The Consequences of Fear
A Maisie Dobbs Novel
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4.5 • 466 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
As Europe buckles under Nazi occupation, Maisie Dobbs investigates a possible murder that threatens devastating repercussions for Britain's war efforts in this latest installment in the New York Times bestselling mystery series.
October 1941. While on a delivery, young Freddie Hackett, a message runner for a government office, witnesses an argument that ends in murder. Crouching in the doorway of a bombed-out house, Freddie waits until the coast is clear. But when he arrives at the delivery address, he’s shocked to come face to face with the killer.
Dismissed by the police when he attempts to report the crime, Freddie goes in search of a woman he once met when delivering a message: Maisie Dobbs. While Maisie believes the boy and wants to help, she must maintain extreme caution: she’s working secretly for the Special Operations Executive, assessing candidates for crucial work with the French resistance. Her two worlds collide when she spots the killer in a place she least expects. She soon realizes she’s been pulled into the orbit of a man who has his own reasons to kill—reasons that go back to the last war.
As Maisie becomes entangled in a power struggle between Britain’s intelligence efforts in France and the work of Free French agents operating across Europe, she must also contend with the lingering question of Freddie Hackett’s state of mind. What she uncovers could hold disastrous consequences for all involved in this compelling chapter of the “series that seems to get better with every entry” (Wall Street Journal).
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Get ready to follow Jacqueline Winspear’s beloved private eye through the cobblestone alleys and rickety bridges of World War II Britain in this captivating mystery. After witnessing a brutal murder, 12-year-old Freddie Hackett is scoffed at by Scotland Yard—but not by PI Maisie Dobbs. But she’s soon in over her head; while she’s on the job helping Special Operations aid the French Resistance, the killer himself walks right into her life. The gritty, evocative descriptions of bombed-out London streets and idyllic British countrysides made us feel like we were tagging along with Maisie ourselves. Winspear is fearless about addressing critical issues like child abuse and PTSD, which make Freddie more than just a plucky wartime youngster. As always in this long-running series, it’s Maisie’s empathy, resourcefulness, and innate protectiveness that drive the delightful whodunit. Fans of classic British mysteries will love spending time in her company.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Set in the fall of 1941, bestseller Winspear's outstanding 16th Maisie Dobbs novel (after 2019's The American Agent) initially focuses on fleet-footed 12-year-old Freddie Hackett, who earns a few bob a week running government messages across London. One night, while racing across the city to deliver a message, Freddie witnesses a murder, but no one believes him, even when a body matching his description of the victim is pulled from the Thames—until Maisie's compassion for his plight prompts her to begin an investigation. Forensically trained Maisie has been vetting prospective agents for the Special Operations Executive to assess young recruits' psychological fitness for dangerous overseas assignments, and in Freddie she recognizes what would now be called post-traumatic stress. Could his psychological state have led him to imagine the violent encounter? The body is eventually identified as a Frenchman, and later, when a French SOE recruit dies mysteriously, Maisie discovers a connection between the two victims that stretches back to the previous war. Maisie and her loving family of supporting characters continue to evolve and grow in ways sure to win readers' hearts. Winspear is writing at the top of her game.
Customer Reviews
Consequences of Fear
Loved the flow of her writing and her well drawn characters.
Great.
A wonderful read!
Winspear and Massie Dobbs At Their Best
Winspear never fails to put her readers first. She and Miss Dobbs are uncompromising in bringing the reality of War, and the amazing resilience of people to the forefront of every story. The toll of War marks every story and every character. But the compassion and humanity are always always the through line of every story. The stories shine with writing that is crisp and engaged.