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Ann L. (Arnold, MD)
A Lesson in Secrets
This was a very entertaining mystery story. Maise Dobbs is a great character. Her fans will not be disappointed in latest adventure. Even though this book takes place in 1932, Maise is a very modern, independent woman. And she even
uses meditation to help her solve crimes. It's fun to read about her.
Margaret R. (Atlanta, GA)
A Lesson in Secrets
I am a great fan of Jacqueline Winspear having read all of her previous books. They present a picture of British life and thought during and after World War I along with an intriguing mystery. Her characters are all interesting and well developed, but this particular book had a few too many subplots and participants in them with changing names. Still it was a good read and a pleasant change from your run of the mill mystery.
Carolyn G. (Catskill, New York)
Loved the cover art too!
A Lesson in Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear is set in 1932 in England where Miss Maisie Dobbs, intrepid inquirer, is enlisted by the Secret Service and Scotland Yard to go undercover at a Cambridge college founded to promote peace after WW I. The sixth in a series by Ms. Winspear, her current offering compels the reader with an engrossing tale of secrets and lies uncovered as Maisie investigates a murder and other intrigues at the College of St. Francis. Subplots involving Maisie's co-worker and an acquaintance round out a well-told story about Pre-WW II England when Nazi influences are rising.
As a reader
…more unacquainted with Ms. Winspear's earlier work, I found this novel to be engaging and enjoyable. It is an easy read which draws one into the plot with ease and interest. With just enough touches of English society (so much tea drinking!), the novel moves along from early scene setting to tidy finale, when all threads of the story are pulled together. I did feel that the subplots were unnecessary to the plot but did fill out the character of Maisie quite nicely. If you are a fan of English mysteries and appreciate a strong, steady female heroine, this is the novel for you. I plan to go back and ready all of the Maisie Dobbs mysteries which hopefully are as enjoyable as was A Lesson in Secrets. (less)I've loved Maisie Dobbs ever since I met her eight novels ago. I think her kind spirit is the perfect foil to the sometimes grizzly crimes she investigates. I love that Billy her assistant isn't perfect and yet she continues to aid him and his family. In fact, it seems to be the imperfections in others that Maisie recognizes and with which she most readily bonds.
In A Lesson in Secrets, Maisie is called away from her home and her job to assist the British Secret Service in Cambridge at a small private college. Setting herself up as a philosophy teacher will allow Maisie to observe the comings and goings and get
…more to know the staff at the college all the while reporting back her findings. Of course the plot thickens when a death occurs on campus and Maisie begins to investigate. Meanwhile back home Billy is holding down the office with the new assistant, Sandra who soon becomes her own mystery.
One of the things I liked most about this novel is the inclusion of the factual history that was concerning Brits of the day. Hilter's influence is rising and clandestine Nazi groups are meeting but should they be of concern to law enforcement officials? I suspect there's more of that to come in future installments.
I think this book will be enjoyed most by those who have followed the series. If one comes into this book first there will be lots of questions raised about Maisie's past and characters who have been important earlier in her life. Besides, if you love Maisie the way I love Maisie you won't want to miss a single episode of her continuing saga. (less)As the world inches its way toward another war and zealot new groups in support of Hitler are on the rise, Maisie is asked by the British Secret Service to help with surveillance at a college in Cambridge that is committed to promoting peace. Not long after her arrival at the college, a murder occurs that puts Maisie at the center of new investigation that has all the twists and turns readers have come to expect and enjoy. Balancing this new assignment with several personal projects and her ongoing relationship with James, fans of Maisie Dobbs will continue to be more than satisfied.
Richard S. (Toledo, Ohio)
A Lesson in Secrets
This novel is most of all a story for Anglophiles. Set between two world wars, it includes most of the elements associated with popular perceptions of Great Britain: like titles of nobility; tea, lots of tea; Oxbridge; cockney rhyming slang; rigid class differences; the whole gamut of things Americans associate with the Brits. Nothing could be more British than the protagonist, Maisie Dobbs who is herself a symptom of changing times in England.
All of this forms the framework for a carefully structured story about possible espionage and the murder of a famed College dean . There are serious issues and important
…more topics discussed, but the focus is on the remarkable Miss Dobbs and the nation as envisaged by author Jacqueline Winspear. Readers should not expect realism, but should enjoy following Maisie as she leads them through the changing times with a cast of interesting characters. (less)This is the first Masie Dobbs book I've read. I wanted to read it because of my interest in the effects of WW 1 on English society as well as my passion for detective literature about that period. Unfortunately while Maise has a compelling history and proper wisdom for an English amateur detective the writing is less than stellar with numerous Gramatical errors that are disconcerting. Moreover the mystery is banal and slimly developed. One positive note is that Ms Dobbs is a likable creative character whose back story is unusual and time spent with her
Justifies further reading of the series.
Pepper E. (Lawrenceville, NJ)
Came to series late
I acquired this book as an Early Reviewer. I had seen books from this series and was intrigued. To arrive at #8 in a series, you have to have created a worthy and interesting character.
Part historical fiction and part mystery, I never felt I learned much about the years leading up to WW2 nor did I feel that page turning pull, but I thought Maisie was an interesting character.
Because I came to the series late, I worried I would not know enough about the characters to enjoy the story, but the author brought the novice up to speed where it mattered. I had an pre-conceived image of Maisie as a Jessica Fletcher
…more type, maybe because she was so proper and devoutly good. I was glad to find out she broke from that mold a bit (she spends the night with her boyfriend) but Maisie is exceeding generous and thoughtful, a la Alexander McCall Smith's female detective.
In that vein, I found the story slow and steady. In the end, I felt I could go back to earlier books in the series.
Reading other reviews, I see that Winspear has some true devotees, so that makes me want to put her in my "Want To Read" column. The pace of the writing would have me choose this series when I was looking for a comfortable and familiar distraction. (less)
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