Though it feeds my obsession with the Downton Abby era, I think enjoying the first two books was quite sufficient. Maybe, one day, I would pick up book 3, but for now, off to my neglected TBRs.

I really enjoyed the second installment in the Maisie Dobbs detective series. In this book, we meet Maisie in 1929, now a well-established if often doubted female detective. Maisie and her loyal assistant Billy Beale are called to investigate the sudden disappearance of Charlotte Waite, the spoiled daughter of a successful London businessman who has recently lost three of her female friends to murder. Are the murders connected and if so, how?
Something I really like about this series is that these books are both good mysteries and an interesting social commentary on early 20th century Britain. This book delves deep into the ways that World War I impacted women emotionally and psychologically. I also love that a lot of Maisie's method as a detective is closely tied to her skills as a trained psychologist. Loved the story and the characters-- hoping to continue the series before too long!

I cannot put into words how I feel about this book - at least not right now. I am still crying, shaking my head in frustration and am suffering from book hangover. Perhaps, after a couple of days, I will be able to do this book justice with my feeble words. Until then, just know that I highly recommend both this book AND this series.

I enjoyed the mystery in this 2nd volume more than the first, but I enjoyed getting to know Maisie even more.

Reading a Maisie Dobbs book is like eating comfort food. There are such good supporting roles (Maurice Blanche, Lady Rowan, her father, Billy, and more are being added...) It's nice facing life's challenges with such a crew bouying you up, I imagine.

Reading this story helped me reflect on my own supporters. We are such a result of those whom we love and associate with, even those from whom we seem naturally repelled. Each day we're torn down in new ways, built up in others, morphing into better creatures, we hope.

I had to chuckle at the book's plug for Pilates. Yes, it takes a novel to convince me to finally give it another try. We are taught in our own language, aren't we? Mine seems to be books more than anything. So, to the library Pilates collection, I say: "Here I come."

Winspear adds such beef to my understanding of wartime and its effects. I really loved Lady Rowan's remark about how war isn't really over when it 'ends', but continues on in the living. So true. I'm glad she said it so much better. :)

I've enjoyed the hunt for the murder it was a shock. on to the third book next month

3.5 stars. This was definitely an improvement over the first book. I liked the mystery a lot more, it was more developed and had good clues along the way. There was no flashback which made the story run much more smoothly. Instead, the mystery did tie back to WWI but no clunky flashbacks, and I preferred it that way.

While I liked the mystery a lot, I wasn't a huge fan of how it was solved. Maisie does a lot of standing in a room and just meditating and somehow that's how she can figure out what happened and what the murder victim was thinking and feeling. Also, she apparently has psychic powers to lead her to clues--the clues just call to her. This annoyed me because the clues were RIGHT there and if she just looked a little bit, she would've found them anyway so why the need for the weird psychic powers? I guess I wish she would use her intellect, hustle, and powers of reasoning to figure out the mystery because she totally could've done it that way and it would be a lot more realistic.

Going along with that, I still don't like her mentor Maurice, who is probably to blame for her weird crime solving technique. He's just so boring and says such bland ambiguous platitudes yet everyone drinks them up.

Despite my rant, those are minor irritants and I still enjoyed the book and will continue the series. I like how it examines the fall out of WWI and how it affected all aspects of society.

I've decided that Maisie Dobbs and Nancy Drew are very similar characters.

1. They are attractive, tall, independent, and without ties to men (but have their suitors)
2. They have no concerns with money (Maisie did in her childhood but now has a benefactor and works; Nancy had her father)
3. They both love to drive their sporty vehicles fast (although Maisie has yet to wreak her car; Nancy did in nearly every novel)
4. Everything always works out

How they are different:
Maisie is dealing with problems that stem from the WWI aftermath. I find that to be more intriquing that Nancy's setting of mid-west living (obviously, the Nancy Drew series is written for YA readers years ago). In this last novel, Maisie learns about the devestating affects of the "Order of the White Feather." I found that bit of history to be fascinating. Can you imagine such an organization today that allows us to physically label any man who isn't in uniform? Talk about a scarlet letter punishment.

Birds of a Feather is the second Maisie Dobbs book in the series by the same name. I’m late to the party, but I am certainly glad I finally showed up! I am enamored with this historical cozy mystery series set in 1930’s London with a feisty, clever-minded female detective who is both introspective, and also keenly insightful of others. These crimes are intelligent, multi-layered, and not easily deduced. The stories are atmospheric and cozy, but also reflective, thought-provoking and moving. They are capped with a full cast of likable, unique, charming characters and pure delight to read.

Like in the first book a case to find a missing socialite turns into much more. Maisie is hired by a successful grocer to find his runaway 32yo daughter. As Maisie investigates she finds a connection to two murders and a suicide of three women who were all friends of the missing woman. The father is an exceedingly controlling and difficult man. You’d flee from him too. So is the missing woman in danger? Is she the murderer? Or is it the grocer? It all leads back to World War I. Plus Maisie deals with an injury to her dad and stages an intervention for her drug addicted assistant. Maisie is a female Sherlock Holmes but without the arrogance. Great series.

I kind of stuffed up and put in the wrong book when I began this one last week. It was a rush to the end as it’s due back today at my local library! I had selected the first and second book at first but I’ve already mentioned the first one on another review.

Well I’ll be damned as without giving anything away I had picked the wrong killer in this one. It’s a fabulous tale of Maisie and her sidekick Billy and so well done. I must admit after the first novel it did take me a bit to get into this one but the characterisation is so good once you get your teeth into it. I have the next 3 to read from Karen but sadly I have to finish some library or pushed aside for this. I’ve never read the slouch Miss Fisher but this is so alike the tv series so if you like that with a bit of Agatha Christie you’ll love these.

4 Solid Stars! This was a real improvement from the first book! The mystery was good without been fantastic but again what made this book better was the accuracy of the historical content and the characters. I still no loving the main character but not hating her either. The supporting characters have grown in this book and I think they make the main character more believable. Looking forward to the next one in the series even more after this one...