I have been reading the Maisie Dobbs mysteries since the beginning. I have liked them all. As much as I am still drawn in by the mystery after seven novels (there is an 8th out in hardback: A Lesson in Secrets, but I have not read it yet.), I really enjoy the historical elements of Maisie's life. I also appreciate that Maisie's life progresses. Too many mystery series just stagnate around the life of the sleuth as he or she just solves case after case...Maisie on the other hand keeps growing and developing her skills. The stories all take place in London between WWI and WWII. The Germans have not quite risen again and the scars of the first war have not yet healed. In this installment Maisie is asked by parents to discover what happened to their son, who they believed to have died in the war, which he did, but an autopsy report reveals it is likely he was not killed by the enemy. This is a book in which we find out so much about the deceased and REALLY like him that I truly was sad to have to accept that he died. Winspear's characters are always full and richly characterized. After seven books readers really feel close to the recurring characters who Winspear has not stopped exploring. We also are drawn to the characters who will only appear in one novel; she does not sacrifice characterization because they are temporary and only exist to serve the mystery.
This is a mystery series I can continue reading because the stories still stump me and the historical elements are consistently revealing.
