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Elegy for Eddie
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Elegy for Eddie
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Elegy for Eddie
Audiobook10 hours

Elegy for Eddie

Written by Jacqueline Winspear

Narrated by Julie Teal

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

April 1933. Eddie Pettit was a gentle soul with a near-magical gift for working with horses. When Eddie is killed in a violent accident, there is skepticism about the cause of death. Who would want to kill Eddie, and why? Maisie Dobbs is determined to offer her help. As Maisie uncovers lies and manipulation on a national scale, she must decide whether to risk it all to see justice done.

With a London affected by the march to another war and an innocent victim caught in the crossfire, Elegy for Eddie is Jacqueline Winspear's most poignant and powerful novel yet.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateMar 7, 2013
ISBN9781471228100
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Elegy for Eddie
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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Rating: 3.907297746548324 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I'm a big Maisie Dobbs fan. She's a great character and I really like how Jacqueline Winspear has been moving the series forward in time. Although I enjoyed "Elegy for Eddie," there were a few things that either weren't explored deeply enough--for example, should Maisie excuse Otterburn's actions--and a few things that I didn't think fit into Maisie's character (would she really not understand the effects of too much generosity?) or that other characters did that didn't seem quite reasonable (Billy's wife being so angry at Maisie). It could be that I am not remembering previous books clearly enough, but there were times when I was surprised by how some of the recurring characters behaved. Even so, I enjoyed the book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    See more reviews on Short & Sweet Reviews!

    Elegy for Eddie, set in the early 1930s, follows private investigator Maisie Dobbs as she tries to unravel the seemingly accidental death of Eddie Pettit, a gentle man who took care of horses and did random tasks for factor workers and men in the market from time to time. Being a mystery novel, of course, his death is anything but accidental and Maisie finds herself involved in a complex inquiry that touches closer to home than she'd first thought.

    Like many mystery novels, this is a more recent entry in a series, however, it's perfectly easy to get into without having read any of the previous novels. For the most part, the reader gets enough information on Maisie and her past that even the recurring characters seem familiar from the very start. So it's easy to jump into the action as Maisie investigates Eddie's death, navigates her own personal life, and deals with the way the investigation bleeds over into her own world.

    Maisie is an interesting, although not always entirely sympathetic, character. She's a woman who came from nothing to wind up with her own private investigation firm, thanks largely to an inheritance from the man who mentored her. In this book, Maisie really seems to struggle with being between two worlds -- she hasn't forgotten what it was like working as a maid in a big house, but she knows just what wealth will help her accomplish. She sometimes acts with her heart in ways that are with the best of intentions, but which aren't always well received by people for various reasons. It annoyed me because she can come off as somewhat self-righteous and a know-it-all, but fortunately these traits are addressed within the plot and her actions improve over the course of the book.

    The mystery itself takes lots of unexpected twists and turns and winds up in a place I hadn't expected at all. I don't think it's a spoiler to say that Eddie's death is much more complicated than even Maisie had thought. It's pretty cool to watch her as she starts to untangle the mystery, and as always, interesting to read a crime novel that doesn't take place in a contemporary setting.

    This book is a very clean read, with most of the violence taking place off of the page, and no profanity that I can recall. It's a fun read that manages to mix crime-solving and personal drama in equal measures. Feel free to pick up the series with this book, or go back to the beginning of the series to get a better, more rounded picture of Maisie and her friends.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is the ninth Maisie Dobbs novel from the pen of Ms. Winspear. She has a very loyal following and I can understand why. I reviewed my first of her books, The Mapping of Love and Death back in March and I, like many others fell in love with Maisie. She is a strong, intelligent character dealing with life's messy issues and the aftermath of one war with the rumblings of another just beginning.This book begins as old friends of Maisie's father from her early days in Lambeth come to her about the death of a kindly young man, Eddie Pettit. His death was called an accident but they feel it was murder so they have come to Maisie for help in proving it. Maisie remembers Eddie from her younger days and can't understand why anyone would want to hurt him; he was a little slow and just plain kind to everyone he met.As Maisie investigates she finds that Eddie had found himself involved in something he did not understand at all, nor could he have comprehended it. He was being used and it ended very badly for him and for others. I won't write more than that so as to not ruin plot points but Eddie certainly didn't deserve what happened to him.The story has several plots that intertwine all coming together at the end and Ms. Winspear keeps them rolling along without difficulty but I don't understand this Maisie from the Maisie in the last book. She is a very detail oriented, upright, moral woman who does not let things slide and yet in this book all manner of murder and mayhem get overlooked for reasons that are not really well explained. The "greater good" is implied but not given as the definitive reason and it's disturbing to see Maisie overlook murder and revenge murder. She also spends an inordinate amount of time dithering over her relationship with her boyfriend. OK - she was once a maid and he is of the upper class. OK - he has oodles of family money and she just came into money. Just either get on with it or not. Don't spend half of the book whining about it. It got old.I will not give up on Maisie because of this read. I will most certainly read either earlier books or the next book in the series but if she doesn't get back to the form she showed in The Mapping of Love and Death I will be re-evaluating my love affair with Maisie and her adventures.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    More intrigue in her professional and personal life.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Another winner in the Maisie Dobbs series. This installment spends more time having Maisie examine her motives and path in life, and the mystery starts the series heading toward the threat of World War II in Europe. I always enjoy these stories and am looking forward to the next one.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Although the story doesn't resolve itself in the usual way, it does give closure to the characters who are affected by Eddie Pettit's death. Although I like to read descriptions of settings and actions that affect the plot and my understanding, I wish Winspear or her editors would cut back on some of her descriptive writing. Often it doesn't move the plot forward and just interferes with the story. That said, I like learning about England between the wars, what it was like to survive the first World War and then begin to realize that another was coming. And I love watching Maisie's relationship with James Compton develop; it's very modern in that Maisie is a career woman who can't drop her identity to become someone's wife, and can't totally move away from her working-class roots. I look forward to finding out what happens next in Maisie and James' story. I have an idea, but we'll see if it turns out as I imagine it might.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The “Eddie” in the title is Eddie Pettit, born to an unmarried teenage mother in 1887 while she was mucking out a stable – a job that just barely keeps her out of the workhouse. All his life, Eddie had a special gift for working with horses. And now in 1933, Eddie dies in a freak accident at a printing plant. But Eddie’s friends, the fruit sellers in Covent Garden, don’t believe his death was an accident and come to Maisie Dobbs, daughter of their friend and former costermonger Frankie Dobbs, to investigate his death.Maisie takes on the job, only too glad to be of help to her father’s pals, whom she’s known since she was a little girl. And when her assistant, Billy Beale, winds up in the hospital after a beating sustained while asking questions about the case, she’s pretty certain that her clients’ suspicions about Eddie’s death are on target. Elegy for Eddie is a pivotal book in this award-winning series, a turning point for its protagonist. Maisie is still becoming accustomed to newfound wealth – which came to her when her mentor and friend Maurice died and left her most of his considerable estate. Maisie is always willing to use her money to help others, but in Elegy for Eddie, she’s confronted with the accusation, from a very credible source, that she may be using gifts to control other people’s lives. Maisie also realizes that she must decide what her relationship is to be with her lover, James, who wants a traditional marriage, meaning Maisie gives up her work. The Maisie Dobbs books are wonderful … it’s one series I collect in hardcover. I just want to own them. Elegy for Eddie is number nine, and it’s just about time for me to go back to #1 and read some of the early ones again. It’s that kind of series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Elegy for Eddie is written by Jacqueline Winspear. It is Book #9 of the Maisie Dobbs series.This particular title is a very personal case for Maisie Dobbs.“It is the twisting investigation into the brutal killing of a street peddler that will take Maisie from the working-class neighborhoods of her childhood into London’s highest circles of power.”The book is very emotional, very descriptive of both people and places, very historical and cultural. Even though these books are very emotional and highly charged, I always feel a sense of calm as I read them.Brilliant writing *****I was confused by the title Elegy for Eddie, I thought maybe that elegy was a British spelling for eulogy, but I was incorrect.Elegy - a poem of serious reflection, typically a lament for the dead.Eulogy - a speech at a funeral
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    April 1933 has arrived and old friends from Maisie's children approach her to investigate the death of a friend. But where will her investigate lead and to whom.
    A somewhat slow paced story but still an enjoyable one
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I’ve loved this series and the last two books in particular and from the description I was afraid I wouldn’t enjoy this book as much as the others. I had nothing to fear. I was drawn into this book as much as I was to the others. There were so many things about it that I loved. It might be another one of my favorites. This series keeps getting better and better, overall. I’m glad that there are several more already published series books for me to readIf someone has a horse/horses shelf this book should be on it.One thing I liked about this book is that I didn’t guess that much about the mysteries and I often do. The solutions here were all plausible.I’m liking that it’s obvious we’re heading toward WWII and that in this book there was virtually noting about WWI. I’ve had enough of WWI though I realize that there is likely to be more and as long as it’s not the main focus I’m okay with that.I like how Maisie’s life and circumstances continue to develop.I’m finding that I don’t laugh the way I did when I read the first books with a friend though I do still “get” what humor is included.4-1/2 stars
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Elegy for Eddie, Jacqueline WinspearEddie has a way with horses and as a result is known throughout London. He is quiet, friendly, has an amazing memory and is labeled as being ‘not all there,’ ‘slow,’ or ‘dumb.’ His talents are used but he is also looked down upon by others. Regardless he has true friends who love him and when he is killed in a freak accident they turn to Maisie, who remembers Eddie from her childhood. The investigation reveals a newspaper baron manipulating the news he prints to counter what is happening in Germany in 1933 and to make people proud of England, of work Churchill and others are doing with airplanes preparing for the defence of Britain, work which touches Maisie’s James and writer friend Partridge and a bully with ties to Eddie’s past. In the end Dobbs accepts what she finds with sadness for Eddie and a growing fear for the future of Britain. Her personal future has also been revised.“Elegy for Eddie” more than the previous titles makes Maisie look at life and the disquiet she feels. How her inheritance from Maurice Blanche and how she is using it is cutting her off rather than including her in peoples lives. All in all it gives the reader much to think about as the decade of the 1930’s moves forward.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It was a little longer than was necessary, but well-written with a twist to the plot that was very interesting. Maisie Dobbs is a strong character and an extremely independent woman. This is at a time when such independence would have been quite unusual and probably not very well received on either side of the pond. What I particularly liked was that the character of Maisie Dobbs is less concerned with "who" the villain is...although that is always worked through for the reader...but "why" they behaved as they did. Makes for an different and interesting story.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Maisie investigates death of “simple” lad who works magic with horses. I think I have read too many in series - plot seemed a bit weak and her love interest wasn’t particularly interesting. Maisie needs a little humor in her life!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I read the Maisie books on occasions and usually enjoy them. I was rather bored with this one though. It was just rather dull.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    WWII looms large, Dobbs hobnobs with the soon to be famous, and the crimes get serious for one of her assistants. This is a bit of a turn, and I kind of wish the series could have continued w/out the name dropping and famous figures. But probably the author wanted to try something different. I could not see how Maisie was in the wrong any more than her benefactor, Maurice Blanche had been when he made her rich by dying.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This installment is the 9th in the Maisie Dobbs series and the first I read. It will most probably be my last.

    The fact that I hadn't read the previous books didn't affect my knowledge of the story, because the author likes to remind us of Maisie's past. That's all well and good, naturally. But then, it happens for the second time. And once more. And when it happened again, I had to drink two mugs of hot coffee to keep on reading. Or watch a thriller. That was the main problem of the narrative. The repetition was out of proportion, actually. I don't need to read about her life in the past more than once, I got it the first time, I'd like to think I am not stupid. I don't need a pack of pages repeating Maisie's doubts over ler love life with the least interesting character in British Literature. Seriously, a paragraph 1/3 into the novel is repeated three times during the 300-plus pages with different words. It was frustrating to say the least. The same problem took over the mystery Maisie Dobbs is called to solve. Although the crime story was plausible and unpredictable enough, I could do with 80-100 pages less, and without the tedious dialogues. Which brings me to the second major fault of
    Elegy for Eddie.

    The interactions between the characters are written in a wooden, stale way, and I had the feeling I was reading repeated (as in boring) monologues. More often than not, while in discussions with each other, the characters seem to give external voice to their inner thoughts, something that I find unrealistic. The characters themselves are nothing to write home about. Maisie Dobbs is passable at best. She is clever and persistent, and I appreciated the fact that she doesn't like to be patronized by men, especially that boar of a boyfriend of hers, James. Can someone explain the maths of the reason she stays with him, and doesn't leave him once and for all?. He is a total joke. Soapy, patronizing, and completely unsuitable for her, or any other woman for that matter. The only characters I enjoyed were Sandra, Inspector Caldwell and Maisie's father. And that's about it.The only redeeming quality of the novel is its historical context, set a few years before the nightmare with the name Adolf Hitler spread his shadow of death all over he world.

    So, all in all, another failed attempt of mine to find a good British cozy mystery. Colour me disappointed and disillusioned with the genre. Let us hope that the Mary Russell series will be better...

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    While there was a case to be solved, the more interesting parts of this novel revolved around Maisie and her attempts to cope with the ways in which her life has changed - particularly her disconnect from the class she was born into and the class into which she has risen and her feelings of guilt. It makes this installment in the series particularly engaging.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I purposely did not read my review of Winspear’s previous Maisie Dobbs novel, A Lesson in Secrets, because I didn’t want the disappointment I felt in that book to cloud my judgement of Elegy for Eddie. I have invested a lot of time into this series and want nothing more than for my love affair with Maisie and her world to continue for a long, long time. After A Lesson in Secrets, I had serious doubts. Thankfully, Winspear addressed my biggest complaint in Elegy for Eddie, focusing almost exclusively on Maisie’s development as a character.

    The mystery Maisie is tasked with solving involves a man from her childhood in Lambeth, Eddie Pettit, a simple-minded man (who might be considered autistic in the 21st century) who has a way with horses. It takes her back to her humble Lambeth roots and throws her newfound life as a rich woman in an affair with a Viscount into sharp relief. Maisie is uncomfortable with the legacy Maurice left her, as well as uncomfortable with the position she holds as James’ lover. To all appearances, she has everything she should ever want but realizes that this life, especially that part with James, suffocates her. As a result, her relationship, the one that Winspear has failed to develop, goes from off the page bliss in the previous two books to on the page tension in this one.

    The reviews on Amazon have been positive, with the one recurring caveat that Maisie spends an inordinate amount of time navel gazing. In comparison to previous books where inner thoughts about her personal life were restricted to a few sentences sprinkled throughout the book, the amount of introspection in the novel is shocking. It is, however, long overdue. All the self-reflection and conflict with Billy and his wife and James moves her forward as a character in a way that hasn’t happened since she had her breakdown in book three.

    What does this mean for the Maisie? She and James have settled into a relationship that is basically a placeholder for each until they find the person they fall in love with. To paraphrase a comment Maisie made to Priscilla regarding their affair, she and James have shown each other they can love again. Maisie was confronted, by a few different instances, the most notable being the attack on Billy and the repercussions, by the fact that, in the guise of helping, she tries too hard to order everyone elses’ life. Her aid truly comes from an empathetic, caring heart, but the inheritance from Maurice has enabled her to go overboard (buying a house for the Beales; paying for Sandra’s college) and has put her friends in the position to never be able to repay her. Finally, her insistence on walking a “narrow path” and trying to account for every eventuality before it happens, as well as her lack of experience in the wider world made her realize her life is lacking in spontaneity, fun and travel. Hopefully, all of this introspection will allow Maisie to spread her wings a bit more.

    Ironic that I have not addressed the central mystery in the mystery novel. In the end, it is less about the simple horse whisperer from Maisie’s past, but instead is about one man’s plan, through his media empire, to increase patriotism and remind the British people all they have to lose if it comes to war with Hitler. The man, Otterburn, is in cahoots with Winston Churchill, who at this point in British history was a political outcast, spending his time writing essays about I don’t now what, and if Winspear is to be believed, preparing the British people, mentally, for the war some were sure was on the horizon. James Compton is even involved in Ottoburn’s long-term plan. It seems far-fetched at first glance, but upon reflection, I admire the way that Winspear was able to weave characters we’ve been familiar with for a while (James, Priscilla’s husband) into the long road to war storyline.

    As far as I’m concerned, The Mapping of Love and Death is an anomaly in the series, though I admit that it might improve on a re-read, especially with the knowledge of where Maisie is going. I feel that, with Elegy for Eddie, Winspear has finally committed to looking forward instead of back, with Maisie as well as with the world she lives in.

    Other Thoughts:

    This is the first mystery that has nothing to do with the Great War.
    Maisie only mentions her work as a nurse once in the book. And Billy’s communication skills from the war play no part at all. Progress!
    One of my favorite books is Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher. It’s always entertaining to count the number of times people have tea. I found myself doing the same thing in Elegy for Eddie. Seriously, what is it with the Brits and drinking tea?
    I do hope that Maisie moves forward with the times, soon, and has Sandra and Billy start calling her by her Christian name.
    If Maisie does go abroad, I predict she goes to Germany. I hope we go with her.
    I’m still holding out hope for the drawing-room mystery I suggested in last year’s review.
    Well, I read the book in a day and now I have to wait another year for the next book. That makes me a sad panda.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Always enjoyable - this was more focus on changes in the UK, changes on the Continent due to Hitler's rise to power... Maisie's relationship with James and her tenancies to step up, take charge... even if she's helping too much.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    One of the better Maisie Dobbs mysteries.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in a Goodreads giveaway.

    First off: the book is enjoyable, but it's not like previous books in the series. This book marks something of a turn in Maisie's life - she starts to confront her now not-so-new wealth and the repercussions of her intentions and actions towards the people in her life. While I normally enjoy character development, I felt that this book was too much character development - and not necessarily successful at that - and too little mystery. The resolution of the mystery at the end was very anticlimactic - not even a resolution, really - and it felt very out of character for Maisie. She's fierce, caring, and has a strong sense of justice. But she just lets the culprit off because of impending fears about Hitler? It doesn't come across as all that believable, I'm afraid. In previous mysteries, Maisie would've found a solution that still managed to satisfy justice, even if not through official legal channels, but she doesn't seem to try very hard here. I'm happy to see Maisie grow and adapt to her new life, but I also want the mystery. I hope future volumes in the series don't put the mystery in the backseat.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    In this novel, Maisie is approached by costers from her childhood, who are seeking to find answers to the untimely and tragic death of their friend, Eddie. As always, Maisie's investigation leads to a bigger investigation...ultimately changing the dynamics of the relationships around her.

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This ninth book in the series finds Maisie being consulted by the costermongers who worked alongside her father when she was a child. The subject of the investigation is the death of Eddie, an intellectually challenged man, who died in an apparent industrial accident in a place where he was not an employee.Maisie is now thoroughly involved with James Compton. This is the first she has had sustained, reciprocal relationship with a man since the death of Simon, her paramour from WWI. In this episode she is negotiating developments in her own life relative to her acquired wealth in a previous book.The backdrop of this story is the rise to power of Hitler and the increasing drumbeat of war which was alluded to in the previous book, A Lesson in Secrets.I like this series quite a lot and will continue to read through it. It is good historical fiction with light mystery as a vehicle for the story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    2012, Harper Collins, Read by Orlagh CassidyPublisher’s Summary: adapted from Audible.comEarly April 1933: To the costermongers of Covent Garden – sellers of fruit and vegetables on the streets of London – Eddie Pettit was a gentle soul with a near-magical gift for working with horses. When Eddie is killed in a violent accident, the grieving costers are deeply skeptical about the cause of his death. Who would want to kill Eddie – and why? My Review: I loved reading about the costermongers – an occupation of times gone by. And, while Winspear writes eloquently of Eddie’s gentle soul, and of his gift with horses – she doesn’t shy away from the fact that Eddie is severely mentally challenged. I like that Winspear is clear about the respect paid him by the costers and by Maisie, hence Elegy to Eddie – respect was not always Eddie’s experience, as one might imagine in the early 1930s. Maisie is learning to live as a wealthy woman, and what that means in terms of setting boundaries around “helping” others. In terms of her personal life, I find myself growing frustrated with her: she commits to a relationship, and then as the relationship progresses, proceeds to find reasons why she can’t commit (read Andrew Deene and now James Compton).On the historical front, Elegy to Eddie, like A Lesson in Secrets before it, continues to foreshadow the coming of WWII: illustrating for readers the British political maneuvering taking place as Hitler gradually rises to power.Thoroughly enjoyed Elegy to Eddie, the ninth installment in the Maisie Dobbs series. I’ve forgotten to mention for some time that Orlagh Cassidy is perfect for this series, just perfect. Highly recommended, both novel and series!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Eddie Pettit is a simple lad who is a horse whisperer, during this era horses are becoming scarcer but he is still popular, he dies due to what looks like a freak accident but there are questions by some of the costermongers who hire Maisie to investigate. She finds herself embroiled in plots and conspiracies and mounting bodies. She's also questioning her romance and how she can use her money to do the right thing.It's not a bad read, I enjoyed it and the characters. Though Pru needs to stop giving Maisie clothing and demanding that Maisie either lets her use some of her money to shop for her or hire a dressmaker instead of giving her cast-offs. She also needs to apply some more clue by fours about Maisie's guilt about spending.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This excellent series continues in this episode that focuses on the present and its ominous future rather than WW1. Leaving Lambeth is still easier than staying disengaged from its residents and problems. Maisie undertakes the investigation of the accident that took the life of a gentle much beloved savant and horse whisperer. Still wrestling with the burden of her rapid ascent into the aristocracy and her confusing relationship with James, her life is becoming increasingly more complex. Other deaths occur and Billy is seriously injured before Maisie resolves the mysteries. However, the solution creates much retrospection and conflict for her.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This installment takes Maisie back to her roots when she is enlisted by some of the men she's known since childhood to investigate the supposedly accidental death of Eddie Pettit. We see Maisie as she interacts with characters that she has known for years.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is good historical fiction set in the UK in the period between WW1 and WW2, a time of great social change and economic hardship.Maisie Dobbs (an "inquiry agent") investigates a suspicious death in the neighbourbood where she spent her early childhood. Eddy, an autistic man, dies in a factory accident but there are those who doubt that it was an accident and ask Maisie to look into it. This investigation brings her back to people who knew her as a child and do not necessarily know of her new higher social status. As her investigation progresses her old world intersects with her new one, not always in a good way.It's a darker story than others in the series in that Maisie is having doubts about her new life. There's only passing reference to her nursing exploits in WW1. She struggles with some criticism about her generosity -- that she is too controlling and intrusive into the lives of those around her, like Billy Beale and her father. In the midst of this struggle her investigation brings her into contact with a powerful industrialist who behind the scenes is working to get Britain ready to fight the Nazis (it's set in 1933 which is when Hitler was coming to power). While she agrees with his motives she is uncomfortable with his ruthless ways. This causes conflict with her "boyfriend" James Compton (I don't think he has progressed to being a fiance)who is working on a project for the industrialist (along with Winston Churchill). Added to this is Maisie's discomfort at the structured life of the new social circle she is in with Compton -- she longs for a simple life free of social obligations.As I neared the end of the story, I thought that this was going to be the last book of the series, but it isn't: there's a least two more. It appears that Maisie is going to spend time to "find herself" through travel and exploration of new horizons. The resolution of the suspicious death is not as neat as it could have been -- it does however introduce some moral ambiguity that has not been in the Maisie Dobbs stories. This may signal Maisie's new approach to her life and exploits.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Read in Nov. 2013. A Maisie Dobbs novel. Eddie, a simple and slow man, is murdered. Maisie reaches an agreement with her boyfriend. Excellent.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A thought provoking topic filled with all of Jacqueline Winspear's best story telling abilities; and , as a previous reviewer said, my favorite novel of hers, so far.