Sara-Jayne Townsend is a published crime and horror writer and likes books in which someone dies horribly. She is founder and Chair Person of the T Party Writers’ Group. http://sarajaynetownsend.weebly.com/
When an American war correspondent’s murder is concealed by British authorities, Maisie Dobbs agrees to work with an agent of the US Department of Justice uncover the truth. She does so to help an old friend, Mark Scott.
With German bombs raining down on London, Maisie is torn between the demands of solving this dangerous case and the need to protect a young evacuee.
This is the fifteenth book in the Maisie Dobbs series, but my first as a reviewer. It does work well as a stand-alone narrative, though references are made to an extensive back-story, that piques the readers interest.
For the purposes of this novel, two aspects of Maisie’s past are significant. Firstly, Maisie is in the process of adopting a little girl who came to her as an evacuee, and the adoption process makes her anxious, worrying that her frequent absences from home (in her investigative work) will be marked against her. Secondly, Maisie also clearly has history with Mark Scott (the friend who she has come to help), in investigating the murder of American journalist Catherine Saxon. I’m unsure how significant Mark Scott has been to Maisie in previous books, but it appears apparent that he may well be making a reappearance in a future novel.
Maisie is an engaging character, courageous and independent-minded. I understand why she has endeared herself to so many readers with her endearing nature.
The format of this novel is fairly typical of crime stories, but what makes this one special is the atmosphere of London in the Blitz that Winspear builds; as it comes across as tense and realistic and adding an extra dimension to the story.
Maisie is a thorough and enterprising investigator, and fans of historic crime novels and stories featuring women sleuths should add this novel, and the series to their bookshelves.
