Birds of a Feather (Maisie Dobbs Mysteries)
by Jacqueline Winspear
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 566)
Read in January, 2007
Despite neglecting to rip disc 9 from this lovely audio book, which caused me great distress when I realised, I still really enjoyed this lovely mystery by Jacqueline Winspear.
I'm not sure how much I'd enjoy these books reading them rather than listening to them. Part of the appeal is the gentle tones of the narrator, and so when she reads somewhat long winded descriptions of character's clothing or appearance, I am not frustrated by it. I think I might be if I was reading it to myself tho...more
I'm not sure how much I'd enjoy these books reading them rather than listening to them. Part of the appeal is the gentle tones of the narrator, and so when she reads somewhat long winded descriptions of character's clothing or appearance, I am not frustrated by it. I think I might be if I was reading it to myself tho...more
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Read in May, 2007
I picked up the second book in the series because it was on sale, and the first few pages had the main character, Maisie, deftly turn a dinner date invitation into a casual lunch.
Set in England after the Great War, when the country has recovered but its people still suffer from scars, this could be seen as a thoughtful period piece with an endearing heroine. Maisie is easy to like: competent but not forceful, compassionate but practical. She advertises herself as a "psychologist and i...more
Set in England after the Great War, when the country has recovered but its people still suffer from scars, this could be seen as a thoughtful period piece with an endearing heroine. Maisie is easy to like: competent but not forceful, compassionate but practical. She advertises herself as a "psychologist and i...more
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Though this book gets better reviews, I preferred the first mystery in this series because this book focuses on the author's fascination with yoga, Pilates, auras, and "insight," and I find those excursions into mysticism a little tiring in a mystery novel. (This is obviously her correction of Sherlock Holmes' hyper rationalism, but I like Sherlock Holmes' hyper rationalism!)
Nonetheless, I love the main character, the detective Maisie, in these books, and the historical detail and...more
Nonetheless, I love the main character, the detective Maisie, in these books, and the historical detail and...more
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Read in March, 2008
It seemed like this book had more words about clothing and New Age psychology than the last one. Just me? I really liked the mystery again and the resolution was surprising and satisfying. If nothing else, the two Maisie Dobbs books I've read have piqued my interest in World War I. I like that Winspear examines the effects of that particular war on families, soldiers, rich, poor, men, women. No one was left untouched by it. I was a little creeped out by Maisie this time around, though. I ...more
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Read in December, 2007
The first book by this author that I have read. It's a mixture of murder, psychological/psychic investigator and detailed descriptions of fashion and society in England of 1930s. Right at the time when everything in England had changed after the first War, society was in upheaval, fewer people were going into service (domestic) and there were deep emotional wounds left over from things that happened 1914-1919. The motive for the murders in this book are actually believable, which is a nice chang...more
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Read in September, 2007
recommends it for:
everyone especially those from england
This is the 2nd book in a series of three that Jacquline Winspear has written. It is very British. I love the accents and the descriptions of the British lifestyle. The mystery is really secondary to the main charcters life and the times So far in the first two books the murders happen because of events that occur during the war.
This book takes place after World War I . Mind you there is alot of talk about the war and how it continues to effect their daily lives. I would really recomm...more
This book takes place after World War I . Mind you there is alot of talk about the war and how it continues to effect their daily lives. I would really recomm...more
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Read in May, 2008
This one I loved. Yes, I figured out the culprit but the setting of the 1930 in London is well done, Maisie is a strong character. Yes, she has a bit too much talent and luck in a life but I followed her lead with interest and was brought to care about the plot, the twists and turns and the characters. In a post WW1 England, where jobs are scares and people hurting, lonely, Winspear makes you care. The plot is interesting, Maisie's methods are a bit loopy but not to far fetched. It's the human s...more
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Read in February, 2006
This is the second Maisie Dobbs detective story, set in 1930s London. In Birds of a Feather, Maisie is asked to find a missing heiress and finds a murder case instead.
Usually British detective stories are clear on who the victims and villains are, and they must just be identified from the clues. Winspear tells a story about guilt and loss that weaves the tragedy of WWI into the lives of her characters. I'm still not sure which was the true villain .A bit darker than the first Maisie Dobbs bo...more
Usually British detective stories are clear on who the victims and villains are, and they must just be identified from the clues. Winspear tells a story about guilt and loss that weaves the tragedy of WWI into the lives of her characters. I'm still not sure which was the true villain .A bit darker than the first Maisie Dobbs bo...more
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Read in August, 2007
the 2nd in a series - always a test to see how well the characters hold up, and I thought these did - actually liked this book better than the first one. the characters were more developed (maybe seemed a bit more "real", not that I was looking for that, but it struck me as a good thing when I was reading) and there seemed to be more of a real mystery this time. more themes about WWI and loss. and I love that Maisie might be ready for a new relationship. I'll definitely read more o...more
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Jacqueline Winspear is one of the most disppointing writers I've run across recently. These books are just a showcase of implausible plots and a constant nagging at us about how awfully independent and liberated Maisie is, how daringly she defies convention, blah, blah, blah. A competent writer shows us, illustrates her points, doesn't find it necessary to constantly hit us over the head. Anne Perry does the same thing. How can intelligent readers not tire of this?
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Read in September, 2006
recommended to Christie by:
Linda
Second in the Maisie Dobbs series and another great read! Maisie and Billy Beale try to find Charlotte Waite, the daughter of wealthy self-made man Joseph Waite. They end up solving a murder. I like the rich characterization in these books, the humanity and warmth. I feel as if these are real people I'm reading about.
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in June, 2007
recommends it for:
classic mystery fans
I read this second book in the Maisie Dobbs series before I read the first book and that was fine. I really enjoyed it. The post-WWI era is so little explored now, but there's so much rich material there. Meticulously researched and solidly written. Plus, I really LIKE Maisie. She's an "I can do it myself" kind of girl with a "but I really like you" center. Smart, savvy, kind. A good, fast read.
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Read in March, 2008
This was an enjoyable quick read. I always have fun with an English mystery, there's something about the words they use in descriptions and how alot of authors describe the details down to what the characters are dressed in for the day. This story also involved a bit of history on World War I that I wasn't aware of. All in all, a good book even though I had not read the first book in her series.
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Read in May, 2008
recommends it for:
Anyone and Everyone
Another great mystery novel by Jacqueline Winspear. I think I may have liked this one even better than the first. Winspear's books provide interesting historical background to a time period that tends to be forgotten now (the Great War and the years following). Maisie Dobbs is a compelling character who evolves throughout this book and is very empathetic. I highly recommend this book!
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Read in May, 2007
The first book caught my eye simply for its cover- this has happened many times before too! In this case the books are just as great as their covers, at least in my opinion. They remind me a lot of the Alexander McCall Smith books but they have an extra dimension in that they take on the social issues of the day, especially poverty and WWI and its aftermath.
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Read in March, 2008
A fine sequel which I really enjoyed. Set in 1930's England, Masie's second case (like her first) is connected with The Great War. I did think some of the detecting seemed a bit new age-y, but I don't know what the times were like in that respect. I admire the way Masie insists on resolving the psychological problems along with the mystery itself.
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Read in March, 2008
My new favorite mystery writer. This story is set in London, 1930. Maisie Dobbs is a sleuth who uses her intuition to help solve the case she is given, finding a missing girl. When three of the girls friends turn up dead, Maisie races against an unknown predator to save the girl's life. Very well constructed. Love the character of Maisie.
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Read in December, 2007
The second in the series. Ms. Winspear is an eloquent writer. She explores how we can have healthy and unhealthy affects on the people we encounter in life. The lead character, Masie Dobbs, is keenly aware of psychology as she conducts her investigations across England. Toss a handsome male doctor into the mystery and I'm delighted.
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Read in August, 2007
I didn't like this one as well as Maisie Dobbs. I really enjoyed the story of her girlhood, more than the mystery itself. Birds of a Feather was an enjoyable read, but there was less character development than in the first. I did figure out the plot, gullible reader though I am. I prefer to be surprised by a clever authorly twist.
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Like the first book in the series, this was less a mystery than a good period novel. Not quite as good as the first, mostly because Maisie was not a surprise. I think she's a fabulous character and her supporting cast is also extremely well done. I like this series enough to continue to follow it.
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