Birds of a Feather (Maisie Dobbs, Book 2) by Jacqueline Winspear
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Book Reviews of Birds of a Feather (Maisie Dobbs, Book 2)
Book Review: Stronger than the original...
Summary: 4 Stars
I find that most sequels do not live up to the original books. However, Jacqueline Winspear's Birds of a Feather is the exception to this rule, and is a much stronger work than the original, Maisie Dobbs.
Dobbs runs her own private investigation business, but also dabbles in psychology. Taking place in England after World War I, Birds of a Feather is refreshing as most women at this time are either housewives or domestics. Joseph Waite, a rich merchant, hires Dobbs to locate his 32-year old daughter who has run away from home. The private investigator is ale to tie Charlotte Waite's disappearance to the murders of three of Charlotte's friends. Dobbs must not only locate the girl, but also discover whether Charlotte might be hiding from the killer or is she actually the murderer. She must also find the motive behind the deaths.
Most of the colorful characters that Winspear introduced in Maisie Dobbs appear in Birds of a Feather including Maurice Blanche (her mentor), Billy Beale (her assistant), Lady Rowan (her benefactor), Frank Dobbs (her father), and Inspector Stratton (a policeman with a romantic interest in Dobbs). Winspear is also very adept at taking this period after World War I and bringing it to life. England was still recovering from the war in many ways--especially emotionally and financially. She weaves her story around a little known movement known as The Order of the White Feather. Dobbs must also deal with some personal issues as well. The combination makes for an interesting tale.
The only thing that kept me from giving Birds of a Feather five stars is that I thought the ending was once again a little hokey. Otherwise, Maisie Dobbs has developed into a well-written and enjoyable series.
Book Review: Thoroughly enjoyable
Summary: 4 Stars
Maisie Dobbs is a wonderful character, and this is such a great period piece. I listened to this as an audiobook and enjoyed it very much. Set in the first half of the twentieth century, Winspear does a great job capturing the tumultuous social upheaval in Great Britain, and juxtaposing it against the calm and poised Ms Dobbs. Maisie's remarkable self-possession, particularly in the course of her unusual career choice, shines through. Without being tedious or self-aggrandizing, this novel has Maisie spreading her wings and flying solo as a psychologist / consultant. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Winspear's dissection of Maisie's thought process. In most other novels, the play-by-play of a character's thought process drives me to tears. Overall, the novel personifies some of my favorite British traits through Maisie. Go Maisie!Book Review: Not quite Chas Todd but charming
Summary: 4 Stars
I confess that it took me two weeks to read this book and as it happened I read three quarters of it in two nights. I found it difficult to get into. As others have noted, Maisie seemed a bit too perfect, a bit too "lucky"--her own flat in Belgravia, her own detective agency, in the 1930s??? And the slimness, forgetting to eat, the MG. But somehow over the novel she grew on me. When the story ended I wanted to find out what happened next. Who does she decide to date? What happens with her relationship with her father? And so I have ordered four more Maisie Dobbs books, as well as the latest Charles Todd. Because charming as she is, she is nowhere in his class. His writing is deep, deeply felt, his characters dramatic where Maisie could well turn out to be--ummm--fluffy. But if she is fluffy then it's a nice cozy read.Book Review: London in 1930
Summary: 4 Stars
This is an interesting story, but the writing style was not really to my taste. It is about a case involving investigator Maisie Dobbs and her assistant Billy Beale in 1930 London. The case itself involves a 32 year old woman, roughly the same age as Maisie, who has run off. Her domineering father, who wants her at home, hires Maisie to find her. The case would seem to be a simple case of finding a missing person, but murders are involved, and Maisie finds herself drawn back to events in the Great War where she and Billy had both served.
The story has a lot of background color (details of the time period) and reveals a lot about both Maisie and Billy. Maisie finds out some things about Billy. Maisie also acquires a new man in her life.
Book Review: Maisie, my friend !!
Summary: 4 Stars
Maisie Dobbs is a strong, interesting woman in the post-WW I era that we know little about - until we meet Maisie. She's a former nurse during the war, she's now a private investigator and psychic who doesn't just solve crimes but tries to assure that's all right with the people involved when it's over. It's a little slow in places but then picks up again as life in the early 1930s entices us to read on. Thank you, Ms Winspear, for creating a unique new series.