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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
**spoiler alert***
This could be the perfect ending for the Maisie Dobbs series. Things are not settles between Maisie and James, but it I was left feeling satisfied.
Maisie finally stepped back from organizing everyone's lives. She stood back and let everyone make their own decisions. She did give a nudge to billy's next career. I was ok as she arranged for an interview. Billy's interview went well and led to a job offer.
the conversations between Maisie and Billy seemed very stilted. I don't recall that from past books. Maybe it was a sign of their working relationship ending.
This could be the perfect ending for the Maisie Dobbs series. Things are not settles between Maisie and James, but it I was left feeling satisfied.
Maisie finally stepped back from organizing everyone's lives. She stood back and let everyone make their own decisions. She did give a nudge to billy's next career. I was ok as she arranged for an interview. Billy's interview went well and led to a job offer.
the conversations between Maisie and Billy seemed very stilted. I don't recall that from past books. Maybe it was a sign of their working relationship ending.
I think I liked the earlier books in the series better than this one. The investigations didn't intrigue me much. As for James, Maisie's supposed love...not sure why he doesn't just bugger off. Maisie can be very exasperating.
emotional
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
After the deep disappointment of the last book, I was hesitant to get this book and I’ll admit, it was hard to rate. The mystery gets a solid three stars; Maisie’s personal life barely rates a two. I enjoyed the mystery but the overwrought personal stuff left me cold.
The mystery: Usha Pramal’s brother believes the police did a poor job investigating his sister’s murder and even detective Caldwell reluctantly admits this might be true. Usha had left India to be governess to an English family. Somehow she ended up turned out and living in a house with other ayahs and doing odd jobs as she saved money to set up a school for underprivileged girls in India. And then someone shot her in the head.
As Maisie starts to investigate, she can’t find the Allison’s whom Usha had come to England with as they are currently abroad. The house where Usha lived is more promising. It’s run by a religious couple who don’t let their beliefs get in the way of them bilking the otherwise homeless Indian girls out of most of their wages and forcing them to church with Reverend Griffith who has a strange branch of Christianity going. Maisie also learns that Usha was very touchy feely and we’re never sure but does she have therapeutic touch or Ayurvedic healing medicines; either way she’s making more money doing that. Her friend, Maya, was willing to meet with Maisie but soon after is also shot in the head.
Maisie has to confront that after Billy’s head damage in the beating last book, he’s not the same man. He’s quick to anger and doing a very poor job of investigating and she has to pick up the trail of a missing young boy. However, she starts to see intersecting threads between the cases but are they real or imagined.
Overall the mystery wasn’t bad. Usha was a bit too much of a Mary Sue, so much so that Maisie at the end is reminding people she was just a good woman and not a goddess on a pedestal. The rest, however, is a mess. I was wondering if this would be the last book. She has all the drama of trying to find Billy a different job but oooo am I overstepping my boundaries dilemma again and again. Then is Sandra and Billy having an affair? Well it’s none of her business as we’re reminded of too often. As for poor James Compton, Maisie claims to love him, refuses to accept him working with John Otterburn (see last book for why) and he’s going to Canada for a while and wants her to marry him so we get the will she/won’t she crap ad nauseam and it doesn’t even get resolved.
But the worst of the melodrama is Maisie wants to go exploring. Okay, fine but she makes such a huge deal of it. She wants to follow her mentor Maurice’s footsteps, you know, instead of being original. Oh where oh where shall I go? How long will I stay? Honestly, I didn’t give a damn. All it did was take away from and drag down the mystery. And then her answer to how to go about this almost made me toss the book across the room. I’m no Priscilla fan but she had it right when she pointed out all the stupidity of this move to Maisie. And if I want to know how it turns out I have to get the next book. Sigh. This series used to be so much better.
The mystery: Usha Pramal’s brother believes the police did a poor job investigating his sister’s murder and even detective Caldwell reluctantly admits this might be true. Usha had left India to be governess to an English family. Somehow she ended up turned out and living in a house with other ayahs and doing odd jobs as she saved money to set up a school for underprivileged girls in India. And then someone shot her in the head.
As Maisie starts to investigate, she can’t find the Allison’s whom Usha had come to England with as they are currently abroad. The house where Usha lived is more promising. It’s run by a religious couple who don’t let their beliefs get in the way of them bilking the otherwise homeless Indian girls out of most of their wages and forcing them to church with Reverend Griffith who has a strange branch of Christianity going. Maisie also learns that Usha was very touchy feely and we’re never sure but does she have therapeutic touch or Ayurvedic healing medicines; either way she’s making more money doing that. Her friend, Maya, was willing to meet with Maisie but soon after is also shot in the head.
Maisie has to confront that after Billy’s head damage in the beating last book, he’s not the same man. He’s quick to anger and doing a very poor job of investigating and she has to pick up the trail of a missing young boy. However, she starts to see intersecting threads between the cases but are they real or imagined.
Overall the mystery wasn’t bad. Usha was a bit too much of a Mary Sue, so much so that Maisie at the end is reminding people she was just a good woman and not a goddess on a pedestal. The rest, however, is a mess. I was wondering if this would be the last book. She has all the drama of trying to find Billy a different job but oooo am I overstepping my boundaries dilemma again and again. Then is Sandra and Billy having an affair? Well it’s none of her business as we’re reminded of too often. As for poor James Compton, Maisie claims to love him, refuses to accept him working with John Otterburn (see last book for why) and he’s going to Canada for a while and wants her to marry him so we get the will she/won’t she crap ad nauseam and it doesn’t even get resolved.
But the worst of the melodrama is Maisie wants to go exploring. Okay, fine but she makes such a huge deal of it. She wants to follow her mentor Maurice’s footsteps, you know, instead of being original. Oh where oh where shall I go? How long will I stay? Honestly, I didn’t give a damn. All it did was take away from and drag down the mystery. And then her answer to how to go about this almost made me toss the book across the room. I’m no Priscilla fan but she had it right when she pointed out all the stupidity of this move to Maisie. And if I want to know how it turns out I have to get the next book. Sigh. This series used to be so much better.
I just love the Maisie Dobbs series. if you not have read it, you must! Strong women main character series starts in early 1900s. Lots of interesting historical tidbits interwoven into each mystery. You must read them in order! This one is a turning point of a sort for Maisie so I can't wait until the next one. and they are ALL good, there has been no lessening of quality as the number of books increase. She has done a terrific job with each.