It's interesting to compare this (early) cover of Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs with later editions which blazon MAISIE DOBBS in huge font and print the author's name in much smaller type. Because after almost twenty years and fifteen books, Maisie Dobbs has become a brand.
Susan Green alerted me to this series and as we share a similar taste in books, I lost no time in checking out this first volume from the library. It's obviously well-thumbed, always a good sign, and I thoroughly enjoyed the story, though I was glad Sue had warned me that Maisie's improbable backstory takes up more space in the pages than the mystery itself. Unlikely as our heroine's rise from housemaid to university student to psychologist/detective in between-the-wars London might be, I'm willing to suspend disbelief because it's such a cracking premise and full of possibilities.
The 1930s has always fascinated me, ever since I got hooked on All Creatures Great and Small and Love in a Cold Climate as a teenager. It was a time of intense political passions, looming danger and uncertainty, reaching into the future but also rooted in a simpler past. I look forward to seeing where Maisie's adventures will take her.
I've read all the Maisie books bar one, now. The character develops, the mysteries are always interesting and often relate to social and political movements and changes. As the world moves towards WWII the storylines become even more interesting. And Maisie is a driven, intelligent and principled woman with a curious blind spot as to her personal life. I loved this heroine!
ReplyDeleteMy library has quite a few Maisie titles but annoyingly not volume two! I might end up buying it for the sake of continuity...
ReplyDeleteYes, do. They are really best read in order.
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