The Maisie Dobbs Read-Along

Every year I look forward to certain authors releasing new books and I jot down the release dates in my planner. One of those authors is Jacqueline Winspear. I'm a huge fan of her Maisie Dobbs series and always look forward to the latest installment. So, imagine my shock and sadness to find out that 2024 will be the last year a new Maisie Dobbs book will be released. It'll be the eighteenth book in the series and will be released on June 4th here in the States. So, of course I will be re-reading the entire series before June 4th. What do you think about joining me? 

Yep, I have decided to host my first reading challenge. Well, it's not really a reading challenge, it's more of a read-along. The Maisie Dobbs Read-Along to be exact. I figured that there are 144 days until the release date, which means there are a little over 5 months to read all 17 books. That way, the final book can be devoured as soon as it's available. I just know I'm going to be sad to say goodbye to one of my all-time favorite characters. Which is why I think it'll be fun to read all about her once more. Kind of like a final goodbye. Although, let's be honest, you know I'll be re-reading the entire series again and again at some point. 

Anyhow, what do you think? Are you a fan of Winspear's popular series, Maisie Dobbs? And, if so, would you want to join in and re-read the series before the new book is released on June 4th? Let me know if you're interested. I plan on posting about each book: once when I start re-reading it, and then again when I finish it. I figure we can chat about the books in the comment section. How does that sound? I've never hosted anything like this, so I'm excited and nervous. So, please let me know if I'm forgetting anything. I figure the main thing is to have fun re-reading this amazing series and to just have a chat about it along the way. 

Here's the cover for the last book in the series:

The title and that cover...Whoa! I can't wait to read it and find out how Maisie will be left in the end. I'm so excited and sad at the same time. 

And now, I'm off to continue to decluttering my office, because it NEEDS it. Hope you are enjoying your Saturday morning. Happy reading!

Upcoming Read...

Yep! The new Maisie Dobbs is in my possession and I am over the moon.  I absolutely LOVE this series to bits and have been eagerly awaiting for this new book to come out in 2017.  In fact, I'm currently re-reading the first book in the series, as I tend to re-read the whole series before a new book comes out.  So, imagine my surprise and delight when I found out that Edelweiss and the publishers approved my request for an advanced copy - HURRAH and THANK YOU!!

And now, I'm off to find out what Maisie has been up to since her trip to Germany.  Happy reading!!

10th Anniversary Paperback Edition of Maisie Dobbs!!

Maisie Dobbs is ten!  Can you believe it? Its been ten years since Jacqueline Winspear's fantastic, award winning novel, Maisie Dobbs, was published.  To celebrate, Soho Crime has released a 10th anniversary edition: 

Isn't it lovely?  I know that I was excited to get my hands on a copy of this delightful book.  I absolutely love the Maisie Dobbs series - it is one of my favorites!  I gobble these books up whenever I get the chance.  They are chock full of mystery, intrigue, London, family/relationship/love drama, and Maisie Dobbs - what more could I want?  Of course if you haven't read any of Winspear's fantastic books in the series, then not only are you missing out, but you haven't a clue what I'm talking about.  You are probably wondering who is Maisie Dobbs.  Well, she's a smart and savvy woman who works as a private investigator in London during the 1930s.  How awesome does that sound?

"Maisie Dobbs got her start as a maid in an aristocratic London household when she was thirteen.  her employer, suffragette Lady Rowan Compton, soon became her patron, taking the remarkably bright youngster under her wing.  Lady Rowan's friend, Maurice Blanche, often retained as an investigator by the European elite, recognized Maisie's intuitive gifts and helped her earn admission to the prestigious Girton College in Cambridge, where Maisie planned to complete her education.

The outbreak of war changed everything.  Maisie trained as a nurse, then left for France to serve at the Front, where she found - and lost - an important part of herself.  Ten year after the Armistice, in the spring of 1929, Maisie sets out on her own as a private investigator, one who has learned that coincidences are meaningful, and truth elusive.  Her very first case involves suspected infidelity but reveals something different.

In the aftermath of the Great War, a former officer has founded a working farm known as The Retreat, that acts as a convalescent refuge for ex-soldiers too shattered to resume normal life.  When Fate brings Maisie a second case involving The Retreat, she must finally confront the ghost that has haunted her for over a decade."

After reading a summary like that, how could you not want to dive into Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear?  I know that I will be settling into a comfy chair with a cuppa at my side and this book in  hand later on tonight - and I can't wait!  So, if you get the chance, definitely pick up a copy of Maisie Dobbs - you are going to love it!


Thank you to Soho Crime for providing me with a copy of this fantastic book!

The Mapping of Love and Death: A Maisie Dobbs Novel by Jacqueline Winspear

about book:

August 1914.  As Michael Clifton is mapping land he has just purchased in California's beautiful Santa Ynez Valley, war is declared in Europe - and duty-bound to his father's native country, the young cartographer soon sets sail for England to serve in the British army.  Three years later, he is listed as missing in action.

April 1932.  After Michael's remains are unearthed in France, his parents retain London psychologist and investigator Maisie Dobbs, hoping she can find the unnamed nurse whose love letters were among their late son's belongings.  It is a quest that leads Maisie back to her own bittersweet wartime love - and to the stunning discovery that Michael Clifton was murdered in his dugout.  Suddenly an exposed web of intrigue and violence threatens to ensnare the dead soldier's family and even Maisie herself as she attempts to cope with the impending loss of her mentor and the unsettling awareness that she is once again falling in love.

my thoughts:

Love, love, love!  This book has broken my recent DNF streak (three DNFs in a row!!) and I am "Happy. Happy. Happy." I finally feel like my reading mojo is back - Hurrah!

Once again, I fell in deep with a Winspear book.  How could I not?  Captivating story, fascinating characters, and a comforting familiarity that beckons for an armchair and cup of tea - what more could I ask for?  And believe you me, I truly enjoyed spending my weekend all tucked up with Maisie, Billy, Pris, and the rest of the characters from this compelling new-to-me story involving maps, murder, and a documentary.

The Mapping of Love and Death brings Maisie new clients and a new love.  Exciting, eh?  I know I loved reading all about Maisie and her new beau - I have to admit that I screamed with joy when she got kissed (I swear, Maisie feels like a dear friend to me).  And I did get a bit anxious when it appeared as if Maisie might not be open to a new relationship - luckily, I worried for nothing.  As far as the new clients went- well, lets just say that Maisie handled quite an interesting case this time round.  One that had her flashing back to her own past, along with that of a dead man's via his journals and some old love letters.  It was such a treat to find out how Maisie sorted out all the pieces of information to figure out what exactly happened to Michael Clifton (her clients' son) - I always just think its amazing to see her mind in action.  Especially, since I am usually wrong about 'who done it' - its frustrating to be wrong each time, but also kind of neat how Winspear's manages to keep the mystery 'mysterious' with twists and turns you hadn't even expected (I love it!).

Of course, the writing was terrific - it was engaging, suspenseful, and filled with quite a few surprises.  As always, there were interesting topics to learn about, such as cartography, the nursing units during the war, and land rights.  Winspear somehow manages to teach her readers about the past, without making it seem as if you are being taught  - she just has that magic touch about providing information in such an engrossing way.  I always feel as if I am reading a history book, as well as a detective novel and I quite like that mix of genre (makes me enjoy the book even more).

So, I would most definitely recommend The Mapping of Love and Death to fans of Winspear's beloved Maisie Dobbs series and to anyone and everyone who loves a good detective novel.  You will thoroughly enjoy this book and eagerly seek out the rest of Winspear's novels.  I know that I can't wait to read more Dobbs', especially Winspear's latest book, Leaving Everything Most Loved.

Here's a link to the TLC Book Tour schedule of all of the Maisie Dobbs books that were read and reviewed this month in celebration and anticipation of Winspear's new novel, Leaving Everything Most Loved.  Check it out!

Thank you to TLC Book Tours and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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.