Pardonable Lies : A Maisie Dobbs Novel

Pardonable Lies : A Maisie Dobbs Novel by Jacqueline Winspear
Fiction, 2005, 340 pages

Ratings : 4.0 (Amazon 4.0)

Book Club : NY - B&N Mystery (June, 2007)

Summary :

From Publishers Weekly: Agatha-winner Winspear's engrossing third Maisie Dobbs novel maintains the high quality of its predecessors, Maisie Dobbs (2003) and Birds of a Feather (2004). In late 1930, the London "psychologist and investigator" gets involved in three cases: proving the innocence of a 13-year-old farm girl, Avril Jarvis, accused of murder; undertaking a search for Sir Cecil Lawton's only son, a pilot shot down behind enemy lines in WWI, whose body was never recovered; and looking into the circumstances of the death of her university friend Priscilla Evernden Partridge's brother in France during the war. Maisie must go back to the region where, 13 years earlier, she served as a nurse, and confront her memories of mud, blood and loss. Filled with convincing characters, this is a complex tale of healing, of truth and half-truth, of long-held secrets, some, perhaps, to be held forever. Winspear writes seamlessly, enriching the whole with vivid details of English life on a variety of social levels.

The second Maisie Dobbs novel I've read. I enjoy the character and the setting. Set in the 1930's, there aren't the forensic technologies of today, so Maisie solves the mysteries by observation and the understanding of human nature. She reminds me of a Sherlock Holmes or "Monk".

Recommendation : I enjoy this series and will probably read more of Jacqueline Winspear's novels. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a mystery.

A Deadly Vineyard Holiday

A Deadly Vineyard Holiday by Philip R. Craig

Fiction, 1997, 225 pages

Ratings: 3.5 (Amazon 4.0)

Book Club : NY - B&N Mystery (July, 2007)

Summary:

From Booklist : President Callahan (read Clinton) and his family are vacationing on Martha's Vineyard when J. W. Jackson encounters the First Teen during a predawn excursion for bluefish. Cricket Callahan (read Chelsea) and her entourage of Secret Service agents come to spend a few days with J. W. and his wife, Zee, allowing her a normal teenager's summer, however briefly. Cricket needs protection even more than usual, forcing J. W. to thwart a plan to attack her. Jackson's relations with women--Zee, Cricket, Cricket's female Secret Service guard Karen--are warm, easygoing, and just a bit tangled by the Mars/Venus thing. Beyond the appealing characters and the Clinton parallels, the real fun here comes in meandering across the island and its culture. Craig knows the Vineyard intimately and uses that knowledge in intriguing ways. A nice addition to this series, but it could have used a better--and more Clintonesque--title.

Although the plot was rather predictable, there were no bizzare or violent twists and turns. The main characters, J. W., his wife Zee and Cricket....were all likeable, and I enjoyed the setting which was Martha's Vineyard.

Recommendation : I didn't realize it was a series, and I might pick up another book about J.W. & Zee. A good light summer read.