Synopses & Reviews
Maisie Dobbs—psychologist, investigator, and "one of the great fictional heroines, equal parts haunted and haunting" (
Parade)—returns in a chilling adventure, the latest chapter in Jacqueline Winspear's bestselling series.
Early April 1933. To the costermongers of Covent Garden—sellers of fruit and vegetables on the streets of London—Eddie Pettit was a gentle soul with a near-magical gift for working with horses. When Eddie is killed in a violent accident, the grieving costers are deeply skeptical about the cause of his death. Who would want to kill Eddie—and why?
Maisie Dobbs' father, Frankie, had been a costermonger, so she had known the men since childhood. She remembers Eddie fondly and is determined to offer her help. But it soon becomes clear that powerful political and financial forces are equally determined to prevent her from learning the truth behind Eddie's death. Plunging into the investigation, Maisie begins her search for answers on the working-class streets of Lambeth where Eddie had lived and where she had grown up. The inquiry quickly leads her to a callous press baron; a has-been politician named Winston Churchill, lingering in the hinterlands of power; and, most surprisingly, to Douglas Partridge, the husband of her dearest friend, Priscilla. As Maisie uncovers lies and manipulation on a national scale, she must decide whether to risk it all to see justice done.
The story of a London affected by the march to another war years before the first shot is fired and of an innocent victim caught in the crossfire, Elegy for Eddie is Jacqueline Winspear's most poignant and powerful novel yet.
Review
“A series that seems to get better with every entry.” Tom Nolan, Wall Street Journal
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“When people ask me to recommend an author, one name consistently comes to mind: Jacqueline Winspear...Winspear chronicles the uncharted, sometimes rocky path chosen by her protagonist and delivers results that are educational, unique, and wonderful.” Deirdre Donahue, USA Today
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“Terrific....Maisie is one of the great fictional heroines, equal parts haunted and haunting.” Parade
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“For as long as each novel lasts, we live in Maisies suspenseful, intelligent world.” Evelyn Theiss, Cleveland Plain Dealer
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“A heroine to cherish.” Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review
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"Compelling." People (3 ½ out of 4 stars) for The Mapping of Love and Death
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“Maisie Dobbs is a revelation.” Alexander McCall Smith
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“A detective series to savor.” Johanna McGeary, Time
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“For readers yearning for the calm and insightful intelligence of a main character like P.D. Jamess Cordelia Gray, Maisie Dobbs is spot on.” Hallie Ephron, Boston Globe
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“[Catches] the sorrow of a lost generation in the character of one exceptional woman.” Chicago Tribune
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“Engages the mind and enriches the heart.” Jay Strafford, Richmond Times-Dispatch
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"Winspear hits just the right notes....This emotional story will leave readers questioning whether the ends really do justify the means. Recommended for all historical mystery enthusiasts..." Susan Moritz, Library Journal
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"[N]ewcomers will enjoy the exploration of class-bound Britain between the wars, and fans will relish the continued development of Maisie's complicated character." Kirkus Reviews
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"Engaging....vividly evokes early-twentieth-century London and the flaring disparity between the haves and have-nots." Allison Block, Booklist
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“Compelling.” People (3 ½ out of 4 stars)
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“Excellent….The involved plot is as good as any in the series, and the resolution is intelligently complex.” Publishers Weekly
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“Long before the Downton Abbey craze, Jacqueline Winspear was writing remarkable mysteries about life in England circa WWI.” New York Journal of Books
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“Like any typical PI, Maisie is preternaturally acute and given to noticing tiny details, but its her compassion that allows her to illuminate some of the most pressing and staggeringly painful issues of her day, delivering unexpected answers and sense of peace to her clients-and her readers.” Nathalie Gorman, O, the Oprah Magazine
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“Reading Jacqueline Winspears Elegy for Eddie, the solid-gold ninth installment in a wonderful mystery series that shows no signs of flagging, you cant help thinking that her nurse-turned psychologist-turned sleuth would make an ideal PBS heroine.” Robert Bianco, USA Today
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“A work of great humanity and a stellar entry in a superb series.” Jay Strafford, Richmond Times-Dispatch
Synopsis
In this latest entry in Jacqueline Winspears acclaimed, bestselling mystery series—“less whodunits than why-dunits, more P.D. James than Agatha Christie” (USA Today)—Maisie Dobbs takes on her most personal case yet, a twisting investigation into the brutal killing of a street peddler that will take her from the working-class neighborhoods of her childhood into Londons highest circles of power. Perfect for fans of A Lesson in Secrets, The Mapping of Love and Death, or other Maisie Dobbs mysteries—and an ideal place for new readers to enter the series—Elegy for Eddie is an incomparable work of intrigue and ingenuity, full of intimate descriptions and beautifully painted scenes from between the World Wars, from one of the most highly acclaimed masters of mystery, Jacqueline Winspear.
About the Author
Jacqueline Winspear is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Elegy for Eddie, A Lesson in Secrets, The Mapping of Love and Death, Among the Mad, and An Incomplete Revenge, as well as four other nationally bestselling 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, which was also nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Novel and was a New York Times Notable Book. Originally from the United Kingdom, she now lives in California.