GJSHS book reviews

The story begins with clever, intuitive Maisie Dobbs meeting her first client in her brand new detective agency, a man who believes his wife is cheating on him.  Not being the typical detective, Maisie goes beyond spying and pretends to just meet this woman randomly.  Secrets are shared (she’s not cheating, she’s visiting her childhood sweetheart’s grave) and Maisie’s soothing effect helps the couple communicate better.  But Maisie sees a bigger mystery beneath it all  Who was this sweetheart and why is only his first name on his grave?The middle of the book is a flashback to her childhood growing up as a servant to wealthy aristocrats in early 20th century London.  She is caught late at night reading in their library, but instead of punishing her they give her a tutor who trains her in philosophy, science, literature and people skills, then send her to the women’s division of Cambridge University.  There, she meets wild girls who party and take advantage of being wealthy.  At the beginning of the war (WW I) she feels that studying is not enough and wants to serve her country.  She becomes a nurse and travels to France to tend the wounded, seeing incredible misery and torture while falling in love.  All this shapes who she is as a person and as a detective.  The climax of this story keeps a reader alert and interested.  You will fall in love with Maisie and her assistant Billy and want to read the next in the series, Birds of a Feather.

–M. Funke, Librarian