Book review: Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

I met Ann, a friend and former colleague of mine, for a breakfast a couple of weeks ago at the Good Earth restaurant in the Galleria Mall in Edina. The temps were well below zero, but braving the elements was well worth it. Over sips of Good Earth's wonderful herbal tea, we caught up on each other's lives (her son is a very talented actor and was auditioning for a rare spot in NYU or Yale's master's program in theater that weekend -- can't wait to hear the outcome), talked about mutual friends and acquaintances, and, of course, talked about books.

Ann introduced me to Ms. Winspear and the book with the title character, Maisie Dobbs.

After reading so many books that took place during or just after World War II, I was grateful to find that Maisie's story took place in the years just following World War I. Maisie is highly intelligent, quirky young woman who runs her own detective agency. The only daughter of a widowed greengrocer in London, Maisie is given a position as a maid in the household of a progressive upper-class household. She is discovered reading in the library in the wee morning hours by the lord and lady of the manor and is given the opportunity for an unusual education by someone who could only be described as a combination pathologist and psychiatrist. The story has a decidedly feminist undercurrent -- I love it when smart, strong women are central to the story. The book is a mystery with a bit of romance and war thrown in.

I found Maisie to be an original character and thoroughly enjoyed the book. Many have compared Ms. Winspear's writing style to that of Alexander McCall Smith's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. I can easily see that comparison as I have enjoyed all of Mr. Smith's books because of the peculiarities of the characters, the gentle cadence of the language, the underlying commentary of a larger social issue.

I am going to look for other books by Ms. Winspear. I would readily recommend Maisie Dobbs to other readers looking for a deftly-told mystery.