One Final Turn is the perfect title for this historical mystery because it’s the fifth and final book in the Electra McDonnell series by Ashley Weaver. I’ve been a fan of this series since book one, A Peculiar Combination, so I’ll state up front that I’m biased in its favor. I’ll avoid spoilers for previous books in the series as much as possible, but I may need to reveal one or two minor things just to set up the context for this book.

So, to set the scene: Electra “Ellie” McDonnell grew up in a family of criminals, and her own specialty is safecracking and lock picking. At the start of the series, she’s recruited by Major Gabriel Ramsey of British military intelligence to use her powers for good; it’s 1941, and her skills will be useful in the war effort, especially in covert operations. Over the course of the series, Ellie and Ramsey work together on various spy-related cases—and develop considerable romantic tension along the way.

At the start of this book, however, Ellie and Ramsey aren’t together personally or professionally, due to a disagreement over Ellie’s actions in their last case together. Nevertheless, a different intelligence officer, Captain Archie Blandings, has asked Ellie to help him with a mission in Portugal, which is officially neutral in the war but is a hotbed of spy activity. Ellie’s eager to assist, as it may help her find out what’s happened to her cousin Toby, who was captured by the Germans but may have escaped. Unfortunately, Ramsey will also be part of the team, and Ellie, still heartbroken and angry, isn’t sure they’ll be able to work together.

This book (and the series as a whole) is billed as a historical mystery, but if you’re expecting an actual mystery to solve, you’ll be disappointed. Although the plot features multiple murders, the killer’s identity isn’t terribly important—it’s obviously a German agent, and that’s all we really need to know. There are no clues or puzzles to solve, and while there is a bit of a twist near the end where a minor character is unmasked as a baddie, it has little relevance to the plot. I’d characterize the book more as a spy thriller, and on those terms I think it’s more successful. Ellie gets to do a little acting, schmooze a German agent in a fancy casino, and pick locks in a Portuguese dungeon. The book’s climax is a dramatic shootout that provides a bit of suspense, even though by this point it’s clear that things are going to work out for Ellie and her friends.

In terms of the romance, it’s obviously preferable to read the whole series, as the love story begins in book one. But I think this book does a good job of bringing new readers up to speed and giving a sense of Ellie and Ramsey’s dynamic. (In fact, there’s quite a bit of clunky exposition in the early chapters, as narrator Ellie reminds readers of what’s happening with both the plot and the romance.) Ramsey is the strong, silent type, which I enjoy—it’s a classic for a reason!—and his autocratic yet protective demeanor toward Ellie proves that he’s still very much into her. For her part, Ellie knows she’s in love with Ramsey but isn’t sure of his feelings, which keeps the romantic tension simmering for a good chunk of the book. The scene where that tension finally breaks is one of my favorites in the novel.

My biggest complaint about the book is its pacing. Ellie spends a lot of time sightseeing and angsting about her relationship with Ramsey in between chasing leads for her spy mission. Then everything ends quite abruptly, the most egregious example being the resolution of a series-long mystery involving Ellie’s parents. (Her mother was convicted of murdering her father, but of course Ellie is convinced that’s not the whole story.) The book devotes maybe ten pages to this, and it’s so close to the end that I was worried it wouldn’t be addressed at all! The guilty party admits everything immediately and is neutralized before any more harm is done. While I’m glad the story was resolved, a lot more could have been done with it.

Overall, though, I did enjoy One Final Turn and found it a fitting end to the series. (It’s also a quick and easy read; I breezed through it in about a day.) I had some quibbles with the resolution—every storyline is wrapped up in a neat little bow, and even as someone who loves a tidy ending, I found the epilogue a bit much. But I think fans of the series will be happy with how everything turns out, and I would encourage people who enjoy light historical mysteries to check out this series.

reviewed by Christina Behe