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1931. Maisie Dobbs’ new case takes her investigation into the pastoral beauty of the Kent Weald where acts of arson, theft and vandalism around the village of Heronsdene have gone suspiciously unreported for more than a decade. With the country in the grip of economic malaise, Maisie is relieved to accept an assignment from an old friend who wants her to uncover the truth behind these crimes, before he can buy part of the magnificent Sandermere estate at the heart of the village.
It’s hop-picking time and Londoners, including Maisie’s assistant Billy Beale, wanting to escape the Smoke for the summer, set up camp in nearby fields. Gypsies, too, have arrived to work the land. Maisie discovers the villagers are bitterly prejudiced against outsiders and, even more troubling, seem possessed by the legacy of a war-time Zepplin raid.
She has less than a month to find out why no one has been brought to justice and why secrecy shrouds the village. She must draw on all of her finely-honed skills of detection to solve one of her most intriguing cases.
‘Think Upstairs Downstairs meets Miss Marple – with a touch of chirpy cheerful Cockney from the Dick Van Dyke school’ Yorkshire Post
It’s hop-picking time and Londoners, including Maisie’s assistant Billy Beale, wanting to escape the Smoke for the summer, set up camp in nearby fields. Gypsies, too, have arrived to work the land. Maisie discovers the villagers are bitterly prejudiced against outsiders and, even more troubling, seem possessed by the legacy of a war-time Zepplin raid.
She has less than a month to find out why no one has been brought to justice and why secrecy shrouds the village. She must draw on all of her finely-honed skills of detection to solve one of her most intriguing cases.
‘Think Upstairs Downstairs meets Miss Marple – with a touch of chirpy cheerful Cockney from the Dick Van Dyke school’ Yorkshire Post
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Reviews
'Psychologically convincing'
'The author captures the atmosphere of (the 1930s) with great accuracy, borne out by extensive research'
'A riveting read...it is an easy book to read yet is not, I felt, a light read as it delves into the horrors of the First World War'
'So well written that it leaves you wanting more'
'The terrific mystery is intriguing and full of suspense which makes for an absorbing read'
'The accurate period detail makes this series a worthy successor to Agatha Christie's Miss Marple books'
'She has created a fascinating working class heroine, Maisie Dobbs ... if you don't usually read detective stories just meet Maisie Dobbs and you may change your mind'
Praise for Jacqueline Winspear
'In Maisie Dobbs, Jacqueline Winspear has given us a real gift. Maisie Dobbs has not been created - she has been discovered. Such people are always there amongst us, waiting for somebody like Ms. Winspear to come along and reveal them. And what a revelation it is!'
A fine new sleuth for the twenty-first century
A heroine to cherish
A wry and immensely readable beginning to what promises to be a vivid new addition to crime fiction
The British counterpart to Alexander McCall Smith's The No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Feisty, working-class heroine Maisie is a deliberate throwback to the sleuthettes of old-fashioned crime writing. The well-plotted story, its characters and the picture of London between the wars are decidedly romantic. American readers loved it; many Brits will, too.
A terrific mystery ... Intriguing and full of suspense, it makes for an absorbing read
Even if detective stories aren't your thing, you'll love Maisie Dobbs
'Think Upstairs Downstairs meets Miss Marple - with a touch of chirpy cheerful Cockney from the Dick Van Dyke school'