This is the fourth book in the Maisie Dobbs series, and it's a winner. The setting is 1931 in London. This is a time in the UK when there is a lot of poverty and hopelessness. The Great War is over but for the few that did return jobs are hard to come by. A lot of walking wounded are out and about and everyone that participated in some way during the war is trying to start life anew with the great sadness of the war carried in all their hearts. Unemployment is high. Disease is running rampant. Maisie is asked by a young female journalist to try to find out what really happened to her twin brother who is a prominent artist. The police think it was an accident that he fell from scaffolding that he had erected to enable him to hang up his master work in the gallery that displays his artwork. Georgina Bassington-Hope does not believe it was an accident so she employs Maisie to find out what actually happened. It opens up a whole new world for Maisie as she must step into the world of art and priceless paintings in order for her to figure out what actually did happen to Nick Bassington-Hope. She places herself in some danger as she single-mindedly and doggedly follows the clues she uncovers. This series is wonderful and thought-provoking. Ms. Winspear has a way of making World War I and it's aftermath very real. One of my favourite series for sure.

My sixth read in the Masie Dobbs series and the high standard of the previous novels isnt lacking in this one. Once again Jacqueline Winspear shows a cross section of London from the rich and high class to the poor working class who despite their differences all live under the shadow that the First World War left behind. She evokes this period effectively as always with subtlety and detail and in this one particularly focuses upon the art scene of the time which I appreciated. These are no cozy mysteries for despite the fashion and parties there is always a darkness underneath especially in light of the growing political situation in Europe. In this book Oswald Mosley features, the eventual leader of the British Union of Fascists and the naivety of those who had not yet seen what men like Hitler can do is illustrated. The Bassington-Hope family, are well drawn and the regular characters in these novels feature in bit parts such as Masies father as well as her trusty assistant Billy who has to deal with darkness of his own in this book. The plot in these novels never really zings along as they do in modern mystery novels but instead builds piece by piece allowing the reader to change their mind as to the identity of the killer multiple times. Perhaps this is what I like about historical crime fiction, that the pace is slower and that they are a window onto a world that is so much different to our own.It is always difficult to write reviews of mystery novels, in fear of giving too much away but suffice it to say that fans of this series will not be disappointed and although this could be read as a standalone book, if you havent read any Masie Dobbs before, I would recommend starting at the beginning to really get the most out of this book.

The fourth installment in the Maisie Dobbs series finds Maisie investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a well-known artist after being hired by the artist's twin sister. Her investigation leads her to discover both bonds and strife within the given family, while also putting her onto the scent of a possible smuggling ring.Overall the story was enjoyable, but it was also my least favorite in the series so far. I have read numerous reviews now with people saying they don't think Maisie is a very likeable character, and for the first time a part of me agrees with her. I was not happy with how she handled her relationship with Andrew Dene, nor how it ended so abruptly, especially when he was nothing but caring and concerned for so long. It seemed like she strung him along unnecessarily because he was a good distraction, and I didn't like that.I also found issue with the fact that, being a former nurse, she did not immediately go to Billy's house and offer help to the sickly Lizzie Beale. I understand she didn't want to injure Billy's pride by pushing, but if she had gone over sooner the poor girl might have survived. It seemed wrong that after the little girl's death she goes on and on about the plight of the poor and how others should be doing more to help, and yet she did nothing more but make a passing comment offering her assistance. Her actions made her feel like a bit of a hypocrite.I also found the main mystery here to be slightly less engaging. I am a big fan of art in general, but writing about art can be very difficult, since it must be appreciated visually. Winspear's lengthy descriptions, although well-written, still cannot compete with seeing a piece of art with your own eyes. Given that art plays such a major role in the story, I found my mind wandering during the descriptions, often wishing there were pictures to go along with it.Overall I still enjoy Winspear's writing, and will continue with the series, but I am hoping that future installments will be a bit more engaging than this one.