The Spy Coast

A Thriller (The Martini Club, Book 1)

By: Tess Gerritsen

Narrated by: Hillary Huber, Brittany Pressley

Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

A retired CIA operative in small-town Maine tackles the ghosts of her past in this fresh take on the spy thriller from New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen.

Former spy Maggie Bird came to the seaside village of Purity, Maine, eager to put the past behind her after a mission went tragically wrong. These days, she’s living quietly on her chicken farm, still wary of blowback from the events that forced her early retirement.

But when a body turns up in Maggie’s driveway, she knows it’s a message from former foes who haven’t forgotten her. Maggie turns to her local circle of old friends—all retirees from the CIA—to help uncover the truth about who is trying to kill her, and why. This “Martini Club” of former spies may be retired, but they still have a few useful skills that they’re eager to use again, if only to spice up their rather sedate new lives.

Complicating their efforts is Purity’s acting police chief, Jo Thibodeau. More accustomed to dealing with rowdy tourists than homicide, Jo is puzzled by Maggie’s reluctance to share information—and by her odd circle of friends, who seem to be a step ahead of her at every turn.

As Jo’s investigation collides with the Martini Club’s maneuvers, Maggie’s hunt for answers will force her to revisit a clandestine career that spanned the globe, from Bangkok to Istanbul, from London to Malta. The ghosts of her past have returned, but with the help of her friends—and the reluctant Jo Thibodeau—Maggie might just be able to save the life she’s built.

©2023 Tess Gerritsen (P)2023 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Through Hillary Huber's masterful performance, listeners are introduced to former spy Maggie Bird, who is now happily raising chickens on her small farm in Maine.… Huber convincingly portrays Maggie as a courageous, intelligent woman. Brittany Pressley voices Bella, the other key woman in this well-paced thriller. Pressley's performance as a spoiled, moody teenager is particularly effective. The result is a totally engaging launch of this new series.”—AudioFile Magazine

“This is a nice take on retirement—five old spooks whose bones may ache but whose minds remain sharp. You can expect mystery, action, and bloodshed in this exciting thriller launched straight from the peaceful shores of Maine.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Gerritsen…branches out into the world of espionage…expertly mixing spy drama with romance and wry comedy… Gerritsen fans and readers of Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club mysteries will love this.”—Booklist (starred review)

The descriptions of the places and people. I thought she did a great job.

The main character was very likable which is great. I hate books where the women are “victims” and they are always doubting themselves. Even the women protagonist’s in some really good books can’t seem to make a decision. Women aren’t stupid, a lot of books portray them like we are! But Ms Gerritsen’s main character is sure and strong.

Excellent thriller/mystery!

4 stars!! Narration was perfect! Highly recommend for any mystery fans out there. Kept me engaged the entire time. The flashbacks were extremely well done and I was never bored. I will definitely continue on with the series.

Excellent listen!

First time Tess Gerritsen listener and I LOVED it! I’m a new fan!
Great story, lots of twists and turns, well written and read. Very enjoyable narrators too.

Hoping there’s more

Great story and well-drawn characters — very much enjoyed the narration and hoping for more of the Martini club

This was a nice plot twist on an espionage thriller

I really enjoyed this lesson. What time do I got confused by the two different readers, and I preferred one more than the other. I won’t give away anything on the story, but it has some really interesting twist to it and I’m hoping there is a another in the series, because I think the author is on to a great storyline.

Fantastic characters!

Fast paced action and a great plot. As I read, I thought The Spy Coast would make a terrific movie. Enjoy!

Tempo of the writing was excellent.

Reader was easy to understand. Great voice. Author was very interesting. Well written mystery. Looking forward to the next book.

Liked the characters and the story

These are the kinds of books that make listening fun for me! More Martini Club please!!!

Fantastic Adventure

The story rocks, from page one until the end. It’s fast paced and it’s a thriller and it will keep your guessing.

Great story and fantastic performance.

I enjoyed how each character sounds a bit different. Storyline interesting, with twists and turns.