Category: Historical Mystery

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

On By BarbaraIn Audiobook, Barb's Reviews, Historical Mystery, World War I Era (1914-1920)5 Comments

Maisie Dobbs (Maisie Dobbs, #1)Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Series: Maisie Dobbs #1
Publication Date: 7/1/03 (Audio Version)
Period: WWI England
Narrator: Rita Barrington

I came into this series by reading book sixteen, The Consequences of Fear, and wanted to know more about how Maisie Dobbs became who she is. My solution to that was to read this first book in the series and then decide if I wanted to read all of the others. After reading this really sad, heartbreaking book, I read all of the book blurbs on the remainder of the books in the series and I came to the conclusion that Maisie Dobbs had the darkest, saddest life of anyone I’ve ever read. So, I’m going to skip all of those earlier books and perhaps try number eighteen when it comes out. Maybe that one will be less dark and sad.

I think, for me, this book might have suffered from having the writing be too good. Yes, I know – how can that be? I suppose it really can’t, but what I mean is – the research is so thorough and the writing so well done that you feel as if you are right there in the middle of the battlefield, or that you can actually see that terribly disfigured soldier as he tries to deal with his return to a society who really doesn’t want to see him. It just makes you feel it all – and the ending – it is one of the saddest things I’ve read.

The narrator, Rita Barrington, did a nice enough job, but it didn’t come out as a smooth steady flow of words as you’d picture a conversation. It sounded more like she was reading – which, of course, she was, but I didn’t want to hear it that way. As far as a distinct voice for each character goes – they all sounded like iterations of the narrator’s natural voice. If a character spoke without identifying themselves, I wouldn’t have been able to distinguish which character it was.

The mystery in this book has to do with deaths at a ‘farm’ where returning soldiers with terrible facial disfigurement go to live so they can avoid the stares among the public. However, the mystery doesn’t take up a large portion of the book. It is a good mystery, but still, the largest portion of the book is the set-up for the series. We are introduced to Maisie’s background, family, and friends as well as showing her war experiences.

This book broke my heart and made me very sad. I actually wish I had stopped reading well before the end – maybe just after the mystery was solved – because I honestly didn’t want to see the rest. Was it realistic? Probably. Was it something I wanted to read or know? Absolutely not.

So, I would never read this book a second time, but I am glad I now know Maisie’s background. If you don’t mind gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, grossly sad books, you’ll probably enjoy the read more than I did. Still, it is well written.

View all my reviews

Mrs. Jeffries and the Midwinter Murders by Emily Brightwell

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Historical Mystery, Part of a Series, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

Mrs. Jeffries and the Midwinter Murders (Mrs. Jeffries, #40)Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Series: Mrs. Jeffries #40
Publication Date: 11/16/21
Period: Victorian London
Number of Pages: 304

Who can believe that this fun, entertaining, and well-written series now has forty books? It is amazing to realize how far our very naïve, backward, and unworldly Inspector has come since that first book. It is also amazing to see how his unknown crew of helpers has grown and matured in their means and methods of helping THEIR Inspector solve crimes – especially without letting him know he is being helped.

Christmas is rapidly approaching and everyone at Inspector Witherspoon’s is hoping their Inspector won’t catch any cases before the holiday because they are all looking forward to the celebrations. Sadly, that isn’t to be the case. Inspector Witherspoon is filling in for someone else when he is called to the scene of the murder of very wealthy Harriet Andover.

Harriet certainly had no intention of dying and spoiling anyone’s Christmas, but it seems that is just what happened when she is found in a locked room with the plaid belt to her husband’s robe wrapped tightly around her neck. Her husband seems grief-stricken – but is he really? Her step-children don’t even pretend they liked her, but the servants were all fond of her and appreciate her. She was a pleasant woman who treated the servants with respect and definitely improved their lives when she saw that they had proper food to eat and proper wages. It seems nobody really loved her though. At the same time, nobody seemed to hate her either.

There is, as always, much more to the inner workings of the family than is visible at first. While Inspector Witherspoon is quickly sure the servants aren’t involved in the death, there are five other residents in the household who could possibly have a motive. Mr. Jacob Andover, the husband, says he loved his wife – but did he? Her step-son, Percy Andover, was angry with her because she refused to keep supporting him and made him get a job. Mrs. Ellen Swineburn, Harriet’s step-daughter, felt Harriet was common and beneath the Andover’s social status – even though it was Harriet’s money that saved them all. Harriet’s best friend, Marcella Blakstone, is staying with the Andovers while her own home is having renovations done. There is also Harriet’s nephew from the United States, Reverend Daniel Wheeler, who has only just met his aunt for the first time. Is the murderer one of the house residents or guests? Or, is it someone from one of Harriet’s many and varied business dealings?

Inspector Gerald Witherspoon, Constable Griffiths, Constable Reed, and Constable Barnes will have their work cut out for them if they want to solve the case before Christmas. Of course, none of them other than Constable Barnes knows that they are also getting a massive dose of behind-the-scene help from the people who consider Inspector Witherspoon THEIR inspector and always want him to succeed. Mrs. Jeffries is the housekeeper and ring-leader of the group whose other members are: Luty Belle Crookshank – a wealthy American who loves bright colors; Hatchett, Luty Belle’s butler with benefits; Lady Ruby Cannonberry, widow of a peer; Smythe, the secretly very wealthy groom; Betsy, Smythe’s wife; Mrs. Goodge, the cook; Phyllis, the parlor maid; and Wiggins, the footman. With their wide set of skills, knowledge, social strata, and acquaintances – both home and abroad – they’ll fan out and gather clues they can surreptitiously pass along to the Inspector – especially through Constable Barnes.

This was a fun locked-room mystery and it took all of the skills and resources of our intrepid crew to solve the case and put the culprit where they belonged. We also get some good news and some upsetting news for our characters and we’ll just have to read the next books to see where it all goes.

I can definitely recommend this if you want an interesting mystery and some fun interactions with some lovely people. Now, I have to wait for the next one.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

View all my reviews