Elegy for Eddie: A Maisie Dobbs Novel by Jacqueline Winspear

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Maisie Dobbs is back at it, having been requested by her old school chums to investigate the untimely death of one of their own, a young man who was crushed by a gigantic paper roller in a paper factory. Of course Maisie set out immediately to help, pouring her resources, her staff, and her intelligent mind to untangling the knot of deceit and coverup that she gradually finds. But is it all for evil intent? And does the ends justify the means? As Maisie sorts out the mystery, she finds she learns more about the world at large in 1933 as well as more about herself.

I really enjoy these mysteries, as they are a combination of mystery and thriller-lite and historical fiction. Maisie is an endearing character, coming from a humble background, she has inherited a great fortune, but she remains modest and struggles with her newfound identity among the elite. She also struggles to maintain her independence even as she is courted by an American with means who loves her for who she is but also wants more from her, which she is unsure she is willing/able to give.

The other small thing that I appreciated from this narrative was how traumatized Europeans were from WWI when they entered into WWII. So many were still reeling from their initial trauma, whether they’d fought themselves, were wounded, were related to someone who’d been on the front lines and had experienced secondary trauma, or had just lived through the incredibly difficult period that defined the era. And the thought of having to fight another war for the exact same values was utterly daunting. But as Maisie’s dear friend put it, he would, again, fight to protect the right for his boys to have the freedom to play, to run wild, and to get into trouble as boys do.

At the same time, I believe this is not the strongest in this series, with some of the others being more suspenseful, less contemplative. This one was a bit more meandering, somewhat fragmented in the way things came together.

That said, I will keep reading these, as they are enjoyable, relatively light, and well-written. I do keep saying that I will read these in order one day – but I haven’t done so. One day I will listen to my own advice…!

Among the Mad by Jacqueline Winspear

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Maisie Dobbs, psychologist and private detective, is tapped once again, and this time it’s for help with a case of chemical terrorism. It appears an individual has written a letter to British officials, spewing dissatisfaction on how certain factions of society have been treated and threatening harm to them and many others if action is not taken. Because Maisie herself has been named in this letter, she is brought onto the case, and it is quickly apparent that the author of this letter is suffering, has experienced tragedy, but is also extremely dangerous.

I love this series. I have erred by reading it in completely the wrong order, but because they are so well-written, they are also excellent as stand-alone novels. They serve both as detective/murder-mysteries and historical fiction narratives, and as a series provide vivid details of life in spanning from before the first World War to after the second. This particular one takes place in December, 1931, and one can feel not only the desperation of the Depression that has impacted so many, but also the residual psychological impact of the “Great War.”

Before we had the term “PTSD,” soldiers were diagnosed with “shell shock,” and it was really the first form of trauma that had been even remotely acknowledged. This story describes well how so many, mostly men, were affected by being in the trenches: hearing bombs go off just next to them, feeling explosions blow off body parts, seeing friends killed before their eyes. And so many of them were not allowed to process this trauma, but were forced, because they happened to be physically “ok,” to jump back in to the fighting because the armed forces just needed bodies. And the repeated trauma made for extremely vulnerable men returning to their homes after the war. Their vulnerabilities could manifest in extreme disconnection from their prior personalities, from their families, from their very souls, as is described in this story.

While I think one can skip around a bit, I would recommend beginning the series with the first one, which is called Maisie Dobbs, by Jacqueline Winspear, as it gives an important foundation to the series. And if you can, it is probably best to go in order, but there are a great many books in the series –  it may take you awhile! But the writing is solid, the plots are clever, and Maisie is a strong, ethical and wise character to stick with.

The Consequences of Fear by Jacqueline Winspear

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Maisie Dobbs is pulled in once again to a new case, when she learns of a young boy, a messenger in London during WWII, who is witness to a brutal murder. The problem is that those around her seem to not believe this young boy, who, to her, seems not only trustworthy, but also in danger himself and worthy of protection. So even while she is caught up in clandestine work for the British defense against the Axis forces herself, she cannot resist delving into the details of this case as well, even when it might put her and those around her in potential danger.

I should probably have read this series in the order they were written, because there are recurring characters and continuing story lines. Nevertheless, each book is a stand-alone novel and a story worth reading and I have found each that I have read engrossing, entertaining, and endearing. Each character is written with charm and wit and the relationships between the characters are quite beautiful. For example, the working relationship that has developed between Maisie and her assistant detective, Billy, has grown into a collegial and respectful,  and yet tender and caring one. They are a formidable yet wholesome team. 

This series is a fun mix of historical fiction and mystery/suspense that always achieves just the right grittiness and never disappoints.   

Journey to Munich by Jacqueline Winspear

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In this installment of the adventures of Maisey Dobbs, psychologist and detective, we find Maisey back in London in 1938, still reeling from the loss of her husband but trying to get back into her life.  Feeling like she needs to do something to help someone else – and possibly that she has nothing to lose – she accepts an assignment to go undercover as the daughter of a British businessman held prisoner by the Germans and now being released to her only.  To complicate her mission, she is also asked to bring back from Germany the one young woman Maisie holds most responsible for her husband’s death.  How will she accomplish both of these feats, especially under the careful watch of the Nazi government?

This book series is part detective novel/part historical fiction, with lots of human sensibility to warm up the mix.  Especially in this book, the kindness and forgiveness that Maisie shows, whether toward the man she is asked to bring home or toward the young woman who she is asked to find, shines so particularly bright compared to the darkness of the Nazi regime.  It is interesting that the timing of the story is actually just prior to the German invasion of Austria – really at the beginning of everything – but still she describes the feeling of foreboding, the pall of darkness that pervades the otherwise lively city.  The hope that Maisie clings to is in stark contrast to the evil that is lurking, that has been set into motion.

This is really not a “Holocaust” book per se, and while it is set in the time and place of the Holocaust it does not take the same emotional toll as those books do.  So if you’re planning your reading based on this, don’t worry that you’ll be taken through the same emotional rigors of that.  There is suspense and sadness, but not to the same extent as you would with other books from this period.

I do recommend this book heartily!  Happy reading!

 

 

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

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Maisie Dobbs is a detective who is just beginning her own practice in post-WW I London. Her first case, a seemingly simple case of a jealous husband who is trying to figure out where his wife is going everyday while he’s at work, leads her to an investigation of much higher import.  As she becomes more and more entrenched in her investigation, she also comes to terms with her own very traumatic past, her having overcome a humble beginning and her very difficult personal experience of the war.

What begins as an entertaining, almost innocent, story broadens very gradually into a very stark commentary on war and its horrible effects on those who survive it.  With a subtle pen, Winspear writes a narrative of war that leaves the reader to draw the gorier details in the imagination.  What does come through with stark clarity, however, is that whether or not survivors of war return with outer scars, there are almost always inner scars that some can work through and some cannot.

This book is engaging, romantic, suspenseful and beautifully written – I very highly recommend it!