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Maisie Dobbs #9
Elegy for Eddie
Early April, 1933. Maisie’s newest clients are the costermongers of Covent Garden, men who sell fruit and vegetables from horse-drawn carts on the streets of London. To the costers, Eddie Pettit was simply a gentle soul with a near-magical gift for working with horses, and when he is killed in a violent accident, the costers are skeptical about the cause of his death. Because her father, Frankie, had been a fellow costermonger, Maisie has known these men since childhood and remembers Eddie fondly, so she is determined to help, but it soon becomes clear that powerful political and financial forces are equally determined to prevent her from learning too much about Eddie’s death.
Maisie’s search for answers begins in the working-class streets of Lambeth—where Eddie lived, and where she grew up—but quickly leads her to a callous press baron, a “has been” politician named Winston Churchill lingering in the hinterlands of power and, most surprisingly, to Douglas Partridge, the husband of her dearest friend, Priscilla. As Maisie uncovers lies and manipulation on a national scale, she must decide whether to risk all to see justice done.
The story of a London affected by the march to another war years before the first shot is fired, and of an innocent victim caught in the shadow of power,
Maisie’s search for answers begins in the working-class streets of Lambeth—where Eddie lived, and where she grew up—but quickly leads her to a callous press baron, a “has been” politician named Winston Churchill lingering in the hinterlands of power and, most surprisingly, to Douglas Partridge, the husband of her dearest friend, Priscilla. As Maisie uncovers lies and manipulation on a national scale, she must decide whether to risk all to see justice done.
The story of a London affected by the march to another war years before the first shot is fired, and of an innocent victim caught in the shadow of power,
357 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2012
2079 people are currently reading
6184 people want to read
About the author
Jacqueline Winspear
61 books8,327 followersJacqueline Winspear was born and raised in the county of Kent, England. Following higher education at the University of London’s Institute of Education, Jacqueline worked in academic publishing, in higher education and in marketing communications in the UK.
She emigrated to the United States in 1990, and while working in business and as a personal / professional coach, Jacqueline embarked upon a life-long dream to be a writer.
A regular contributor to journals covering international education, Jacqueline has published articles in women's magazines and has also recorded her essays for KQED radio in San Francisco. She currently divides her time between Ojai and the San Francisco Bay Area and is a regular visitor to the United Kingdom and Europe.
Jacqueline is the author of the New York Times bestsellers A Lesson in Secrets, The Mapping of Love and Death, Among the Mad, and An Incomplete Revenge, and other nationally bestselling Maisie Dobbs novels. She has won numerous awards for her work, including the Agatha, Alex,
and Macavity awards for the first book in the series, Maisie Dobbs, which was also nominated for the Edgar Award for best novel and was a New York Times
Notable Book.
Series:
* Maisie Dobbs
http://us.macmillan.com/author/jacque...
She emigrated to the United States in 1990, and while working in business and as a personal / professional coach, Jacqueline embarked upon a life-long dream to be a writer.
A regular contributor to journals covering international education, Jacqueline has published articles in women's magazines and has also recorded her essays for KQED radio in San Francisco. She currently divides her time between Ojai and the San Francisco Bay Area and is a regular visitor to the United Kingdom and Europe.
Jacqueline is the author of the New York Times bestsellers A Lesson in Secrets, The Mapping of Love and Death, Among the Mad, and An Incomplete Revenge, and other nationally bestselling Maisie Dobbs novels. She has won numerous awards for her work, including the Agatha, Alex,
and Macavity awards for the first book in the series, Maisie Dobbs, which was also nominated for the Edgar Award for best novel and was a New York Times
Notable Book.
Series:
* Maisie Dobbs
http://us.macmillan.com/author/jacque...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,110 reviews
May 19, 2012
I have thoroughly enjoyed Winspear's previous Maisie Dobbs books, but I found myself losing patience with Maisie this time around.
Perhaps she is like a friend that I need to distance myself from for a little while--I just don't feel like giving her the respect she probably deserves. But, she is annoying me. Big time.
She is so bright and so intuitive, but she is starting to feel like a bossy-pants and self-righteous know-it-all. I wish she'd lighten up a bit.
She has a devilish, darling best friend that she never seems to make time for;
She has a father she adores, but only pops in to visit on rare occasions;
She has a fabulous businessman/Vicount lover that she can't quite get enthusiastic about;
WHY!
If she is so darn smart, why can't she see that life is good. Smell the roses! I think Maisie Dobbs just does a bit too much navel-gazing. I adored the earlier books, but this just may be the case of knowing a character too well. She was more interesting when there were still things to learn about her. Now that I am familiar with all her quirks, she is far less appealing.
Perhaps she is like a friend that I need to distance myself from for a little while--I just don't feel like giving her the respect she probably deserves. But, she is annoying me. Big time.
She is so bright and so intuitive, but she is starting to feel like a bossy-pants and self-righteous know-it-all. I wish she'd lighten up a bit.
She has a devilish, darling best friend that she never seems to make time for;
She has a father she adores, but only pops in to visit on rare occasions;
She has a fabulous businessman/Vicount lover that she can't quite get enthusiastic about;
WHY!
If she is so darn smart, why can't she see that life is good. Smell the roses! I think Maisie Dobbs just does a bit too much navel-gazing. I adored the earlier books, but this just may be the case of knowing a character too well. She was more interesting when there were still things to learn about her. Now that I am familiar with all her quirks, she is far less appealing.
July 6, 2017
Number nine in the series and still holding my interest.
Lots of interesting facts in this one about life between the wars in England. Maisie attends functions and weekend house parties where Churchill is also a guest and there is much discussion about Hitler and his possible effect on their peace.
Maisie still struggles in her romantic life and still attempts to organise her friends and employee's lives. She comes really unstuck on that issue and starts to see that people like to be responsible for their own lives however hard they may be.
For me this was an enjoyable book but mainly because I have been following Maisie since book one and I am interested in seeing her life develop.
Lots of interesting facts in this one about life between the wars in England. Maisie attends functions and weekend house parties where Churchill is also a guest and there is much discussion about Hitler and his possible effect on their peace.
Maisie still struggles in her romantic life and still attempts to organise her friends and employee's lives. She comes really unstuck on that issue and starts to see that people like to be responsible for their own lives however hard they may be.
For me this was an enjoyable book but mainly because I have been following Maisie since book one and I am interested in seeing her life develop.
March 20, 2023
"And Allah took a handful of southerly wind, blew His breath over it, and created the horse."---BEDOUIN LEGEND
Elegy for Eddie takes place in 1933 when Maisie Dobbs is approached by the costermongers of Covent Garden seeking her help to investigate a suspicious and violent accident that killed Eddie Pettit. Because Maisie's father Frank was a costermonger, selling fruits and vegetables from a horse-drawn cart, Maisie has grown up with these men and knew Eddie well. Eddie was regarded by all as a simple and gentle soul with a gift for working with the horses. Because of her ties, Maisie is determined to help but it quickly becomes clear that there are powerful and political forces at work to prevent her from learning too much as the mystery deepens. Ms. Dobbs begins to discover that all is not as it seems as she begins to uncover lies and manipulation on a national scale. Amid all of this intrigue the winds of war were developing in London as the Nazis and Hitler began their rise to power. Throughout this novel one continues to be haunted by the Epigraph:
"For evil to happen, all that is necessary is for good men to do nothing."---EDMUND BURKE
July 29, 2016
You want to read perfect mysteries set between the wars? Read the immortal Dorothy Sayers.
The reason I bring Sayers up here (aside from the fact that anyone who loves mysteries should read her) is that her books crackled with everything Winspear's do not: characterizations that are more than superficial, well written dialogue (Winspear's writing if anything gets more stilted and stiff with each book) and above all, humor.
Even at his most fluffy, Lord Peter Wimsey is a heckuva lot more real than Maisie has become over these 9 books. Indeed, Sayers allowed us to see WHY Wimsey was fluffy and allowed him to grow and develop. She may not, like Winspear, have had a degree in psychology, but she had a far better sense of how people really behave. Wimsey's evolving relationship with Harriet Vane and Harriet's own self searching, particularly in the immortal Gaudy Night,have far more depth than Maisie's musings and I care about Peter and Harriet as characters. They feel like real people.
Maisie is someone whom I visit for an idle hour. Sayers' books are tomes I read and re-read to the point of now buying them as ebooks so that I can always have them to hand.
Sayers may not have been a "life coach", but she could write Winspear into a wall with one hand tied behind her back.
The reason I bring Sayers up here (aside from the fact that anyone who loves mysteries should read her) is that her books crackled with everything Winspear's do not: characterizations that are more than superficial, well written dialogue (Winspear's writing if anything gets more stilted and stiff with each book) and above all, humor.
Even at his most fluffy, Lord Peter Wimsey is a heckuva lot more real than Maisie has become over these 9 books. Indeed, Sayers allowed us to see WHY Wimsey was fluffy and allowed him to grow and develop. She may not, like Winspear, have had a degree in psychology, but she had a far better sense of how people really behave. Wimsey's evolving relationship with Harriet Vane and Harriet's own self searching, particularly in the immortal Gaudy Night,have far more depth than Maisie's musings and I care about Peter and Harriet as characters. They feel like real people.
Maisie is someone whom I visit for an idle hour. Sayers' books are tomes I read and re-read to the point of now buying them as ebooks so that I can always have them to hand.
Sayers may not have been a "life coach", but she could write Winspear into a wall with one hand tied behind her back.
April 8, 2021
I’ve loved this series and the last two books in particular and from the description I was afraid I wouldn’t enjoy this book as much as the others. I had nothing to fear. I was drawn into this book as much as I was to the others. There were so many things about it that I loved. It might be another one of my favorites. This series keeps getting better and better, overall. I’m glad that there are several more already published series books for me to read
If someone has a horse/horses shelf this book should be on it.
One thing I liked about this book is that I didn’t guess that much about the mysteries and I often do. The solutions here were all plausible.
I’m liking that it’s obvious we’re heading toward WWII and that in this book there was virtually nothing about WWI. I’ve had enough of WWI though I realize that there is likely to be more and as long as it’s not the main focus I’m okay with that.
I like how Maisie’s life and circumstances continue to develop.
I’m finding that I don’t laugh the way I did when I read the first books with a friend though I do still “get” what humor is included.
4-1/2 stars
If someone has a horse/horses shelf this book should be on it.
One thing I liked about this book is that I didn’t guess that much about the mysteries and I often do. The solutions here were all plausible.
I’m liking that it’s obvious we’re heading toward WWII and that in this book there was virtually nothing about WWI. I’ve had enough of WWI though I realize that there is likely to be more and as long as it’s not the main focus I’m okay with that.
I like how Maisie’s life and circumstances continue to develop.
I’m finding that I don’t laugh the way I did when I read the first books with a friend though I do still “get” what humor is included.
4-1/2 stars
January 26, 2016
2 1/2.
Sigh. I really thought that my waning enthusiasm for this series had been defeated by the last few books, but it seems not. I found myself really frustrated with Maisie as a character here - frequently muttering to myself "Oh, get off your high horse, Maisie." She just comes off as super judgmental oftentimes, and even when minor characters challenge her on it - or tell her to stop interfering and trying to run everybody else's lives - she sort of acknowledges it but says "but, I'm right, so I'll keep doing it anyway."
I also found myself growing tired of her love life drama. I just can't figure out what sort of long game Winspear is playing here, but it grows tiresome to read about. Also, I kind of wish I had never read that in real life Winspear works/has worked as a life coach, because every time the story starts to go on a psychological sort of tangent (which is not seldom) I find myself kind of tuning out.
And, my final grumble has to do with the historical accuracy of this one. Which I also feel sort of hinky having a problem with, because although I do know a fair amount about World War II and events leading up to it, I'm not an expert. That said, it definitely feels like the characters had knowledge that wouldn't have been readily available in 1933 - and even if it was, I'm not sure that it would be keeping in character for the people who had it to just spew it a Maisy.
I don't know. Maybe I'm nitpicking because this book annoyed me. But it *did* annoy me, and that counts for something, no?
Sigh. I really thought that my waning enthusiasm for this series had been defeated by the last few books, but it seems not. I found myself really frustrated with Maisie as a character here - frequently muttering to myself "Oh, get off your high horse, Maisie." She just comes off as super judgmental oftentimes, and even when minor characters challenge her on it - or tell her to stop interfering and trying to run everybody else's lives - she sort of acknowledges it but says "but, I'm right, so I'll keep doing it anyway."
I also found myself growing tired of her love life drama. I just can't figure out what sort of long game Winspear is playing here, but it grows tiresome to read about. Also, I kind of wish I had never read that in real life Winspear works/has worked as a life coach, because every time the story starts to go on a psychological sort of tangent (which is not seldom) I find myself kind of tuning out.
And, my final grumble has to do with the historical accuracy of this one. Which I also feel sort of hinky having a problem with, because although I do know a fair amount about World War II and events leading up to it, I'm not an expert. That said, it definitely feels like the characters had knowledge that wouldn't have been readily available in 1933 - and even if it was, I'm not sure that it would be keeping in character for the people who had it to just spew it a Maisy.
I don't know. Maybe I'm nitpicking because this book annoyed me. But it *did* annoy me, and that counts for something, no?
February 12, 2012
If you are a fan of Jacqueline Winspear’s mysteries set in London between the World Wars, when you read her last book (A Lesson in Secrets), you might have thought Maisie Dobb’s life was getting all neatly bundled up—love interest, check, financial well-being, check, good mental state, check, clear career goals, check. Perhaps overly settled. I almost thought things were getting a bit too comfy for Maisie, Winspear’s sleuth. Where’s the excitement in that? I shouldn’t have worried. Jacqueline Winspear has written Elegy for Eddie. Without any soap opera antics, just Winspear’s impeccable, nuanced character development, Maisie is at sea again in a variety of ways—all those comfortable expectations you were left with at the end of Lesson are unraveling—and she’s solving a mystery of a completely new sort.
The Eddie of the title was an unusual man. Most people thought he was “slow,” but those who knew him well saw a lot more to him. He had remarkable talents, both obvious and hidden. He was best known for his mystical ability to quiet horses. That he was born in a stable doesn’t quite explain this skill, although that’s what the gossips say. When he dies in an "accident," the cockney costermongers of Maisie's childhood feel justice hasn't been done and they come to see her. Winspear’s own love for horses comes out beautifully in this novel. And her elegy for a man who today might be labeled “special needs” is sensitive and deeply moving. Winspear never slips into clichéd ideas. That her idea for Eddie arose from the story of a real man, or the little fragment she heard about him, makes this even more touching.
I was struck in the first part of the book by the absence of the shadow of World War II—or so I thought. A Lesson in Secrets focused largely on this looming threat. But here again in Elegy, Winspear shows the insidious influence of both the World Wars, the one behind these characters and the one they will soon face. She draws with a sure hand the web of disaster closing in on England and America, and the corrupting effect of war’s threat, even on men of good intentions. Here are “villains” whose crimes you may have to overlook and “heroes” whose secrets you may grow to despise. Winspear has tied together a page-turning mystery with a level of moral complexity rarely seen in the genre.
The Eddie of the title was an unusual man. Most people thought he was “slow,” but those who knew him well saw a lot more to him. He had remarkable talents, both obvious and hidden. He was best known for his mystical ability to quiet horses. That he was born in a stable doesn’t quite explain this skill, although that’s what the gossips say. When he dies in an "accident," the cockney costermongers of Maisie's childhood feel justice hasn't been done and they come to see her. Winspear’s own love for horses comes out beautifully in this novel. And her elegy for a man who today might be labeled “special needs” is sensitive and deeply moving. Winspear never slips into clichéd ideas. That her idea for Eddie arose from the story of a real man, or the little fragment she heard about him, makes this even more touching.
I was struck in the first part of the book by the absence of the shadow of World War II—or so I thought. A Lesson in Secrets focused largely on this looming threat. But here again in Elegy, Winspear shows the insidious influence of both the World Wars, the one behind these characters and the one they will soon face. She draws with a sure hand the web of disaster closing in on England and America, and the corrupting effect of war’s threat, even on men of good intentions. Here are “villains” whose crimes you may have to overlook and “heroes” whose secrets you may grow to despise. Winspear has tied together a page-turning mystery with a level of moral complexity rarely seen in the genre.
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February 9, 2017
Sigh. I used to love this series. I loved the main character of Maisie Dobbs and how she ahead of her time in all the right ways, yet grounded and mature without being overbearing or pious. Though this book was not enough to stop me from reading the next in the series, it was enough to rob me of nearly any enthusiasm I had for it. Maisie's adolescent-like angst about her romantic relationship was annoying. The author is ruining the character by having her become overly brooding and stand-offish. Why shouldn't she be able to maintain a relationship? Can't strong, intelligent women do that? And why all the put downs of women in general by Maisie? She was several times in the book aggravated by the idea of having to spend time away from the men to socialize with women. While I get the author is trying to portray Maisie as less than comfortable with her new role as a rich woman, does she really have to do so by portraying women who already have money as universally shallow? She doesn't want to talk to the society women who are obsessed with fashion, yet she finds her best friend Patricia's love of fashion an endearing quirk. Finally, I read plenty of modern books with plenty of modern elements. Realistically, though, I do not find it believable that Maisie Dobbs would essentially "live-in-sin" (as it was once referred to in the book) with James Compton, yet still be seen as respectable by the service staff that she s claims to feel equal with. That is an element of the book I find totally incongruous with the period and honestly unneccessary to the plot. It is almost another insult that they author thinks Maisie needs to be completely modern in today's society to be respected by modern readers. I read Maisie Dobbs for an intelligent, mature, grounded heroine....a veritable adult Nancy Drew. Instead, she appears to be turning into Bella Swan.
May 22, 2012
Our latest installment in the life and times of Maisie Dobbs finds Maisie trying to strike the right balance between her working class roots and her new-found prosperity - a seemingly hopeless endeavor.
At the heart of this mystery is the quest to find out what happened to Eddie Petitt- an autistic, horse-whispering costermonger who was an old friend of Maisie and her dad back in the day. Was his death an accident, or did gentle, innocent Eddie have unknown enemies?
As Maisie seeks to ferret out the truth, her romantic relationship with James Crompton undergoes some serious growing pains, as we all knew it would. I mean, does anyone really think Maisie has it in her to buckle down to the role of titled society wife?
Meanwhile, ominous storm clouds continue to brew concerning Hitler's rise to power in Germany, and Maisie meets Winston Churchill at a society 'do.
All-in-all, an OK chapter in the Maisie saga, but there seemed to be too much telling (not showing) of the story by Winspear, and some dialogue that was in serious need of editing. Why are editors/publishers too scared to tell their successful authors when their writing isn't up to scratch? It's a disservice to them and to the reader. Perhaps the curse of the series novel makes it impossible to sustain the same level of quality writing after the first 2 or 3 books; the race to churn out yet another by the next deadline doesn't lend itself to maintaining an even creative keel, and must lead to cutting corners and sometimes "phoning it in".
Regardless, I'm still a fan of the series, but I don't know how much more Maisie (or Winspear, for that matter) has in her. Sometimes, you need to know when it's time to put your creation to bed.
At the heart of this mystery is the quest to find out what happened to Eddie Petitt- an autistic, horse-whispering costermonger who was an old friend of Maisie and her dad back in the day. Was his death an accident, or did gentle, innocent Eddie have unknown enemies?
As Maisie seeks to ferret out the truth, her romantic relationship with James Crompton undergoes some serious growing pains, as we all knew it would. I mean, does anyone really think Maisie has it in her to buckle down to the role of titled society wife?
Meanwhile, ominous storm clouds continue to brew concerning Hitler's rise to power in Germany, and Maisie meets Winston Churchill at a society 'do.
All-in-all, an OK chapter in the Maisie saga, but there seemed to be too much telling (not showing) of the story by Winspear, and some dialogue that was in serious need of editing. Why are editors/publishers too scared to tell their successful authors when their writing isn't up to scratch? It's a disservice to them and to the reader. Perhaps the curse of the series novel makes it impossible to sustain the same level of quality writing after the first 2 or 3 books; the race to churn out yet another by the next deadline doesn't lend itself to maintaining an even creative keel, and must lead to cutting corners and sometimes "phoning it in".
Regardless, I'm still a fan of the series, but I don't know how much more Maisie (or Winspear, for that matter) has in her. Sometimes, you need to know when it's time to put your creation to bed.
July 23, 2014
2.5 stars. Like her other books in this series, it is quite readable but the attention to period detail is absent on two major points which spoiled my enjoyment of this book.
The tediously ongoing, hot-and-cold relationship between the main character and her lover has become quite unbelievable here. She is now living (part-time, when not shuttling between her own two residences) with her lover. Yet there is no intimation anywhere in the book that there is anything untoward about this arrangement. As well, in an era when women were brought up to believe that their unique and ultimate goal in life is marriage and given that there was a dearth of men because of the war, it is just unbelievable that a woman would waffle about marriage to a gentlemen with a large income and a large house.
Secondly, there has always been a very modern pop-psychology, touchy-feeliness hovering about the books which I found to be more present in this book and which also spoils the period atmosphere. This is most evident in the relationship between the main character and her father. We use the expression 'living in sin' humourously these days, but people of the period in which the book is set would have used the expression quite seriously. Yet her father, who is of a working class background, is too sensitive to interfere in his only child's emotional life. Quite unbelievable.
The tediously ongoing, hot-and-cold relationship between the main character and her lover has become quite unbelievable here. She is now living (part-time, when not shuttling between her own two residences) with her lover. Yet there is no intimation anywhere in the book that there is anything untoward about this arrangement. As well, in an era when women were brought up to believe that their unique and ultimate goal in life is marriage and given that there was a dearth of men because of the war, it is just unbelievable that a woman would waffle about marriage to a gentlemen with a large income and a large house.
Secondly, there has always been a very modern pop-psychology, touchy-feeliness hovering about the books which I found to be more present in this book and which also spoils the period atmosphere. This is most evident in the relationship between the main character and her father. We use the expression 'living in sin' humourously these days, but people of the period in which the book is set would have used the expression quite seriously. Yet her father, who is of a working class background, is too sensitive to interfere in his only child's emotional life. Quite unbelievable.
August 5, 2012
This installment seemed more of a placeholder or set-up for whatever's coming next than a story in its own right. There was a still a mystery to be solved, one that connected to Maisie's own childhood, but the whole book presented itself as a lead-up to bigger, more ominous events to come. The Nazi threat is growing and those few who are willing to read the "tea leaves" are understandably concerned about the possibility of another war, but the trade-offs get into awfully gray areas ethically. Is it permissible to kill one innocent person to protect a secret that may save thousands? Interesting to see the direction Maisie's personal life is going as well. She's still struggling with the emotional trauma of wartime.
Ms. Winspear still enjoys describing the fashions of the day in great detail, but her thorough research seemed to be interwoven into the narrative better than usual. The period tidbits didn't stick out quite as much as usual, though I appreciated the explanation of the origin of the word "hiking" - a contraction of the "hill walking" that was so encouraged for exercise and morale-boosting after World War I by the British government.
For more book reviews, come visit my blog, Build Enough Bookshelves.
Ms. Winspear still enjoys describing the fashions of the day in great detail, but her thorough research seemed to be interwoven into the narrative better than usual. The period tidbits didn't stick out quite as much as usual, though I appreciated the explanation of the origin of the word "hiking" - a contraction of the "hill walking" that was so encouraged for exercise and morale-boosting after World War I by the British government.
For more book reviews, come visit my blog, Build Enough Bookshelves.
August 20, 2012
I purposely did not read my review of Winspear’s previous Maisie Dobbs novel, A Lesson in Secrets, because I didn’t want the disappointment I felt in that book to cloud my judgement of Elegy for Eddie. I have invested a lot of time into this series and want nothing more than for my love affair with Maisie and her world to continue for a long, long time. After A Lesson in Secrets, I had serious doubts. Thankfully, Winspear addressed my biggest complaint in Elegy for Eddie, focusing almost exclusively on Maisie’s development as a character.
The mystery Maisie is tasked with solving involves a man from her childhood in Lambeth, Eddie Pettit, a simple-minded man (who might be considered autistic in the 21st century) who has a way with horses. It takes her back to her humble Lambeth roots and throws her newfound life as a rich woman in an affair with a Viscount into sharp relief. Maisie is uncomfortable with the legacy Maurice left her, as well as uncomfortable with the position she holds as James’ lover. To all appearances, she has everything she should ever want but realizes that this life, especially that part with James, suffocates her. As a result, her relationship, the one that Winspear has failed to develop, goes from off the page bliss in the previous two books to on the page tension in this one.
The reviews on Amazon have been positive, with the one recurring caveat that Maisie spends an inordinate amount of time navel gazing. In comparison to previous books where inner thoughts about her personal life were restricted to a few sentences sprinkled throughout the book, the amount of introspection in the novel is shocking. It is, however, long overdue. All the self-reflection and conflict with Billy and his wife and James moves her forward as a character in a way that hasn’t happened since she had her breakdown in book three.
What does this mean for the Maisie? She and James have settled into a relationship that is basically a placeholder for each until they find the person they fall in love with. To paraphrase a comment Maisie made to Priscilla regarding their affair, she and James have shown each other they can love again. Maisie was confronted, by a few different instances, the most notable being the attack on Billy and the repercussions, by the fact that, in the guise of helping, she tries too hard to order everyone elses’ life. Her aid truly comes from an empathetic, caring heart, but the inheritance from Maurice has enabled her to go overboard (buying a house for the Beales; paying for Sandra’s college) and has put her friends in the position to never be able to repay her. Finally, her insistence on walking a “narrow path” and trying to account for every eventuality before it happens, as well as her lack of experience in the wider world made her realize her life is lacking in spontaneity, fun and travel. Hopefully, all of this introspection will allow Maisie to spread her wings a bit more.
Ironic that I have not addressed the central mystery in the mystery novel. In the end, it is less about the simple horse whisperer from Maisie’s past, but instead is about one man’s plan, through his media empire, to increase patriotism and remind the British people all they have to lose if it comes to war with Hitler. The man, Otterburn, is in cahoots with Winston Churchill, who at this point in British history was a political outcast, spending his time writing essays about I don’t now what, and if Winspear is to be believed, preparing the British people, mentally, for the war some were sure was on the horizon. James Compton is even involved in Ottoburn’s long-term plan. It seems far-fetched at first glance, but upon reflection, I admire the way that Winspear was able to weave characters we’ve been familiar with for a while (James, Priscilla’s husband) into the long road to war storyline.
As far as I’m concerned, The Mapping of Love and Death is an anomaly in the series, though I admit that it might improve on a re-read, especially with the knowledge of where Maisie is going. I feel that, with Elegy for Eddie, Winspear has finally committed to looking forward instead of back, with Maisie as well as with the world she lives in.
Other Thoughts:
This is the first mystery that has nothing to do with the Great War.
Maisie only mentions her work as a nurse once in the book. And Billy’s communication skills from the war play no part at all. Progress!
One of my favorite books is Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher. It’s always entertaining to count the number of times people have tea. I found myself doing the same thing in Elegy for Eddie. Seriously, what is it with the Brits and drinking tea?
I do hope that Maisie moves forward with the times, soon, and has Sandra and Billy start calling her by her Christian name.
If Maisie does go abroad, I predict she goes to Germany. I hope we go with her.
I’m still holding out hope for the drawing-room mystery I suggested in last year’s review.
Well, I read the book in a day and now I have to wait another year for the next book. That makes me a sad panda.
The mystery Maisie is tasked with solving involves a man from her childhood in Lambeth, Eddie Pettit, a simple-minded man (who might be considered autistic in the 21st century) who has a way with horses. It takes her back to her humble Lambeth roots and throws her newfound life as a rich woman in an affair with a Viscount into sharp relief. Maisie is uncomfortable with the legacy Maurice left her, as well as uncomfortable with the position she holds as James’ lover. To all appearances, she has everything she should ever want but realizes that this life, especially that part with James, suffocates her. As a result, her relationship, the one that Winspear has failed to develop, goes from off the page bliss in the previous two books to on the page tension in this one.
The reviews on Amazon have been positive, with the one recurring caveat that Maisie spends an inordinate amount of time navel gazing. In comparison to previous books where inner thoughts about her personal life were restricted to a few sentences sprinkled throughout the book, the amount of introspection in the novel is shocking. It is, however, long overdue. All the self-reflection and conflict with Billy and his wife and James moves her forward as a character in a way that hasn’t happened since she had her breakdown in book three.
What does this mean for the Maisie? She and James have settled into a relationship that is basically a placeholder for each until they find the person they fall in love with. To paraphrase a comment Maisie made to Priscilla regarding their affair, she and James have shown each other they can love again. Maisie was confronted, by a few different instances, the most notable being the attack on Billy and the repercussions, by the fact that, in the guise of helping, she tries too hard to order everyone elses’ life. Her aid truly comes from an empathetic, caring heart, but the inheritance from Maurice has enabled her to go overboard (buying a house for the Beales; paying for Sandra’s college) and has put her friends in the position to never be able to repay her. Finally, her insistence on walking a “narrow path” and trying to account for every eventuality before it happens, as well as her lack of experience in the wider world made her realize her life is lacking in spontaneity, fun and travel. Hopefully, all of this introspection will allow Maisie to spread her wings a bit more.
Ironic that I have not addressed the central mystery in the mystery novel. In the end, it is less about the simple horse whisperer from Maisie’s past, but instead is about one man’s plan, through his media empire, to increase patriotism and remind the British people all they have to lose if it comes to war with Hitler. The man, Otterburn, is in cahoots with Winston Churchill, who at this point in British history was a political outcast, spending his time writing essays about I don’t now what, and if Winspear is to be believed, preparing the British people, mentally, for the war some were sure was on the horizon. James Compton is even involved in Ottoburn’s long-term plan. It seems far-fetched at first glance, but upon reflection, I admire the way that Winspear was able to weave characters we’ve been familiar with for a while (James, Priscilla’s husband) into the long road to war storyline.
As far as I’m concerned, The Mapping of Love and Death is an anomaly in the series, though I admit that it might improve on a re-read, especially with the knowledge of where Maisie is going. I feel that, with Elegy for Eddie, Winspear has finally committed to looking forward instead of back, with Maisie as well as with the world she lives in.
Other Thoughts:
This is the first mystery that has nothing to do with the Great War.
Maisie only mentions her work as a nurse once in the book. And Billy’s communication skills from the war play no part at all. Progress!
One of my favorite books is Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher. It’s always entertaining to count the number of times people have tea. I found myself doing the same thing in Elegy for Eddie. Seriously, what is it with the Brits and drinking tea?
I do hope that Maisie moves forward with the times, soon, and has Sandra and Billy start calling her by her Christian name.
If Maisie does go abroad, I predict she goes to Germany. I hope we go with her.
I’m still holding out hope for the drawing-room mystery I suggested in last year’s review.
Well, I read the book in a day and now I have to wait another year for the next book. That makes me a sad panda.
January 4, 2013
As I first worked my way through this novel, I thought it struck some discordant notes -- most particularly in the characterization of James Compton, who seemed to go from a highly supportive, independent partner for Maisie to a more controlling and elitist figure. However, after reading it through to the ending, I realize how many of the elements that I thought rang false are instead clues. Maisie keeps feeling as though she's "suffocating" in this book and cannot share this with James; yet it turns out she's not the only one who leaves things unspoken, or who can keep secrets for the best of reasons.
The most I think about this book, the more I like it. All the story elements serve and support one another, whether it's the common-law wife of the dead journalist making Maisie question her own role in James' life; the political elements of union-busting and pro-Nazi feeling that come out in the case and shadow Maisie's private world; how most of the problems she and James face come not from each other but from their attempts to fit into roles defined by society; and most tellingly, the way Maisie's do-gooder energies can backfire on both herself and those she most wants to help. It's woven together delicately but very strongly.
If I have any criticism, it's that I feel Billy and Doreen's story needs to take a definite turn before too long. Their many hardships are all believable individually, but it's starting to feel like they just get punished again and again. As much as I like the character of Billy, it would be okay with me if the family finally takes up that long-dreamed-of emigration to Canada. Sandra's new role in the investigations business would allow for some fresher plot developments.
Still, one of my favorites in a very beloved series.
The most I think about this book, the more I like it. All the story elements serve and support one another, whether it's the common-law wife of the dead journalist making Maisie question her own role in James' life; the political elements of union-busting and pro-Nazi feeling that come out in the case and shadow Maisie's private world; how most of the problems she and James face come not from each other but from their attempts to fit into roles defined by society; and most tellingly, the way Maisie's do-gooder energies can backfire on both herself and those she most wants to help. It's woven together delicately but very strongly.
If I have any criticism, it's that I feel Billy and Doreen's story needs to take a definite turn before too long. Their many hardships are all believable individually, but it's starting to feel like they just get punished again and again. As much as I like the character of Billy, it would be okay with me if the family finally takes up that long-dreamed-of emigration to Canada. Sandra's new role in the investigations business would allow for some fresher plot developments.
Still, one of my favorites in a very beloved series.
July 25, 2012
Yeah, this one didn't really do it for me. The weakest of the series, to my mind. The first non-WWI connected story was fine, really, but the unending angst of Maisie and, quite frankly, the unlikely living arrangements of Maisie and James, AND the set-up of Maisie's "control" issues (which is a believable fall-out, but not with the examples given), which logically would mean she should feel resentment towards Maurice for helping her when she could never re-pay him! Just too much unbelieveability piled onto one plate. And go shopping for Pete's sake, enough is enough!! That she isn't also wearing a haircloth shirt and whipping herself regularly is more of a shock than the plot.
July 13, 2014
Why? Why? Why do I keep doing this to myself?
Maisie Dobbs, the Nicest Detective In England, returns again with another non-violent mystery "thriller" where there is no sex, no violence, no action. Billy gets beat up, but he recovers. Maisie loses her temper, briefly, but soon composes herself by taking her twit boyfriend James out for some ice cream. Winston Churchill has a cameo, but doesn't say or do anything that might, you know, impact the story.
Is this author for real?
Maisie Dobbs, the Nicest Detective In England, returns again with another non-violent mystery "thriller" where there is no sex, no violence, no action. Billy gets beat up, but he recovers. Maisie loses her temper, briefly, but soon composes herself by taking her twit boyfriend James out for some ice cream. Winston Churchill has a cameo, but doesn't say or do anything that might, you know, impact the story.
Is this author for real?
July 12, 2021
I also found this one very frustrating. I appreciated, once again, the connection that Winspear makes between the case and characters, and Maisie's state of mind (and what she needs to learn). Unfortunately, though, I don't think Maisie is actually learning. She's too self-absorbed to learn anything new about herself (or, deeply consider when others try to help her), and she really needs a wake-up call. She's like a friend who is headed for a train wreck with no way to stop it. For instance, what the hell is going on with James? Yes, Winspear got me involved in this character's personal life, and I'm annoyed; she's determined to be more prejudiced than Elizabeth Bennett could ever have been. Not to mention how false it was to have James suddenly ask her to stop working. Seriously? Is it that Winspear is helping Maisie in her denial of all things good for herself by having the male character say something so asinine that we might dislike him, too? I noticed that they never went back to that conversation since it was so stupid, so out of character (such that we know of James), and so much a retread of the whole Andrew Dene situation.
Yes, I want there to be some kind of happiness here. And I appreciate that she's essentially "living in sin"--something that must have been more rare and forward-thinking for that time. I don't think Maisie is doing so for the right reasons, though. As her one friend, Pris, aptly observed, they are exactly like a married couple. Things aren't always perfect. Moreover, her obsession with their class differences is a very annoying reverse-kind of snobbery. Her astonishment at finding out that Mrs. Otterburn was actually not an idiot--and even cared about women's rights, too!--suggests that she's even forgotten the lessons of her own patron her was not at all like the typical socialite of her time. Or, even Priscilla. Maisie isn't so much holding onto her past, as being contemptuous of others who have had more their whole lives. And now she wants to "travel" and ditch James some more? Yawn, boring mid-life crisis. Because she's afraid he'll break her heart? She needs to see the shrink, herself. I wish Winspear hadn't added the annoying touches to James's character as they were out of character (which I already said), and they give Maisie too many excuses. Personally, I think she could be confronted with perfection and still see fault.
As for the mystery, the only interesting part was the conversation with Mr. Otterburn. That almost brought it up to three stars. Fascinating to think about what and who could be behind all politics. It's interesting to think about. (Certainly, Fox News influences politics on the right.) I do like how the book is reflective of all time. I just was very annoyed with the slow pace of the overall mystery, and Maisie's complete lack of understanding of herself, leading her to poor personal decisions (and on behalf of those around her). It's getting to the point where it's looking like arrogance. I did like the description of Eddie and the tragedy that befell him, and how it was clear he was autistic as opposed to slow. His skill with the horses was beautifully rendered. Just Maisie--ugh.
Yes, I want there to be some kind of happiness here. And I appreciate that she's essentially "living in sin"--something that must have been more rare and forward-thinking for that time. I don't think Maisie is doing so for the right reasons, though. As her one friend, Pris, aptly observed, they are exactly like a married couple. Things aren't always perfect. Moreover, her obsession with their class differences is a very annoying reverse-kind of snobbery. Her astonishment at finding out that Mrs. Otterburn was actually not an idiot--and even cared about women's rights, too!--suggests that she's even forgotten the lessons of her own patron her was not at all like the typical socialite of her time. Or, even Priscilla. Maisie isn't so much holding onto her past, as being contemptuous of others who have had more their whole lives. And now she wants to "travel" and ditch James some more? Yawn, boring mid-life crisis. Because she's afraid he'll break her heart? She needs to see the shrink, herself. I wish Winspear hadn't added the annoying touches to James's character as they were out of character (which I already said), and they give Maisie too many excuses. Personally, I think she could be confronted with perfection and still see fault.
As for the mystery, the only interesting part was the conversation with Mr. Otterburn. That almost brought it up to three stars. Fascinating to think about what and who could be behind all politics. It's interesting to think about. (Certainly, Fox News influences politics on the right.) I do like how the book is reflective of all time. I just was very annoyed with the slow pace of the overall mystery, and Maisie's complete lack of understanding of herself, leading her to poor personal decisions (and on behalf of those around her). It's getting to the point where it's looking like arrogance. I did like the description of Eddie and the tragedy that befell him, and how it was clear he was autistic as opposed to slow. His skill with the horses was beautifully rendered. Just Maisie--ugh.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2020
I know that I keep giving these stories five star ratings, but that is really the way I feel.
I really enjoy the characters and the story lines. I love how Maisie is growing and trying to do her best in her life and even when nothing goes right, she never gives up. I absolutely love the narration by Orlagh Cassidy. Her voice and the quietly passionate way she reads the text is so wonderful. This was a very sad story, endearing in a way, but foreshadowing things to come. It is set in 1933 London.
I really enjoy the characters and the story lines. I love how Maisie is growing and trying to do her best in her life and even when nothing goes right, she never gives up. I absolutely love the narration by Orlagh Cassidy. Her voice and the quietly passionate way she reads the text is so wonderful. This was a very sad story, endearing in a way, but foreshadowing things to come. It is set in 1933 London.
June 24, 2020
Another great read from Jacqueline Winspear. Sweetness, loyalty, fright, frustration, toughness, joy - Maisie and James along with a heartwarming cast of well written and well known characters tighten ranks to find the killer of their friend with the usual supporting sidetracks of mystery and suspicion. I'll read anything by Ms. Winspear and love it but this particular book has to be one of my favorites in the series. Not sure it would stand alone well but for other fans, yep, it's a keeper.
November 19, 2025
I am done with this series. I'll rely on my goodreads friends to keep me abreast of Maisie's further cases and if this series improves any.
Spoilers follow. For someone of Maisie's class (working) she sure took a shine to the snobbery of the upper class. When not sticking her nose in everyone else's business, she patronizes them by the way she talks to them. I imagine some of this is from the voice the narrator uses, but most of it comes from perfect Pollyanna-Maisie.
Priscilla is still as shallow as ever. I don't think this character has grown any in all the books. She gets on my nerves, but to a lesser extent than Maisie.
Finally, as far as the mystery goes, I was extremely let down by the end. If anything, this novel shone in vigilante acts in what the characters thought was 'right'. So, it was OK to accept money from 'an important man' to compensate the taking of a life, it was OK to take that life in the name of sacrificing one to save many, and it as OK to service justice on someone because damage was done to one of 'their own'. And all these people got away with it.....
I am done and done.
Spoilers follow. For someone of Maisie's class (working) she sure took a shine to the snobbery of the upper class. When not sticking her nose in everyone else's business, she patronizes them by the way she talks to them. I imagine some of this is from the voice the narrator uses, but most of it comes from perfect Pollyanna-Maisie.
Priscilla is still as shallow as ever. I don't think this character has grown any in all the books. She gets on my nerves, but to a lesser extent than Maisie.
Finally, as far as the mystery goes, I was extremely let down by the end. If anything, this novel shone in vigilante acts in what the characters thought was 'right'. So, it was OK to accept money from 'an important man' to compensate the taking of a life, it was OK to take that life in the name of sacrificing one to save many, and it as OK to service justice on someone because damage was done to one of 'their own'. And all these people got away with it.....
I am done and done.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2022
Maddie revisits her past and steps into her future. I loved this one
March 27, 2012
The BBC's Downton Abbey caused quite a stir (I myself was late to the party, watching both seasons on two marathon weekends), and increased interest in the post-WWI world in Great Britain. But readers have for years been immersing themselves in the same era with author Jacqueline Winspear's fascinating Maisie Dobbs' novels, set in London at the same time.
Maisie was a young maid in Lord and Lady Compton's home (think Anna from Downton) who was caught by Lady Rowan in the library late at night reading. Lady Rowan realized Maisie's intelligence and potential and arranged for her to be schooled by Dr. Maurice Blanche, a well-renowned psychologist and private investigator.
Maurice became Maisie's mentor, and Maisie was able to rise above her station and eventually became a nurse serving in France during WWI. Maisie was severely wounded and returned home to recuperate, and eventually take over Maurice's private investigation business.
After Maurice died, he left his home and much of his fortune to Maisie. Overnight, she became a wealthy woman. She also fell in love with Lady Rowan's son and heir, James Compton. Maisie is a woman who owns her own business, has enough wealth to own a home and an apartment in London, and is able to financially help her friends and colleagues.
In the newest novel, Elegy For Eddie, Maisie is visited by men she knew as a child, fruit peddlers from Lambeth. They ask her to investigate the death of Eddie, a forty-six-year-old man with the mind of a child. Eddie had a job running errands for workers in a newspaper plant and was killed when a bolt of paper crushed him.
Maisie knew Eddie and the single mother who raised him. She took the case, and it brought forth many feelings to the surface for her. The class system in England was fairly rigid, and it was unusual for anyone, particularly a woman on her own, to move up. Maisie was living a life about which she felt increasingly uncomfortable.
When she stays at James' family estate, she doesn't like the staff waiting on her. Ringing a bell for the next course of dinner feels unnatural to her. While she loves James, she begins to feel that the life he leads is not one she wants.
Now that Maisie has money, she uses it to help her employees. She purchases a home in a good neighborhood and rents it to her loyal assistant Billy and his family after they lost a daughter to illness. She hired Sandra, who lost her husband, and let her move in with her. She also paid for Sandra to further her education.
When Billy is seriously injured investigating Eddie's death, Billy's wife blames Maisie for putting her husband in danger. Maisie feels guilty, arranges for Sandra to help care for Billy's children, and gets him the best medical care.
A doctor confronts Maisie about her 'helping' her employees. She asks Maisie to consider whether her help is "affecting their lives, making decisions on their behalf that they might not have made for themselves, or might come to at a different time." She suggest that Maisie may have been trying to get others conform to Maisie's view of the world.
Maisie's best friend Priscilla tells her that by coming to the rescue of everyone, she could be causing people to resent her, as Billy's wife does. She explains that people don't like being beholden to someone, and that Maisie is depriving her friends of the "opportunity for them to be proud of something they've achieved.''
This book in the series doesn't have much action, it is much more introspective. We see Maisie coming to a fork in the road of her life. She has to decide whether she wants to move forward with her relationship with James, and how to deal with her new station in life and her control issues.
Maisie is an independent woman living in a turbulent time. This story is set in 1933, and England, weary from the losses of so many men in WWI, is now facing the possibility of another war. Hitler is causing problems in Europe, and Eddie's death may be tied to a newspaper publisher who is using his power to drum up war propaganda to get the people of England ready for confrontation.
I love being immersed in Maisie's world. Winspear does meticulous research, which is available on her website.( If you want to know more about that time in history, click on the link.) Maisie is a strong woman, but she has her doubts about her abilities and where she is going in life. She feels so real and I think many women today can relate to her.
I always look forward to catching up with Maisie, and if you are a fan of Downton Abbey and are suffering from withdrawal, the Maisie Dobbs series are a wonderful way to immerse yourself in that time.
Maisie was a young maid in Lord and Lady Compton's home (think Anna from Downton) who was caught by Lady Rowan in the library late at night reading. Lady Rowan realized Maisie's intelligence and potential and arranged for her to be schooled by Dr. Maurice Blanche, a well-renowned psychologist and private investigator.
Maurice became Maisie's mentor, and Maisie was able to rise above her station and eventually became a nurse serving in France during WWI. Maisie was severely wounded and returned home to recuperate, and eventually take over Maurice's private investigation business.
After Maurice died, he left his home and much of his fortune to Maisie. Overnight, she became a wealthy woman. She also fell in love with Lady Rowan's son and heir, James Compton. Maisie is a woman who owns her own business, has enough wealth to own a home and an apartment in London, and is able to financially help her friends and colleagues.
In the newest novel, Elegy For Eddie, Maisie is visited by men she knew as a child, fruit peddlers from Lambeth. They ask her to investigate the death of Eddie, a forty-six-year-old man with the mind of a child. Eddie had a job running errands for workers in a newspaper plant and was killed when a bolt of paper crushed him.
Maisie knew Eddie and the single mother who raised him. She took the case, and it brought forth many feelings to the surface for her. The class system in England was fairly rigid, and it was unusual for anyone, particularly a woman on her own, to move up. Maisie was living a life about which she felt increasingly uncomfortable.
When she stays at James' family estate, she doesn't like the staff waiting on her. Ringing a bell for the next course of dinner feels unnatural to her. While she loves James, she begins to feel that the life he leads is not one she wants.
Now that Maisie has money, she uses it to help her employees. She purchases a home in a good neighborhood and rents it to her loyal assistant Billy and his family after they lost a daughter to illness. She hired Sandra, who lost her husband, and let her move in with her. She also paid for Sandra to further her education.
When Billy is seriously injured investigating Eddie's death, Billy's wife blames Maisie for putting her husband in danger. Maisie feels guilty, arranges for Sandra to help care for Billy's children, and gets him the best medical care.
A doctor confronts Maisie about her 'helping' her employees. She asks Maisie to consider whether her help is "affecting their lives, making decisions on their behalf that they might not have made for themselves, or might come to at a different time." She suggest that Maisie may have been trying to get others conform to Maisie's view of the world.
Maisie's best friend Priscilla tells her that by coming to the rescue of everyone, she could be causing people to resent her, as Billy's wife does. She explains that people don't like being beholden to someone, and that Maisie is depriving her friends of the "opportunity for them to be proud of something they've achieved.''
This book in the series doesn't have much action, it is much more introspective. We see Maisie coming to a fork in the road of her life. She has to decide whether she wants to move forward with her relationship with James, and how to deal with her new station in life and her control issues.
Maisie is an independent woman living in a turbulent time. This story is set in 1933, and England, weary from the losses of so many men in WWI, is now facing the possibility of another war. Hitler is causing problems in Europe, and Eddie's death may be tied to a newspaper publisher who is using his power to drum up war propaganda to get the people of England ready for confrontation.
I love being immersed in Maisie's world. Winspear does meticulous research, which is available on her website.( If you want to know more about that time in history, click on the link.) Maisie is a strong woman, but she has her doubts about her abilities and where she is going in life. She feels so real and I think many women today can relate to her.
I always look forward to catching up with Maisie, and if you are a fan of Downton Abbey and are suffering from withdrawal, the Maisie Dobbs series are a wonderful way to immerse yourself in that time.
September 13, 2020
Always good. Put # 10 on hold.
October 19, 2015
It is so comforting to read a Maisie Dobbs mystery, this the 9th in the series. Maisie is like an old friend who lives at a distance that I would like to keep up with. And like real friends sometimes she is frustrating in how tightly she is wound, even though one fully understands why. I'm more like her best friend Priscilla, who is constantly exhorting Maisie to have fun and enjoy life.
These books, which take place between the two World Wars, have so much to say/teach about England and the world during that time. The local and world events of the time are contained in the microcosm of the stories Winspear tells.
While cars and other vehicles are gradually replacing horses, they are still used in all aspects of work and society and are featured in this book. The young man, Eddie, who was murdered was what today would be called autistic - he was born in a stable and became a "horse whisperer". He was called upon by poor and wealthy alike to calm horses when needed and ended up knowing and doing some things that were a threat to the powerful. In the afterward, Winspear tells us this story was based a real person from her father's youth.
Elegy for Eddie takes place in 1933, a pivotal time in the modernization of England. In addition to cars replacing horses, factories were in need of upgrading, class structure was breaking down and new roles for women were becoming accepted, if not the norm, hence opportunity for a solo female investigator to thrive and succeed. In this book, there continue to be shades of WWI in the lasting affect on people who populate these novels. While there is also a profound normalization taking place, Hitler has just come to power and danger looms in the storm clouds on the horizon.
As with all Maisie Dobbs books, there are many threads to the story that contribute to keeping things interesting. There are many people, situations and relationships to keep up with that started in the first book! And little by little over the course of the series, Maisie does indeed loosen up slightly and to begin to trust herself and those around her.
These books, which take place between the two World Wars, have so much to say/teach about England and the world during that time. The local and world events of the time are contained in the microcosm of the stories Winspear tells.
While cars and other vehicles are gradually replacing horses, they are still used in all aspects of work and society and are featured in this book. The young man, Eddie, who was murdered was what today would be called autistic - he was born in a stable and became a "horse whisperer". He was called upon by poor and wealthy alike to calm horses when needed and ended up knowing and doing some things that were a threat to the powerful. In the afterward, Winspear tells us this story was based a real person from her father's youth.
Elegy for Eddie takes place in 1933, a pivotal time in the modernization of England. In addition to cars replacing horses, factories were in need of upgrading, class structure was breaking down and new roles for women were becoming accepted, if not the norm, hence opportunity for a solo female investigator to thrive and succeed. In this book, there continue to be shades of WWI in the lasting affect on people who populate these novels. While there is also a profound normalization taking place, Hitler has just come to power and danger looms in the storm clouds on the horizon.
As with all Maisie Dobbs books, there are many threads to the story that contribute to keeping things interesting. There are many people, situations and relationships to keep up with that started in the first book! And little by little over the course of the series, Maisie does indeed loosen up slightly and to begin to trust herself and those around her.
March 31, 2012
I loved this book in the series. I thought every part of it was believable even if as one reviewer noted there are people who really aren't brought to justice satisfactorily. The reasons for this are made clear though, and from what we know of the incredible complexities of war, I found the outcome to be completely believable. Especially when we are talking about England slowly but surely having to come to terms with the possibility of another war more insidious and frightening they could have ever imagined, and the possibility of so soon after the first world war, once again having to send another generation of their young men to die. I also loved the fact as another reviewer noted, Maisies life is certainly no means certain in any department like you might have expected from the precious novel. I found this much more believable since if you have followed Maisie from the beginning you know from the complexities of her character, upbringing, crossing of a great social divide, becoming wounded in the great war, tragic loss of one she deeply loved in that same war, to finally losing her deeply valued mentor and friend while inheriting a fortune(!), that life can ever be anything but simple for her That is what makes her so much fun to read though and also relatable. I would never recommend anyone to not read this series in order. Though they can stand alone as novels, you will just lose too much in the labored, complex and joyful development of story and character Winspear has so faithfully given us. You will just miss out on too much.
September 8, 2021
No 9 of Maisie Dobbs completed!! When I read the first in the series in 2018, Maisie Dobbs, there were 14 books in the series. Now we are up to 17. Will I ever finish?
I had stopped reading the series for about a year and a half. Now that I am out and about again, I have resumed the series with the audio version which I listen to while I drive. Maisie and her adventures are the perfect companions on my journeys.
Eddie Pettit is the Eddie of the title. We are with his mother the day he is born. He is much loved by his mother; he is a 'special' child. He has a way with horses. Did I mention he was born in a stable?
Eddie dies in a tragic accident. Maisie has known Eddie and his mother since his childhood. Eddie also has many friends (costers), who fear that Eddie was murdered and wants Maisie to 'sleuthe'. And 'sleuthe' she does!! There are other suspicious deaths that Maisie 'sleuthes' as well. Add to that the background of her romance with James.
Typical Maisie Dobbs and I love her.
4 stars
I had stopped reading the series for about a year and a half. Now that I am out and about again, I have resumed the series with the audio version which I listen to while I drive. Maisie and her adventures are the perfect companions on my journeys.
Eddie Pettit is the Eddie of the title. We are with his mother the day he is born. He is much loved by his mother; he is a 'special' child. He has a way with horses. Did I mention he was born in a stable?
Eddie dies in a tragic accident. Maisie has known Eddie and his mother since his childhood. Eddie also has many friends (costers), who fear that Eddie was murdered and wants Maisie to 'sleuthe'. And 'sleuthe' she does!! There are other suspicious deaths that Maisie 'sleuthes' as well. Add to that the background of her romance with James.
Typical Maisie Dobbs and I love her.
4 stars
April 20, 2018
This series never disappoints. Maisie Dobbs is there this time to investigate the death of a young boy in her old neighborhood and in the midst uncovers a plan put into place to ready England for war once again. Maisie finds herself quite conflicted. The new friends met because of this investigation add another dimension to Maisie and company. She is the epitome of an intelligent, decent, poised and caring young professional - one who is making her own way and who is unsure about her ability to be part of a loving couple. Would she be able to put her own professional life aside to take on the role of a socially prominent young wife in pre WWII England? Maisie herself is unsure, I think, and the answer is "to be continued".
July 28, 2022
I enjoy this series more as it goes on but I read it more for the characters and the writing style than for the mystery. The mysteries are well-done, though. And the audio narrator is the same one throughout (I think), and is a good narrator.
The death here was pretty compelling and some characters experience good growth. One of my favorite characters gets hurt, which dialed down the enjoyment factor somewhat, for me, but everything was kept realistic, so I can’t complain there. I prefer more humor and less tension but this is a really good series that feels true to the period (in this case, between WWI and WWII).
It’s hard to go wrong with most any volume in this series.
The death here was pretty compelling and some characters experience good growth. One of my favorite characters gets hurt, which dialed down the enjoyment factor somewhat, for me, but everything was kept realistic, so I can’t complain there. I prefer more humor and less tension but this is a really good series that feels true to the period (in this case, between WWI and WWII).
It’s hard to go wrong with most any volume in this series.
January 12, 2019
This was one tough read. Excellent as always, but tough. I cried a lot in this book - ugly, ugly, crying. There is a lot of sadness in this one, a lot of reflection, a lot of life. This one felt the most real to me - both in what happened and how Maisie is seeing and dealing with things in her own life. I cannot really write a good review about this without it being filled with spoilers, so I will only say this - be prepared. Be prepared to ugly cry. Be prepared for some deep reflection into your own life. And be prepared to think about this book for M A N Y days after you finish.
February 13, 2018
Book # 9 in the Maisie Dobbs series. This mystery came quite close to home for Maisie. A member of the community she grew up in has been murdered but his murder leads her to discovering a whole underground world she’s not quite ready for. You can definitely feel how the whole British community is really taking notice to the new German Chancellor...Hitler. These books never disappoint, can’t wait for the next book!
#SassyBookworm 😏 #HistoricalFiction
#SassyBookworm 😏 #HistoricalFiction
April 16, 2016
It's interesting. Maisie Dobbs could be a neat character but she's one of the most exasperating "detectives" in this genre. She's not someone I would want to work with or befriend and she is annoying in almost every chapter. This is unfortunate because I was very enthusiastic from the first few books, but the more I have gone through this series, the less I like her. However, I still read them and this series is taking a turn for the better from the last book (which I strongly disliked).
Much less Billy and Doreen thank god. Whenever they were featured they were terrible of course (I wish Maisie would just send them packing to Canada and I expected some kind of apology from the Beales or thanks and that of course never came).
I just wish she'd be less angsty and be grateful for how great her life is in the midst of Great Depression. Job she enjoys, several houses, super wealthy, good friends, nice boyfriend. Instead she's taking emo-laden baths and moping about how her servants call her ma'am. You just want to choke her.
Though in this book, I wanted to choke her less than the last book, so I guess progress.
Much less Billy and Doreen thank god. Whenever they were featured they were terrible of course (I wish Maisie would just send them packing to Canada and I expected some kind of apology from the Beales or thanks and that of course never came).
I just wish she'd be less angsty and be grateful for how great her life is in the midst of Great Depression. Job she enjoys, several houses, super wealthy, good friends, nice boyfriend. Instead she's taking emo-laden baths and moping about how her servants call her ma'am. You just want to choke her.
Though in this book, I wanted to choke her less than the last book, so I guess progress.
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