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    The Mapping of Love and Death: A Maisie Dobbs Novel
    The Mapping of Love and Death: A Maisie Dobbs Novel
    The Mapping of Love and Death: A Maisie Dobbs Novel
    Audiobook9 hours

    The Mapping of Love and Death: A Maisie Dobbs Novel

    Written by Jacqueline Winspear

    Narrated by Orlagh Cassidy

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    From New York Times bestselling author Jacqueline Winspear, now available in paperback—the newest installment in the New York Times bestselling series, Maisie Dobbs is hired to unravel a case of wartime love and death, an investigation that leads her to a doomed affair between a young cartographer and a mysterious nurse.

    August 1914. As Michael Clifton is mapping land he has just purchased in California's beautiful Santa Ynez Valley, war is declared in Europe—and duty-bound to his father's native country, the young cartographer soon sets sail for England to serve in the British army. Three years later, he is listed as missing in action.

    April 1932. After Michael's remains are unearthed in France, his parents retain London psychologist and investigator Maisie Dobbs, hoping she can find the unnamed nurse whose love letters were among their late son's belongings. It is a quest that leads Maisie back to her own bittersweet wartime love—and to the stunning discovery that Michael Clifton was murdered in his dugout. Suddenly an exposed web of intrigue and violence threatens to ensnare the dead soldier's family and even Maisie herself as she attempts to cope with the impending loss of her mentor and the unsettling awareness that she is once again falling in love.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateMar 23, 2010
    ISBN9780061977503
    Author

    Jacqueline Winspear

    Jacqueline Winspear is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Consequences of Fear, The American Agent, and To Die but Once, as well as thirteen other bestselling Maisie Dobbs novels and The Care and Management of Lies, a Dayton Literary Peace Prize finalist. Jacqueline has also published two nonfiction books, What Would Maisie Do? and a memoir, This Time Next Year We’ll Be Laughing. Originally from the United Kingdom, she divides her time between California and the Pacific Northwest.

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    Reviews for The Mapping of Love and Death

    4.5/5

    135 ratings62 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Intelligent mystery series are few and far between, and the Maisie Dobbs series of mysteries is one of the best. In this, the seventh volume, we find Maisie's life in transition. Her mentor, Maurice Blanche is seriously ill, her right-hand man Billy is considering emigration to Canada and a new man has entered her romantic life. Plus, of course, she has a new mystery to solve, this time involving the murder of a cartographer in World War I.The mapping metaphor is apt for this book as Maise not only solves the case, but also starts charting her way to a new and, hopefully, more confident and satisfying life.I'm eagrly waiting colume eight in this seies.
    • 5/5
      Another book in the Maisie Dobbs mystery series and again she uses her training in psychological investigation to pull together desparate threads of amystery. This one involved the death of an American cartographer who was working for the British dduring the early years of World War I.This book is in a similar vein to the preceding books in the series, but again is interesting and engaging enough to be a fun book to read. Note: It probably requires reading the others in the series first in order to make sense of some of the plot twists.
    • 4/5
      #7 in the series, in this one Maisie is hired by an American couple (the Cliftons) to discover if and how and by whom their son was murdered. Mr. Clifton (the father) emigrated from England to America, and his son Michael, a trained cartographer, returns to England (land of his birthright?) in 1914 shortly after the outbreak of WWI to serve in the British army. He is killed in action, but his remains are not recovered until the time of this story - around 1930. The post-mortem shows that Michael may not have died from enemy fire, and Maisie sets out to find the truth. In her delving into this mystery, we are introduced into the role of the Army cartographers, a subject I found quite interesting. It added another bit of information and filtering to use in my World War I reading. This one has a lot going on, and to tell anymore would be to invite huge spoilers.
    • 5/5
      Book 7 of the Maisie Dobbs series finds our heroine tasked with finding the lost love of an American cartographer, Michael Clifton, who was killed during the war. There’s an estate to settle, and trouble back in the States trying to get things sorted out; it seems Mr. Clifton bought some property in California, and the deed cannot be found.Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Of course, if you’re familiar with Maisie Dobbs at all, you know that it’s never that simple. A cursory examination of Mr. Clifton’s autopsy shows Maisie (and the medical examiner) that Clifton was, in fact, murdered, and not killed in an artillery attack. Then, his parents are assaulted at their London hotel, and Maisie herself is attacked. Not just a simple case of find-the-lost-love at all.Add to this the ever-worsening health of Maurice Blanche, Maisie’s mentor and friend, and a new love for Maisie (can’t say more about that without spoilers, unfortunately), and you’ve got Jacqueline Winspear’s typical formula for a Maisie Dobbs novel. Gripping plot with multiple twists (including one interesting addition that happens after the case is really closed), tremendous character development (looks like we’ll get to see how Maisie functions without Dr. Blanche in the next novel) — all of this is what I’ve come to expect whenever I crack open a Maisie Dobbs novel, and I certainly wasn’t disappointed with book 7. And things look VERY interesting for book 8 and beyond ….
    • 5/5
      Another in the wonderful Masie Dobbs mystery series. Well written with depth and character development formost,its a winner!
    • 4/5
      More in the holistic detection line, but still quite enjoyable.
    • 5/5
      Once again, Maisie deals with the events of the Great War on her country and especially on her generation. I think this one may be the best yet as Maisie becomes more sure of herself and able to let herself feel. Many changes are in store for Maisie by the end of the book. I am wondering how far into the "future" (from 1932) this series will go. After all, one of the effects of World War I was World War II. By 1932, when this book is set, portents of that war were beginning to appear. Dare I hope that Maisie will be involved further down the line? (P.S. Tired of mysteries? Try Paul Fussell's THE GREAT WAR AND MODERN MEMORY to understand more about the world Winspear, Charles Todd, and Carola Dunn write so well about.)
    • 4/5
      Determined not a good idea to read these out of order!
    • 2/5
      Another tale of Maisie investigating the death of an American soldier. The soldier had enlisted as a map-maker with the British services. His body had been discovered recently, and the family asks Maisie to find the woman he had been involved with. Enjoyable as usual.
    • 4/5
      I found this one of the most satisfying entries in this excellent series. Maisie is hired to look into the wartime relationships and death of an American who served in a British cartography unit he and his unit went missing in 1916. WInspear ends this novel with many possibilities before Maisie--with clear intimations that Maisie will play a role in World War II--a conflict that lies over seven years in the future. What will happen next?
    • 5/5
      I think I’ve been mourning the upcoming loss of any new Maisie for a whole year which is why I’ve put off writing this review. You know I’m trying to be good about this waiting stuff but really, I already have to wait until next year for more Downton Abbey-if you haven’t seen this Masterpiece Classics series you must. It’s absolutely wonderful, though you may want to wait until later in the year then you won’t have to wait as long for new episodes. And now, after the next Maisie, I’m done for a year or more. Boo hoo! I didn’t think ahead when I joined Book Club Girl’s I’m Mad for Maisie Read-along what I would do when I finished so quickly. Actually, I didn’t quite finish the read-along. I’m going slowly through the last book so my Maisie withdrawal won’t be as bad. But, I’m here to talk about book seven so-on with the review.This episode in the Maisie series made me the saddest and the happiest of all the books so far. Maisie deals with a heartbreaking loss but also finds an unexpected love interest. I knew the loss was coming but still found it hard, it was a character I had really enjoyed and found very interesting. As for Maisie’s new love well, I never saw it coming though looking back maybe I should have. I’ve become so invested in Maisie by reading the books so close together that I found this turn of events completely wonderful.The mystery portion of the story was completely fascinating as it revolved around the role of cartographers or mapmakers during WWI. I had never really thought about how one would go about planning a war but the idea mapmakers would be used never crossed my mind. Then having read this it all made perfect sense. We learn about Michael Clifton through his journal and letters written to him by the girl he loves. He is such a lovely, spirited young man I was really hoping there was some mistake. And while he was indeed killed during the war there is a twist that left me satisfied there would still be some joy for his family.Though this story is still deeply entrenched in WWI by the end we start to see Maisie moving on to the next phase of history. Sadly, the specter another war is starting to loom. But, it seems to be leading Maisie’s professional life in a new and exciting direction.I don’t think there’s a need to say I loved this book and I have no problem saying that this is just as good if not better than the past books. So, with one last book before my long dry Maisie spell I loving where the series is heading. And after listening to Ms. Winspear on Book Club Girl‘s show on Blog Talk Radio there is a hint at what’s coming and boy am I excited. I have to add it was a real thrill to actually have her answer my questions, now I know what “more caf than cafe” means.Well, I’m off to finish A Lesson in Secrets and then pout about having to wait for more. I’ll let you know what I think when I’m done. Bet, you can’t guess which way I’m leaning (wink)?So, is anyone doing anything fabulous this weekend? I’m planning on reading and getting my patio cleaned up now that all our rain seems to be over. Hope you all have a great weekend.Thanks to Book Club Girl for my copy of The Mapping of Love and Death
    • 4/5
      This book is the 7th installment of the Maisie Dobbs adventures. She is contacted by a couple from America, the Cliftons, who are trying to resolve the circumstances of their son's death during WWI. Michael Clifton had enlisted as a cartographer and been listed as missing until they received word that his body had been found buried in a tunnel along with the cartographers that he had been working with. However, the autopsy showed that he was not killed in the line of duty but was murdered.As the story progresses we see Maisie's processes working to determine who was involved in Michael Clifton's life and how at the same time as we see changes in her life and the people that she treasures.The book is well-written, interjecting historical points as well as some historical jargon while not bogging down the plot and characters. Many readers are probably acquainted with Maisie Dobbs, I myself had started a book last year but had to return it to the library before it was finished so this really was my first Maisie Dobbs mystery. I can tell you it won't be my last. I'm going to be searching for the previous adventures of this character.
    • 5/5
      I want Maisie Dobbs to be my BFF! Her character continues to delight and inspire. Winspear's portrayal of post-war Britain is captivating.
    • 4/5
      Maisie Dobbs has been given an interesting new case. It is that of a dead cartographer who came from the USA to join in the war that was shaking Europe. Michael Clifton was of British ancestry and as a cartographer he new his skills would be needed. Like many young men he did not survive the war and when his remains are finally found sixteen years after armistice, evidence suggests that he was not killed in combat but that he was murdered. The thing was he died before he could settle his affairs and there was a parcel of land that he bought in California that is presently in legal limbo.

      Winspear does a great job of revealing history in such a way that the reader always learns something. In this case the role of the cartographer in wartime was detailed and she explains how important these young men were.

      In the background of course there is a clever killer also waiting to be discovered.
    • 5/5
      I think this was the best one so far, it touched my emotions is ways the previous ones did not.
    • 4/5
      So glad to see Maisie's personal life taking a giant leap forward in this book. It's about time. It seems more effort was put in to developing the characters personal lives than in the mystery. This was for me the weakest mystery in the series so far. In this book Maisie is charged with determining the death of an American cartographer named Michael Clifton during World War I. Was he killed by enemy fire as was the rest of his unit or was it murder? To complicate matters the parents of Clifton are attacked and left for dead in their motel room. A lot of themes in this mystery are rehashes from past books. The best parts of this book are more Priscilla and her toads and James Crompton. The saddest part is the final farewell to Maurice which left me in tears. I look forward to learning how Maisie's changed circumstances in both love and money affect her in the next book.
    • 4/5
      I love Maisie Dobbs. And, until this book, I’d loved all the stories in this mystery series. The book wasn’t bad, mind you, and provided lots of interesting details about the mapping of war.But there were just a couple too many coincidences that advanced the solving of the mystery to suit me: Maisie’s friend just happened to try to match-make her at dinner with a man who just happened to know a guy who made films of the troops in WWI and who just happened to have filmed a cartography unit (and all this just happened to have come up in dinner conversation 14 years after the end of said war). The cartography unit caught on film just happened to be the one Maisie was looking for, and the villain just happened to be visiting the unit that day and was captured on celluloid trying to stop the film crew.You get the picture. And I didn’t think the clues were fair enough to allow the reader to solve the case – unless one must consider that anyone and everyone introduced in the gathering of information might be more involved than that. I hadn’t noticed this element in previous Maisie books.ANYWAY – I still love Maisie and I’m going to continue reading this series, hoping that this is just a blip in Winspear’s otherwise impeccable record. 3½ stars
    • 4/5
      This is my favorite of the Maisie Dobbs series and leaves the reader speculating on where the next books in the series will take the heroine. One really gets a feel for post-WWI London with stories that always have an interesting twist. Rumors are that this may become a BBC television series that will rival Downtown Abbey -- In my view, it has the potential to be even better.
    • 4/5
      This is the 6th, I believe, in the series. As always I am pleased with the mystery, but really love to read about Maisie's life as well. I've gotten to know and really like the characters that appear in each book.
    • 5/5
      Masie Dobbs book 7 in series. I hope it never ends. Love the writing and the fact that Maisie's personal life becomes ours too.
    • 4/5
      The best in the series since An Incomplete Revenge. Maisie is engaged in a case seeking the story of a WWI cartographer's death, and continues on her path towards finding herself... with bonus love interest! Don't mess it up, girl.
    • 3/5
      I've been reading the Maisie Dobbs novels as I stumble across them, so I've read 1-3 and then found this one. I didn't realize that I'd missed 3 books and three years of Maisie's life in between, but apparently I had. However, much of what I missed was foreshadowed in the third book, and Winspear did a credible job catching people up without overwhelming with back story. One of the first three annoyed me with melodrama, but this book, thankfully, lacked that and was a gentle mystery. Nice story, good detail about various subjects, and enough mystery/twists to keep interest without making me want to roll my eyes. Luckily Maisie, who just happens to stumble into so much that helps her with her cases, and who has a grand intuition.
    • 5/5
      2011, Harper Collins, Read by Orlagh CassidyPublisher’s Summary: from Audible.comAugust 1914. Michael Clifton is mapping the land he has just purchased in California’s beautiful Santa Ynez Valley, certain that oil lies beneath its surface. But as the young cartographer prepares to return home to Boston, war is declared in Europe. Michael—the youngest son of an expatriate Englishman—puts duty first and sails for his father’s native country to serve in the British army. Three years later, he is listed among those missing in action.April 1932. Maisie Dobbs is retained by Michael’s parents, who have recently learned that their son’s remains have been unearthed in France. They want Maisie to find the unnamed nurse whose love letters were among Michael’s belonging. Her inquiries, and the stunning discovery that Michael Clifton was murdered in his trench, unleash a web of intrigue and violence that threatens to engulf the soldier’s family and even Maisie herself. Over the course of her investigation, Maisie must cope with the approaching loss of her mentor, Maurice Blanche, and her growing awareness that she is once again falling in love.My Review:The Maisie Dobbs series does indeed just keep getting better! Winspear writes eloquently of Maisie’s personal experience as she investigates the matter of love and death in a time of war – naturally, the case takes her back to the years she herself spent abroad employed as a nurse during WWI – to the time she met and fell in love with Simon. The sense of family unity portrayed through the Cliftons is endearing, and also makes the loss of Michael the more sad. Billy and Doreen Beale are building a secure home life again, with Doreen getting back on her feet after her decline into depression following little Lizzie’s loss – and they have some wonderful news to share.Dr Maurice Blanche, who took Maisie under his wing so many years ago and became her mentor, is about to leave this world. And here Winspear’s writing excels. Maisie’s final days with Maurice are so touching. Just as Blanche changed the course of Maisie’s life remarkably at the time she was but an adolescent – he will change her life again. This time, perhaps even more remarkably. And, on that note, I must now read the next in the series to see what immediate decisions, if any, Maisie will make given her new circumstances.Recommended: Yes, the entire series! Particularly to those interested in the era of the WWI and WWII. The strength of the series is Winspear’s decision to write a strong female lead, particularly in a time when women were not employed as psychologists and certainly not as investigators.
    • 4/5
      The Mapping of Love and Death is the 7th book in Jacqueline Winspear's series featuring Maisie Dobbs.This wonderful series is set in the past in England. The first novel began in the 1920's and this seventh offering is set in 1932. Maisie Dobbs is a unique creation. She began as a servant in a mansion at age thirteen. When her employer took an interest in Maisie and her intelligent, inquisitive nature, she sponsored her education. Fast forward to 1932. Maisie has had psychological training, served as a nurse in the war and now owns and runs an Investigative Agency."The path from there to here had been far from straight, had looped back and forth, yet always with an imagined place ahead - that she would be a woman of independent means would rise above her circumstances."This latest outing finds Maisie employed by the Clifton family. Their son Michael's body has just been recovered - he was killed during the war. With his body were unsigned letters from a nurse he seems to have fallen in love with. The family would like to connect with her. Maisie is hired to track her down. But examination of Michael Clifton's body reveals that he was murdered before his unit was bombed and killed. Could his mapping skills and land purchase just before the war have something to do with his death? The case involves much more than first thought.The Maisie Dobbs series are such a comfortable, almost genteel read, if you will. The social customs, manners and mores of the times are all faithfully observed in Winspear's writing. I enjoy being transported to this time period. The Great War brought many changes to England. Class and gender lines are changing. It has been interesting to watch Maisie's growth as she acquires knowledge, confidence and skills over the last 6 books. Of course, detection methods during this time are greatly different from the modern day detective novel. It is refreshing to see crimes solved the 'old fashioned' way, with a lots of legwork, questions and thought. I admire Maisie's quiet intelligence and her calm demeanor.Winspear also includes an ongoing secondary storyline in addition to the mystery of every book. Maisie's personal life - her search for love and happiness- is just as interesting.The 8th book in this series - A Lesson in Secrets- releases this week.Maisie Dobbs is perfect for curling up under a quilt with a pot of tea - just a great historical mystery series with an intriguing protagonist
    • 4/5

      The first time I picked this book up, I immediately put it down....So much for first impressions!

      This was my choice for Historical Mysteries "Buddy Read".

      Maisie Dobbs is a single woman, private investigator, and former WWI nurse. In this book, at the behest of the Clifton family, she is investigating the death of their son Michael, an American cartographer, who joined the British in WWI, whose death certificate indicates injuries not congruous with war injuries. The Cliftons have been attacked, their room at a high class hotel has been ransacked, and Maisie has been pushed down & robbed. Later the robber had been found bludgeoned to death. There is a cache of old love letters from an "English Nurse" & a mystery surrounding the land the cartographer bought in the oil fields of CA.

      I liked the characters, they seemed real and exuded warmth, intelligence, & a respect for life without being over-written caricatures.

      I just might read another in this series.
    • 5/5
      Love this series! Maisie's employed to find out what happened to an American soldier who was murdered during WWI. While dealing with Stratton's replacement, Chief Insp Caldwell, Maurice's failing health, and Billy's concern for his wife returning home after her breakdown, Maisie begins keeping company with a man from her past that she misjudged. Couldn't put this book down and think it's my favorite of the series after the first one.I've liked the depression era setting and Maisie worrying about making ends meet, her small apartment, wearing Priscilla's hand-me-downs, and one-pot meals. Not sure if I'm going to like the well-to-do Maisie.
    • 4/5
      The latest case for psychologist and investigator Maisie Dobbs once again requires her to revisit the Great War. Her clients are wealthy Americans whose son, Michael, served with an English cartography unit during the war. His remains, and those of several companions, have recently been discovered in France. Evidence suggests that the missing son may have been murdered prior to the shelling that took the lives of his companions. Starting with the letters and journal discovered with the bodies, Maisie must piece together the events of Michael's last days in order to identify a murderer. Subplots include the continuing story of Masie's assistant Billy's family situation, Maisie's changing relationship with the Compton family, and the physical decline of Maisie's mentor, Maurice Blanche.Typically for this series, Maisie's investigation unearths secrets in addition to the murder. Maisie's job isn't just to bring a murderer to justice. Maisie helps both clients and witnesses come to terms with unsettling events of the past so that they may find peace. The plot is carried by the psychological and emotional impact of past events, rather than by the details of the murder.This book seemed less well-organized than is usual for this series. Even though past books have revealed that Maisie has some psychic qualities, she makes some deductive leaps that don't seem to be accounted for by either intuition or reason. However, this is the first book in the series that I've listened to rather than read, and I'm sure that has something to do with my perception of the structure. Even though I didn't like it quite as well as previous books in the series, it's still an above-average historical mystery. Recommended, especially for series fans.
    • 5/5
      Another fantastic entry in a favorite series of mine. The mystery of this story was very well done and I always feel like I am a part of early 20th century England when reading this series. Also, I love the way Winspear weaves in the recurring characters of the series into each novel, moving their stories forward in a way that flows seamlessly within the story. Can't recommend this series enough.
    • 5/5
      A satisfying book on all counts--intriguing story well presented, excellent character development, good background. As Maisie herself might say, "A thumping good read!"
    • 5/5
      This series has remained solid but had leveled out in the last few books. Not so with Mapping. And not just because Winspear finally got my two favorite characters together. The mystery was well-paced and the characters as always deep and interesting. Yeh for a good series getting better.