Maisie Dobbs investigates the mysterious death of a controversial artist—and World War I veteran—in the fourth entry in the bestselling series London, 1931. The night before an exhibition of his artwork opens at a famed Mayfair gallery, the controversial artist Nick Bassington-Hope falls to his death. The police rule it an accident, but Nick's twin sister, Georgina, a wartime journalist and a infamous figure in her own right, isn't convinced. When the authorities refuse to consider her theory that Nick was murdered, Georgina seeks out a fellow graduate from Girton College, Maisie Dobbs, psychologist and investigator, for help. Nick was a veteran of World War I, and before long the case leads Maisie to the desolate beaches of Dungeness in Kent, and into the sinister underbelly of the city's art world. In Messenger of Truth, Maisie once again uncovers the perilous legacy of the Great War in a society struggling to recollect itself. But to solve the mystery of Nick's death, Maisie will have to keep her head as the forces behind the artist's fall come out of the shadows to silence her. Following on the bestselling Pardonable Lies, Jacqueline Winspear delivers another vivid, thrilling, and utterly unique episode in the life of Maisie Dobbs.
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"I'm a Maisie Dobbs fan. Her character is developing over the series. In this book, she tests her independence on several fronts: professionally, by not calling on her mentor, Maurice Blanche, domestically, by living alone, and romantically, by separating from her suitor. She is investigating the death of an artist, meanwhile observing much about the society around her (1931, London), including veterans, the brutality of war, the rise of fascism, class differences, poverty, family relationships, and access to health care, as well as a criminal operation. Maisie is smart, but does not move easily in the world, owing to her own intimate losses and need for individual expression, which she accomplishes through her work. There are just a few dull passages; they are necessary for the plot, but they reference police procedures rather than the rich psychological techniques that Maisie relies upon."
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Peggy (5 out of 5 stars)