Finalist for the Inaugural Sue Grafton Memorial AwardMaisie Dobbs—one of the most complex and admirable characters in contemporary fiction (Richmond Times Dispatch)—faces danger and intrigue on the home front during World War II.During the months following Britain’s declaration of war on Germany, Maisie Dobbs investigates the disappearance of a young apprentice working on a hush-hush government … apprentice working on a hush-hush government contract. As news of the plight of thousands of soldiers stranded on the beaches of France is gradually revealed to the general public, and the threat of invasion rises, another young man beloved by Maisie makes a terrible decision that will change his life forever.
Maisie’s investigation leads her from the countryside of rural Hampshire to the web of wartime opportunism exploited by one of the London underworld’s most powerful men, in a case that serves as a reminder of the inextricable link between money and war. Yet when a final confrontation approaches, she must acknowledge the potential cost to her future—and the risk of destroying a dream she wants very much to become reality.
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Like all Jacqueline Winspear novels, this one is very good. Investigator Maisie Dobbs is back in her office solving problems for clients, friends and family. This story setting is now at the beginnings of World War II. It is very interesting and the mysteries all end up nicely solved.
This is such a wonderful series– beautiful writing, great characterization, and wonderful consideration of historical and social events and issues. Each in the series can stand alone, but reading them in order definitely would deepen the appreciation.
Love all the Maisie Dobbs books, including the latest. They are great stories in a historical setting. Readers should begin the series with book 1 “Maisie Dobbs” to really understand her background.
Another winner! Love the character development, the historical background–the evacuation at Dunkirk–and the compassionate way Maisie investigates murder. (This series reminds me of all the things I enjoy about Foyle’s War.)
I can’t say enough about this series. It’s one you always hope the next book is on your bookshelf ready to read. Great characters great story about people you come to care about. You will love the mystery as much as the people
Loved the entire series. Great read during Pandemic times
Entire series is wonderful. Read them in order
All of the Maisie Dobbs stories are wonderful; Winspear writes so well, I hate for the book to end
I have read this entire series and eagerly await the next book!
Love Love Love this series.
Pretty good read. Par for this author. Maisie has been thru a lot, but has bounced back, again.
Another solid entry in a series I always read and enjoy. Maisie Dobbs is asked to check up on a neighbor’s son who is working as a painter on a secret military project in WWII England. There are many historical details and facts brought to play in each of Winspear’s books and each character develops further in every book. Very satisfying.
This was one of her best in this series. I laughed & cried and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.
I love Winspear’s series on Maizie. I happened to read her first one when it came out so have simply followed each new one, as soon it hits the market. Her style gets better with each book. I learn more about Europe and its history, with each book. Thanks.
I love all of the books in this series!
Each one in the series gets better. I can’t wait for the next one!
I have read all the books in the series and this was one of the best.
It was about a time in world history that was so influential it still reverberates
A fan of Masie Dobbs from the beginning. a true heroine and friend.
Set against the backdrop of the evacuation of the British forces from Dunkirk and on the eve of what everyone can feel is the coming Battle of Britain, private detective Maisie Dobbs investigates the mysterious death of a young painter apprentice working on a secret government contract.
If Jacqueline Winspear isn’t quite Dame Agatha, To Die But Once is nevertheless a snappy read with an enticing plot. Fifteen-year-old Joe Coombes in the young apprentice; conveniently, his family was already acquainted with Maisie and her assistant, Billy Beale. As Billy quickly points out to Maisie, though, something just isn’t quite right with the family. Priding herself as much on her work as a psychologist as a detective, Maisie teases the threads apart to solve the case.
While the secret government contract – a job painting all of the buildings on RAF bases with fire retardant – provides a bit of the wartime feel, Winspear has infused it throughout the book with talk of petrol coupons, rationing, and the evacuation from Dunkirk itself. This last is its own sub-plot, apart and unrelated to Joe Coombes’s fate, as though reminding readers that whatever personal tragedies one may have faced during World War II, there the war loomed overhead, overshadowing even the worst pain. (With Dunkirk, too, I was reminded keenly of Natasha Solomons’s The House at Tyneford, which makes an excellent choice for anyone interested in Dunkirk-themed historical fiction, but for whom mystery isn’t quite the order of the day.)
Learning how much of the story was inspired by true events was the icing on top – and a rarity in mysteries.
(This review was originally published at: https://www.thisyearinbooks.com/2018/06/to-die-but-once-maisie-dobbs-novel.html)