Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Historical Fiction Mystery
Length: 304 pages
Author: Ashley Weaver
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Release Date: May 25th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads
BOOK SUMMARY:
The first in the Electra McDonnell series from Edgar-nominated author Ashley Weaver, set in England during World War II, A Peculiar Combination is a delightful mystery filled with spies, murder, romance, and the author’s signature wit.
Electra McDonnell has always known that the way she and her family earn their living is slightly outside of the law. Breaking into the homes of the rich and picking the locks on their safes may not be condoned by British law enforcement, but World War II is in full swing, Ellie’s cousins Colm and Toby are off fighting against Hitler, and Uncle Mick’s more honorable business as a locksmith can’t pay the bills any more.
So when Uncle Mick receives a tip about a safe full of jewels in the empty house of a wealthy family, he and Ellie can’t resist. All goes as planned–until the pair are caught redhanded. Ellie expects them to be taken straight to prison, but instead they are delivered to a large townhouse, where government official Major Ramsey is waiting with an offer: either Ellie agrees to help him break into a safe and retrieve blueprints that will be critical to the British war effort, before they can be delivered to a German spy, or he turns her over to the police.
Ellie doesn’t care for the Major’s imperious manner, but she has no choice, and besides, she’s eager to do her bit for king and country. She may be a thief, but she’s no coward. When she and the Major break into the house in question, they find instead the purported German spy dead on the floor, the safe already open and empty. Soon, Ellie and Major Ramsey are forced to put aside their differences to unmask the double-agent, as they try to stop allied plans falling into German hands.
WELL WELL WELL.
It always takes me a minute to decide about picking up a WW2 story because I have just read A LOT of them. But this was a true mix up in historical fiction and I was hooked on the mystery and slow bur romance. THAT KISSING SCENE THOUGH. Clearly I can’t get it out of my head.
I loved the set up of the plot. I loved that Ellie was a part time thief who got to use her strengths for other deeds. I loved that Major Ramsey was a no nonsense kind of man but you could see that soft spot growing for Ellie. This banter was on point and I laughed out loud multiple times with the well placed moments.
There is a great amount of action and twists. I didn’t know how all the pieces would come together and I binged this audiobook in a day (loved the audio too). I will absolutely be continuing this series!!
Overall audience notes:
- Historical Fiction + Mystery
- Romance: Heated kisses
- Violence: moderate
- Content Warnings: WW2 setting, gun violence, murder, kidnapping, near death experiences
Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph
GoodeyReads 