In The Spy Coast, Gerritsen explores the challenges powerful women face through the characters of Maggie, Jo, Diana, Ingrid, and even Bella and Callie. Diana and Jo, in particular, illustrate how easily powerful women can be underestimated, even by other women, and how sometimes, such misperception can be dangerous. For example, Maggie uses ageism and sexism to render herself invisible by conforming to society’s beliefs that women in their 60s are ineffectual and safe. Only particularly perceptive people, like Jo, pick up on the disparity between Maggie’s harmless appearance and the knowledge and authority she really wields.

Jo offers an example of the prejudice and obstacles that a powerful woman faces in her professional life. Jo is the interim police chief of Purity, Maine, a position of authority in the small town, but despite her years on the force, Jo is constantly faced with discrimination. Gerritsen illustrates this through Jo’s interactions with Maine State Police Detective Robert Alfond. When he arrives at the crime scene, although “[s]he stood only a few paces away, had raised her hand in greeting, [Alfond] walked straight past her and headed toward her officer” (63). Jo knows what this means, reflecting, “[He] probably thought, Blondie, not important and turned his attention to the man he assumed was in charge” (63).