Alice J. (ASJ) -
Very good addition to the series. Although there is a lot of foreshadowing where she will go with her personal life. I liked bringing in the Indian Culture to the book. Will be interesting to see where the series goes from here.
Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
First Line: Edith Billings-- Mrs. Edith Billings, that is, proprietor of Billings' Bakery-- watched as the dark woman walked past the shop window, her black head with its oiled ebony hair appearing to bob up and down between the top shelf of cottage loaves and the middle shelf of fancy cakes as she made her way along with a confidence to her step.
The dark woman Mrs. Edith Billings watched was Usha Pramal, whose body is later found floating in a South London canal. In two months Usha's brother steps off the ship from India and demands to know why more hasn't been done to find his sister's killer. Detective Inspector Caldwell knows that Scotland Yard did very little to investigate this murder and asks Maisie Dobbs if she will help Mr. Pramal.
Maisie learns that Usha was staying at an ayah's hotel with other Indian women whose British employers turned them out into the street when their services were no longer needed. Another woman at the hotel, Maya Patel, was Usha's friend and has information for Maisie, but Maya is killed before she can share what she knows. This case finds Maisie at a crossroads. She finds the Indian culture captivating, and she longs to travel in the same spirit as her mentor, Maurice Blanche, but her lover has given her an ultimatum, and an unfinished case demands to be taken care of.
As usual, Jacqueline Winspear brings 1930s London-- and the mindsets of so many of its citizens-- to life. The mystery kept me guessing right through the book. However, as any faithful Maisie Dobbs devotee will tell you, the mysteries are first-rate, but that's not the real reason why we eagerly await each new book in the series.
We faithful come back for Maisie herself. Her life has changed dramatically since the very first book, and we have to see how she will adapt. This book, more than any other, shows that there could very well be some great changes in her life in the near future. Maisie still isn't completely comfortable with her inheritance, but she has seen that playing Lady Bountiful with her friends and employees isn't the best way to deal with it. It's taken her a long time to overcome the horror she experienced as a nurse at the front during World War I, but she now has a sense of what she wants from life-- and what she wants to give to it. I can't wait to see what's in store when next we meet this wonderful character that Jacqueline Winspear has created. Maisie Dobbs is a treasure.
The dark woman Mrs. Edith Billings watched was Usha Pramal, whose body is later found floating in a South London canal. In two months Usha's brother steps off the ship from India and demands to know why more hasn't been done to find his sister's killer. Detective Inspector Caldwell knows that Scotland Yard did very little to investigate this murder and asks Maisie Dobbs if she will help Mr. Pramal.
Maisie learns that Usha was staying at an ayah's hotel with other Indian women whose British employers turned them out into the street when their services were no longer needed. Another woman at the hotel, Maya Patel, was Usha's friend and has information for Maisie, but Maya is killed before she can share what she knows. This case finds Maisie at a crossroads. She finds the Indian culture captivating, and she longs to travel in the same spirit as her mentor, Maurice Blanche, but her lover has given her an ultimatum, and an unfinished case demands to be taken care of.
As usual, Jacqueline Winspear brings 1930s London-- and the mindsets of so many of its citizens-- to life. The mystery kept me guessing right through the book. However, as any faithful Maisie Dobbs devotee will tell you, the mysteries are first-rate, but that's not the real reason why we eagerly await each new book in the series.
We faithful come back for Maisie herself. Her life has changed dramatically since the very first book, and we have to see how she will adapt. This book, more than any other, shows that there could very well be some great changes in her life in the near future. Maisie still isn't completely comfortable with her inheritance, but she has seen that playing Lady Bountiful with her friends and employees isn't the best way to deal with it. It's taken her a long time to overcome the horror she experienced as a nurse at the front during World War I, but she now has a sense of what she wants from life-- and what she wants to give to it. I can't wait to see what's in store when next we meet this wonderful character that Jacqueline Winspear has created. Maisie Dobbs is a treasure.
R E K. (bigstone) - , reviewed Leaving Everything Most Loved (Maisie Dobbs, Bk 10) on + 1452 more book reviews
The Maisie Dobbs series is one I enjoy - light entertaining mysteries that took place in the 1930s. Maisie is an independent woman who pursues her own life but like many questions her pending decisions until she thinks carefully about them. At this point she yearns to travel, following the steps of her mentor to widen her experiences. Yet she knows she loves James as much as she can.
When she is solicited to investigate the murder of a beautiful, intelligent Indian woman loved, it seems, by everyone, she must unwind the complex life she led and the relationships she had with so many. When the woman's friend is likewise murdered in the same manner the mystery deepens. It's not a mystery the reader can unravel easily. It's a quick read and enjoyable with Maisie embarking on a trip to India at the book's end.
I found myself wondering whether she would return to James as well as how Winspear would develop the series from here. Most enjoyable.
When she is solicited to investigate the murder of a beautiful, intelligent Indian woman loved, it seems, by everyone, she must unwind the complex life she led and the relationships she had with so many. When the woman's friend is likewise murdered in the same manner the mystery deepens. It's not a mystery the reader can unravel easily. It's a quick read and enjoyable with Maisie embarking on a trip to India at the book's end.
I found myself wondering whether she would return to James as well as how Winspear would develop the series from here. Most enjoyable.
Love the Maisie Dobbs series. Really helps to read them in order! and this is #10. The background and history is great.
