Mrs Spy An evocative and exhilarating ride through 60s London, described as "The Thursday Murder Club for spies"

We are in 1960 and Maggie Flynn lost her husband. When she found out that the story she is told can´t be correct, she is offered a job at the Secret Service do to observations like her husband did. So Maggie is now part of observations and using disguises which doesn´t make it easier living in her mum´s house with her teenage daughter who wants nothing more than to get tickets for the Beatles concert. Her world is turned upside down when she shall have an eye on a Soviet spy in a safe house and she finds out he knew her husband which means her Davy did not do observations for the government, no he was a real spy. What is more important was this the reason he died? Maggie starts digging and is uncovering a truth she never imagines possible and that she stumble upon a secret several persons do everything to make sure it not revealed. This book is written from Maggie´s point of view and right from the start I found easily my way into the time and the story line. I really liked that Maggie is such an ordinary person. She is in her forties, has a daughter but also works for MI5 and they live with her mother. She struggles to get her family, the relationship with her daughter or better having time for her and doing her job combined. So we don´t have a dashing man without any family working as spy, no here we have a more realistic storyline. I like this. I like Maggie as character. She struggles when her husband suddenly dies and when she insist to see his body and uncovers that what she is told can´t be true is pulled into the world of the Secret Service. How she adopts, how she is running surveillances is good written and for me it was easy to connect to her character, her problems. Frank as one of her colleagues is so different to her but also has a good heart is also well written and I like how he is helping her unfolding what is going on. I like how bit by bit secrets unfold and how Maggie and Frank stumble upon them, how the hunt starts and then the test of character starts. The question what you are willing to risk to do the right thing, how Maggie wants to save her mum and daughter is well written. You are not sure whom to trust, what to believe any longer which made this story to a really good read for me. Hardcore spy fans might this book be not enough action but this is the reason why I liked it so much. It is more about the characters and in my opinion not so usual take of characters here which I think is really refreshing and I enjoyed so much. I hope this won´t be the only book as I really like Maggie and how she finds her way in this world of secrets and spies.