One of the best parts of my year is my annual visit with Maisie Dobbs. From her youth as a naive young nurse serving in WWI to her secret work for the English government during WWII, Maisie’s life has been marked by love and loss, courage and conflict, making her an exceptionally accessible and relatable character.

Maisie is at a crossroads in The Consequences of Fear; her obligations to her country are putting considerable stress on her familiar and personal relationships, and she knows that the time is coming when she may have to make difficult choices. These conflicts come to a head when she a young boy, a runner who carries messages for the war effort, claims to have witnessed a murder. While Maisie is inclined to give his story credence, others are doubtful, including Robbie McFarland who has his own reasons to be reluctant to believe that one of his French counterparts is a coldblooded killer. As always, Maisie’s empathy and integrity propel her quest to discover the truth no matter what the cost.

Series fans will be gratified by the turn of events in Maisie’s private life as well as enthralled by an intelligent and well told mystery.

Verdict: Author Jacqueline Winspear never disappoints, but this 16th entry in the Maisie Dobbs series is sure to please.

Full Disclosure--NetGalley and the publisher provided me with a digital ARC of this book. This is my honest review.

Jacqueline Winspear continues to impress with her beloved character, Maisie Dobbs. Now in the middle of WWII and the London Blitz, Maisie still finds time to solve what seem to be minor cases, but prove to be so much more. Along the way, she saves lives by improving circumstances for those people that feel like all hope is gone.

In The Consequences of Fear, Maisie has begun to truly make a new life for herself and work toward her own happiness after so much heartache. After losing a husband and child years before, can she have a second chance at a family?

Every ending of a Maisie Dobbs book leaves the reader wanting more..

There are so many historical mystery series out there now, but Maisie Dobbs remains for me the smartest and the best written. Winspear's historical detail always feels lived in (and makes me forget these books are written in the 21st century). That being said, I felt this installment fell short. I wasn't really invested in the mystery, which seemed to peter out a bit at the end, and also didn't feel emotionally invested enough in the romantic relationship. I'll definitely keep reading the series, but I wonder if Winspear isn't feeling a bit burnt out.

What a pleasure to return to the world of Maisie Dobbs, an intrepid, introspective, London-based private investigator. In the 16th novel of the series, the year is 1941, and the streets of the city are not safe. When a young boy witnesses a murder in the midst of a nighttime bombing raid, he turns to Maisie for help. As the events unfold and the motives take shape, familiar characters play pivotal roles in the plot. When personal and professional responsibilities conflict, Maisie is faced with some difficult decisions. Will she be able to live with her choices, or will their be regrets? Find out in this skillfully-woven tale by a talented author. A must-have for any historical fiction mystery collection!

Writing: 4/5 Characters: 4/5 Plot: 3.5/5

Number 16 in the Maisie Dobbs series starts in October, 1941. As Britain is well immersed in WWII, Maisie is working with the War Office to psychologically vet potential recruits for undercover work in Nazi Germany — young, determined men and women who face low survival rates. Simultaneously, Maisie gets involved in a murder witnessed by a young (and disbelieved) boy that ties into high-level espionage with high-level allies.

I like the Maisie Dobbs series because each book moves us forward in time. Starting in the post WWI era, each installment features challenging situations that are set in the specific events of that period of history — it reminds me of one of my favorite British mystery series: Foyle’s War. Maisie is an interesting and ever-evolving character, leading an unusual investigation practice that blends psychology, forensic science, philosophy, and compassion in approaching tangled, often avoided or ignored problem knots. An appealing cast of expanding supporting characters helps set the mood and context.

SPOILER ALERT!

I cried when I finished Winspear’s newest Maisie Dobbs novel, realizing how much I’ve grown to love this hf mystery series.

GRACE
The author once said Maisie’s character came to her in “a moment of artistic grace.” All of her books — including this 16th in the series — bear that blessing.

LOVE AND HORROR
This latest beams bright with kindness, the search for truth and the healing power of family amid a horrendous time. It is 1941 in Britain, the Blitz in full force in London.

MURDER?
A young messenger, Freddie Hackett, tasked with delivering government missives across the city, often while bombs fall, witnesses a murder. The police don’t believe him because no body is found.

SEEKING MAISIE
Undaunted, Freddie goes to Miss Dobbs’ office, having delivered messages there and hoping the forensic psychologist can help.

TRIPLE THREAT
She has great empathy for the boy, traumatized by what he’s seen, the work he does, and the beatings he and his mother endure at the hands of his violent father.

SABOTAGE
Maisie attempts to uncover the truth while balancing her work with Britain’s SOE, the Secret Operations Executive Churchill founded to “set Europe ablaze” through sabotage.

DEATH
Then a body is found that looks like the victim Freddie saw. And a mysterious death occurs in an SOE camp in Scotland. Are the two related? And how can Maisie cope with her work interviewing potential SOE agents — two she knows —before approving them as Allied spies, knowing most die within three weeks in enemy territory?

ANTIDOTE
While murders and war shatter any sense of safety and fear grips Maisie’s heart, she takes strength from her extended family: her kind father and stepmother, darling adopted daughter Anna, handsome American lover Mark, loyal assistant Billy, best friend Priscilla, and the many she’s drawn close to over the years.

ADORED
Near the end, a brave character is buried, with the Welsh saying, “Roedd hi'n annwyl iawn” read at the funeral. During a later joyful event, with Maisie encircled by family, that saying could be applied to her too: “She was much loved.”

5 of 5 Stars (I’d give as many that fill the night sky if I could!)

Pub Date 23 Mar 2021

Heartfelt thanks to the author, Harper, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

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