The Spy Coast

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of illness or death and substance use.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. The Spy Coast marks Tess Gerritsen’s first foray into the spy thriller genre after her successful career writing medical and crime thrillers, including the popular Rizzoli & Isles series. If you’ve read her earlier works, what aspects of her writing style translated effectively to this new genre?

2. What effect did the alternating timeline structure between Maggie’s past CIA career and present retirement have on your understanding of her character?

3. What did you find most compelling about the story’s exploration of aging professionals who still have much to offer?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Maggie’s internal conflict between duty to country and her personal relationships drives much of her character development. When have you experienced similar tension between professional obligations and personal desires?

2. In what ways do you find yourself questioning appearances versus reality in your everyday life, like Maggie does throughout her career?

3. What communities or groups have provided you with a sense of being truly understood, similar to what the Martini Club members find among each other?

4. How has confronting past regrets changed your perspective on your experiences, compared to Maggie’s 16-year burden of guilt over Danny’s death?

5. What aspects of your identity would be most challenging to leave behind in a major life transition?

6. When she confronts Bella at the end of The Spy Coast, Maggie realizes she was complicit in treating the young Bella as expendable. What ethical compromises have you witnessed that made you question your own moral boundaries?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The novel portrays the challenges that powerful women face when they’re underestimated because of their gender or age. What examples of this dynamic have you observed in contemporary society?

2. In what ways does Gerritsen’s portrayal of a female operative differ from classic spy novels like John le Carré’s The Spy Who Came in from the Cold or Ian Fleming’s James Bond series?

3. What cultural attitudes toward aging does the novel’s portrayal of using invisibility as an “advantage” reflect?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Longmorn whisky functions as a powerful motif throughout the novel, connecting Maggie to her past with Danny while symbolizing intimacy between the Martini Club members. What other symbols in the text connect characters across time?

2. How does the small-town setting of Purity, Maine, contrast with the international locales of Maggie’s past, and what does this juxtaposition reveal about her character?

3. What does the contrast between Diana and Maggie’s characters reveal about the novel’s moral perspective regarding personal sacrifice versus a mission’s success?

4. The narrative portrays Jo Thibodeau as underestimated but highly competent, paralleling Maggie’s younger self. In what ways does this character relationship support the theme of generational wisdom throughout the text?

5. What do the recurring motif of costumes and disguises (including masks) and the associated need for performance suggest about Maggie’s sense of identity and authenticity?

6. The novel depicts a pattern of characters confronting the consequences of their past actions. What does this pattern suggest about Gerritsen’s view of accountability and redemption?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If you were to cast actors for a film adaptation of The Spy Coast, which actors might you choose to play the main characters, and what qualities would make them right for those roles?

2. What kind of case would you like to see the Martini Club tackle in a sequel, and how might their particular skills offer a unique approach to solving it?

3. Which Martini Club member, other than Maggie, would you feature in a prequel story, and what mission from their past would you explore?

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