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Thank you, President Clinton!

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:


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Hi Susan! We are all huge Maggie Hope fans in our family!

Thank you, President mentioning my books in . Can’t wait to read THE PRESIDENT IS MISSING! (And if you ever need another pair of eyes for your manuscripts…)
1:46 PM – 31 May 2018

Again, wow!

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Traveling to Arisaig, where Britain’s WWII Agents Trained

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!

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THE PRISONER IN THE CASTLE, Maggie Hope 8!



Big news here: just turned in THE PRISONER IN THE CASTLE, Maggie Hope #8 to my editor. It’s scheduled to be published on August 7, 2018!

Also, great news about THE PARIS SPY! It made the New York Times, Washington Post, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists, and is currently in its third printing after less than three months on sale!

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THE PARIS SPY video and author tour dates

THE PARIS SPY, Maggie Hope #8, is coming out August 8th! Here’s a video, to mark the occasion and serve as a little preview for the novel:


To celebrate, I’ll be doing a series of author talks and signings. Cities include Brooklyn, Houston, St. Louis, Scottsdale, Buffalo, Brooklyn again, and Toronto. Hope to see you!


Details for THE PARIS SPY author tour below:

Tuesday, August 8 – ON SALE
7:00 pm
Talk & Signing
Barnes & Noble
267 7th Avenue Brooklyn, NY, 11215

Wednesday, August 9
6:30 pm
In Conversation w/ John Kwiatkowski
Murder By The Book
2342 Bissonnet Houston, TX 77005
Thursday, August 10
7:00 pm
Talk, Q&A, Signing
St. Louis County Library
1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63131
Moderator: Laura Benedict

Details: An onstage interview with historical suspense author Laura Benedict
Susan Elia MacNeal presents the sixth installment in the popular mystery series starring World War II-era spy and code-breaker extraordinaire Maggie Hope. Maggie has come a long way since serving as a typist for Winston Churchill. Now she’s working undercover in the eerily silent city of Paris. When Maggie’s half-sister Elise goes missing, Maggie must employ all her talents for deception and spycraft to root out a traitor, find her sister, and locate the reports crucial to planning D-Day in a deadly game of wits with the Nazi intelligence elite.
Saturday, August 12
2:00 pm
Poisoned Pen
4014 N Goldwater Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Wednesday, August 30 – BUFFALO, NY
6:00 pm
North Tonawanda Public Library
505 Meadow Dr, North Tonawanda, NY 14120
Thursday, August 31
4:00 – 6:30 PM
Barnes & Noble
4401 Transit Rd Clarence, NY 14221
Saturday, September 9
Slice Literary Conference
St. Francis College in Brooklyn

10:00 – 11:10 am
Panel: What Happens Next?
Writing a book takes a long time. A rich, tightly woven manuscript can take years to complete, and that time is often spent in fits of solitude. But as you write, the marketplace keeps spinning around you. Publishers may clamor to publish a certain kind of book one year (“We want the next Wild!”) and then quickly feel fatigued by those very books (“If we get one more manuscript about a woman’s quest to find herself …”). It can seem impossible to know what agents and publishers are looking for at the moment you’re pitching your book, or where your book falls in the marketplace at any given time. Hear from a group of agents and publishing pros who are actively seeking debut authors. Find out what they think is working, what’s not, and what’s on their (and editors’) wish lists for 2018 and beyond. They’ll also share insight into how to look at your manuscript through the lens of the current marketplace and how you can make sure your project is seen as timely and timeless rather than as a passing trend.

Friday, October 13

Bouchercon—Toronto  
Oct 12 – 15 in Sheraton Hotel Toronto
123 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario M5H 2M9  

11:30 to 12:30
PANEL: Mysteries set during a war

Location: Sheraton A room
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Thank you Talbots Book Club!



Delighted to share the news that the women’s clothing store Talbots is featuring THE PARIS SPY and THE QUEEN’S ACCOMPLICE as part of its new summer book club.


From WWD: “As of Memorial Day weekend, Talbots will be expanding the Book Club through a partnership with Random House that will tout some of the publisher’s leading writers. Each week, a different author will be spotlighted in stores and on a designated landing page. On deck are Elizabeth Strout’s “Anything Is Possible,” Nancy Thayer’s “Secrets in Summer,” Lisa Wingate’s “Before We Were Yours,” Fannie Flagg’s “The Whole Town’s Talking” and Susan Elia MacNeal’s “The Paris Spy.” Once in full swing, shoppers will be able to get a sneak peek of chapters from their latest books, as well as exclusive interviews with big-name writers.”

 Happy shopping and reading!