Messenger of Truth: A Maisie Dobbs Novel by Jacqueline Winspear (Book 4)

Sue Feder/Macavity Award for Best Historical Mystery Award Nominee London, 1931. On the night before the opening of his new and much-anticipated exhibition at a famed Mayfair gallery, Nicholas Bassington-Hope falls to his death. The police declare it an accident, but the dead man's twin sister, Georgina, isn't convinced. When the authorities refuse to conduct further investigations, Georgina takes matters into her own hands, seeking out a fellow graduate from Girton College: Maisie Dobbs, psychologist and investigator. The case soon takes Maisie to the desolate beaches of Dungeness in Kent, as well as the sinister underbelly of the city's art world. She again uncovers the dark legacy of the Great War in a society struggling to recollect itself in difficult times. But to solve the mystery of the artist's death, she will have to remain steady as the forces behind his death come out of the shadows to silence her. Jacqueline Winspear delivers another vivid, thrilling, and utterly unique episode in the life of Maisie Dobbs.

Title and author of book: Messenger of Truth: A Maisie Dobbs Novel by Jacqueline Winspear (Book 4)

Fiction or non-fiction? Genre? Historical Fiction. Historical Mystery.

What led you to pick up this book? Continuing on with the series.

Summarize the plot, but don’t give away the ending! See above...

What did you like most about the book? I think I would consider this my favourite book in the series. That might be because it was my most recent read, but I really liked the storyline to this one. It might be because of the art history courses I took in university. Anyway, in this book Maisie is investigating the mysterious circumstances surrounding Nicholas Bassington-Hope. I think this book was the one that surprised me the most, actually. The others I had things generally figured out, but this one did not happen the way I expected it to at all! I will say that I really wish I could actually see the painting that was the central aspect of the novel. It sounds like it would be something that you would not soon forget. Nicholas was a World War I veteran who saw things that I can only begin to imagine. This book also has great secondary characters. I enjoyed them immensely! There were also some interesting developments in Maisie's life during the course of this book.

What did you like least? There were things that happened that I wished didn't happen, but they fit the book. It was just sad. You get to know the characters during these books, so you feel for them when something bad happens.

Have you read any other books by this author? What did you think of those books? By reviewing this one, it means that I just have to read book six and I will be caught up!

What did you think of the main character? Basically the same things that I said in my review for An Incomplete Revenge. I like her and enjoy the character development. I look forward to more from Maisie in the future novels.

What about the ending? The ending worked for the book. It tied up the mystery, which is really what you would expect. It had a happy, but bittersweet, ending. Anything else and I will be spoiling it!

Another recommended read!