Birds of a Feather (Maisie Dobbs, Book 2)
Registered by GoryDetails of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 10/6/2011
This book is in a Controlled Release!
11 journalers for this copy...
I got this good-condition trade paperback from the book-sale shelf in the Rodgers Memorial Library in Hudson NH. I hadn't read any of the "Maisie Dobbs" books before, and was pleasantly surprised by this one, the second in the series.
Maisie's a sort of Zen/psychic detective in the 1930s, dealing with the aftermath of the Great War, from her own wounds to the drastic societal changes taking place. And while many mystery novels are set in that period, I don't recall any that focused as intently on the effects of the war as this one does.
In some ways, Maisie's a bit too good to be true, what with her advancement from household servant to student to investigator, plus her mix of forensic abilities, psychology, and mysticism. But the story provides a basis for all these things, and Maisie has her own shortcomings to balance things out. Her relationship with her assistant, ex-soldier Billy Beale, has its unusual elements as well; they work together very well, but it's clear that he and his family are struggling financially, and there's a limit to what Maisie can do for them. (This is an ongoing subplot in the series; the ups and downs of the Beales' fate contrasts with Maisie's problems and those of her wealthier friends...)
The mysteries themselves are pretty good ones, but I find myself more interested in the personal elements of the story, from the tragic reason behind Billy's dislike of feathers to Maisie's conflicts about her lost love and any potential new ones.
Plenty of period detail, including societal aspects as well as the who's-driving-what bits, plus interesting characters and intriguing mysteries - a very good series!
Maisie's a sort of Zen/psychic detective in the 1930s, dealing with the aftermath of the Great War, from her own wounds to the drastic societal changes taking place. And while many mystery novels are set in that period, I don't recall any that focused as intently on the effects of the war as this one does.
In some ways, Maisie's a bit too good to be true, what with her advancement from household servant to student to investigator, plus her mix of forensic abilities, psychology, and mysticism. But the story provides a basis for all these things, and Maisie has her own shortcomings to balance things out. Her relationship with her assistant, ex-soldier Billy Beale, has its unusual elements as well; they work together very well, but it's clear that he and his family are struggling financially, and there's a limit to what Maisie can do for them. (This is an ongoing subplot in the series; the ups and downs of the Beales' fate contrasts with Maisie's problems and those of her wealthier friends...)
The mysteries themselves are pretty good ones, but I find myself more interested in the personal elements of the story, from the tragic reason behind Billy's dislike of feathers to Maisie's conflicts about her lost love and any potential new ones.
Plenty of period detail, including societal aspects as well as the who's-driving-what bits, plus interesting characters and intriguing mysteries - a very good series!
I gave this book to megami-no-ushi at our mini-meet in Nashua today. Hope you enjoy it!
Gory details brought this book for me when we met last week, thank you so much! I don't know how you thought of this one, but it's on my wishlist! I think this is the top of Mt. TBR now that I'm finished the one I was reading when we met!
Sorry it took so long to journal but I've been rushing to make up lost time after yet another migraine on Friday. :(
Sorry it took so long to journal but I've been rushing to make up lost time after yet another migraine on Friday. :(
Thank you again GoryDetails for giving me this great book! It was a worthy sucessor to the first one in the series - I will absolutely be hunting down the middle three over winter break.
I really liked the way Maisie's relationship with the servants she used to be a peer with is evolving through the series so far, as well as her own inter-personal relationships. In fact I may have to track down the third book a bit quicker to resolve the little cliffhanger at the end of this book!
I really liked the way Maisie's relationship with the servants she used to be a peer with is evolving through the series so far, as well as her own inter-personal relationships. In fact I may have to track down the third book a bit quicker to resolve the little cliffhanger at the end of this book!
Taking to the meetup!
To the finder:
Calgary has an active group of BookCrossers that meet to swap books and discuss book crossing every second Saturday of the month at 11am at the Joshua Tree Cafe on Edmonton Trail. We always love to meet new crossers, so please join us any time you like!
To the finder:
Calgary has an active group of BookCrossers that meet to swap books and discuss book crossing every second Saturday of the month at 11am at the Joshua Tree Cafe on Edmonton Trail. We always love to meet new crossers, so please join us any time you like!
Picked up at the January meet-up of Calgary BookCrossers, held at the Joshua Tree Café.
Birds of a Feather finds Maisie Dobbs on another dangerously intriguing adventure in London “between the wars.” It is the spring of 1930, and Maisie has been hired to find a runaway heiress. But what seems a simple case at the outset soon becomes increasingly complicated when three of the heiress’s old friends are found dead. Is there a connection between the woman’s mysterious disappearance and the murders? Who would want to kill three seemingly respectable young women? As Maisie investigates, she discovers that the answers lie in the unforgettable agony of the Great War.
Birds of a Feather finds Maisie Dobbs on another dangerously intriguing adventure in London “between the wars.” It is the spring of 1930, and Maisie has been hired to find a runaway heiress. But what seems a simple case at the outset soon becomes increasingly complicated when three of the heiress’s old friends are found dead. Is there a connection between the woman’s mysterious disappearance and the murders? Who would want to kill three seemingly respectable young women? As Maisie investigates, she discovers that the answers lie in the unforgettable agony of the Great War.
Love this book just as much as #1! I will certainly be reading the entire series.
Releasing at the February meet-up of Calgary BookCrossers at the Joshua Tree Café.
Releasing at the February meet-up of Calgary BookCrossers at the Joshua Tree Café.
EXCELLENT!! I picked up THREE more Maisie Dobbs books in the series. Life is very good!
Aaaahhhhh...the warm afterglow as you close a great book for the last time. I am so enjoying Miss Maisie Dobbs, she is the most amazing detective ever and I am so grateful to my dear Bookcrossing friends who pushed the first book across the table at me and said "you are going to love her!" Yes I do! I didn't read the teaser chapter at the end because I need to move a bookring or two first.
Picked this one up at the meeting... I guess I better read number 1 first.
Another great Maisie Dobbs book. I find her books very interesting as the plot is as much about the human factor as it is about solving a case. The cases themselves always start as something "small" and evolve into something so much bigger. Very enjoyable, I will have to track down number 3.
Taking this to our July meet up where it will be passed to the next person on the list.
Are you in the Calgary area and interested in meeting up with other Calgary BookCrossers? Please check out our facebook group, "BookCrossing Calgary" for details on how. Meeting are held on the second Saturday of every month at the Joshua Tree Cafe starting at 11am. New Crossers are always welcome.
Are you in the Calgary area and interested in meeting up with other Calgary BookCrossers? Please check out our facebook group, "BookCrossing Calgary" for details on how. Meeting are held on the second Saturday of every month at the Joshua Tree Cafe starting at 11am. New Crossers are always welcome.
Picked up at the July Calgary Bookcrossing Meeting.
I really liked this. A lot of the first Maisie Dobbs book was taken up with back story so in this one there was a lot more time to develop the contemporary characters. I was really impressed with how much historical detail ended up in the books without bogging them down at all, I never had any trouble puzzling out any of the references or the language or references to historical events.
I must not be as forgiving as Maisie though, because having heard the whole story I have trouble feeling particularly bad for the victims.
I must not be as forgiving as Maisie though, because having heard the whole story I have trouble feeling particularly bad for the victims.
Taken back to the Calgary Bookcrossing Meeting.
The Calgary Bookcrossing group meets every second Saturday in the Joshua Tree. Join us on Facebook!
The Calgary Bookcrossing group meets every second Saturday in the Joshua Tree. Join us on Facebook!
Grabbed at get together - though I actually think I already have a copy of this one on my shelf already... Updated: Yup, I did already have it on my shelf and so have now read it. Twas a good one! Though I solved the mystery before it was revealed, though it took quite a while.
Taking to the get together at the Joshua Tree Cafe
Safely in my hands from the bookcrossing meeting.
I really am enjoying the Maisie Dobbs series. Oprah said that every women should read this series...I guess I can finally agree with Oprah's pick.
A bit of a spoiler**********My grandfather was thrown several white feathers and ended up joining the airforce in WW2. Fortunately he came home well. It was interesting reading about that part and the guilt the girls felt....
I have book 4 and 5 in hand but think I will get 3 from library so I can keep going and journal once the book catches up to me...
A bit of a spoiler**********My grandfather was thrown several white feathers and ended up joining the airforce in WW2. Fortunately he came home well. It was interesting reading about that part and the guilt the girls felt....
I have book 4 and 5 in hand but think I will get 3 from library so I can keep going and journal once the book catches up to me...
I am taking this book to our monthly bookcrossers meet up at the Joshua Tree Cafe - the second Saturday of every month- to pass on to the next reader.
Holding the book until it can be returned to megami-no-ushi.
Returning the book to megami-no-ushi at the meetup.
Super excited for #2 in this series!
Loved everything about this one - the story, the facts from WWI, the character development and introduction of new characters.
Controlled release at local book crossing meetup.
This book was an enjoyable sequel to the first Maisie Dobbs novel. Often, sequels can be a bit disappointing, but Birds of a Feather is a good book in its own right.
This one is safely with me. I will hold onto it until someone needs book 2 in the series.
I will return to the person who introduced this to our group.