Maisie Dobbs

I just had to give this book 5 start because I couldn’t put it down.I read it in one day and throughly enjoyed it. It’s such a different plot and the characters are really enjoyable.I could see the plot unraveling but it was a skillful and entertaining reveal.Good easy read.

I finished this book a few days ago and really enjoyed it. Jacqueline Winspear created a thoughtful, intelligent sleuth with a compelling history. The novel's plot is developed in an intermittent fashion, beginning with a seemingly mundane case which introduces the main mystery, then splicing in backstory about Maisie Dobbs' character.The novel takes the reader through the years leading up to World War I, then jumps ahead several years to the main case. The reader is taken along with Maisie Dobbs' growth from adolescence as help in an aristocratic household to a nurse in the Great War, to her time as a mature woman trying her hand as a private detective in London. Winspear focuses on character development and gives the reader minimal details as to setting. In that sense her writing is reminiscent of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's: one gets a good impression of London, but not the detailed description of place as in Dickens.The story and subplots were interesting, although the primary mystery was not that difficult from a "whodunit" perspective. That doesn't detract from the book, but for those readers who like to match wits with the detective in the story that could be disappointing.My only criticisms are the tendency to show Dobbs mimicking someone's posture and gaining instant insight into that person's thoughts and emotions. The first instance in the novel was believable and interesting, but the third and fourth instances less so. Her character also seemed unusually self-possessed and relatively free from doubt at times, making her a little less sympathetic.Overall, for a debut novel, this is an excellent book and well worth the effort! I will be adding more of this series to my reading list.

I haven't been able to read all the books in chronological order (due to what the local libraries have), but have read as far as no. 5 or 6. Nevertheless, I decided to order the first one in the series to see how the story of Maisie Dobbs began. Although Winspear always includes quick recaps of main characters and Maisie's history in the later books, it was supremely satisfying to read more on Maisie's origins and the important people she met along the way. It gives a lot more depth to the later stories.

Terrific story - historical fiction and start of an amazing series.

"Maisie Dobbs" (MD) is the first in a series of thirteen crime fiction(?) novels by Jacqueline Winspear featuring her ace investigator, Maisie Dobbs. I became attracted to this series by a review I read this summer on the Crime Fiction Lovers blog of her current release, "In This Grave Hour" , which combines London, crime fiction, and WWll - three key elements of a perfect storm for me.MD begins in the spring of 1929. Maisie has just opened a new office to ply her psychology and investigation skills. She sits, waiting for the phone to ring. Before too long and thanks to a referral by a friend she has her first client, a well-to-do gentleman who suspects his wife of improper behavior. Maisie follows the suspect woman to.....(wait for it).....a cemetery! And soon after, a rather lengthy flashback takes us to Maisie's humble origins. She was born in 1897, the daughter of a costermonger. A what? My trusty Kindle quickly replied to my query advising me that a costermonger was an old time deliverer of produce most often transported in a horse drawn cart. Mom died early, finances are tight, Dad worries for Maisie's future.Then the story takes on some of the elements of Pygmalion and Maisie becomes the project of Lady Rowan and her friend, the very wise Maurice. Lots of nice, cute, warm hearted things happen. Yet Maisie is a serious girl, the years advance quickly and Maisie is a surgical nurse at the front. As in WWl front, on a battlefield somewhere in France having lied about her age to enlist. And she encounters, once again, Dr Simon Lynch whom she met at a charming dance party only a chapter or two ago. End of flashback. Hints of sadness.Back to the case. The situation has changed considerably and now attention is focused on the Retreat, a farm of sorts, a closed society of soldiers severely damaged by wounds from the War, many hideous facial disfigurements, others emotional wounds. The Retreat is supposedly modeled on a very successful effort by the French who have had some success in rehabbing their patients back into society over time. But something about the Retreat doesn't feel right; because of Lady Rowan's personal interest in it, Maisie investigates further. Not a big huge Hollywood climax, but more interesting flashback addressing some of those questions you will have but not all of them.So I now have read the first and most recent of the series and have formed a rather good picture of where it is going. Clearly a mix of history, adventure, mystery, romance, and excellent story telling. Winspear's prose is excellent and her stories are well plotted. I find the mystery component a bit weak, and this is usually the key determining factor for me. But Winspear's stories are so well told that I will read several more at a minimum, probably in order since the stories do link in a chronological fashion. Save for the crime bit, MD would be a 5 but I must restrain myself and go with a 4 for now.. The second book is entitled "Birds of a Feather". All are on Amazon Kindle and I am sure you can find paper editions of each via Amazon as well though I haven't looked. I recommended the series to a retired neighbor lady a few months ago and recently she told me she read the entire series straight through and enjoyed it tremendously.An aside - recently I completed The Great Course's DVD of Secrets of Crime Fiction Mystery and Suspense. I jotted down a number of the numerous titles the professor cited and I plan to read a dozen or two of them. So far I have read and reviewed Ellery Queen's Penthouse Murder, and shortly (approx 9/21/17) will finish the first of fifty-five Ed McBain 78th Precinct mysteries, "Cop Hater"the series was written from 1956 to 2005 and no, I don't intend to read that whole series. If you have an interest in classic or older crime fiction you might want to check them out - available on Amazon.

I would swear this was written in the 1940s. The characters are well described and there was few surprises. Easy read

She is a wonderful heroine!!

This series is great, well written, and entertaing. The author creates interesting mystery stories, provides a fine description of the historical setting (the early third of the 20th century, and lays out some important issues of that era and today.

The book is good and so is the series.

Really enjoyed this, good story interesting plot, nice twist at the end. Reminded me a lot of the stories my grandmother told me about the Great War . Also, as a south Londoner lot of the places were familiar

Narrativa muy cuidada, giros incluidos. Literalmente cincela la obra. Los casos no son en sí espectaculares, ni particularmente morbosos. Pero basta con dejarse llevar y se disfruta.

Wonderfully describes, an era gone by and an investigation to boot, such a pleasure reading this series. Look forwards to finishing all of them :)

Je suis tombé par hasard sur cette série en me baladant sur le site Amazon et j’ai commis l’erreur pendant la trêve des confiseurs 2019 de lire 5 tomes des aventures de Maisie Dobbs pas tout à fait dans l’ordre (cf mes commentaire sur The mapping of love and death et Pardonable lies). Comme j'apprécie les policiers historiques, l'Angleterre et la période d'entre deux guerre, je ne suis pas déçu d'autant plus que le prix de la version électronique est raisonnableCette frénésie démontre la qualité de la série. Le premier tome met en scène les personnages et leur histoire qui sera rappelée régulièrement de manière plus résumée dans les autres tomes. L’énigme est intéressante. D’une manière générale l’arrière-plan historique de l'Angleterre de l'entre deux guerres me semble bien rendu et est passionnant. Il est amusant de noter les convergences historiques et sociologiques avec la série TV (postérieure) Downton Abbey. Dommage que la série ne soit pas intégralement traduite en français.