I’m not amused.  I read Maisie Hobbs, the first book in this series, many years ago, enjoyed it okay and was curious. But  not enough to continue just then. Now a challenge has come along and I’m to read a book with “Lie,” Liar,” or “Lying” in the title. So guess what I found? I found #3 in that same series, Pardonable Lies, the third book.  

Pardonable Lies 
By Jacqueline Winespear 
2005
Read by Orlagh Cassidy 
Rating:  C- / historical romance – mystery/spy   
(#3 in the Maisie Dobbs Series)

Maisie is feeling a bit better after her devastating loss – he fiancé was all but killed in WWI.  He’s permanently crippled in mind and body, and vegging in a vets hospital. Maisie’s new detective agency (see book 1) is doing well enough and she has friends and connections in many places. It’s been 13 years!

The 14-year old Avril Jarvis was found alone but she was very bloody and it appeared she had just murdered someone.  She lands in jail where she won’t talk to anyone.  Child services contacts Maisie who totally identifies with Avril’s age,  predicament and state of mind – she also was left alone at a young age due to the war effort.

Maisie breaks through Avril’s silence promising to get help for her. In order to do this, Maisie trades her services as a detective for half price plus expenses in her search for Rafe Lawton, the son of a wealthy politician.  Rafe was reported dead in Europe after his plane was shot down in the war but his mother doesn’t believe that. so on her deathbed his mother made his father promise to fine him. – at least look earnestly.

There are several things I don’t like about this book and I won’t be reading more of the series.  

1. Masie is too emotional – she gets teary and sentimental quite a lot. This is an overtly “sad” book and I understand the gloom in Europe after WWI (see T.S Eliot) and the 1918 Flu, but this is 13 years later, 1930, no wonder they didn’t want to confront Hitler.

2. Relatedly, I prefer mysteries where detectives use “clues” and logic rather than “instincts.”  Imo, Maise has too many active instincts.

2. What’s with all the “occult” stuff?  –  Maisie gets communications from her now totally, physically and mentally, disabled “fiancé.” (He might be considered half in this world and half in the other.)  Is this ESP (Extra-Sensory Perception for younger than Boomers)?  Maisiei has lots of ESP moments. She’s just very empathic and available for it.

3. In this book, historical fiction apparently means fashion and menu items. Of course food and clothing have very interesting histories, but only recently has social history been taken to this extreme.  This is like Danielle Steel’s historical fiction.  (Romance masquerading as historical fiction.) I would add that spiritualism became very popular with Arthur Conan Doyle and many others being a huge proponents.  

 Go read The Books of Jacob by Olga Tokarczuk (link to my raving review) for some fine historical fiction – 

Here’s a bit more about the spiritualism craze after WWI and the pandemic of 1819. It’s very interesting.  https://www.history.com/news/flu-pandemic-wwi-ouija-boards-spiritualism.