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Friday, March 9, 2012

Among the Mad: A Maisie Dobbs Novel by Jacqueline Winspear


Did you know that March is Maisie Month?  Well, if you didn't, now you do.  In anticipation of Jacqueline Winspear's latest release, Elegy for Eddie,  Harper Books is sponsoring the first annual March is Maisie Month this year.  How exciting! And thanks to TLC Book Tours, I was able to get on their Maisie Dobbs tour and partake in the celebrations.  Yay!

Of course, this meant that I had to find out who Maisie Dobbs was, since I had never read any of Winspear's works before.  So, I grabbed my copy of Among the Mad and dove right in.  It is the sixth book in an on-going series about a Psychologist and Investigator named Maisie Dobbs living in London post World War I.   Unsure of what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed reading all about Maisie and her hunt for a man gone mad. The writing was superb and the characters were so fully developed that you couldn't help but fall in deep like with them and find yourself rooting for some and cringing for others.

Here's a synopsis of the book:

Christmas Eve, 1931.  On the way to see a client, Maisie Dobbs witnesses a man commit suicide on a busy London street.  The following day, the Prime Minister's office receives a letter threatening a massive loss of life if certain demands are not met - and the writer mentions Maisie by name.  Tapped by Scotland Yard's elite Special Branch to be a special adviser on the case, Maisie is soon involved in a race against time to find a man who proves he has the knowledge and will to inflict destruction on thousands of innocent people.  In Among the Mad, Jacqueline Winspear combines a heart-stopping story with a rich evocation of a fascinating period to create her most compelling and satisfying novel yet.

Talk about exciting, right?  I swear it really is rather exciting.  In fact, you can't help but get caught up in all the action and find yourself biting your nails in anticipation of what will happen next.  Or at least that is how I was the entire time I read this book.  It was just so good!  You will not be disappointed!

My only question was, "Where has Maisie Dobbs been all of my life?".   I seriously can't believe that I have never read any of Winspears books until now!  It is pure madness, to think about what I have been missing all of these years - pure and utter madness!! Because, let me tell you - Maisie Dobbs is the cat's pajamas!  I absolutely loved reading all about Dobbs' and her knack for solving crimes.  I will most definitely be looking forward to reading all of Winspear's works involving the wonderful Maisie Dobbs.  And I urge all of you readers out there who haven't experienced Winspear's works to go out and pick up a copy of any of her Maisie Dobbs books and find out for yourself just how excellent they really are!

Here is the link to the all of the bloggers joining in on the Maisie Month fun - check them out! And enjoy!!
Thanks to TLC Book Tours and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book.

10 comments:

Beth DiIorio said...

I, too, just recently learned of the Maisie Dobbs novels. The first two just came in from the library. I'm thrilled to hear your enthusiasm. Thanks for your review...keep up the great work!
Beth :-)

Lisa said...

Woo hoo - I was really looking forward to digging into Maisie Dobbs this weekend and now more than ever!

Beth said...

Oh wow! Good to know... I'm working on number 3 now. I'll have to try and finish a couple before the end of March. I will admit that while I hate how Winspear seems to need to be constantly retelling Maisie's story throughout the series, I do enjoy the mystery and the history!

Heather J. @ TLC Book Tours said...

"Where has Maisie Dobbs been all of my life?" I could say the same thing! I'm so surprised that I haven't made time to read these books yet - I know I'll really love them!

Thanks for being a part of the tour.

nomadreader said...

I've read all of the Maisie books and just finished ELEGY FOR EDDIE last night. I so love this series and hope you'll enjoy them all as much as I have!

Nadia said...

Beth Dilorio, thanks! So glad you stopped by and I'm glad you are going to start Maisie Dobbs, too - looks like we are going to be enjoying quite a treat ;)

Lisa, yay! I'm glad you are a Maisie Dobbs fan - if I have any quesions, I'm asking you ;) Hope you enjoyed your Maisie read!

Beth, if you are on number three, then they must be good - yay! I'm going to get my hands on all of the Maisie books as soon as I can. And I can see how having to constantly read about Maisie's story could be annoying - I'll try to skim those parts :)

Heather, thanks for having me on the tour and introducing me to Maisie Dobbs ;)

nomadreader, I am really looking forward to reading them all! So glad you enjoyed them all, because that bodes well for how much I'm going to love this series! Can't wait! Cheers!

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

I love women detectives of all sorts, ranging from Precious Ramotswe to Kinsey Milhone, but I had never heard of Maisie Dobbs. Will get my hands on the first book as soon as I can. thank you!following you now!

By the way, I have my own book blog at http://riversihaveknown.wordpress.com/
Please have a look at the reviews and give me your feedback, and if you like it,please follow. It will be awesome to have discussions with you!

Nadia said...

Little Girl Lost, thanks for stopping by! And like you I love Precious Ramotswe - the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency is one of my favorite series! I'd never heard of Maisie either, but I'm so glad I did. Now I have a new series to dive into and I can't wait. I hadn't realized how much I enjoy mysteries until now :) Oh, and I'm heading over to your site now - can't wait to check out what you've been reading! Cheers!

Jennifer | Mrs Q Book Addict said...

I've been seeing Maisie Dobbs everywhere, and now I was to try them. Great review!

Nadia said...

Mrs Q Book Addict, I know what you mean. I'd seen the books around and when the opportunity came up to read and review one of the books I jumped at the chance. I can't wait to read the rest of the series. I hope you enjoy Maisie as much as I have! I look forward to reading your thoughts on the books :)