Susan Elia MacNeal's Blog

Ta da! 

THE KING'S JUSTICE is scheduled for publication February 4, 2020. Pre-order now at your favorite independent bookstore, or Barnes & Noble, or Amazon.

Ta da! 

THE KING'S JUSTICE is scheduled for publication February 4, 2020. Pre-order now at your favorite independent bookstore, or Barnes & Noble, or Amazon.

Some good news for Maggie Hope readers — the trade paperback of THE PRISONER IN THE CASTLE will be published August 6, 2019 (this summer)!

And the next novel in the series, THE KING'S JUSTICE, Maggie Hope #9, is scheduled to be published in February of 2020. Cover reveal coming soon!

As you might know (if you're not living under a rock), President Bill Clinton and novelist James Patterson have writen the new thriller, THE PRESIDENT IS MISSING.

Mr. Clinton did an interview with the New York Times, "Bill Clinton: By the Book" — and it came out that one of his favorite novelists is ... me!

Yes, I had to pick myself up off the floor.

Here's the quote: "And I can’t wait for the next Lee Child, Harlan Coben, Robert Crais, Louise Penny, Sara Paretsky, Susan Elia MacNeal and Daniel Silva."

Wow!

And then after posting about it on social media, I heard from none other than the lovely Chelsea Clinton, who had this to say:




Chelsea Clinton‏Verified account @ChelseaClinton
FollowingFollowing @ChelseaClintonMoreChelsea Clinton Retweeted Susan Elia MacNealHi Susan! We are all huge Maggie Hope fans in our family!Chelsea Clinton added,
Susan Elia MacNealVerified account @SusanMacNealThank you, President @BillClinton mentioning my books in @NYTimes. Can't wait to read THE PRESIDENT IS MISSING! (And if you ever need another pair of eyes for your manuscripts...) https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/31/bo... … @ChelseaClinton @HillaryClinton1:46 PM - 31 May 2018
Again, wow!

So happy to be in Arisaig, Scotland — where Britain's SOE agent trainees did their paramilitary training during World War II.

Now Arisaig House (which was used as the command center) is a lovely hotel and restaurant. (Thank goodness—I'd flunk out of one of those courses within a week if not sooner!)

Here are some photos you might enjoy:

Arisaig House in the distance.


Yes, it's official —we're in the right place!


The flower gardens were victory gardens during WWII.


It's a dog's best life.

The current croquet lawn is where the SOE agents practiced jujitsu and Fairborne Sykes knife fighting. 9Our croet matches have become heated, but not that violent...)


Taken shortly before I collapsed into a lovely nap.


And you get their by the Jacobite Steam train, a la Harry Potter!

Want to talk about Maggie, World War II, female spies, and/or Mr. K?

I'll be doing readings/talks the week of August 7 in New York, Houston, Ann Arbor, and Scottsdale.

Hope to see you!

Delighted to announce that Maggie Hope #7, the New York Times bestseller THE PARIS SPY, has been nominated for an Agatha Award, named for Agatha Christie (natch) and to be given by Malice Domestic on April 28th.

THE PARIS SPY is also coming out in trade paperback (yay!) on April 17.

Spend this April in Paris!

BREAKING NEWS!


Can finally reveal actress Daisy Ridley has made a deal with Blueprint Pictures to produce a TV series based on the Maggie Hope novels. Daisy Coulam ("Grantchester") is writing the pilot script. Now, this still doesn't mean anything definite, but it's all good!

Delighted to reveal the cover for THE PRISONER IN THE CASTLE, Maggie Hope #8, scheduled to be published August 7, 2018. The cover's painting is by the amazing Mick Wiggins.