Maisie Dobbs Investigates the Complexities of Forgivable Lies in this Gripping Novel

michael gardner: good condition with dust cover in good condition

United Kingdom on Apr 22, 2023

Evan: I really enjoyed the ride along for the mystery. I also appreciate that the romance stuff wasn't too heavy, but still there. And the descriptions of the clothes, surroundings, and social practices really bring the 1930's to life.

Germany on Aug 15, 2022

Petra 🤗📚📓🖋📮: Pardonable Lies written by Jacqueline Winspear was for me another great visit to the life and trials of Maisie Dobbs. I loved how the author gives Maisie a more personal look into her life and in this book, she was slightly vulnerable as those who would not show themselves decided that Maisie detective skills were getting her too close to the truth.
Her detective skills were to take Maise back to France where she knew she had to face the many demons which filled her dreams at night.
This for me was another excellent read from Jacqueline Winspear. The story was interesting as it showed how life was so judgemental which made people remove themselves from everything, they knew to a life they knew nothing about.
Another good read from Jacqueline Winspear which I am happy to recommend,

United Kingdom on Dec 26, 2020

David R. Strauss: Masie is best taken from the beginning.."Masie Dobbs".. the book.The series is as much about World War One as it is about traditional murder and mayhem..plenty of that , be reassured.

The characters that appear in volume one have , for the most part , survived , grown , aged and , yes died in a nation gripped in a world war induced post traumatic stress disorder..as the series continues..a point of view not often explored in the "official" histories of that conflict.

The main characters were shaped by a war in very direct ways that Winstead incorporates in her novels as an essential element in telling their stories..The novels are set in England , beginning in on or about 1917 and so far take us to the Blitz in World War Two .The offspring get to do their bit.

We here in the United States did our bit in World War One and , yes , lost our share of blood , but we did not loose a whole generation of young men..neither did we see a significant return of the gassed ,shell shocked , maimed ,disfigured and crippled that are very much the part of the story that Winstead tells.The War did not end with the Armistice for the men and women scarred by it's horrors..true...

United States on Nov 28, 2020

DaisyReadsLots: This novel had the potential to be so much better! I was intrigued by the missing son of a prominent member of the legal profession. Ralph was declared missing in action after he was shot down over France in WW1, yet his mother, now deceased, was convinced her son was still alive. Maisie is given the task of finding out what really happened to Ralph and has to travel to France to do some investigative work. This brings back memories of her time as a nurse in a field hospital, which she finds traumatic. While in France, Maisie investigates what happened to her friend, Priscilla's brother, Peter during WW1 and makes a discovery that brings joy to her friend. So this part of the plot is all resolved satisfactorily, but someone is still trying to kill Maisie and when it is revealed who, this reader felt particularly let down. You really had to have read the previous two books in the series to make sense of it and even then, if you have a particularly good memory of previous plots and characters. I definitely won't be reading any more in the series. There are much more cleverly written crime novels around.

United Kingdom on Sep 16, 2020

Damaskcat: Maisie Dobbs – psychologist and investigator – is asked to take on a case for a friend of Lord Julian Compton. Ralph Lawton was killed when his plane crashed in France during World War I but his mother has been told by mediums that her son is still alive. His father makes a promise to his wife on her death bed that he will try and find out whether Ralph is still alive.

Maisie is reluctant to take on the case because it will involve returning to France where she herself served as a nurse during the war. She is not at all sure that she wants to remember when she herself was injured. It soon becomes clear that the case is not going to be straightforward and various incidents make her think someone wants to stop her investigating. Then her friend, Priscilla, asks her to find out the ultimate fate of one of her brothers. Is this a request too far?

I found this book an absorbing read with its very well drawn characters and excellent historical background. I like Maisie herself who is developing into a complex character and I think her assistant, Billy is an excellent foil for her. I think Maisie’s uneasy relationship with Detective Inspector Richard Stratton is...

United Kingdom on Mar 02, 2014

Judy Frank: I've run out of things to read and have been re-reading favorite books to keep me occupied while waiting for the dozen or so I ordered from amazon's collection . . . The first to arrive was the third Maisie Dobbs--Pardonable Lies . . . I'm so desperate for new input I started reading it, even though I'd have preferred to begin with book one and progress from there . . . fewer than 50 pages into the book, I"m hooked . . . love the thirties, love mysteries & espionage, love that paranormal edge . . . just fascinating . . . thanks Ginny: I'll be back when I finish the book!
Wheew! I'm stunned. Point number one: A great read for any reason. I hope the first two get here soon! What makes it extra special? Well, I've always been moved by great war stories--not for the sake of the wars themselves, but for the personal heroism of ordinary people caught up in those wars. Many great BBC Masterpiece Theater series have touched on aspects of that first Great War, and the traumas connected with the trenches, and of course, many mystery/thrillers have dealt with the resistance workers during the Second one (Casablanca among them) and how-- again, ordinary people--rise to the needs raised...

United States on Aug 13, 2012