“Among the Mad” by Jacqueline Winspear – Hunting the Would-Be Murderer
This time around, Maisie is racing against the clock to find the blackmailer of the prime minister's office, whose threats include the perpetration of a murder on a massive scale should their demands not be met.
It might be difficult to create memorable and legendary characters which leave their marks on a literary genre and transcend their series, but I think we're seeing the making of it with Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs Mysteries series. In the sixth novel, titled Among the Mad, we return to our beloved heroine who now has a case much bigger than any before it.
It all begins on Christmas Eve, 1931, when Maisie sees a man commit suicide on a busy street in front of everyone. On the following day, the prime minister's office is blackmailed and placed under siege by an unknown assailant, requesting his various conditions be met. Failure to comply will result in a massive loss of life, likely in the thousands.
Detective Chief Superintendent Robert MacFarlane isn't about to just give in to this kind of pressure, and after lengthy questioning and clearing processes, he draws Maisie Dobbs in as a special advisor on the case. As a matter of fact, the blackmailer asked for her specifically by name, and seems to have sinister plans going far beyond his original demands from the government.
With the clock progressively ticking down and her enemy shrouded in seemingly total secrecy, Maisie is facing a complex uphill battle, in addition to which her assistant, Billy Beale, is facing some demons of his own in relation to his wife and the death of their younger daughter.
The chips are stacked against Maisie, MacFarlane and Beale, and to save the lives of countless people who don't even realize they are in danger they will once again have to plunge into the heart of human darkness, to root out and cleanse its latest manifestation.
To begin with, the Maisie Dobbs Mysteries series is already sixteen-books long at the time of this being written, but the good news is each one very much works as a standalone novel and doesn't require any previous knowledge to delve into. Whether or not you're already familiar with the series, feel safe to proceed further.
We've already gone through various topics and settings in the five previous murder mystery novels of the series, and this time around the focus is placed more on governmental and, naturally, anti-governmental entities. In other words, the time has come for our characters to lift the veil and witness the true evil always hidden in plain sight.
Personally speaking, the hunt for a person without a known face nor any sort of identity has always been a very interesting and captivating concept, in large part because it has the potential to take us almost anywhere and make it logically-feasible. In Among the Mad, the place Winspear takes us to is the emerging British underworld.
Maisie and her companions penetrate, among other things, the rising fascist party, the militant labour movement, the dark network of asylums for shell-shocked soldiers, as well as the country's chemical warfare program. I found Winspear showed a great aptitude for juggling different locations, events and scenarios to preserve the plot's freshness and momentum.
While I obviously can't personally attest to the veracity of Winspear's depiction of these realms, I think she did a fantastic job in making them feel grounded and like realistic elements of the world they're in. In the end, I think she succeeded in bringing to life this nasty British underworld, and my fascination with it ended up being a strong motivator to move on further with the story.
For those of you who are familiar with the previous novels in the Maisie Dobbs series will know the importance Winspear gives to the subject of mental health. Once again, as a theme it takes the centre stage, and without giving away too many spoilers, our main antagonist stands as a prime example of the consequences on the human mind of being labelled as mere collateral damage.
In addition, the subject of mental health in a more general sense also gets a good amount of exposure, with Winspear placing a good deal of focus specifically on war veterans, and in a more general sense, those with mental health issues who receive no help in adapting to everyday normal life.
While we can't exactly look at a novel as being a factual psychology book, I think it's plain as day this subject is very personal and prominent for Winspear, and she has indeed taken the time to do all the research necessary for her portrayals. Her depictions of the issue, I'll say it now, aren't for the faint of hear, but do shine a necessary light on a very real problem in our modern world.
Additionally, with the events taking place in the 1930s, we also get a good glimpse at the Great Depression, and the author does remarkable work in conveying the feelings of overwhelming desperation which invaded the minds of millions upon millions.
Among the Mad by Jacqueline Winspear is a magnificent continuation to the Maisie Dobbs Mysteries series, seamlessly mixing a captivating detective story with profoundly touching depictions of the Great Depression and mental health in this era.
If you've enjoyed any of the previous novels in the series, or are looking for a work which combines historical fiction with a strong detective mystery, then this book would be the perfect fit for you.
Jacqueline Winspear Cranks Up the Tension
It all begins on Christmas Eve, 1931, when Maisie sees a man commit suicide on a busy street in front of everyone. On the following day, the prime minister's office is blackmailed and placed under siege by an unknown assailant, requesting his various conditions be met. Failure to comply will result in a massive loss of life, likely in the thousands.
Detective Chief Superintendent Robert MacFarlane isn't about to just give in to this kind of pressure, and after lengthy questioning and clearing processes, he draws Maisie Dobbs in as a special advisor on the case. As a matter of fact, the blackmailer asked for her specifically by name, and seems to have sinister plans going far beyond his original demands from the government.
With the clock progressively ticking down and her enemy shrouded in seemingly total secrecy, Maisie is facing a complex uphill battle, in addition to which her assistant, Billy Beale, is facing some demons of his own in relation to his wife and the death of their younger daughter.
The chips are stacked against Maisie, MacFarlane and Beale, and to save the lives of countless people who don't even realize they are in danger they will once again have to plunge into the heart of human darkness, to root out and cleanse its latest manifestation.
The Emerging British Underworld of Among the Mad
We've already gone through various topics and settings in the five previous murder mystery novels of the series, and this time around the focus is placed more on governmental and, naturally, anti-governmental entities. In other words, the time has come for our characters to lift the veil and witness the true evil always hidden in plain sight.
Personally speaking, the hunt for a person without a known face nor any sort of identity has always been a very interesting and captivating concept, in large part because it has the potential to take us almost anywhere and make it logically-feasible. In Among the Mad, the place Winspear takes us to is the emerging British underworld.
Maisie and her companions penetrate, among other things, the rising fascist party, the militant labour movement, the dark network of asylums for shell-shocked soldiers, as well as the country's chemical warfare program. I found Winspear showed a great aptitude for juggling different locations, events and scenarios to preserve the plot's freshness and momentum.
While I obviously can't personally attest to the veracity of Winspear's depiction of these realms, I think she did a fantastic job in making them feel grounded and like realistic elements of the world they're in. In the end, I think she succeeded in bringing to life this nasty British underworld, and my fascination with it ended up being a strong motivator to move on further with the story.
The Abused Mind of The Great Depression
In addition, the subject of mental health in a more general sense also gets a good amount of exposure, with Winspear placing a good deal of focus specifically on war veterans, and in a more general sense, those with mental health issues who receive no help in adapting to everyday normal life.
While we can't exactly look at a novel as being a factual psychology book, I think it's plain as day this subject is very personal and prominent for Winspear, and she has indeed taken the time to do all the research necessary for her portrayals. Her depictions of the issue, I'll say it now, aren't for the faint of hear, but do shine a necessary light on a very real problem in our modern world.
Additionally, with the events taking place in the 1930s, we also get a good glimpse at the Great Depression, and the author does remarkable work in conveying the feelings of overwhelming desperation which invaded the minds of millions upon millions.
Moving on to the actual chase for the damaged and dangerous individual, the investigation itself is of the high quality we've become accustomed to with the series. I'll never tire of seeing Maisie and her cohorts meticulously inspect each clue and find their way to the next one, and overall I think the author crafted a perfectly logical and airtight mystery... a bit of a rarity these days.
The Final Verdict
If you've enjoyed any of the previous novels in the series, or are looking for a work which combines historical fiction with a strong detective mystery, then this book would be the perfect fit for 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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