Maisie Dobbs series of books one through eleven, reviewed by Marlene Cullen
Winter 2025
I needed escapism reading . . . where a heroine cracks the case, the murder gets solved, the valuables are restored, and at the end, I smile with satisfaction after absorbing excellent writing.
And so, I re-read the first eleven books in the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear.
Even though they were published between 2014 and 2016, some scenes could be describing today’s political events. I wonder how Jacqueline had the prescience to do that.
Her books contain inspirational messages:
“Birds of a Feather,” page 220
“Tell me, Dr. Dene, if you were to name one thing that made the difference between those who get well quickly and those who don’t, what would it be?”
“If I were to name one thing, it would be acceptance. Some people don’t accept what has happened. They are stuck at the point of the event that caused the injury. They keep thinking back to when it happened.”
Page 264
“In learning about myths and legends of old, we learn something of ourselves. Stories are never just stories. They contain fundamental truths about the human condition.”
A friend’s comments about the Maisie Dobbs books, “I like the way Maisie grows, and I like the metaphysical aspects.”
I haven’t read her last nine books, so I can’t comment on them. I recommend the first eleven, especially if you need to “get away in a Calgon way” with a book.
