book review: Leaving Everything Most Loved by Jacqueline Winspear

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The backstory: Leaving Everything Most Loved is the tenth Maisie Dobbs mystery novel. Here are links to my reviews of the first nine books: Maisie Dobbs, Birds of a Feather, Pardonable Lies, Messenger of Truth, An Incomplete Revenge, Among the Mad, The Mapping of Love and Death, A Lesson in Secrets, and An Elegy for Eddie. (There may be some minor spoilers from earlier novels in this review.)

The basics: When Usha Pramal is found dead in London, the police soon run out of clues. When Usha's brother arrives in London two months later, he is dismayed at the lack of progress in the case and enlists the help of Maisie to help solve his sister's murder.

 My thoughts: Reading a Maisie Dobbs novel feels like spending time with an old friend. I'm particularly fond of Maisie as a character, and I appreciate how much changes in her life over the course of her books. Leaving Everything Most Loved raises the stakes and follows through on numerous storylines in the lives of Maisie and her assistants that have been building for the last several books.

As Maisie investigates Usha's live and death, she struggles to understand Usha's motivations for journeying from India to London and seeks to unlock the secrets of what kept Usha in London so long. Both the mystery at the center of the novel and Maisie's personal life share themes of travel, love, loss and family.

The verdict: In Leaving Everything Most Loved, Maisie shines brightly. Solving Usha Pramal's murder is satisfying, but the heart of this novel are Maisie's internal struggles. Not only is Leaving Everything Most Loved the most emotional Maisie novel yet, it represents a dynamic turning point for the series, and I can't wait to see what Winspear cooks up for Maisie next March.

 Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: March 26, 2013
Source: publisher via TLC Book Tours

 Convinced? Treat yourself! Buy Leaving Everything Most Loved from the Book Depository or Amazon (Kindle version.)

Want more? Check out the entire tour (it features reviews of all ten Maisie novels!), like Jacqueline Winspear on Facebook, and visit her website.

As an affiliate, I receive a small commission when you make a purchase through any of the above links. Thank you for helping to support my book habits that bring more content to this blog!

Comments

  1. AnonymousMarch 29, 2013 at 1:01 PM

    I've enjoyed what I've read of the Maisie books so far! Glad you're continuing to enjoy the series.

    Thanks for being a part of the tour. I'm featuring your review on TLC's Facebook page today.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ZibileeMarch 29, 2013 at 2:29 PM

    I am glad that you enjoyed this one. It seems everyone has Maisie fever but me, and I am a little saddened about that. I do love the historical portions of the books, but the mysteries never really grab me. Ah, well. I am glad that they have such a strong fan base, even if I am not among them!

    ReplyDelete
  3. VasillyMarch 30, 2013 at 11:21 AM

    I haven't read any Maisie books so far. They sound great but I've never thought of picking one up. :-( I'm glad you're enjoying them. So many people love this series.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnnaApril 1, 2013 at 7:46 PM

    Glad to see you enjoyed this one. I've only read A Lesson in Secrets, and I want to go back to the beginning in read them in order. I'll get to this one eventually. ;)

    ReplyDelete

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