After reading the first in the series of Patricia Cornwell’s Scarpetta Series Phenomenon I asked for you all too kindly recommend other detective series that I might find a treat. I didn’t realise there were publishers listening however it appears there were… The delightful people at John Murray (and in particular the delightful publicist Caroline) sent me a parcel filled with Maisie Dobbs Mysteries – as you, they, the cat next door and some people the Outer Hebrides know I can only read a series in the right order. Now I have to apologise and admit that I had never before heard of this series or their author Jacqueline Winspear but somehow I think they are going to be right up my street from what the blurb of the very first one says…
…“Young, feisty Maisie Dobbs has recently set herself up as a private detective. Such a move may not seem especially startling. But this is 1929, and Maisie is exceptional in many ways. Having started as a maid to the London aristocracy, studied her way to Cambridge and served as a nurse in the Great War, Maisie has wisdom, experience and understanding beyond her years. Little does she realise the extent to which this strength of character is soon to be tested. For her first case forces her to uncover secrets long buried, and to confront ghosts from her own past! In Maisie, Jacqueline Winspear has created a character that readers will immediately take to their hearts. Her first case combines a gripping investigation with a moving portrait of love and loss. It marks the beginning of a wonderful new detective series”.The era is perfect as for some reason I have become slightly obsessed with the 1920’s and 1930’s in my reading this year. Maisie herself sounds feisty yet with a past which looks like it could be filled with a mixture of secrets and loss. I absolutely love the covers and frankly anything that Alexander McCall Smith is raving about is almost certain to be something I want to give a go. But will it live up to any of these that I love so much?
I noticed yesterday that Elaine of Random Jottings had done a wonderful blog on the Miss Silver Books by Patricia Wentworth which I might frankly have to have a delve into, plus people keep mentioning Josephine Tey and someone recently mentioned I would really like the Bryant & May series by Christopher Fowler... anymore for anymore?
8 comments:
Simon, that is like winning the lottery! How wonderful that they sent you the set! The blurb sounds perfect...perfect premise, perfect time period. If you dug back in my archives and read my post about my obsessions with mystery/detective series, and how many of them I read, I'm sure you understand my coveting. Please read them soon!
Lucky you, they sound like they will be very good! I love series of books as you still have something to look forward to when you have finished the first one!
That is just one of the nicest things I have heard today...the Dobbs parcel. I have Murder at the Vicarage on my spring reading list, so knowing you think so highly of it, I may have to get on the line to my library and beg them to speed up my interlibrary loan.
Josephine Tey is fabulous and if you like the twenties and thirties you should like Dorothy Sayers and Margery Allingham, both Brits. I have read all their books.
I'm very jealous. Those all look like lots of fun.
I love the Maisie Dobbs series. Another from roughly the same time period is Suzanne Arruda's Jade del Cameron mystery series. ("Maisie Goes to Africa"?)
Sandy - I do feel very lucky and some very delightful gems have recently popped through my post box but more on those later in the week. I think am taking Maisie Dobbs first adventure up north with me (along with Salman Rushdie's Midnights Children and possibly Justine Picardie's Daphne - though I may get you all to choose my travel reads).
Dot - Hopefully this will be the case with these... they do sound up my street.
Book Psmith - I love all of the Miss Marple books I have read, bar maybe Bertrams Hotel as she isnt really in it much and it has one very silly escape scene.
Candy - I think my Gran has some of all of those and am staying at hers this weekend so will be 'borrowing' some.
C.B - I am hopeful it will be just as much fun as it souds if not even more.
Cathy - Praise from someone who has read them... that indeed is a good sign, it seems there are many many series out there I am missing out on!
I'm a bit obsessed with the 1920's and 1930's too! I really have no idea why - just seem to be drawn to reading books set in those eras.
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