Review: Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

Hello Bookworms!,

            I’ve got a brand new review for you all today! I’ve read the first in a mystery series set in 1920’s England! Let’s explore Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear!!

Summary

            Brilliant, beautiful Maisie Dobbs came from humble beginnings/ The daughter of a struggling costermonger, Maisie is sent to work for Lord Julian and Lady Rowan. When her brilliance is discovered by Lady Rowan, who is looking for a way to promote the lower classes, Maisie is introduced  to Dr. Maurice Blanche who teaches Maisie to use her mind.

            Years of education and one horrific war later, Maisie is taking over Dr. Blanche’s practice as an investigator. But her first case is more that it appears. What was to be a simple case of proving or disproving whether a man’s wife is having an affair, Maisie will uncover the sinister truth behind a well-guarded facility for disfigured war veterans and potentially save the life of Lord Julian and Lady Rowan’s son James…But how much will Maisie’s experience with the war affect her judgement?

Review

            Oh my word readers…I am in awe! Jacqueline Winspear has created a masterpiece  in Maisie Dobbs. The New York Times Book Review said it best when they said “be prepared to be astonished”.

            Maisie Dobbs is a smashing heroine using her mastery of psychology (a subject I love), her keen intellect, and resourcefulness to bring truth to cases that are out of the ordinary. And yet she does it all with an amazing heart for other people. Maisie’s compassion for her clients is incredible.

            And every character in the Maisie Dobbs book is amazing! No character is wasted; everyone has something to contrub ite to the story. The cast of characters who will most likely become staples in the Maisie Dobbs series all have incredible depth and are as entertaining as they are insightful.

            For history buffs, this story is an amazing portrait of how World War I changed England forever and at what price. The journey through the year just before, during, and immediately after the war is sure to please those who have ample knowledge or simple a mild curiosity about English history.

            This writing is worthy to stand among the greats such as Sherlock Holmes and Miss Marple. I have been made an instant Maisie Dobbs fan through the reading of this book and I have every intention of reading the rest of the Maisie Dobbs series!

            I highly recommend that you read Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

Buy MaisieDobbs

 

Until next time,

            Lizzie <3

A Look Back at 2014!

Hello Bookworms,

          2014 was a great year! In this post I’d like to take a moment and review the highlights of this year’s blog!

Let’s start with interviews!

          This year See Lizzie Read brought you two great reviews!

          This summer I was privileged to get to interview the Countess of Carnarvon, the current lady of Highclere Castle, the setting of Downton Abbey, and author of two books about Highclere’s history!

          This fall I was privileged to interview Maisie Dobbs author Jacqueline Winspear about her famous female detective and her brand new stand-alone novel The Care and Management of Lies!

There were many great reviews as well of fiction and non-fiction, novels as well as short stories! I was able to read 25 books this year and while I haven’t published reviews on all of them yet, I can tell you which 5 (in no particular order) were my favorites!

1. The Sherlockian by Graham Moore
2. Out of the Shadows by Georgina Doyle
3. Hobbit Lessons by Devin Brown
4. The Lost Library by A.M. Dean
5. C.S. Lewis, My Godfather by Laurence Harwood

          I thoroughly enjoyed 2014 and I cannot wait to share more reviews and interviews with you in 2015!!

Until Next Time,

                   Lizzie <3

See Lizzie Read 5 Minute High 5 with Jacqueline Winspear!!

Hello Bookworms!,
        I have a very special treat to share with you today!! An interview with author of 10 Maisie Dobbs mystery novels and the brand new, stand-alone novel The Care and Management of Lies, JACQUELINE WINSPEAR!! Read what she had to say about the writing experience, her inspirations, and her brand new novel!!

 

 

 

Q: Maisie Dobbs is a strong, independent female character. Was there someone in your life that inspired Maisie's character?

A: No, there’s no one in my life that inspired the character – rather I wanted to reflect the extraordinary generation of women in Britain who came of age in the Great War. They were the first generation of women to go to war in modern times in very significant numbers – and after the war so many had to forge a life alone because so many men had been killed in the war.  That generation blazed a trail, and have inspired me since childhood.

Q: Your mystery novels are continually nominated for and winning awards. What has the experience been like for you?

 

A: Very rewarding you could say!  Of course it’s wonderful when your work is enjoyed by a very broad range of readers, however, the fact is that you have to get up the next day and write, and as a writer I want to stretch myself and ask how I can be a better writer.

 
 

Q: There are 10 Maisie Dobbs novels right now for readers to enjoy. You've also said that Maisie will be returning in 2015. What drew you to writing mysteries and what keeps you writing them?

 

A: When I wrote MAISIE DOBBS I did not set out to write a mystery – I simply wrote a story that was in my head. Many booksellers did not shelve the book in the mystery section, instead putting it with historical and literary fiction – it was more “cross genre” given the emphasis on the back story.  Then it seemed there were more stories to tell, but for me the focus is the main character and companion characters – they are the true mystery. 

 

Q: You have a new standalone novel, THE CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF LIES, being published in about a month(from the time of the interview). What can readers look forward to in this new book?

 

A: It’s not a mystery and it’s not part of the series. Set in the opening months of the Great War, it juxtaposes life at the battlefront with life at the home front.

 

Q: Some of the Maisie Dobbs novels and THE CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF LIES are set in war time. Particularly, the First World War. What draws you to write novels set in this time period?

 

A: In answer to this question, here’s a excerpt from the “About” page on my website:

 

Jacqueline's grandfather was severely wounded and shell-shocked at The Battle of the Somme in 1916, and it was as she understood the extent of his suffering that, even in childhood, Jacqueline became deeply interested in the "war to end all wars" and its aftereffects. As an adult her interest deepened to the extent that, though she did not set out to write a "war" novel, it came as no surprise that this part of history formed the backdrop of Maisie Dobbs and other books in the series. The unique and engaging character of Maisie Dobbs is very much a woman of her generation. She has come of age at a time when women took on the toil of men and claimed independence that was difficult to relinquish. It was a time when many women remained unmarried, simply because a generation of men had gone to war and not come home.

"The war and its aftermath provide fertile ground for a mystery. Such great social upheaval allows for the strange and unusual to emerge and a time of intense emotions can, to the writer of fiction, provide ample fodder for a compelling story, especially one concerning criminal acts and issues of guilt and innocence. After all, a generation is said to have lost its innocence in The Great War. The mystery genre provides a wonderful vehicle for exploring such a time," explains Ms. Winspear.

Buy Maisie Dobbs on Amazon.com!

Buy The Care and Management of Lies on Amazon.com!

     There you have it readers! The Writing Experience, Maisie Dobbs, and The Care and Management of Lies from Mrs. Jacqueline Winspear herself!

     A special thanks to Mrs. Winspear for agreeing to do an interview with See Lizzie Read!

     Keep checking See Lizzie Read here and on Facebook for more interviews, reviews, and more!!

Until Next Time,
           Lizzie <3

A Lesson in Secrets (A Maisie Dobbs Novel) by Jacqueline Winspear

Hello Bookworms,

          I have a new book review for you! I’m really excited about this book! I really think that this is going to be a series that I and many of you will really enjoy.

Summary

          Maisie Dobbs has seen a lot in her life. But fortunately she was taken under the wing of Maurice Blanche who prepared her for the job she’s doing now. When she’s not solving crimes for hire at her own business, Maisie has been known to be recruited to help Special Branch and the British Secret Service. 1930’s London has more secrets that most people might believe.

Now, the secret service needs Maisie again. The college of St. Francis is a fledgling college trying to find acceptance among the universities in Cambridge. St. Francis is a college of peace accepting international students even from countries that might not be well accepted since the First World War. At its helm is Greville Liddicote, the man who wrote a children’s book that (if rumors are to be believed) caused mutiny on both sides of the war, English and German alike. But something isn’t right, and the secret service has reason to believe that there are activities that are not in the interest of the crown and Maisie is charged with pretending to be a lecturer at the college and finding out what these activities are.

Review

          A Lesson in Secrets was a pleasant surprise. I’m finding more and more that I like historical fiction set in the 1930’s. but what made this book for me was the writing and the main character, Maisie Dobbs!

          The writing is intelligent. I found myself repeatedly wishing that Maisie Dobbs would be made in to a movie or better yet a series (since there are 10 of these books). Why? Because this book reminded me of my favorite british mystery series’ like Inspector Lewis and Poirot. It was hard to see why Jacqueline Winspear won the Agatha, Alex and Macavity awards as well as an Edgar award nomination for her first book, entitled Maisie Dobbs, when the eighth book in the series was this good! I want to go back and read them all!

          Maisie Dobbs’ character is wonderful! She is kind and compassionate. A woman who wants the best for herself and for her widowed father. She pays attention to the needs of the people with whom she comes into contact and, when she can, she meets them. But she’s also intelligent! In some ways she reminded me of Ms. Fisher from Ms. Fishers Mysteries. Maisie is brilliant at her job and enjoys doing it! She’s not like many female characters who are meant to be the main character but are ALWAYS in need of rescuing, Maisie is actually good! She stands on her own two feet and gets the job done!

          Readers, I truly recommend A Lesson in Secrets and the whole Maisie Dobbs series. I know I’ll be reading more! ;)

 

Buy A Lesson in Secrets

Until Next Time,

                   Lizzie <3