History, mystery, mindfulness, psychology, London, the English countryside and personal growth.

Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs’ mystery series debuted in 2003 to great success, earning the title of International Best Seller and earning the Agatha Award in the same year given to the best Best First Novel. All of this success cemented the path forward for the series with Maisie Dobbs, a young English woman who is both an investigator and psychologist who having served as a nurse in WWI in France carries with her a childhood of loss, opportunity and love.

There are now 17 books in the series, with the most recent being released this year, so I am confident there will be more should this series capture your interest as much as it has captured mine.

The first book in the series is simply titled Maisie Dobbs, but subsequent titles have a thematic title. I was gifted the book from a TSLL reader who knows me all too well and I couldn’t be more grateful for their introduction. I have zoomed through the first two books and began the third book on the flight over to France and English this past week. I have no doubt I will finish book #3 in the next couple of days, so ordered book #4 to be at my home in Bend when I return.

As one reader who has read the series pointed out, Maisie Dobbs is an intelligent character who evolves as she grows on her own personal journey alongside solving mysteries hired to bring to a conclusion in each book.

The detail and research Winspear, who is British and spent most of her life in England (now residing in California with her husband), brings into each book adds depth to deepen your knowledge of a particular time in history, specifically in England – whether historical details about the war or simply the décor and architectural details.

As I shared with TOP Tier Members in April’s A Cuppa Moments and on the audio taping for this episode of the podcast (#327), I am not someone who wants to just read any book, nor do I want fluff and simple stories. Good writing is appreciated, and while I normally pick up non-fiction which stretching my understanding of a top, challenges my knowledge on something I would like to know more about, I also like to read light-hearted fiction to calm my mind at the end of the day and not add too much stress. I would categorize the Maisie Dobbs’ series has a cozy mystery series as you don’t become attached to the victims who perish, each reoccurring character is likable and has depth, and the book’s contents are about creating connection to human beings, painting a picture of a particular time in history without scaring you to death.

Most especially as I mentioned above, Maisie Dobbs incorporates mentions of a mindfulness practice as well as psychology expertise, as her mentor Maurice who tutored her has a young girl, he is a lawyer and has a brilliant background of connections during the war and prior to the war for which people hold him in high regard paired with the introductions to the two aforementioned areas of expertise. Such incorporation is not something most cozy mysteries contain, which for me was a draw. Winspear modernizes a historical story and the main character reminding readers of what was and possibility.

I do hope you enjoy the series as much as I do.

Explore the entire Maisie Dobbs series here:

This Petit Plaisir appeared in episode #327, How to Change Your Brain So Your Mind (and thus you!) Can Thrive

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