In her fifth outing, Maisie Dobbs, the extraordinary Psychologist and Investigator, delves into a strange series of crimes in a small rural community
With the country in the grip of economic malaise, and worried about her business, Maisie Dobbs is relieved to accept an apparently straightforward assignment from an old friend to investigate certain matters concerning a potential land purchase. Her inquiries take her to a picturesque village in Kent during the hop-picking season, but beneath its pastoral surface she finds evidence that something is amiss. Mysterious fires erupt in the village with alarming regularity, and a series of petty crimes suggests a darker criminal element at work. As Maisie discovers, the villagers are bitterly prejudiced against outsiders who flock to Kent at harvest time—even more troubling, they seem possessed by the legacy of a wartime Zeppelin raid. Maisie grows increasingly suspicious of a peculiar secrecy that shrouds the village, and ultimately she must draw on all her finely honed skills of detection to solve one of her most intriguing cases.
Rich with Jacqueline Winspear's trademark period detail, this installment of the bestselling series, An Incomplete Revenge, is gripping, atmospheric, and utterly enthralling.
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"Listened to this in the car, set after first world war in England. The neat thing about this investigator is her family background with a gypsy grandmother. Lots of information about Romany traditions and culture, but some really sad material about the war. I'll definately read more of the series."
— Kristin (4 out of 5 stars)
Cassidy's perceptive reading reflects the jargon and British dialects of a wide mix of social classes.
— BooklistOrlagh Cassidy unveils Maisie's character with a narration that makes a perfect composition of the text. Emotional tones convey post-war hopelessness and the painful division of the classes, adding to the mystery's tension.
— AudioFile magazine on Messenger of TruthThe mysteries are tantalizingly uncovered by Masie's gifts of observation and intelligence. An Incomplete Revenge is one of the best mysteries of 2008...Orlagh Cassidy is pitch perfect in her reading...
— Deadly PleasuresThis series is outstanding in atmosphere, characters, dialogue, sense of place and time; and Cassidy's narration is nothing short of equally outstanding, as she demonstrates her facile skills with the many accents, tones, and emotions Winspear demands of her. One of the best mystery series around.
— KLIATTJacqueline Winspear adds a fascinating episode to the Maisie Dobbs series, which justly gains fans with each new story. Orlagh Cassidy began the audio series with PARDONABLE LIES and continues her appealing portraits of the characters. She smoothly, and quite elegantly, delivers a variety of accents of the Kent countryside gentry and townsfolk...Cassidy nicely conveys Maisie's honest wisdom, sensible approach to her "inquiries," and spirited manners. The details of village life, a community of Gypsies, and the shifts in attitudes of the late 1920s make a vivid audio mystery.
— AudioFile, Earphones Award Winner“Jacqueline Winspear's An Incomplete Revenge is an excellent option for a long car trip involving older kids, parents and grandparents. Read with zest by Orlagh Cassidy...
— USA Today" Another good Maisie Dobbs mystery. "
— Nichole, 2/15/2014" Another satisfying installment of the only mystery series that I read. "
— Kij, 2/11/2014" Maisie does not disappoint. This time she is solving a crime in the country among an unscrupulous squire and the gypsies. But Maisie knows gypsies... "
— Jean, 1/29/2014" Not as good as the last two; very predictable. "
— Juliet, 1/23/2014" Each Maisie Dobbs book is better than the last. Ms. Winspear does a marvelous job of creating time and place. This time we are moving into the Great Depression and Maisie must deal with the mysterious death of a family during the war and facing her own loss. "
— Brenda, 1/17/2014" a nice entertaining "in-between" book. The author intertwines many different story lines and then it all comes together at the end, some predictable and a couple that were a surprise. No language or sex which is a treat. "
— Lynne, 1/9/2014" I love Maisie Dobbs more with every mystery she solves. Love it. "
— Emma, 1/1/2014" Takes place after World War I in England. Maizie is a detective. 5th in the series. "
— Cheryl, 12/31/2013" Maisie Dobbs solves the origin of a series of fires and robberies during the harvestng of hops. "
— Linda, 12/25/2013" I am softening on Jacqueline Winspear's semi-psychic post WWI ex nurse woman detective, Maisie Dobbs. This was one of the best of them, so far, with good background (hops picking in Kent) and characters (the Roma, and diddikoi, aka gypsies and mixed gypsy-gorja). "
— Abra, 12/19/2013" Set in 1933 England, Maizy Dobbs is a private investigator and a psychologist. A sensible woman with a kind heart. Terrific reader. Great story. "
— Pat, 9/21/2013" An interesting twist in plot and a more independent Maisy. The physical and social setting for the story are completely outside of my experience, and thus by themselves intriguing. "
— Geoeng51, 9/18/2013" Even though this series is dark, I have enjoyed the stories of a young nurse who served on the front lines in WWI trying to build an independant life while overcoming her war experiences and the loss of the man she loved. "
— Cheryl, 5/22/2013" Mystery set in WWII England "
— Jane, 4/12/2013" This is the first one I actually figured out! Perhaps I'm getting used to her writing style. One more to go! "
— Eleanor, 3/24/2013" Another great read. I'm really glad Maurice is back. "
— Dina, 3/14/2013" I think this may be my favorite of the series so far. I love Maisie's character more and more and this one really built on her relationships well while playing out the mystery/story. I thought the actual case was very good too, including the Heronsdene "characters" we got to meet. "
— Elisha, 12/4/2012" I didn't love the supernatural element to Maisie's detection work-- dowsing anyone? I don't think this is a bad book at all, just not to my tastes. "
— Malia, 7/22/2012" I thought this was another solid entry in the series. This time we get to travel out to the country for hop-picking, and we also find out a little more about where Maisie gets her special "sensing" abilities. "
— Shauna, 11/12/2011" Another great book by Winspear. "
— Christine, 10/26/2011" I love these books! They are detective novels - very good historical stuff set post-WWI in Britain. Very strong female lead character. "
— Ali, 10/23/2011" Brilliant as they always are. Mystery mingled with emotion and universal lessons that make you think. Short enough to feel you have time to read it, and the plot moves along at a pace that never leaves wishing you could skip ahead. Highly recommend. "
— Jen, 9/25/2011" Gypsies, hop-pickers and a series of small crimes...nothing is as it seems in this small village. "
— Carrie, 8/13/2011" During stressful times I read Maisie Dobbs. She never disappoints. A simple satisfying read. I learn something in every book. This time it was about gypsies. A good read. "
— Amy, 6/23/2011" Good book! I think some of the character relationships would make more sense if I had started from the beginning of the series. "
— Melissa, 5/16/2011" As usual, excellent historical mystery from J. Winspear. A bit darker than most of hers! "
— Maia, 5/13/2011" The gypsy angle was almost too much, but managed to still work in the context of the story. "
— Elizabeth, 5/12/2011" It's only a three-star read but I gave it four because I really liked the dog. Dogs rule!! "
— Judy, 5/7/2011" I thought this might be the best - as if JW is getting into her stride (rather than the usual #5 wobble!)<br/>Loved the gypsy history, and the last scene - of Maisie dancing to Django Reinhardt's music on her new gramophone - stays with me "
— Jacky, 5/7/2011" Fifth in a series of English mysteries. Enjoyable read. "
— Jennifer, 4/28/2011" This is a mystery set in the UK around 1930. A lot of it has to do with the psychology of war and how people can be emotionally and psychologically warped by violence. "
— Carol, 4/10/2011" Even better than the last one for all you nurses & history buffs... "
— Linda, 4/6/2011" I really liked learning more about the gypsies and 'hop-picking.' What a tragic story, though. I like the variety Winspear's books present and am looking forward to seeing where she goes with her series. I'll read a few other books first, then for sure pick up her #6. "
— AnnaMay, 3/25/2011" Winspear continues to spin lovely stories from the time period after WWI. I like her characters who encompass all walks of life. I always learn something from her books. "
— Janice, 3/3/2011Jacqueline Winspear is the author of several New York Times bestsellers in her historical fiction series featuring Maisie Dobbs. She has won numerous awards for her work, including the Agatha, Alex, and Macavity awards. She was born and raised in the county of Kent in England. Her grandfather had been severely wounded and shell-shocked in World War I, and learning his story sparked her deep interest in the “war to end all wars” and its aftereffects, which would later form the background of her novels. She studied at the University of London’s Institute of Education and later worked in academic publishing, in higher education and in marketing communications in the United Kingdom before emigrating to the United States.
Orlagh Cassidy, an American actress of stage, television, and film, is an audiobook narrator who has twice won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration, as well as many AudioFile Earphones Awards. She is a graduate of SUNY at Purchase and a recipient of the Princess Grace Foundation Scholarship. She has been seen on and off Broadway and in films, including Definitely Maybe and Calling It Quits. Her television credits include roles in Law & Order and Sex and the City and as Doris Wolfe on Guiding Light.