Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
De Castrique's third spy thriller featuring spunky retired FBI agent Ethel Fiona Crestwater (after Dangerous Women) is a high-energy delight. At 75, Ethel may be officially out of the game, but she still teams up with her college-aged cousin, Jesse, to conduct occasional investigations. The past comes calling when Ethel's old FBI colleague asks her to meet with mob-connected lawyer Tony Bagatelos, who's murdered promptly after telling Ethel that one of his contacts is out to kill her. The conundrum throws Ethel back to her last mission with the Bureau 18 years earlier, in which she almost died. While Ethel tries to assess the current threat to her life, Jesse is kidnapped. Determined to keep the FBI as far from the case as possible, Ethel draws on her old intelligence contacts to help get Jesse back. Though Ethel's age might lead readers to suspect they're entering cozy territory, this is more of a traditional spy thriller, with enough violence and double-crossing to satisfy serious fans of the genre (and just enough levity to win over skeptics). This series continues to impress. (Nov.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A spry septuagenarian agent springs back into action to nail some Russian villains. Eighteen years ago, a Russian gangster posing as a FedEx driver shot and killed young Kathy Bagatelos, the daughter of mob lawyer Tony Bagatelos, wounding veteran FBI agent Ethel Fiona Crestwater in the process. Ethel retired shortly afterward but unofficially remained in the spy game. The old case comes up during a meeting at Pentagon City Mall among Ethel; her double-first-cousin-twice-removed and protégé, American University computer science student Jesse Cooper; and her friend Cassandra "CiCi" Crawford, an FBI agent. Ethel had instructed Jesse to tail CiCi without revealing who she was, as part of his spycraft training. Once the exercise ends and the three sit down for tea, CiCi confides that Tony, who regularly keeps Ethel in the loop with intel, is her confidential informant. Meanwhile, the recent release from prison of vengeful Russian mobster Mikhail Golubev has put a target on Ethel's back. That's more than personally dangerous, for much of CiCi's success comes from Ethel's maneuvers. When Tony is murdered, Ethel immediately begins investigating. De Castrique's third Secret Lives mystery is fearsomely complicated, with additional characters tossed into the mix every few chapters. There's FBI Director Rudy Hauser, sketchy Sen. Herman Wilkes, Arlington Police Chief Frank Mancini, and a whole clutch of Russian bad guys. They feel authentic and give the peppy yarn the illusion of forward motion, but mostly provide palate cleansing between the delightful chapters showing the indomitable Ethel at work. The blossoming relationship between Jesse and Ethel, introduced in the series' first installment,Secret Lives (2022), augurs well for Jesse's prospects with the FBI. A lively mystery with a droll dynamic duo at its core. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
