I was actually glad to see is that Maggie can also make a few mistakes along the way. This is, after all, her maiden effort at out-of-country espionage. A few hiccups are to be expected instead of instant Bond-like expertise. But as the villains learn, never count Maggie as down and out.
I hope that there will be more adventures for Maggie given that it’s only 1968 in her time-frame and there’s plenty more Cold War left to go around. After her tune-up, Maggie and Rita are ready to ride. A-
~Jayne
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I remember your review of MRS. SPY and my disappointment that our library doesn’t carry any of Robotham’s books. Still true, but I will continue to look and wait for the right time. I’m so glad you enjoyed this one, too.
This is how poorly managed my Mt. TBR is: I own MRS. SPY, at least since your original review. The next surprise will be that I’ve read it. Will report back in that case.
@Darlynne: There are books I *know* I own. Books I think I own. And, just like you, books I’d swear I didn’t own but then find out I bought them at some point. Recently I’ve begun pruning my retail and library wish lists after asking myself hard questions about whether or not I’m ever really going to read this.
@Jayne, oh, I’m looking forward to reading these.
@LML: Have you read any of her Mandy Robotham books? Mainly WWII settings though the last two were post war.
https://dearauthor.com/?s=mandy+robotham
@Jayne, no, I haven’t. I don’t avoid WWII settings but I don’t gravitate towards them, either. Especially after the kick in the teeth of difference between cover and contents and, in my opinion, the blurb of The Summer Before the War.