Book Review: Messenger of Truth by Jacqueline Winspear (Maisie Dobbs, 4)

Messenger of Truth is the fourth book in the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear. The book was first published in 2006 and is set in 1931, during the interwar period in England.

The novel opens with Maisie Dobbs, a private investigator and psychologist, being approached by a wealthy aristocrat who wants her to investigate the death of his artist son, Nicholas Bassington-Hope. Nicholas was killed in what was initially believed to be a tragic accident while working on a painting at a local airfield. However, as Maisie delves deeper into the case, she begins to suspect that there may be more to the story than meets the eye.

As Maisie interviews Nicholas’s family, friends, and colleagues, she uncovers a complex web of relationships and secrets that may have contributed to his death. She also becomes involved in the artistic community of the time, where she meets a number of real-life figures, including painter Sir William Nicholson, critic and novelist G.K. Chesterton, and artist and suffragette Dame Laura Knight.

As she gets closer to the truth, Maisie finds herself in increasing danger, as someone seems to be determined to stop her from uncovering what really happened to Nicholas. She must use all her skills and resources to solve the case and bring the killer to justice.

Messenger of Truth is a well-plotted and atmospheric mystery novel that provides a fascinating glimpse into the world of early 20th-century English art and culture. Winspear’s writing is evocative and immersive, and her characters are well-drawn and engaging. The novel also explores some deeper themes, such as the nature of truth, the impact of war and trauma, and the struggle for women’s rights. Messenger of Truth is a highly enjoyable and satisfying addition to the Maisie Dobbs series. You can get a copy of this book from Amazon here.

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s