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What Members Thought
Jan 09, 2021
Cora
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mystery,
audible-prime-available,
woman-author,
detectives,
historical-fiction,
war,
europe,
england,
world-war-i,
1920s
Maisie Dobbs is the first in a mystery series set in the early 20th century about a woman detective in England. This first book sets the stage for the reader by introducing Maisie and giving her detailed backstory. While there is a mystery in this book, the main part of the book tells the story of Maisie's life and how she came to be detective. The book takes place during World War I and the themes of the story touch upon PTSD and the horrors of war once the soldiers return. I found the characte
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The book begins in 1929 with Maisie Dobbs taking her first case involving finding out whether or not a mans wife is cheating on him. This leads Maisie to The Retreat where many men who were disfigured during WWI have gone to live. About 70 pages into the book we suddenly enter a very long flashback section chronicling Misie's life from age 13 to her work as a nurse during the war. There was very little mystery in the book and what little there was was easy to solve. I really didn't like Maisie a
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This book wanted to be too many things at once. It was a historical fiction WWI piece telling a woman's story as a nurse in France. But it also wanted to be a mystery. But all the characters around Maisie are such true-hearted loving folks -- her long-suffering father, her benevolent employers, her sidekick. Maisie has such amazing empathy that she can imitate the body posture of those she is speaking with and feel what they are feeling. I found this "skill" hard to believe in and sort of trite.
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Sure it was a little predictable but I enjoy reading about this time in history, especially after watching Downton Abbey! Most of the time I like fast paced novels that have non stop action but for a rest from all that action I enjoy a slow moving story and this book filled the bill. I will read the next installment in the life of Maisie Dobbs.
Feb 23, 2010
Julianne
marked it as to-read
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
to-buy,
joanne-recommendations
Feb 25, 2011
Vesra (When She Reads)
marked it as to-read
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
series,
mystery,
e-book,
m,
author-w,
fiction,
historical,
women-sleuths,
mystery-thrillers,
contemporary-fiction
Feb 15, 2013
Jayme Pendergraft
rated it
liked it
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review of another edition
Shelves:
src-winter-2012,
2013
Apr 21, 2023
emily
marked it as to-read
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mystery-and-crime,
fiction-historical
