Yune's review of Birds of a Feather
Birds of a Feather (Maisie Dobbs Mysteries) by Jacqueline Winspear
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 investigator," and it's really the former role that gets highlighted, even as she's swept up into what might otherwise be a traditional murder mystery. She is inclined to see even villains as victims, and spends time probing people's pasts to discover what drives them -- not just to find out if theydunnit, but to truly understand them. Of course, eventually she has to take a long, hard look at herself.
I was vaguely irritated by spiritual (not religious) overtones at times, but otherwis...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 investigator," and it's really the former role that gets highlighted, even as she's swept up into what might otherwise be a traditional murder mystery. She is inclined to see even villains as victims, and spends time probing people's pasts to discover what drives them -- not just to find out if theydunnit, but to truly understand them. Of course, eventually she has to take a long, hard look at herself.
I was vaguely irritated by spiritual (not religious) overtones at times, but otherwis...more
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