Severn House
Published November 4, 2025
Reviewed by Ruth Castelberry
Mark de Castrique’s third Ethel Crestwater mystery is brilliantly intriguing.
First, Ethel is the target of a recently released felon whose brother she killed 18 years earlier. Then there’s the father of the girl killed by the felon’s brother. His name is Tony Bagatelos, and he’s a lawyer with Mafia connections.
Now, Ethel is a retired FBI agent who rents rooms to government agents and occasionally gets involved in cases. Tony calls to set up a meet, disclosing that he has critical information he trusts only with Ethel. Right after the meeting, someone murders Tony. And Ethel’s cousin, Jesse Cooper, who is also staying with Ethel, is a witness, as he followed Tony to the parking garage and heard the crime.
Ethel breaks into Tony’s home to find the documents he said he would send her. Turns out he has a United States Senator as a client who may have improperly disclosed classified information regarding quantum computing. A power-hungry staff covers up the senator’s mental challenges while Tony wants to use the information to trap a major Soviet spy.
De Castrique creates a marvelously complex puzzle as the FBI tries to get a handle on the leaks while the police investigate the murder. Meanwhile, the Soviet spy keeps track of Ethel since he knows she met with Tony about the classified documents and wants access.
The author weaves an impressive tapestry of murder, politics, spies, dueling agencies, and technology related to national security. While it’s a challenge to keep up with the story lines, the author’s distinctive writing style creates an almost magical flow as the scenes shift easily from one paragraph to another, keeping the reader’s interest while moving back and forth between the subplots.
Desperate Spies is simply an excellent way to meet Mark de Castrique.