Birds of a Feather (Maisie Dobbs)

These novels are so well done, they are introspective yet engaging. Smart. Well crafted. Almost spiritual but not preachy they touch on real human experience and weave in the history that defines an era. This series is as comforting as the ever present mugs of tea described in their pages.

The more I read, the more enchanted and fascinated I become with Maisie Dobbs and her world. Such rich characterizations and vivid descriptions make it seem as though you are following the lives of friends at a distance.

Great development, great plot, understandable sorrow and despair.
Though much was tied up nicely, the concerns between Maisie and her father were a gaping absence at the conclusion. At times it felt the plot was a bit... Wobbly, like it couldn't make up its mind on what it wanted to accomplish, but it eventually got it's footing. Would definitely recommend.

Winspear never fails. Her characters, particularly Maisie are so vivid and consistent and you feel they are talking and letting you watch. It seems so real and yet leaves room for my imagination. And the stories are not repeats or retreads. They are fitting to the time but so modern to our lives and values. On to the next one….

I thank my friend constantly for introducing me to the Maisie Dobbs series of Mystery books. I have to limit myself or I could read them all day and forget about my other life duties. I love 'period' pieces and enjoy the way Maisie is portrayed so realistically.

This series makes for good reading...not great. This is airplane and beach reading. The historical fiction is the most interesting part of these books. The writing is weak in certain places, as if the editing process was rushed. However, overall, these books are insightful about a time period in the early part of the 20th century and compelling with the protagonist being a woman.

This book was very thoughtfully written. Many of the customs and ways of the times were beautifully articulated. About three quarters of the way through, I had a feeling about who the perpetrator was. A very skillful story of the era.

The Masie Dobbs mysteries are all extremely interesting .Not only are they good mysteries but wholesome. The conditions surrounding the soldiers and their families following the terrible sufferings of World War 1 are well defined as the stories enfold. I have only read the first two but am enjoying the start of the third in the series.

Although I generally stay away from books about war, I am enjoying Maisie Dobbs series. I am currently reading book 3. The bulk of these books is actually about characters and not about warfare itself, but rather the impacts of war on characters. Maisie has become an independent, working woman (ahead of her time) helped along this process by many. Birds of a feather was an interesting story and I look forward to seeing what happens to Maisie next.

I adore these Maisie Dobbs books. A great read and a wonderful main character--someone I like and find interesting as she tries so hard to maintain her integrity and deal with her past. She lives, too, in a London so beautifully recreated. These Maisie Dobbs books have substance and great story. I want to read them all.

Missing text on each chapter title page added unexpected mystery and complexity to this otherwise enjoyable instalment of a charming mystery series. You may wish to quickly check your download from the store and return the book while you can if you encounter the same issue.

I love Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs character. I love how she adds a perfect touch of history to each book she rights. Her research is impecable. I also love how she is developing the character of Maisie. I've read every Maisie Dobbs mystery, this one is particularly fun.

I just starting reading the Maisie Dobbs series and I can't say enough
about her as the main character and what she brings to the story. You always
try to figure out the who-doneit part and it never is who you think it is.
In this book I had someone else as the villain and never would have thought
it was who-doneit. I hope to continue reading all her series.

I've really enjoyed getting to know Maisie Dobbs and Jacqueline Winspear!
Very well written! I appreciate that it isn't ever (so far-I've read through book 4) smutty, polluted with steamy sexy plots. Intelligent, clean, innocent fun. :)

I was thoroughly engrossed in the investigation of Maisie Dobbs. I felt as if I was walking along beside her as she solved this murder mystery. Once again I didn't want the story to end. And I plan to read the next book in the series to see what other experiences enfold for Maisie Dobbs.

Connie Kerber

I actually bought this book for my aunt, because I knew she would enjoy the charming Maisie Dobbs and the wonderful writing of the author. I look forward to the next Maisie and I will read it as slowly as the others, to savor the rich descriptions and characters. The descriptions of city and countryside settings and of time periods, as each book moves forward in time, is a door to the past for me.

I wouldn't classify myself as a mystery reader. However, after stumblingonto the Mary Russell books three years ago as a result of a book club recommendation, I have found myself very carefully choosing mysteries in the same genre - strong female characters, different time period. I selected this series at the recommendation of the store reader reviews. This series is better crafted than the Fremont Jones mysteries (I like those, too). Once I started this book I couldn't put it down. Loaned it to my mother - and she quickly read it and told all her friends, declaring it her favorite for the year. Highly recommended.

I recently discovered this series and I am hooked! I truly appreciate the depth of the time period research. I like how the characters' stories weave together along with the author's ability to incorporate Eastern philosophy & western psychology into the story. It makes for a most interesting read & unpredictable ending. I am currently on book #5 and still remain intrigued with Maisie & each new case she takes on!

Loved it. Have read some books ahead, so this second book explained some of the later references. Thought this one was a great follow-up to the first book. Listened to the book on CD. Like the British accent of the reader.

I am hooked, the author keeps you guessing and intrigued throughout the book. I especially like her ability to bring the reader into the mystery, new ideas and clues to work through to solve the murder.

Maisie is a very well drawn character, and the detail relating to WWI as well as of old London keeps the story going. There is intrigue, and secondary characters whose presence adds drama and interest to the story. You will come to the end and want more of Maisie and her friends and. Of leagues.

The Maisie Dobbs series all reflect the devastating long term effects of WW I. The main character is sympathetic and engaging, and sets about solving this mystery, like the others in the series, in such a way as to resolve the matter for all parties; NOT just solve the crime. It's a great goal for a private investigator, and she has a great supporting cast to help her along the way.

Although the protagonist's name, Maisie Dobbs, sounds sweet and frothy, the stories in this series are anything but. These are serious, thoughtful mysteries set in a dark time and place: London between the World Wars. Surrounded by loss, joblessness, displacement, and a newly changing world, Maisie employs her unusual training to resolve her clients' burdens by disciplined inquiry. Charming!

It's nicest to read them in order but inexplicably difficult to get the that info on the store. So here's the order from one of the "also by" pages:
Maisie Dobbs (2003)
Birds of a Feather (2004)
Pardonable Lies (2005)
Messenger of Truth (2006)
An Incomplete Revenge (2008)
Among the Mad (2009)
The Mapping of Love and Death (2010)
A Lesson in Secrets (2011)
Elegy for Eddie (2012)

Very evocative of the era between the wars in England. Complex and touching mystery with fair clue if the reader is familiar with the era and setting. Looking forward to reading more of Maisie Dobbs' cases.

Jacqueline Winspear weaves a picture of London after World War I and during the depression. Her characters are likable and her writing is good. I enjoy Maisie Dobbs and her cases. It is a picture of a different time.

Loved first book. Good writing, loveable character. BUT! The second book full of rabish of visions and 'information from intuition'. Please!
This is spirit from the machine or brains. Please! Please! Do not turn good books into child's stories.

I had been introduced to the significance of the white feathers in some stories by Elizabeth Peters. This story showed how tragically this terrible idea began and was carried out. An absolutely intriguing story and a worthy second installment in Maisie Dobb's adventures.

I have recently discovered Winspear's books and can hardly finish one before finding another one to read. This 2nd book in the Maisie Dobbs Mysteries in excellent. History of the period in England, excellent character development, with multiple themes throughout the books make the book difficult to put aside. No fluff, no trash or pulp in these books! Highly recommended reading for those who like mysteries, history, and realistic fiction.