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    Let the Great World Spin

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Other titles in the Maisie Dobbs Mysteries series:

  1. An Incomplete Revenge
  2. Birds of a Feather
  3. Maisie Dobbs
  4. Pardonable Lies: A Maisie Dobbs Novel

Among the Mad (Maisie Dobbs Mysteries)

by Jacqueline Winspear

Among the Mad (Maisie Dobbs Mysteries) Cover

ISBN13: 9780805082166
ISBN10: 0805082166
Condition: Standard
Dustjacket: Standard
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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

In the thrilling new novel by the New York Times bestselling author of An Incomplete Revenge, Maisie Dobbs must catch a madman before he commits murder on an unimaginable scale

Its Christmas Eve 1931. On the way to see a client, Maisie Dobbs witnesses a man commit suicide on a busy London street. The following day, the prime ministers office receives a letter threatening a massive loss of life if certain demands are not metand the writer mentions Maisie by name. After being questioned and cleared by Detective Chief Superintendent Robert MacFarlane of Scotland Yards elite Special Branch, she is drawn into MacFarlanes personal fiefdom as a special adviser on the case. Meanwhile, Billy Beale, Maisies trusted assistant, is once again facing tragedy as his wife, who has never recovered from the death of their young daughter, slips further into melancholias abyss. Soon Maisie becomes involved in a race against time to find a man who proves he has the knowledge and will to inflict death and destruction on thousands of innocent people. And before this harrowing case is over, Maisie must navigate a darkness not encountered since she was a nurse in wards filled with shell-shocked men.

In Among the Mad, Jacqueline Winspear combines a heart-stopping story with a rich evocation of a fascinating period to create her most compelling and satisfying novel yet.

Review:

"Bestseller Winspear's sixth Maisie Dobbs novel (after 2008's An Incomplete Revenge) raises the stakes considerably for her psychologically astute sleuth. On Christmas eve 1931, a man Maisie passes on a London street detonates a bomb, killing himself and slightly wounding Maisie. This traumatic event turns out to be linked to threatening letters the British prime minister starts to receive, the first of which mentions Maisie by name. Maisie joins a high-powered investigative team devoted to averting the cataclysmic disaster promised by the unknown author of the messages. By providing the letter writer's perspective, Winspear removes some of the mystery. In addition, Maisie's speculative guesses about the profile of the criminal, while accurate, have less logical grounding than traditional puzzle fans might prefer. Still, Winspear does her usual superb job of portraying London between the world wars." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Review:

Praise for Jacqueline Winspear:

"When people ask me to recommend an author, one name consistently comes to mind: Jacqueline Winspear." USA Today

"A detective series to savor." Time

"In Maisie Dobbs, Jacqueline Winspear has given us a real gift." Alexander McCall Smith

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About the Author

Jacqueline Winspear is the author of An Incomplete Revengea New York Times bestsellerand four other Maisie Dobbs novels. She has won numerous awards for her work, including the Agatha, Alex, and Macavity awards for the first book in the series, Maisie Dobbs. Originally from the United Kingdom, she now lives in California.

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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 2 comments:
Bookwomyn, April 13, 2009 (view all comments by Bookwomyn)
Winspear delivers again. The Maisie books are wonderful and I enjoyed this one very much. Far from simplistic, as could be the case with books which follow one after the other based on the same character, this protaganist has intelligence, depth and personality.
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katknit, March 8, 2009 (view all comments by katknit)
Fifteen years after the close of WWI, psychologist/investigator Maisie Dobbs finds herself reliving old horrors from the days when she served as a nurse in military mental wards. “Shell shock”, the generic term for psychological damage incurred on the battlefield, is a relatively new concept, and, sad to say, the government has essentially washed its hands of the hundreds of thousands of former soldiers who suffered nerve damage and crippling neurosis. Now, as 1931 draws to a close, the Great Depression has magnified the deprivation and desperation of these lost men. And one of them has decided to fight back, with weapons only he is capable of devising. Seconded to the Special Branch of Scotland Yard, Maisie takes her spot on an elite team who must race against the clock and the machinations of the unknown killer. Using her unique experiences and perceptual talents, she must re-immerse herself into the world of those who have lost their souls. But who is more “mad”, the victims of the war, or those who refuse to ameliorate the suffering? Author Winspear does an admirable job of dramatizing the central issues of this novel, from depression to government corruption and the self imposed blindness of society. (The subject of chemical warfare is particularly timely.) Her characters, as usual, are infused with credibility. Maisie, of course, accepts her responsibilities and never deviates from her ideals and principals. Sometimes one wishes that her formidable self discipline would totter a bit, but there are some cracks becoming visible in the shell that she needed to erect to survive. Among the Mad is a fine addition to an engaging and relevant series.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780805082166
Author:
Winspear, Jacqueline
Publisher:
Henry Holt & Company
Subject:
Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths
Subject:
Mystery & Detective - Traditional British
Subject:
World War, 1914-1918
Subject:
Veterans
Subject:
Mystery & Detective - Historical
Subject:
Mystery & Detective - General
Subject:
Historical fiction
Subject:
Mystery fiction
Edition Description:
Hardcover
Series:
Maisie Dobbs Mysteries
Publication Date:
February 2009
Binding:
Hardcover
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Pages:
303
Dimensions:
9.52x6.52x.97 in. 1.19 lbs.
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