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Among the Mad (Maisie Dobbs, #6)

Jacqueline Winspear,

Orlagh Cassidy (Narrator)

Start date: April 1, 2019

Finish date: May 31, 2019

Discussion: Past Book Discussions 2014-19

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Past Book Discussions 2014-19

Dec 2019: The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman
By Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Jenn Ƹ̴… , Founding Retro Chick · 51 posts · 18 views

last updated Nov 30, 2020 08:05AM

December 2017 Buddy Read: Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
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last updated Oct 29, 2020 11:12AM

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What Members Thought

May 31, 2019 Celia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction-read, group-bom, 2019-read, ten-year-challenge

My sixth Maisie Dobbs mystery and I am still (and hopefully always) loving her and her stories.

Christmas Eve, London, 1931. Maisie and Billy are in the street, walking from their office to Billy's home. Christmas packages for the Beales are in their arms. Maisie notices a man sitting on the ground, gray looking and sad. She nears him with change in her hand. She gasps when she sees him reach into his pocket. An explosion occurs, killing the man and causing Maisie to strike her head on the ground My sixth Maisie Dobbs mystery and I am still (and hopefully always) loving her and her stories.

Christmas Eve, London, 1931. Maisie and Billy are in the street, walking from their office to Billy's home. Christmas packages for the Beales are in their arms. Maisie notices a man sitting on the ground, gray looking and sad. She nears him with change in her hand. She gasps when she sees him reach into his pocket. An explosion occurs, killing the man and causing Maisie to strike her head on the ground. The man is dead; Maisie escapes with a bad headache.

Christmas Day. Maisie would still like to deliver the packages to the Beale family. There she witnesses a very sad and melancholic Doreen, Billy's wife. In a previous episode, their little girl died and Doreen was still suffering. This episode will prepare us for the compassionate side of Maisie as she assists Billy with getting the proper care for Doreen.

Boxing Day. Maisie is able to travel in her MG to Chelstone, to visit her father, Frankie. But her visit is cut short. Inspector Richard Stratton has telephoned asking for Maisie's assistance. An urgent situation requires she return to London immediately. When she arrives and meets with Scotland Yard she is informed that ' a threat has been received by the Home Secretary... asking for help for those unemployed and if action has not occurred within 48 hours, London will see the letter writer's power.' What will this person do. Now we see the no-nonsense and highly organized side of Daisie as she assists in finding the culprit and all who are involved with him.

In the 6 books that I have read in this series, I have seen Maisie grow from a motherless scullery maid to a confident psychological detective. As I continue to read these books, I see a Maisie who can be short tempered as she strives to be the woman she wants to be. That sounds harsh on my part. I have come to realize that Maisie is living at a time different from me; a time when women were discouraged from doing anything except being married and a good wife and mother. This realization has helped me to see a Maisie who wants to be valued and respected. She has developed a very no-nonsense approach to solving problems. Bravo Maisie.

I will continue to read these mysteries until I arrive at the 14th installment.

Recommend for those who like historical fiction set in the England of the early to middle 20th Century.

5 stars

...more

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Apr 20, 2019 Tasha rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I am done with Maisie. I find her to be a pretentious know-it-all. The writing also completely bugs me, it's not for me. I've been reading this series with a group and it's time for me to move on. I didn't mind the first book in the series, in fact, I gave it 4 stars but the following books in the series never reached that level again. Maisie continues to be someone I'd have a hard time being around, lol.

If you love animals and don't like to see them hurt, here's a warning (view spoiler) ...more

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