Birds of a Feather (Maisie Dobbs #2) by Jacqueline Winspear: A Book Review

Birds of a Feather (Maisie Dobbs #2)
Author: Jacqueline Winspear
Genre: Historical Mystery
Publisher: Soho Crime
Release Date: 2004
Pages:  321
Source: My State Public Library
Synopsis: The second Maisie Dobbs mystery

      Jacqueline Winspear’s marvelous debut, Maisie Dobbs, won her fans from around the world and raised her intuitive, intelligent, and resourceful heroine to the ranks of literature’s favorite sleuths. Birds of a Feather, its follow-up, finds psychologist and private investigator Maisie Dobbs on another dangerously intriguing adventure in London “between the wars.” It is the spring of 1930, and Maisie has been hired to find a runaway heiress. But what seems a simple case at the outset soon becomes increasingly complicated when three of the heiress’s old friends are found dead. Is there a connection between the woman’s mysterious disappearance and the murders? Who would want to kill three seemingly respectable young women? As Maisie investigates, she discovers that the answers lie in the unforgettable agony of the Great War.

      My Review: Maisie has been hired by a rich man to bring his daughter, Charlotte home. What seems to be a straightforward case seems to take a crooked turn when Charlotte’s friends turn up dead. Could Charlotte be connected to the murders? What is the real reason she ran away? As Maisie digs for  the truth, she learns that the real answer lies in the Great War.

    Maisie is really a likable heroine. She is flawed and vulnerable, which makes her more appealing to the reader. This novel details her struggles with her wounded fiance. She knows that she must let go of the past and start thinking about the future in order for her to be happy. She also has a rocky relationship with her father. She realizes that she must forgive her father if she wants to continue having a loving relationship with him. Thus, Maisie is a strong and clever woman who must make tough choices for her happiness.

   Overall, this is a story about loss, father-daughter relationships, and forgiveness. I really like how the story portrays the consequences of WWI. The mystery was very predictable, but it was interesting because the murderer was a tragic figure. The other characters could have been more developed, and the ending was a bit anti-climatic. Still, I thought that it was a worthy follow-up to Maisie Dobbs, and it reminded me why I love this series so much! Maisie is a compelling heroine and her personal struggles are what makes the Maisie Dobbs series unique. It is not the mystery aspect but the characters that appeal to me. Thus, I look forward to reading Pardonable Lies. Simply because of Maisie, I am determined to finish the fourteenth book in the series. This is a series you do not want to miss out on.

 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Seven Sisters (The Seven Sisters #1) by Lucinda Riley: A Book Review

Image
The Seven Sisters (The Seven Sisters #1) Author: Lucinda Riley Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance Publisher: Atria Release Date: 2015 Pages: 463 Source: My State Public Library Synopsis: Maia D’Apliese and her five sisters gather together at their childhood home, “Atlantis”—a fabulous, secluded castle situated on the shores of Lake Geneva—having been told that their beloved father, who adopted them all as babies, has died. Each of them is handed a tantalizing clue to her true heritage—a clue which takes Maia across the world to a crumbling mansion in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Once there, she begins to put together the pieces of her story and its beginnings. Eighty years earlier in Rio’s Belle Epoque of the 1920s, Izabela Bonifacio’s father has aspirations for his daughter to marry into the aristocracy. Meanwhile, architect Heitor da Silva Costa is devising plans for an enormous statue, to be called Christ the Redeemer, and will soon travel to Paris to find the right sculptor to
Read more

Interview with Paula Margulies

Image
     Today, I have the opportunity to interview Paula Margulies. She has recently wrote a novel about Pocahontas called Favorite Daughter, Part One , which won an Editor’s Choice Award at the 24th Annual San Diego State University Writer’s Conference. The story creates a different perspective to the American heroine. It is told in first person narrative, and it is how Pocahontas at a young age embarks through the many changes of her life. By doing so she transforms into a strong, courageous, wise woman. I am very pleased that she took the time to grant me this interview and to generously donate a copy of her novel to the giveaway. I look forward to reading her books in the future, and check back for my review of Favorite Daughter’s Part One soon. This interview is to give readers insight about her and her novel. Thank you, Mrs. Margulies. 1. Where and when do you write?  In my home office mostly, although I try to sneak away to artist residencies whenever my teaching and cli
Read more

Blog Tour: Hope (The Knights of Av'Lor: Book One) by Sam Rook: A Book Review

Image
Hope (The Knights of Av'Lor: Book One) by Sam Rook ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GENRE: Fantasy/Romance Source: This book was given to me by Goddess Fish Promotions in exchange for an honest review. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BLURB:      The winged knights—magically altered humans—are the only ones defending the portal from Av'lor to Earth. With defeat imminent, they find an unlikely source of hope in software engineer, Kathryn.      Kathryn doubts her life could get any worse after the death of her mother and daughter. She realizes her mistake after she arrives on Av'lor with only part of her house and hungry creatures looking for their next meal. Once the knights bring her under their protection, she discovers their angry commander is far from welcoming.      Sir Lanclor, Commander of the Knighthood, lives with the curse of betrayal. While the treachery occurred lifetimes before, few see past his guarded shell to the grim man beneath. Barely holding the Knighthood together, his grip
Read more