My Weblog: In A Maisie Kind Of Mood

by Mary Saums

I have so many favorite mystery series. How many times have I read a book and thought, Oh this is it. This is the one I love the most. And then, not a week later, while reading another book, totally different in style, subject matter, characterizations, etc. from the previous read, thought, No, this one is my real favorite. Fast-forward through the calendar and it's deja vu all over again as I clutch the latest discovery to my chest and jump around like a pogo stick saying, "This one! No, REALLY. I mean it this time!"

All pogo sticks aside, this week I re-visited one of my favorite mystery heroines, Maisie Dobbs, in A LESSON IN SECRETS by Jacqueline Winspear.

There was a time when I had zero interest in 1920s or 1930s settings. Several years ago when I was so in love with my very favorite author Reginald Hill, I didn't buy The Wood Beyond the day it was available in the States, all because the story involved World War I. It took a while, but eventually I caved. And so glad I did. What was I thinking. It took the big man to make me give the 30s a try.

What I love most about Maisie's stories is the smart, sensible progression of events that make her and her investigations realistic. Her growth from a poor downstairs maid to an educated, compassionate woman on her own during war time feels like a real-life story.

In A LESSON IN SECRETS, all of Maisie's talents from previous books make her the perfect mole at an Oxford college. Ahh, Oxford ... what a dream gig ...

photo by Lawrence OP on Flickr

... the dons, the libraries ...

photo by Roel Wijnants on Flickr

A beautiful place but Maisie isn't there to sight-see. British agents enlist her to gauge anti-government sentiment that might be breeding amongst the youngsters, now that Hitler is courting certain British citizens. The particular college she's sent to was founded so students from all countries could come together and find ways to create world peace. A difficult subject to tackle in a mystery, but very well done by Ms. Winspear.

Fast forward again from the 30s to a few days ago. While pushing my cart down an aisle at Target, I did an incredibly odd thing. I bought a hat. Odd because I am NOT a hat person.

And yet, when I saw several made in a 30s style, they made me think of Maisie who always wears the perfect hat, which made me think of rainy English weather, then daydream about cathedrals, school commons, cricket on the grounds, horses, corgis, Queen Elizabeth, and the next thing I knew, BLEEP, the cashier was swiping a hat across the check-out scanner.

Target had some pretty cloche-type hats too that would be nice for church. This one works better for me since it should keep rain off my glasses this winter.

A-HA. Now I realize how that pogo stick boinged its way in earlier. My current read is KILLED AT THE WHIM OF A HAT by my very favorite author, Colin Cotterill. He also wrote CURSE OF THE POGO STICK, probably my favorite book of my very favorite series with my all-time favorite character, Dr. Siri. He deals with the accursed pogo. His new book's protagonist deals with the hat. I'll have to do a blog on all those sometime soon.

For now, I'm enjoying thinking about English colleges, hot tea, polite educated societies, libraries several centuries old, and being inside on a rainy fall night with the temperature dropping. Snow is even predicted later in the week. Too early for that! If it does come, no problem. I shall trudge through it stylin' like Maisie in my new hat.

Comments

Colin Cotterill is a new favorite of mine, as well, since he was the moderator of a hilarious panel at Bouchercon. I bought his new book "Killed at the Whim of a Hat" there, and will look for his Dr. Siri series, too.

Maisie Dobbs: brilliant.

Thistle & Twiggs: so appealing.

Posted by: Karen in Ohio | November 28, 2011 at 05:05 AM

Karen, how I wish I could've been at that panel! The Dr. Siri books are great. I found I loved the main characters more with each book, so would recommend reading them in order. To get the full effect. :) Thanks!

Posted by: Mary | November 28, 2011 at 03:47 PM