This is a very good second outing for Maisie Dobbs. There is a much bigger mystery element than in the first book, where a lot of space is taken up on telling Maisie's back story. This book does give a good feel for life after the First World War, and the ramifications this still had. The murders that form the core of the book have their cause rooted in events that happened during the war. Maisie still comes off as quite aloof in this book, but there is evidence as the book progresses of her thawing out and being ready to move on with her life. It will be interesting to see how that develops in the next few books in the series. If you enjoy historical mysteries I would certainly recommend this series.

I was a bit disappointed with this sequel to the introductory Maisie Dobbs novel. It's a good cosy mystery but not great. Maisie is finding her feet as a fledgling private detective in post WWI London and the author seems to be doing the same with this series. Maisie is an interesting character as an independent woman in the 1920s, but she is seemingly without flaws and human weaknesses and always perfectly groomed and turned out. There is also an element of psychic powers creeping in where Maisie closes her eyes and senses what happened before in the room used as a device to move the plot on, which I found not very believable. The story involves a missing heiress, Charlotte Waite, who has run away from home. When Maisie discovers that three of Charlotte's closest friends have died, she must discover what happened in the past to lead to these deaths and send Charlotte into hiding. Overall, a solid but somewhat slow cosy mystery. The series is highly rated so I'll continue with it in the hope of improved plots and character development.

Book two of the Maisie Dobbs series held me from the first page to the last. My reading practice is to read one chapter from one book in my reading pile and then onto the next, circulating through four or five books at a time. Well, I enjoyed this book so much and couldn't wait to find out what happened next that I just abandoned the other books temporarily so I could immerse my self in the pure pleasure of Jaqueline Winspear's writing. Can't wait to start book three.

Summary from BookBrowse

Maisie Dobbs is back and this time she has been hired to find a wealthy grocery magnate's daughter who has fled from home. What seems a simple case at first becomes complicated when Maisie learns of the recent violent deaths of three of the heiress's old friends. Is there a connection between her mysterious disappearance and the murders? Who would kill such charming young women? As Maisie investigates, she discovers that the answers to all her questions lie in the unforgettable agony of The Great War.

My Review
I continue to love and respect Maisie Dobbs. She takes on a job but still insists that both sides be heard. Charlotte is missing, but, Dad, please let's delve into why and reconcile if necessary.
The first Maisie Dobbs had a lot of back story. I enjoyed that. This book was more complicated with many more characters, but I appreciated Winspear's ability to keep me on track.

Recommend to historical fiction and cozy mystery aficianados.

5 stars