Tasked by her friend to investigate matters around a land purchase in a village in Kent, Maisie finds upon her arrival something strange and sinister at work, with mysterious fires and thefts popping up with alarming regularity.
Jacqueline Winspear Brings Maisie to the Village
Gratuitous blood, violence, guts and gore seem to be commonly accepted elements in literature today, to the point where they can't even come close to replicating the shock value they held when shunned decades ago. Personally, I find in most cases they're nothing but cheap tools used to make the reader flinch, and I am always glad when I find good detective stories which can do without them.
Not to say it's the only one (it's definitely not), but the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear stands rather distinctly in the modern literary world for the class it carries, the complexity of its mysteries, and its avoidance of gallons of blood and needlessly creative executions. We've already looked at some of the previous novels, and today we're looking at the fifth one, An Incomplete Revenge.
We're now in the 1930s, and Maisie is trying to lead her career as a psychologist and investigator, which proves to be somewhat complicated under the frail economic climate of the times. Just when she's not doing too well, her dear friend James Compton has a case for her: to investigate certain irregularities relating to the sale of a certain land.
Taking on the case, Maisie heads out to the village of Heronsdene in Southeast England, where hop-picking season is in full bloom. The fields are crawling with Londoners, a tribe of gypsies and plenty enough villagers, all looking to make a bit of extra money in the face of the Depression.
The land and the brickworks around the village are all owned by the universally-hated Alfred Sandermere, and James happens to be interested in buying it. However, strange fires, petty thefts, and the outright refusal by the locals to speak of a zeppelin attack in 1916 all paint a picture James isn't too comfortable with investing in.
Hope in Times of Depression in An Incomplete Revenge
For those who are already familiar with the Maisie Dobbs series and have at least read one of the previous books, I think it won't come as much of a surprise when I say Winspear put an incredible amount of work and effort (once again) in depicting England in the rather overlooked time between the two World Wars.
The novel doesn't begin by taking us to the case straight away, but rather gives us a window into life during this time period through Maisie and her current lot in life. If you haven't read any of the previous novels and are only jumping in for the first time, rest assured you will have the benefit of a complete introduction to our character.
I should note it here, I absolutely adore how different Maisie is from the innumerable investigators and detectives we see in literature nowadays. More often than not, they have to be shopworn, rugged, experienced and torn down by life; it has gotten to the point where those seem like the primary prerequisites for a career in law enforcement.
Maisie is anything but those tired tropes, despite her rather tragic experiences during the First World War where she served as a nurse at a casualty clearing station near the front line. She is sharp, intelligent, optimistic, and has a true gift for finding the bright side of life, even when nobody else can.
As the action moves along to the little village of Heronsdene, we are still consistently being shown elements of life in England under the Depression, even if they take a bit of a back-seat in favour of the story at this point. The best part is it never feels as if the authors beats you over the head with anything; every element is as much part of the story as it is of our history.
The Endless Mysteries of the Village
I've always tremendously enjoyed detective and mystery novels set in one isolated location, a microcosm of the world where we don't have to worry about too many pieces being in play. I found Winspear did an amazing job in making the most of the set she limited herself to, ensuring nary a single boring moment can sneak into the story.
Following in the tradition of Agatha Christie novels, this little village in the English countryside is anything but quaint, and seems to have more mysteries in itself than any large metropolis could hold. There are always strange occurrences and odd behaviours to keep us guessing, thinking, and on the edge of our seats.
Compared to the previous novels, it seemed to me like the web of intrigue in this one is the most complex I've seen so far in the series, but even so Winspear manages it with great mastery. I never found myself confused as to how Maisie reached the conclusions she did from the evidence she had available to her, and when the big picture began to clear up I found it rather easy to follow.
Like most great mystery novels, An Incomplete Revenge doesn't simply relay the mystery to the reader, but asks, and almost dares them to do some thinking of their own. It's a concept increasingly alien these days (in life in general, not just literature), but I'm glad Winspear is helping to keep it alive.
The Final Verdict
An Incomplete Revenge is a fantastic entry into what is turning out to be one of the best detective fiction series in our modern times, giving us a complex and engaging mystery driven by a protagonist we cannot help but love and set in a rather unique and under-studied time period.
If you enjoy mysteries taking place between the two World Wars capable of making you think and feel, then I strongly believe this book, and the Maisie Dobbs Mysteries series as whole, would be of great interest to you.
 | 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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