Historical Mystery Lovers discussion

I just recently started reading the Maisie Dobbs series and I think it might be true love. I have degrees in psychology so the psychological aspect of these novels interests me as well as the historical.
Admittedly, I have very little knowledge of World War I (or The Great War) and it's effects on those who fought during that time. I imagine my lack of knowledge stems from my U.S. education. World War I was one of those subjects we just kind of blew over in school. I guess since the U.S didn't play a huge role in the events of World War I, schools elect not to discuss it at length. Sorry, sidebar finished.

The war is an issue in just about all of the Maisie Dobbs books that I've read - which makes sense, really.

I'm another American who was educated about WWI by Maisie Dobbs. The series has moved on chronologically, however. The most recent Maisie Dobbs novel is very close to WWII.

Yeah, WW2 is creeping closer and closer - but the memory of the first war lingers.

I love the series. Like Gretchen I have a degree in psychology so I enjoy the early psychological treatment information. The War left a huge imprint in the lives of those in Western Europe and definitely in those who served, from evrything I've read. The series is ... intelligent and the history is woven in as the background. Some historical mysteries feel like the setting is grafted on; it doesn't feel natural somehow. This series is not like that.

Serendipity, anyone? The other day I was digging through the boxes of books I have in my basement nosing about for something else and came upon two books by Jaqueline Winspear. I guess the time is right :)

It's a sign, Portial :0)

Just finished the first book of this series! I really like the character of Maisie, and of course the WWI setting, but I found her relationship with her "mentor" Maurice a bit disturbing. I found his words of wisdom that constantly popped into her mind a bit pathological, almost controlling. Not sure why, but it creeped me out! I enjoyed it enough to want to pick up the second book, though! I'm interested to see how Maisie develops.

Michelle wrote: "Just finished the first book of this series! I really like the character of Maisie, and of course the WWI setting, but I found her relationship with her "mentor" Maurice a bit disturbing. I found..."

I had a similar thought regarding Maisie and Maurice while reading the first novel. I felt like there was an important piece of their history that was some kind of big secret the reader wasn't allowed to be let in on. Those thoughts went away with the second novel.

Oh, good to know! Thanks!

I'm currently reading Pardonable Lies and so far, it's the best book of the series. It has all the markings of a defining book.

Gretchen wrote: "I'm currently reading Pardonable Lies and so far, it's the best book of the series. It has all the markings of a defining book."

I enjoyed that one the most as well. I hope to start book 4 within the next couple of months.

Started with the first book in the series and am now into the second. Very impressed with Maisie's reliance on instinct and her inner voice to get to the truth of the matter. Her mentor Maurice seems very wise and spiritual – reminds me of Emerson and Thoreau. Beth Oak

I've finished with book four in this series. I am really enjoying (as strange as it sounds) Maisie's struggle with women's roles in a changing society. It makes me realize that as far as women as come, they still have a long way to go. Several of the things Maisie is struggling with aren't that different from the struggles of a modern woman. Realizing I may have just opened a huge can of worms, I find the struggle to be fascinating.

Just finished with An Incomplete Revenge and I thought it was the best book of the series. So far.

Edit: I know I said that about the previous book but I'm changing my vote.

B.B. wrote: "Started with the first book in the series and am now into the second. Very impressed with Maisie's reliance on instinct and her inner voice to get to the truth of the matter...."

That's actually a big part of what made me quit the last one I tried from this series. (Leaving Everything Most Loved - I enjoyed the first one, but then jumped to this one for some reason.) Maisie getting empathetic vibrations from the murder victim - as I recall she took off her shoes to make contact with the carpet the victim had walked on - was straying too far into fantasy for me. I love fantasy - but it seemed wildly out of place in this. I also couldn't quite reconcile myself to the relationship between Maisie and her man - it seemed also wildly out of place in the book's time period. Actually, I had a lot of problems with this one...

I quite like this series and am going into my fifth book of the series. I picked the first book for someone in another group for a book swap and am happy to hear she liked it!

I read Pardonable Lies several years ago (third book), but for some reason, never read any more. Between this discussion & another one that mentioned the audio books, I downloaded Birds of a Feather this morning on hoopla & started listening. This is the second one. I thought I had read the first, but if I did, it was pre-goodreads. I may go back to the first, but, for now, looking forward to the one I have.