This is the 8th book in the Maggie Hope series, and it is even better than the preceeding books. For those that don't know Maggie, she is a math whiz who works as a spy for the British in WWII. The last book we found Maggie in occupied Paris, and after her harrowing experiences there she is sent back to England to recover from her Paris ordeal where she lost two good friends. Expecting to be reassigned Maggie finds herself sent off to a remote Scottish island under arrest as a political prisoner. The powers that be in MI6 and intelligence think she knows too much and don't want to take a chance that she is captured by the enemy where she could reveal her secrets under torture. They don't know Maggie, like we know Maggie. When we see her in this book she has been living in a gloomy castle on the Isle of Skara for six long months. She is with 13 other British SOE agents who have found themselves banished to this island due to various circumstances. Then people start dying. The book reminded me of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, as bodies keep turning up. Maggie and her fellow prisoners are trying to determine why and by whom are they being targeted. All the prisoners have been trained to kill, so who is murdering them one by one. The tension builds up steadily, and the atmosphere is gloomy and the weather stormy. Maggie finds herself caught in the middle of the mouse trap that one of her fellow agents has set, and she must rely on her wits to get everyone she can to safety. It is easy to understand why this is an acclaimed and recognized World War II series. Every book is exceptional, and they all keep the reader on the edge of their seat until the end. I highly recommend the entire series. My only regret is that the series ends after Book 11. ( )

I have heard great things about the Maggie Hope mastery series and I finally had a chance to read the latest installment. World War II is at its peak in Great Britain. Emotions are on high alert and no one can be trusted. Maggie Hope has been sent to Forbidden Island for a special training, or so she is told. Forbidden Island is really the Isle of Scarra, a three square mile island off the coast of Scotland with rugged terrain and horrible storms. Maggie is also not in a special training camp but is actually a prisoner in the ugly, formidable Kiloch Castle along with other individuals of the SOE, or Special Operations Executives. No one knows why anyone else is there which shrouds each prisoner in secrecy and, just like outside the walls of the castle, no one can be trusted.

After a newcomer joins the captives at the castle people begin dying under incredibly mysterious circumstances. Maggie, being the levelheaded woman that she is, chalks them up to mere coincidences, until the deaths become so numerous that there is no way they can be just coincidences. Someone is killing the prisoners off one by one and Maggie quickly realizes that she must find out who the murderer is before she's the next victim.

I really enjoyed this novel and found it an engaging read. The reader finds themselves instantly intrigued and constantly trying to guess the murderer. The writing is so well done that you can see the grotesque castle as well as the beautiful Isle of Scarra, which is actually a fictitious island, but there were some historical gems that were true that really added to the realism of the story as a whole.

The Prisoner in the Castle absolutely made me fall in love with Maggie Hope and I will definitely be reading more novels in the series. If you're in a mood for a good mystery then this is the book for you! I promise you won't regret it! ( )

This installment of the Maggie Hope WWII mystery series is both a nail-biting thriller and an homage to Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None” (aka “Ten Little Indians”). The “training camp” where Maggie is confined holds trained agents of the SOE who for one reason or another are deemed unsuitable for field work, but who know far too many war secrets to be let loose in the general population. But one of them is a Nazi spy who wants the secrets they hold and is willing to kill to get them. Meanwhile, back in London, the “Blackout Beast” unexpectedly pleads not guilty to the murders Maggie helped solve in “The Queen’s Accomplice” and her testimony will be vitally needed to put him away. But no one can or will tell DCI Durgin what’s happened to Maggie.

MacNeal does well building the tension and claustrophobia of the situation, and leads up to a very cinematic climax, that I can’t help thinking would be spectacular on film. There are rather a lot of characters to keep straight, and more than a few plots as well, so the story does at time seem a bit cluttered. It would likely be hopelessly confusing to readers who do not have at least some familiarity with the series. But overall, it is fine entry in the saga, and a very enjoyable mystery-thriller.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Kept me guessing. ( )

I DNF this book at 50% because it wasn't for me. The writing was good and I just couldn't get into the story.