Elegy for Eddie (Maisie Dobbs #9) by Jacqueline Winspear: A Book Review

Elegy for Eddie (Maisie Dobbs #9)
Author: Jacqueline Winspear
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: 2012
Pages: 467
Source: My State Public Library
Synopsis: In this latest entry in Jacqueline Winspear’s acclaimed, bestselling mystery series—“less whodunits than why-dunits, more P.D. James than Agatha Christie” (USA Today)—Maisie Dobbs takes on her most personal case yet, a twisting investigation into the brutal killing of a street peddler that will take her from the working-class neighborhoods of her childhood into London’s highest circles of power. Perfect for fans of A Lesson in Secrets, The Mapping of Love and Death, or other Maisie Dobbs mysteries—and an ideal place for new readers to enter the series—Elegy for Eddie is an incomparable work of intrigue and ingenuity, full of intimate descriptions and beautifully painted scenes from between the World Wars, from one of the most highly acclaimed masters of mystery, Jacqueline Winspear. 

     My Review: Maisie Dobbs is contacted by her childhood friends to solve the murder of Eddie. Maisie had known Eddie since girlhood, for he was a simple and innocent boy, who loved horses. This case is very personal for Maisie and she revisits the place of her childhood, Lambeth. However, Eddie’s death may be more complicated because Maisie learns that a journalist is dead. Are the two deaths interconnected? As Maisie investigates the case, she realizes that there are higher-ups of London society that may be involved. 

   This was not my favorite portrayal of Maisie Dobbs. In this book, she is a very weak character. She lets people run all over her. She also complains about James and realizes that she doesn’t love him as much. However, she stays by him anyway and tries to make the best of their relationship. This book is so unlike Maisie. What really gets me is that she lets the bad guys get away with murder. I didn’t understand why she let them go on their merry way. As for her relationship with James, I did not like how James treated her. He is very controlling and temperamental. He pressures Maisie to quit her job. I thought they didn’t suit one another, but they stayed together anyway.

  Overall, this book is about Maisie coming to terms that WWII is looming very near. I didn’t think the characters were very fleshed out. I did feel sorry for Eddie’s story and I liked learning about him.  The mystery was predictable, and I was disappointed that none of the murderers got their just desserts. Thus, I wasn’t pleased with Maisie's story line and the mystery. I did find the historical details fascinating, and the writing was haunting and lyrical. Elegy for Eddie will be sure to appeal to those who are new to the series, but for the Maisie Dobbs books as a whole, this is one of the series weakest.  


Rating: 2½ stars out of 5