In this debut published back in 2014, we are introduced to the eponymous private investigator as she returns to her hometown in 1929, taking on two cases. The first one revolves around a suspiciously complex infidelity, and second one around a closed WWI veterans' retreat.
Jacqueline Winspear Opens the Long Series
Book series are about as common as standalone books these days, and I believe this is in large part due to the potential revenue they represent; if you write one successful novel, it becomes this much easier to capitalize on it.
As with everything in life though, there is a catch to it: compelling book series are harder and harder to keep going the longer they live. I believe for a book series to be genuinely good, it needs to come about naturally, to begin without much of an intention to make it a series in the first place... and to me, it feels like Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs very much fits the bill.
The Maisie Dobbs Series is now fourteen books-long (at least at the moment this is being written), but today we'll be looking where it all began with the very first entry in the series, which was also the author's first novel.
The book starts by introducing us to our eponymous protagonist, daughter to a lowly labourer, a nurse in the First World War, and now looking to ply her trade as an investigator in her own hometown, ten years after the Armistice in 1929. With a lot of experience to back herself up as well as a good reputation, it doesn't take very long for a curious case to land in her lap.
A gentleman believes his wife is committing an infidelity towards him, and so Maisie follows the woman in question, steeling herself for what might turn out to be most of her job. To her surprise, the woman visits a graveyard, setting in motion a chain of events which affect Maisie in a very personal capacity.
Additionally, another rather curious case catches her attention, this one involving a veterans' retreat for WWI victims with promises of rehabilitation, located on a closed farm. Something doesn't feel right, and Maisie won't stop digging for the truth until she finds it.
The Historical Adventure of Maisie Dobbs
In most cases, we are used to mystery novels with private investigators moving along rather quickly, focusing as much as possible on the plot with a few side glances at the characters.
In Maisie Dobbs, Winspear runs contrary to this proud tradition of the genre, instead taking her time to establish not only the setting, but most importantly, the layered character of the protagonist herself.
When the book opens, we are treated to a bit of an expose about Maisie's life, her plans to get educated in Cambridge thanks to the help of her friend Maurice, her service as a nurse during the First World War, her family situation, and so on and so forth.
As such, before the actual plot of the book even begins to unfold, we already become quite familiar with our protagonist, having enough bits and pieces of information to put together a good picture of who she is.
At the same time, Winspear doesn't drag on with the exposition, nor does she reveal everything there is to know. She carefully curates the information we are allowed to have about Maisie at any given time.
As the investigations begin to unfold, the focus does shift a bit more towards moving the story along rather than getting intimately acquainted with anyone. However, we are still treated to moments of character development at various points, most notably when Maisie follows the woman she is investigating to the cemetery.
Coupled with accurate and well-researched descriptions of life in the 1930s, a solid part of this novel feels like a window into the past, one capable of showing both the best and the worst from the time period.
A Grounding Mystery
With how much effort Winspear dedicates to developing the world and the characters in it, I would be lying if I said the mystery element didn't take some kind of a blow from it.
After all, when you have so many elements to juggle with in your book, it becomes a fine balancing act and ultimately, something will have to suffer for the sake of something else. In this case, it was the mystery element, but I certainly don't feel it was to the point of ruining the book... instead, it feels tame and sort of grounding in a way.
While both cases do have some twists to them, they are not the big, life-changing turns mystery novels like to usually throw our way. Instead, all the curves taken by the investigation feel fairly realistic, and more often than not the revelations we come across just show us how grey and muddled everything is. There is no grand Hollywood-style finale with evil masterminds being exposed, but instead we have a thought-provoking examination of the human spirit.
I feel despite the relative weakness of the actual mystery, it's held together rather well by the prowess of Winspear's writing. From the quality of the phrases and choices of words to her compelling and vivid descriptions of locales as well as the people inhabiting them, every page is simply a pleasure to read through and it feels like not a single paragraph is wasted.
The Final Verdict
Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear is an excellent historical mystery and adventure novel where all the different elements complement and bolster each other, wrapped together tightly in an excellent prose.
If you are looking for a slower-paced mystery novel set in the 1930s where the environments and characters matter as much as the investigation, then I strongly suggest you give this novel a chance.
 | Jacqueline WinspearPersonal site Jacqueline Winspear is a mystery author hailing from the United Kingdom, best-known for writing the Maisie Dobbs Series, taking place after WWI and following the titular inspector's investigations across over fourteen books at this point. The first novel in the series, Maisie Dobbs, earned her numerous award nominations, Such as the Edgar Award for Best Novel and the Agatha Award for Best First Novel. Additionally, she was also a finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize in 2015. |
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