Maisie Dobbs has her hands full balancing work and family life with her adopted daughter. Her routine has her spending the first part of the week in London, juggling her private investigation business and her war work for an intelligence agency, assessing the psychological fitness and readiness of agents being trained to infiltrate occupied France. Her latest investigation crosses over into her intelligence work. A young boy who works as a courier for the government has witnessed a murder while delivering a message during an air raid, and he turns to Maisie for help. The trail leads to members of the French resistance.

The plot relies on too many coincidences, and the murder takes a back seat to intelligence operations. The developments in Maisie’s personal life are the highlight of the book. Maisie consoles her daughter, Anna, and her best friend, Priscilla, as they face the loss of those dear to them, and Maisie and her beau, American diplomat Mark Scott reach a crossroad in their relationship. ( )

The Consequences of Fear is written by Jacqueline Winspear.
It is Book #16 in the Maisie Dobbs series.

“As Europe buckles under Nazi occupation, Maisie Dobbs investigates a possible murder that threatens devastating repercussions for Britain's war efforts in this latest installment in the New York Times bestselling mystery series.”
“October 1941. While on a delivery, young Freddie Hackett, a message runner for a government office, witnesses an argument that ends in murder. Crouching in the doorway of a bombed-out house, Freddie waits until the coast is clear. But when he arrives at the delivery address, he’s shocked to come face to face with the killer.
Dismissed by the police when he attempts to report the crime, Freddie goes in search of a woman he once met when delivering a message: Maisie Dobbs. While Maisie believes the boy and wants to help, she must maintain extreme caution: she’s working secretly for the Special Operations Executive, assessing candidates for crucial work with the French resistance. Her two worlds collide when she spots the killer in a place she least expects. She soon realizes she’s been pulled into the orbit of a man who has his own reasons to kill—reasons that go back to the last war.
As Maisie becomes entangled in a power struggle between Britain’s intelligence efforts in France and the work of Free French agents operating across Europe, she must also contend with the lingering question of Freddie Hackett’s state of mind. What she uncovers could hold disastrous consequences for all involved in this compelling chapter of the “series that seems to get better with every entry” (Wall Street Journal).”

Absolutely brilliant title and overall series. ***** ( )

Unspeakable schmaltz, yet I enjoyed it. Is it the improbable character of Maisie, the predictable story, or the carefully recreated conditions of life in London and in Kent? I can not say. ( )

Maisie Dobbs is one of my all time favorite heroines. Her thoughtful approach to her life has actually inspired me on occasion. I knew what was coming at some point in this story, authors can play with small details of history, but something as consequential as the bombing of Pearl Harbor isn’t one of those things. As the tale progressed, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t worry that the reader’s time with Maisie was coming to a close as a result of the changes in her personal and professional life, but my hope truly is that there are more adventures for we readers with Maisie and her family. Like Maisie said, there is hope. ( )

This series continues to be informative, entertaining, and an engrossing read. England stands alone at this point in WW2 with allies, the French in particular as difficult to deal with as the Axis enemies. Maisie continues her investigative service as well as serving in certain clandestine roles in His Majesty's Service.
A murder witnessed by a teenage runner for several government services puts him in danger. Her subsequent attempts to protect him enmesh her in the murky morass that encompasses the SOE, French Resistance, and Vichy France. London's stiff upper lip during the Bomber Blitz provides the background as Maisie doggedly pursues her enquiries to a somewhat bitter end. ( )