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

Theodora: Actress, Empress, Saint (Women in Antiquity) by David Potter: A Book Review

Theodora: Actress, Empress, Saint (Women in Antiquity) Author: David Potter Genre: Nonfiction, Biography, History Publisher: Oxford University Press Release Date: November 4, 2015 Pages: 288 Source: Publisher/Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Two of the most famous mosaics from the ancient world, in the church of San Vitale in Ravenna, depict the sixth-century emperor Justinian and, on the wall facing him, his wife, Theodora (497-548). This majestic portrait gives no inkling of Theodora's very humble beginnings or her improbable rise to fame and power. Raised in a family of circus performers near Constantinople's Hippodrome, she abandoned a successful acting career in her late teens to follow a lover whom she was legally forbidden to marry. When he left her, she was a single mother who built a new life for herself as a secret agent, in which role she met the heir to the throne. To the shock of the ruling elite, the two were married, and when Justinian...

Guest Post: The Ladies-in-Waiting: Lady Isabel Baynton by Alexandra Walsh

Today's guest writer is Alexandra Walsh. She is the author of The Catherine Howard Conspiracy , which is a historical thriller surrounding the infamous Tudor queen. In this guest post, Mrs. Walsh discusses the life of Catherine's lady-in-waiting, Isabel Baynton. This post will be sure to fascinate fans of Tudor era. If you enjoy her post, please pick up a copy of The Catherine Howard Conspiracy ! Thank you, Mrs. Walsh! The Ladies-in-Waiting – Lady Isabel Baynton by Alexandra Walsh One of the most enjoyable things about writing an historical novel is discovering the tiny details that make the period real on the page. While I was researching The Catherine Howard Conspiracy , I spent a great deal of time hunting out the life stories of the women who surrounded the young queen in order to create a group of realistic friends and confidants. There are some well-known names linked with Catherine and her downfall: Lady Jane Boleyn,...

Guest Post by Cheryl Anne Stapp: Sacramento Women in the Pioneer Era

Today's guest writer is Cheryl Anne Stapp. She is the author of Before The Gold Rush - The Sinclairs of Rancho del Paso 1840-1849 , and Disaster & Triumph: Sacramento Women, Gold Rush Through the Civil War . I am currently reading Before the Gold Rush , and I find it fascinating! In this guest post, she writes about stories of pioneer women that settled in Sacramento. I hope you find these stories captivating and that it will give you some insight into her novel. Thank you, Mrs. Stapp! Sacramento Women in the Pioneer Era I don’t write fiction. I tried, but soon found that I have no talent for plotting. My first and only attempt at a historical romance was actually pretty far along when an editor friend pointed out there was more historical matter than romance in the manuscript…and as far as a well-constructed storyline with surprising plot twists, well… But in 2009 I found my niche, largely inspire...

History from a Woman's Perspective- A Book Blog

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