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In her fifth outing, Maisie Dobbs, the extraordinary Psychologist and Investigator, delves into a strange series of crimes in a small rural communityWith the country in the grip of economic malaise, and worried about her business, Maisie Dobbs is relieved to accept an apparently straightforward assignment from an old friend to investigate certain matters concerning a potential land purchase. Her inquiries take her to a picturesque village in Kent during the hop-picking season, but beneath show more its pastoral surface she finds evidence that something is amiss. Mysterious fires erupt in the village with alarming regularity, and a series of petty crimes suggests a darker criminal element at work. As Maisie discovers, the villagers are bitterly prejudiced against outsiders who flock to Kent at harvest time—even more troubling, they seem possessed by the legacy of a wartime Zeppelin raid. Maisie grows increasingly suspicious of a peculiar secrecy that shrouds the village, and ultimately she must draw on all her finely honed skills of detection to solve one of her most intriguing cases.
Rich with Jacqueline Winspear's trademark period detail, this installment of the bestselling series, An Incomplete Revenge, is gripping, atmospheric, and utterly enthralling.
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My favorite of the series so far! Maisie heads to a small town during hop picking season and finds herself in the middle of a dark secret held since the war. With traveling gypsies, a wealthy cruel landowner, and a rogue arsonist, there’s so much story to unfold. I loved her relationship with the matriarch of the gypsies and having the chance to learn more about Maisie’s history. The story unfolded beautifully & foreshadows the growing prejudice during the ‘30s.
An investigation on behalf of James Compton, son of her former employer, takes Maisie to the hop fields of Kent during picking time. James is eager to buy some property in the village of Herondene, but he has concerns about the petty crimes and vandalism that plague the village. The villagers are closed-mouthed about these occurrences. They're more than ready to blame the thefts on either the London or gypsy field crews. Suspicion and fear have everyone on edge.
The novels in Winspear's Maisie Dobbs series have been consistently strong, and in my opinion, this is the most powerful yet. There wasn't a single aspect of the book that disappointed me. In its pages I could smell the ripe hop fields, apples, and fires of harvest time. I could show more see the vivid colors of the gypsy camp, and I could hear their music. Winspear stirs the emotions by probing touchy subjects such as bullying, prejudice, revenge, and grief, but she also soothes with illustrations of forgiveness, friendship, and love. This isn't a formulaic mystery, and it should appeal to readers of other genres, including historical fiction, literary fiction, and women's fiction. Highly recommended. show less
The novels in Winspear's Maisie Dobbs series have been consistently strong, and in my opinion, this is the most powerful yet. There wasn't a single aspect of the book that disappointed me. In its pages I could smell the ripe hop fields, apples, and fires of harvest time. I could show more see the vivid colors of the gypsy camp, and I could hear their music. Winspear stirs the emotions by probing touchy subjects such as bullying, prejudice, revenge, and grief, but she also soothes with illustrations of forgiveness, friendship, and love. This isn't a formulaic mystery, and it should appeal to readers of other genres, including historical fiction, literary fiction, and women's fiction. Highly recommended. show less
I discovered the Maisie Dobbs series of mysteries sometime back and have enjoyed them as a casual read for their mix of mystery and history and a strong heroine.
However, in An Incomplete Revenge I think Winspear has reached new level of assurance and skill in her writing. The historical details are well integrated into the story and there is more personal character development for Maisie.
For those who are not familiar with the series, Maisie has risen from the lower orders to obtain a university education. She was a nurse during World War I, where she saw her Doctor fiancé injured by shrapnel. He survived but was not the same and had to have constant care in an institution. Maisie took over the investigative practice of her mentor show more Maurice Blanche and many of the cases she investigates reveal other wounds of the Great War.
In An Incomplete Revenge, Maisie is investigating the sale of a brickworks but finds secrets haunting the nearby village of Heronsdene and the encamped gypsies (Roma) and visiting Londoners there to harvest hops.
I appreciate the way Winspear uses the mystery form to explore the larger questions of personal responsibility, the ramifications of World War I, class and gender issues in the rapidly changing interwar period.
The series is an enjoyable thought provoking read and An Incomplete Revenge is a standout. I am only surprised no one has yet adapted the series for television. Please note: this review refers to an early reviewer copy. show less
However, in An Incomplete Revenge I think Winspear has reached new level of assurance and skill in her writing. The historical details are well integrated into the story and there is more personal character development for Maisie.
For those who are not familiar with the series, Maisie has risen from the lower orders to obtain a university education. She was a nurse during World War I, where she saw her Doctor fiancé injured by shrapnel. He survived but was not the same and had to have constant care in an institution. Maisie took over the investigative practice of her mentor show more Maurice Blanche and many of the cases she investigates reveal other wounds of the Great War.
In An Incomplete Revenge, Maisie is investigating the sale of a brickworks but finds secrets haunting the nearby village of Heronsdene and the encamped gypsies (Roma) and visiting Londoners there to harvest hops.
I appreciate the way Winspear uses the mystery form to explore the larger questions of personal responsibility, the ramifications of World War I, class and gender issues in the rapidly changing interwar period.
The series is an enjoyable thought provoking read and An Incomplete Revenge is a standout. I am only surprised no one has yet adapted the series for television. Please note: this review refers to an early reviewer copy. show less
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.I really like the Maisie Dobbs mystery series. This was a good entry, the fifth in the series. It focuses on the hop-picking season and the gypsies. The mystery was good and I love the time period, post-WWI. It's about a decade after the end of the war now, but the country is still dealing with the ramifications of the war and so is Maisie. Maisie has laid many of her ghosts to rest now and isn't as much of a mess as she was in the last book. I liked this better. As always, I also enjoy the clothes descriptions.
I find these work very well on audio and like the reader, Orlagh Cassidy.
I find these work very well on audio and like the reader, Orlagh Cassidy.
They say that Trees in a forest are connected in ways we humans don't detect. Is it possible that connection lives on in books and humans, by the spores of the paper coming from that forest? I feel this book so keenly, speaking to me about prejudice and world hate today. Wow, I did not expect this. I'm so glad I came back to this series.
Now this was a great installment of this series. I liked how Ms. Winspear has helped Maisie grow within her relationships, instead of keeping to the tired old tropes of on-again, off-again. Maisie is not looking back to her previous paramour, she is only looking to her true love, Simon. And wow is that a zinger.
But to the mystery: the time of the harvest of hops has come to Kent, and many Londoners move to the various farms to help with the harvest. This connection to a part of England's past was fascinating, and each family of pickers has their own preferred farm. Billy, Maisie's assistant, is no exception.
Along with the Londoners and the locals in the town are the gypsies or Rom, living in their own little campsite on the hill, and show more keeping themselves to themselves. Or almost - they create bouquets of Michaelmas daisies from a field where a zeppelin bombed the town during the Great War.
As is the case with a good series, we find out more about Maisie Dobbs' family in this book: her mother was from the Rom herself and what's more, was part of the waterborn Rom who traveled England's waterways. Maisie remembers some of the terms her mother taught her and the recollections of her grandmother loving on her when she was very young.
This connection helps Maisie with her investigation among the hop harvesters on an estate that is even more at odds with its tenants than one would expect. The younger brother is the only surviving heir to the estate and he is not fit for the role. We come to find out how unfit as the mystery, and the tragedy, unfolds. show less
But to the mystery: the time of the harvest of hops has come to Kent, and many Londoners move to the various farms to help with the harvest. This connection to a part of England's past was fascinating, and each family of pickers has their own preferred farm. Billy, Maisie's assistant, is no exception.
Along with the Londoners and the locals in the town are the gypsies or Rom, living in their own little campsite on the hill, and show more keeping themselves to themselves. Or almost - they create bouquets of Michaelmas daisies from a field where a zeppelin bombed the town during the Great War.
As is the case with a good series, we find out more about Maisie Dobbs' family in this book: her mother was from the Rom herself and what's more, was part of the waterborn Rom who traveled England's waterways. Maisie remembers some of the terms her mother taught her and the recollections of her grandmother loving on her when she was very young.
This connection helps Maisie with her investigation among the hop harvesters on an estate that is even more at odds with its tenants than one would expect. The younger brother is the only surviving heir to the estate and he is not fit for the role. We come to find out how unfit as the mystery, and the tragedy, unfolds. show less
In the fifth Maisie Dobbs novel, it's the early fall of 1931 and Maisie is asked by the son of her former patron to look into a spate of recent small crimes, particularly fires, that have happened in a small community in Kent as it may influence his decision to buy the local brickworks. Maisie agrees and finds herself immersed in the investigation at the peak of hop-picking season when both Londoners and a group of Roma have arrived in the community as temporary labourers. As Maisie digs into the small crimes that have occurred, she discovers that the roots go much deeper than expected.
Another solid mystery in this series. I continue to appreciate all of the historical detail that Winspear manages to include in these tales, without show more making it feel like research dumping. There are also interesting personal developments for Maisie in this novel and I'm fascinated to see where she goes as a person from here. Recommended for fans of the series. show less
Another solid mystery in this series. I continue to appreciate all of the historical detail that Winspear manages to include in these tales, without show more making it feel like research dumping. There are also interesting personal developments for Maisie in this novel and I'm fascinated to see where she goes as a person from here. Recommended for fans of the series. show less
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ThingScore 75
Winspear vividly evokes England between the wars, when the old order crumbled and new horizons beckoned working women like her appealing heroine. Even if a few of the plot twists prove predictable, this jaunt back to a bygone era is as satisfying as a spin in Maisie's MG.
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Author Information
33+ Works 32,752 Members
Jacqueline Winspear was born in the county of Kent, England. She was educated at the University of London's Institute of Education. After graduation, she worked in academic publishing, in higher education, and in marketing communications in the UK. In 1990, she emigrated to the United States. She was working in business and as a show more personal/professional coach when she decided to try writing. Her first novel, Maisie Dobbs, won the Agatha Award for Best First novel, the Macavity Award for Best First Novel, and the Alex Award. She is the author of the Maisie Dobbs Mystery series. She has also won the Agatha Award for Best Novel, the inaugural Sue Feder/Macavity Award for Best Historical Mystery, and the Bruce Alexander Award for Best Historical Mystery. Her title, A Dangerous Place, made The New York Times High Profile titles list. Journey to Munich, a book in the Maisie Dobbs Series, made the New York Times bestseller list in 2016. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Awards and Honors
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Series
Work Relationships
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- An Incomplete Revenge
- Original publication date
- 2008-02-19
- People/Characters
- Maisie Dobbs; Billy Beale; Maurice Blanche; James Compton; Webb; Alfred Sandermere
- Important places
- Kent, England, UK
- Epigraph
- "Of all the gifts that people can give to one another, the most meaningful and long lasting are strong but simple love and the gift of story."
- Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D., The Gift of Story: A Wise Tale About What ... (show all)Is Enough
If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.
-Nicolo Machiavelli (1469-1527)
There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness.
-Josh Billings, U.S. humorist(1818-1885) - Dedication
- Dedicated to my parents,
Albert and Joyce Winspear
With All My Love - First words
- The old woman rested on the steps of her home, a caravan set apart from those of the rest of her family, her tribe.
- Quotations
- If it was Time's task to diminish the yearning for one who has passed, then Time had done a poor job, for Maisie could still see the ache of loneliness for his wife's company reflected in her father's eyed.
The heart doesn't know chronos time, Maisie. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)So, alone in her flat, Maisie Dobbs danced.
- Blurbers
- Smith, Alexander McCall
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- Reviews
- 108
- Rating
- (3.95)
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- English, Spanish
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- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 20
- ASINs
- 15
