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Pardonable Lies

On sale

7th February 2019

Price: £9.99

Selected:  Paperback / ISBN-13: 9780719567360

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London, 1930. Maisie Dobbs, the renowned psychologist and investigator, receives a most unusual request. She must prove that Sir Cecil Lawton’s son Ralph really is dead.

This is a case that will challenge Maisie in unexpected ways, for Ralph Lawton was an aviator shot down by enemy fire in 1917. To get to the bottom of the mystery, Maisie must travel to the former battlefields of northern France, where she served as a nurse in the Great War and where ghosts of her past still linger. As her investigation moves closer to the truth, Maisie soon uncovers the secrets and lies that some people would prefer remain buried.

‘Maisie Dobbs in a delightful character . . . an enjoyable mystery’ Literary Review

Reviews

Alexander McCall Smith
'In Maisie Dobbs, Jacqueline Winspear has given us a real gift. Maisie Dobbs has not been created -- she has been discovered. Such people are always there amongst us, waiting for somebody like Ms. Winspear to come along and reveal them. And what a revelation it is!'
Sue Baker, Publishing News
'These clever mysteries, their period settings and the unusual character of Maisie herself are bang on target for the classic crime buyer'
Associated Press
The British counterpart to Alexander McCall Smith's The No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Elizabeth George
A fine new sleuth for the twenty-first century
New York Times
A heroine to cherish
Praise for MAISIE DOBBS, Daily Mail
A wry and immensely readable beginning to what promises to be a vivid new addition to crime fiction
Guardian
Feisty, working-class heroine Maisie is a deliberate throwback to the sleuthettes of old-fashioned crime writing. The well-plotted story, its characters and the picture of London between the wars are decidedly romantic. American readers loved it; many Brits will, too.
Observer
A terrific mystery ... Intriguing and full of suspense, it makes for an absorbing read
Boston Globe
'For readers yearning for the calm and insightful intelligence of a main character like P D James's, Maisie Dobbs is spot on'
New Woman
Even if detective stories aren't your thing, you'll love Maisie Dobbs
Sydney Morning Herald
'(Maisie Dobbs') most engaging adventure so far'
The Irish Times
'It is only a question of time before this series hits the television screens, for it is just made for it'
New Books Magazine
'Altogether an excellent mystery story, which grips the reader all the way through. Contains many ideas which would interest book groups'
Bookseller
'Wonderfully nostalgic and traditional sleuthing in post-First World War London'
Literary Review
'Maisie Dobbs is a delightful character... The war's long shadow over Maisie and her clients and suspects lends emotional depth to an enjoyable mystery'
Yorkshire Post
'Think Upstairs Downstairs meets Miss Marple - with a touch of chirpy cheerful Cockney from the Dick Van Dyke school'
Publishing News
'The classic crime buyer'