I love historical mysteries and this is the best I have ever read. After 45 years of reading mysteries, this work was a real treat. Hats off to Jackie (?). Greg

This book takes place in a place and time I know little about, and it was fascinating to research the research, like a treasure hunt. (Thanks, Google.) One of Winspears's gifts is the "drawing" of places; the reader can vividly "see" the scenes. A transportive read.

Once I started the Maisie Dobbs books, I binge read, that’s how much I loved them. This one was such a disappointment, chiefly because I felt like it caved to the “woman must suffer for plot development” trope. And by a female author, even. Ugh! Isn’t Maisie’s backstory tragic enough?

I waited for so long for this book because I love all of the other Maisie Dobb books. So I'm sad to say I was disappointed that I did not enjoy this story as much as the all the others. The plot did not engage me as the others had and I missed the much loved characters from the past books. I was a little lost in the complex politics of the Spanish Civil war and the role it played in the escalation of WW3. This I admit is my own ignorance of history. I guess I longed for the familiar Maisie and she was much altered.