Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

World War One was such a huge undertaking, that even women were actively encouraged to sign-up and help in any way possible.  Due to an unforeseen event one day, our main character Maisie Dobbs felt compelled to defer her education to enroll as a nurse.  We first meet Maisie in 1929, approximately ten years after her nursing work.

She is now working in a second field that is most unusual for a women at that time: she is running an investigation firm.  Author JacquelineWinspear has created a most fascinating woman in Maisie.  While she comes from the working class, she has attained a high level of education and has worked for and with some of the elite of British Society. 

Maisie's first client is a husband who is distraught over his wife's semming infidelity.  What she discuovers during the course of her invetigation is much more sinister and disturbing than she could have imagined.

This was another one of those audiobooks that  kept me inventing excuses so I could get back in my car and drive around and listen.  I felt so comfortable with Maisie that I wanted to spend all my time with her.  I wanted to make tea with her and talk 'shop'.  She is definitely someone that I would be life long friends with.  Maisie is learned and worldly, yet not spoiled nor is she full of herself.  I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series as soon as time permits.

I listened to the unabridged BBC Audioboos America version.  Read by Rita Barrington.  10 hours 2 minutes.


Additional books in the Maisie Dobbs series:

2  Birds of a Feather
3  Pardonable Lies
4  Messenger of Truth
5  An Incomplete Revenge
6  Among the Mad
7  The Mapping of Love and Death
8  A Lesson in Secrets


Thanks to BBC Audiobooks America for the use of the cover photo.

I am much indebted to Martha at Hey, I want to Read That for posting her reviews of this series.