Birds of a Feather (Maisie Dobbs, Book 2)

by Jacqueline Winspear | Mystery & Thrillers |
ISBN: 0143035304 Global Overview for this book
Registered by wingGoryDetailswing of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 10/6/2011
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This book is in a Controlled Release! This book is in a Controlled Release!
11 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Thursday, October 6, 2011
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!

Journal Entry 2 by wingGoryDetailswing at Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Friday, November 11, 2011

Released 12 yrs ago (11/10/2011 UTC) at Nashua, New Hampshire USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

I gave this book to megami-no-ushi at our mini-meet in Nashua today. Hope you enjoy it!

Journal Entry 3 by megami-no-ushi at Brattleboro, Vermont USA on Tuesday, November 15, 2011
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. :(

Journal Entry 4 by megami-no-ushi at Brattleboro, Vermont USA on Friday, November 25, 2011
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!

Journal Entry 5 by megami-no-ushi at Calgary, Alberta Canada on Saturday, January 14, 2012

Released 12 yrs ago (1/14/2012 UTC) at Calgary, Alberta Canada

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

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!

Journal Entry 6 by fracula at Calgary, Alberta Canada on Sunday, January 15, 2012
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.

Journal Entry 7 by fracula at Calgary, Alberta Canada on Sunday, January 29, 2012

Released 12 yrs ago (2/10/2012 UTC) at Calgary, Alberta Canada

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

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.

Journal Entry 8 by wingherchellewing at Calgary, Alberta Canada on Sunday, February 12, 2012
EXCELLENT!! I picked up THREE more Maisie Dobbs books in the series. Life is very good!

Journal Entry 9 by wingherchellewing at Calgary, Alberta Canada on Sunday, February 19, 2012
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.

Journal Entry 10 by Crossing-Guard at Calgary, Alberta Canada on Sunday, March 11, 2012
Picked this one up at the meeting... I guess I better read number 1 first.

Journal Entry 11 by Crossing-Guard at Calgary, Alberta Canada on Tuesday, June 19, 2012
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.

Journal Entry 12 by Crossing-Guard at Calgary, Alberta Canada on Saturday, July 14, 2012

Released 11 yrs ago (7/14/2012 UTC) at Calgary, Alberta Canada

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

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.

Journal Entry 13 by DendriticTrees at Calgary, Alberta Canada on Saturday, July 14, 2012
Picked up at the July Calgary Bookcrossing Meeting.

Journal Entry 14 by DendriticTrees at Calgary, Alberta Canada on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
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.

Journal Entry 15 by DendriticTrees at Calgary, Alberta Canada on Friday, August 10, 2012

Released 11 yrs ago (8/11/2012 UTC) at Calgary, Alberta Canada

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Taken back to the Calgary Bookcrossing Meeting.

The Calgary Bookcrossing group meets every second Saturday in the Joshua Tree. Join us on Facebook!

Journal Entry 16 by Eri-Cherry at Calgary, Alberta Canada on Monday, August 13, 2012
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.

Journal Entry 17 by Eri-Cherry at Calgary, Alberta Canada on Saturday, October 13, 2012

Released 11 yrs ago (10/13/2012 UTC) at Calgary, Alberta Canada

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Taking to the get together at the Joshua Tree Cafe

Journal Entry 18 by crossingguardma at Calgary, Alberta Canada on Saturday, October 13, 2012
Safely in my hands from the bookcrossing meeting.

Journal Entry 19 by crossingguardma at Calgary, Alberta Canada on Sunday, April 14, 2013
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...

Journal Entry 20 by crossingguardma at Calgary, Alberta Canada on Saturday, May 11, 2013

Released 10 yrs ago (5/11/2013 UTC) at Calgary, Alberta Canada

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

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.

Journal Entry 21 by wingrureadingwing at Calgary, Alberta Canada on Sunday, May 12, 2013
Holding the book until it can be returned to megami-no-ushi.

Journal Entry 22 by wingrureadingwing at Calgary, Alberta Canada on Saturday, September 14, 2013

Released 10 yrs ago (9/14/2013 UTC) at Calgary, Alberta Canada

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Returning the book to megami-no-ushi at the meetup.

Journal Entry 23 by AnnaDevika at Calgary, Alberta Canada on Friday, May 31, 2019
Super excited for #2 in this series!

Journal Entry 24 by AnnaDevika at Calgary, Alberta Canada on Monday, June 17, 2019
Loved everything about this one - the story, the facts from WWI, the character development and introduction of new characters.

Journal Entry 25 by AnnaDevika at Calgary, Alberta Canada on Saturday, July 13, 2019

Released 4 yrs ago (7/13/2019 UTC) at Calgary, Alberta Canada

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Controlled release at local book crossing meetup.

Journal Entry 26 by Ashtoash at Calgary, Alberta Canada on Monday, July 15, 2019
To be read

Journal Entry 27 by Ashtoash at Calgary, Alberta Canada on Friday, February 5, 2021
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.

Journal Entry 28 by Crossing-Guard at Langdon, Alberta Canada on Monday, February 15, 2021
This one is safely with me. I will hold onto it until someone needs book 2 in the series.

Journal Entry 29 by Crossing-Guard at Langdon, Alberta Canada on Monday, February 13, 2023

Released 1 yr ago (2/13/2023 UTC) at Langdon, Alberta Canada

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

I will return to the person who introduced this to our group.

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