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The Mapping of Love and Death (Maisie Dobbs, Bk 7)
The Mapping of Love and Death - Maisie Dobbs, Bk 7
Author: Jacqueline Winspear
August 1914. Michael Clifton is mapping the land he has just purchased in California's beautiful Santa Ynez Valley, certain that oil lies beneath its surface. But as the young cartographer prepares to return home to Boston, war is declared in Europe. Michael -- the youngest son of an expatriate Englishman -- puts duty first and sails for his...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780061727665
ISBN-10: 0061727660
Publication Date: 5/1/2010
Pages: 352
Rating:
  • Currently 4.5/5 Stars.
 52

4.5 stars, based on 52 ratings
Publisher: Harper
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

cathyskye avatar reviewed The Mapping of Love and Death (Maisie Dobbs, Bk 7) on + 2259 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
First Line: Michael Clifton stood on a hill burnished gold in the summer sun and, hands on hips, closed his eyes.

Try as I might not to play favorites, there are still mystery series that are near and dear to my heart-- ones that I will always recommend first whenever I'm asked "What's good?" Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs series is on the shortlist of my favorite series. I know readers who do not like the time period about which it's written (1930s showing the aftereffects of World War I), but they love these books, and it's all due to the characters.

Maisie was born into the English lower class and became a maid for a wealthy family when she was a young girl. Fortunately her employers were liberal thinkers who recognized Maisie's intelligence and fed it. After serving as a nurse in France during World War I, Maisie completed her university education and with the help of her teacher and mentor, Maurice Blanche, she set up practice in London as a private investigator.

In this seventh installment of the series, Maisie is asked to help a wealthy American couple after their son's body is plowed up in a French field. Although the rest of the bodies in the bunker died when it collapsed, Michael Clifton did not. He had been murdered. His parents are not aware of that fact, but Maisie is. What his parents are concerned about are the love letters from an English nurse that were given to them with the rest of Michael's effects. When Maisie begins her investigation, the American couple is attacked in their hotel room and very seriously injured. Maisie knows she's going to have to be very careful working this case.

In each book, Winspear addresses an area of World War I that may not be familiar to most readers. The Mapping of Love and Death covers the importance of cartography in the conflict. The mystery was dangerous, but one of its threads was a bit easy to guess. What I enjoyed most about the book was the author's setting the stage for future events in her characters' lives.

She shows the utmost empathy when writing about World War I and its effects on people, but she never leaves her characters behind. Maisie's assistant, Billy Beale, has his own aspirations and problems to deal with, and they're a part of the story. Maisie's mentor, the elderly Maurice Blanche, plays a role in this book, as does James Compton, the son of the people whom Maisie worked for as a young girl.

In a way, the mystery in The Mapping of Love and Death took a backseat to the main characters, but I didn't mind at all since I got the distinct impression that Winspear was doing a bit of her own cartography with her characters' futures. I am definitely looking forward to the next books in this series!
ASJ avatar reviewed The Mapping of Love and Death (Maisie Dobbs, Bk 7) on + 341 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Wonderful 7th book in the series. Different type of mystery goes back to WW1, which is the strong point of this series. Brings you back to some of the stress and horror of war. What is really different in this book is much improved character development. The last couple of books felt like folks were stuck in the mud but she really advances some of her characters taking on different rols. Very enjoyable. Can't wait for the next book.
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reviewed The Mapping of Love and Death (Maisie Dobbs, Bk 7) on
This series just keeps getting better! Maisie's character is more fleshed out and the plot line is psychologically more interesting in the last 2 books, Among the Mad and The Mapping of Love and Death. I hope Jacqueline Winspear has more stories to tell us about this fascinating woman.
reviewed The Mapping of Love and Death (Maisie Dobbs, Bk 7) on + 23 more book reviews
My first go at this series. I really like the writing, plot development, and the characters! I will be looking into other books from the series as well!


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