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    Journey to Munich: A Maisie Dobbs Novel
    Journey to Munich: A Maisie Dobbs Novel
    Journey to Munich: A Maisie Dobbs Novel
    Ebook338 pages6 hours

    Journey to Munich: A Maisie Dobbs Novel

    By Jacqueline Winspear

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    Working with the British Secret Service on an undercover mission, Maisie Dobbs is sent to Hitler’s Germany in this thrilling tale of danger and intrigue—the twelfth novel in Jacqueline Winspear’s New York Times bestselling “series that seems to get better with each entry” (Wall Street Journal).

    It’s early 1938, and Maisie Dobbs is back in England. On a fine yet chilly morning, as she walks towards Fitzroy Square—a place of many memories—she is intercepted by Brian Huntley and Robert MacFarlane of the Secret Service. The German government has agreed to release a British subject from prison, but only if he is handed over to a family member. Because the man’s wife is bedridden and his daughter has been killed in an accident, the Secret Service wants Maisie—who bears a striking resemblance to the daughter—to retrieve the man from Dachau, on the outskirts of Munich.

    The British government is not alone in its interest in Maisie’s travel plans. Her nemesis—the man she holds responsible for her husband’s death—has learned of her journey, and is also desperate for her help.

    Traveling into the heart of Nazi Germany, Maisie encounters unexpected dangers—and finds herself questioning whether it’s time to return to the work she loved. But the Secret Service may have other ideas. . . .

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateMar 29, 2016
    ISBN9780062220622
    Author

    Jacqueline Winspear

    Jacqueline Winspear is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Consequences of Fear, The American Agent, and To Die but Once, as well as thirteen other bestselling Maisie Dobbs novels and The Care and Management of Lies, a Dayton Literary Peace Prize finalist. Jacqueline has also published two nonfiction books, What Would Maisie Do? and a memoir, This Time Next Year We’ll Be Laughing. Originally from the United Kingdom, she divides her time between California and the Pacific Northwest.

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    Reviews for Journey to Munich

    4/5

    322 ratings39 reviews

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    • 3/5
      A wonderful afternoon listening to Journey to Munich by Jacqueline Winspear. This story takes the recently widowed Maisie Dobbs to Munich in 1938 as Hitler’s regime grabs control of the economically challenged Germany. Brian Huntley and Robert MacFarlane convince Maisie that she is the only person who can retrieve Lean Donat from Dachau Prison Camp. Jacqueline Winspear presents a well-written story that shows the beauty of German parks, but hints at the maelstrom approaching. Maisie encounters all types of individuals in her assignment. One poignant scene has two young girls playing in a hidden alley because one girl is Catholic, and her dear friend is Jewish, and their parents do not want them playing together. The story encompasses forgiveness and understanding.
    • 5/5
      My first Maisie Dobbs mystery and read out of order. Working for the Secret Service Maisie goes to Germany to reclaim a British citizen who has been a prisoner in Dachau. There is much going on in this novel, mystery, fear, the looming of war. People are not what they seem nor to they do what they do for the reasons others think. I plan to read more by this author!
    • 5/5
      Typical Maisie Dobbs! Loved it!
    • 5/5
      Maisie has returned home to rebuild her life. When McFarlene and Huntley approach her about an undercover, dangerous mission, she has no choice, but to agree to the terms in an attempt to save a man's life from Heir Hitler. She is horrified and appalled when she is approached by Mr. Otterburn to track down his daughter, Elaine, who Maisie is partially at fault for the deaths of James and their unborn child.

      It is clear that Munich is a dangerous place, and the sooner Maisie can get out, the better...
    • 5/5
      2016, Harper Collins, Read by Orlagh CassidyPublisher’s Summary: adapted from Audible.comIt's early 1938 when Maisie is intercepted by Brian Huntley and Robert MacFarlane of the British Secret Service and sent to Hitler's Germany on an undercover mission. The German government has agreed to release a British subject from prison, but only if he is handed over to a family member. Because the man's wife is bedridden and his daughter has been killed in an accident, the Secret Service wants Maisie – who bears a striking resemblance to the daughter – to retrieve the man from Dachau, on the outskirts of Munich.My Review: Knowing the inimitable relationship Maisie had with her mentor, Dr Maurice Blanche – and knowing the confidence he had in her abilities – it is gratifying to witness her being called to serve in his place. Before Blanche died, he told Maisie she would be called upon, and so she is, in Journey to Munich. Trouble is, it is not only the British Secret Service that is interested in Maisie’s travel plans. Her nemesis, Canadian newspaper magnate John Otterburn – the man she holds responsible for James’ death – is desperate and has asked her for help. Otterburn’s selfish, spoiled, daughter, Elaine – who was to have piloted the fatal test flight James took – has deserted her husband and infant, and he believes her to be in Munich. Winspear nails the thrill of danger and intrigue in Journey to Munich. And Orlagh Cassidy is just the one to narrate the tale. When I started the Maisie Dobbs series, this twelve installment was the last available novel, and I presumed incorrectly it would be the finale. Its ending is highly satisfying – and it surely would have worked very well as a conclusion. That said, I’m thrilled to learn that a thirteenth novel will be available in Canada in spring 2017: In This Grave Hour –’ll be waiting!
    • 3/5
      This is the 12th installment in the Maisie Dobbs series that, after the last disastrous novel, I had almost decided to give up. However, since I've loved this series for so lang, I decided to give it one more chance, and this installment was considerably better.It is 1938 and Maisie, now back from Spain, has decided that she needs to reenter into life instead of perpetually mourning her dead husband, James. She begins looking for a new apartment and also reesatablishing herself as a professional detective, wen she is approached by her old pals from MI-6, Brian Huntley and Robert MacFrland to help retrieve an important member of the British scientific community who is being held by the Nazis in Germany. Additionally, her old nemesis, John Otterburn, learns of her mission and implores her to help track down his wayward daughter and to bring her home.Against her better judgement, Maisie agrees and soon finds herself in the thick of Nazi Germany., Masie is still a prig and far too self-punishing for my taste and alo shows her usual penchant for not following orders which, I would think, would be fatal in a secret agent, but this would seem to be the path that the author has now set out for her - at least until the books come to the end of the war. There also sems to be an interesting American, Mark Scott, who is in the fledgling American intelligent services who will be playing a role in future books. He's smart & a bit of a wise as and seems to have Maisie's number. Let's hope he provides some future leavening to her otherwise buttoned-up life.
    • 4/5
      Really quite solid. Maisie really hated her situation.
    • 4/5
      Maisie's story is getting tired
    • 4/5
      Minor spoilers ahead, but not for the main plot of this book.

      Maisie Dobbs, properly Lady Compton, but she won't use it because it reminds her of what she's lost, is starting, very slowly, to recover from the loss of her husband and her unborn child. She's back in England, spending time with her friend Priscilla, her father Frankie, and her stepmother Brenda. Europe is sliding toward war, though, and British intelligence has a mission for her though, something they believe only can do well enough.

      They need her to go to Munich, posing as the daughter of a British industrialist and "boffin" who has been imprisoned there for two years. The Germans have finally agreed to release him--but only into the custody of a family member. He has no surviving family except his daughter, and she's too ill to travel. Maisie, though, speaks French fluently and German passably, and is close enough to the daughter in appearance that she be made to pass for her, especially since Miss Donat wasn't a socially active woman when she was well.

      So against her better judgment, after a few weeks of training in spycraft and learning to be Miss Donat, Maisie is off to Germany.

      She encounters all the malicious bureaucracy of early Nazi Germany, but patience, persistence, and going with her experience and training finally leads to the moment when she is inside Dachau, seeing for the first time the man the Germans have imprisoned for two years as her "father," Mr. Donat.

      That's when her mission goes off the rails, and becomes a mire of mystery, confusion, and intrigue.

      And accomplishing her mission may force her to ally with the woman she holds responsible for her husband's death.

      I think Winspear had hit a point in the Maisie Dobbs novels where, if she didn't break form, Maisie would have nothing to do that wouldn't be repetitive. Anne Perry worked through a similar problem with the Thomas & Charlotte Pitt series; eventually, Thomas's rise through the police ranks reached the point where he had to become head of the department, but doing it wouldn't be plausible for a character of his relatively lowborn origins. So Perry gave him a major change in direction.

      Winspear appears to be doing something very similar here. It's true the book ends with Maisie saying she's never doing another intelligence mission, and getting her old team together in office space not far from their old office--but she seems to have very different plans, even if they haven't been articulated to the reader yet.

      This Maisie is older, more hardened, more confident, and I'm looking forward to seeing where Winspear goes with her in the future.

      Recommended.

      I bought this book.
    • 4/5
      As Maisie was told in a previous book, once you've done the British Secret Service's bidding, you're done for. They will just keep coming back no matter how many times you say no. That person was telling Maisie the truth: she keeps saying no, the Secret Service merely smirks and hands over her railway tickets. At least the time she spent in Spain has helped her overcome the worst of her grief, and she feels ready to re-enter her old life and be with her friends and family once more.Being in Munich in 1938 gives Maisie a very clear picture of what is to come. It goes without saying that the Germans don't release the Englishman in a timely manner, and Maisie has to keep her composure and her cover while the Nazis play cat and mouse. This is a good, solid mystery that puts the reader right in the middle of a world that's on the brink of going completely mad, and I enjoyed it even though there are some rather large holes in a secondary plotline involving a family called the Otterburns.I don't think Winspear is capable of writing a bad book, but I have to admit that, after reading A Dangerous Place, almost all the luster has been knocked off this series for me. This was always a series in which I bought and read each new book as soon as it came out. I was so invested in Maisie! But my feeling of being betrayed is staying with me even though I realize I'm being a bit silly. After reading Journey to Munich (which I did not buy), I am still two books behind, and I feel no urgency whatsoever to catch up. This may very well be the last book I read in this series. And now I feel as though I'm in mourning.
    • 4/5
      It's early 1938, and Maisie Dobbs is back in England. On a fine yet chilly morning, as she walks towards Fitzroy Square--a place of many memories--she is intercepted by Brian Huntley and Robert MacFarlane of the Secret Service. The German government has agreed to release a British subject from prison, but only if he is handed over to a family member. Because the man's wife is bedridden and his daughter has been killed in an accident, the Secret Service wants Maisie--who bears a striking resemblance to the daughter--to retrieve the man from Dachau, on the outskirts of Munich. This is the 12th volume in the Maisie Dobbs series. You can read this book if you haven't read the previous volumes, although it gets a little confusing at times. Winspear is British and the Maisie Dobbs novels take place in Great Britain right after WWI, leading up to WWII. Maisie is extraordinary because she is a woman and a private investigator and psychologist. The reader is privy to Maisie's thought processes throughout the novel and it's fun to see how she solves the crimes. Sometimes, the books are a little slow, due to the British conventions that are followed, but once she begins working on the crime, they are fast paced and suspenseful. This book takes Maisie into the heart of Nazi Germany in 1938 and the reader can literally sense the dread pervading the characters and setting.
    • 4/5
      She writes good books. Like the character, like the events. Always consistent.
    • 4/5
      Held my interest more than the last few Masie Dobbs offerings.
    • 4/5
      This was a particularly good edition of Maisie's adventures... or it has been long enough since my last read that it is fresh again? (I have an ARC of the next title, may not be able to hold out long)
      There was a thrum of dread, you could feel the current of fear as the Nazi power was evidently rising.
      (I worry about Priscilla's sons.....)
    • 4/5
      Maisie Dobbs is finally back in England and considering what to do next. She is approached by old friends in the intelligence service and asked to take on an undercover mission in Nazi Germany. A man whose fate is very important to the British government has been a prisoner in Dachau for two years. The Germans have agreed to release the man, but only to a family member, and Maisie looks enough like the man's daughter to impersonate her. During the mission, Maisie encounters the person she blames for her husband's untimely death and the consequent loss of her unborn daughter.For the most part, I thought this shift from detection to espionage worked better than Maisie's prior spy missions. However, it made no sense that someone as smart as Maisie would seek out an unstable person who knows her as Maisie while undertaking such a delicate mission under a different identity. She risked, not just the failure of her mission, but her own life as well as the lives of others. The series is transitioning well from post-World War I to pre-World War II, and I look forward to reading the next Maisie adventure. (Or rather, listening to the wonderful Orlagh Cassidy read the next Maisie adventure!)
    • 4/5
      Having returned from Spain during the Spanish Civil War, Maisie heads to Munich on a mission for the British Secret Service to bring home an aging British National who is also an inventor and entrepreneur, believed to be detained in Dauchau. The time is March 1934. Ancillary to this mission, John Otterburn has approached Maisie about finding his daughter, Elaine, who is also in Germany having fled her marriage and young son.There are the usual twists, turns, drama & suspense. But all's well that ends well. Maisie returns to London and it appears that she will open up her old office.I like this series very much. Though must admit that I've only read them as audiobooks.
    • 4/5
      Maisie is still sorting her life out as a young widow when she is drafted back into service for the Crown. Her task is to masquerade as a boffin's daughter to get him released from Dachau. It does not go as planned and Maisie must outwit the Nazis to rescue the very useful scientist. Good story that evolved from a family nugget of history. Well told with some insightful images of pre-WW2 Germany.
    • 4/5
      Some meaningful people. Pretty good puzzle. Closes up perhaps a little too neatly.
    • 3/5
      It’s 1938 and Maisie Dobbs is back in England, still mourning the deaths of her husband and unborn child. She’s been avoiding her father, step-mother and in-laws as she makes her way into her new life. One of her old contacts in Britain’s intelligence community asks her to take on a seeming simple assignment. It seems that the Nazis are holding a British citizen named Leon Donat in Dachau, and the Brits want him back in England to help with the coming war effort. For some odd reason, the Nazi regime will only release Donat to a member of his family, not through the usual diplomatic channels. Donat’s only relative is his daughter Edwina, who is suffering from tuberculosis and unable to make the trip. So Maisie, who has a superficial resemblance to Edwina, will take her place in Munich – unknown to the Nazis, of course.Before she leaves, wealthy and influential John Otterburn asks Maisie to call on him. At their meeting, he asks Maisie to find his daughter Elaine, who will also be in Munich, to convince her to come home. There’s no love lost between Maisie and the Otterburns. Maisie holds them, especially Elaine, responsible for the death of her husband. Maisie agrees to try to find Elaine, even though her heart is not in it. Of course, what was thought to be a straightforward assignment gets complicated, and Maisie must use her wits to get Donat out of the country. Once Maisie gets done with her assignment, she knows that she will have to face the future and figure out how to make her way in the world. What she’s certain of is that she will not take on any foreign assignments. Of course, readers know she has made such promises before – and it’s hard for her to resist lure of dangerous and important work. The last two books in this series have been my least favorites. Before her marriage, Maisie had put together a great team at her detective agency and took on interesting cases that were fun to read about. I hope the author gets back to that winning formula and brings back the great characters. I also thought Journey to Munich was a bit of a ramble, and confess I started skimming pages about half way through. I count on Maisie Dobbs to provide a real page-turner and, for me anyway, Journey to Munich was anything but.
    • 4/5
      Fast forward to 1938 and the Maisie Dobbs we first met as a young girl in service pre-WW1 is now a widow haunted by her husband's death. Now,seeking peace, she has returned to England from war-torn Spain, but is requested by the Secret Service to be an emissary to Germany on the brink of nazism. Lots of intrigue, mystery and details about that time. A strong entry in the Maisie Dobbs series. Maisie has come a long way!
    • 4/5
      After the last two books that made me want to give up on the series, this was a refreshing turn around back in the right direction. Maisie is called upon by the British government to extract a man of great worth to them out of pre WWII Germany. This book seemed like a reset hopefully launching Maisie into a better future. Unpleasantness from her past tragedy is reconciled and beloved characters who haven't been seen for ages are finally making a comeback. The last few pages were such a delight that at long last I am actually looking forward to the next book
    • 4/5
      Journey to Munich is the 12th book in the Maisie Dobbs series and the first one I have read. I will say that I think knowing more about her past before reading this book would be a good idea. So much of her past seemed to be affecting her throughout this book and we only know what she tells us as the story goes on. I found myself getting different events of her past mixed up because they were similar to each other and it confused me a few times. Maisie Dobbs has just come home recently from being on a ‘sabbatical’ of sorts. Her husband had died in an accident and the shock had caused her to miscarry their first child. So she went to lose herself. Which she did. Only recently finding herself again, to come back home.Turns out some people from her past have a large favor to ask her. There is a man of great import currently stuck in Dachau, and the British government want him back. The Nazi’s have agreed but require a family member to show up to claim him. Since the man’s wife had recently died and his only child was dying from consumption, it made it difficult. But Maisie looked very similar to the man’s daughter, had some spy training and was known to the men in charge of getting the man back. She was the perfect candidate.After spending the better part of a week in immersive training for the mission Maisie is given her final briefing, her documents and sent on her way. When she arrives she is met by an embassy man who is to help guide her through the Nazi bureaucracy in trying to reclaim her ‘father’. On top of this, the family responsible for the death of her husband asked her to try and convince their prodigal daughter to come home. Of course none of it goes as smoothly as planned.
    • 5/5
      The Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear is the only series of books that I have read all the way through. When I was first introduced to the young nurse/psychologist/private investigator and her friends and colleagues in London just before WWI, I was hooked.I have followed Maisie and company, with all their ups and downs and truly feel like they are friends. Each spring I look forward to catching up with everyone in Maisie's world.When we left Maisie at the end of book 11, A Dangerous Place, she was returning home to England after a stay in Spain during their civil war. She had suffered two devastating losses and was grieving. It was a very somber and sad story, and we didn't see many of Maisie's friends and family.Book 12, Journey to Munich brings Maisie back home, trying to rebuild her life. She is living with her best friend Priscilla and Pris' family, who adore Maisie. Soon Maisie is recruited once again to help the British Secret Service.Maisie agrees to go undercover in Munich to help bring home a British businessman who is being held prisoner by the Germans. The year is 1937 and the Nazi party is growing in power. The man is believed to be in a concentration camp, and Maisie must impersonate his daughter to rescue him.Times are dangerous in Germany, and another world war is on the horizon. Memories of the horrors of WWI remain in Maisie's mind, and she fears for the future of Europe.Maisie has also agreed to help find the daughter of another powerful man in England, to convince her to come home. She has a connection to this young lady, one that she would rather forget, yet she agrees to try.Journey to Munich is a strong entry in the Maisie Dobbs series. Maisie has gone through so much, it's good to see her back on her feet and trying to move her life forward. The storyline is interesting, and as always, Winspear has done her research into what life was like at that time, in that place.We get to see more of the gang- Pris, Sandra and my favorite Billy- and the end of the book the readers are rewarded with the possibility that Maisie and company will be back together working to solve cases.As England moves closer to war once again, I expect that the next books in the series will deal with this. England lost so many young men in WWI, an entire generation, that the prospect of going through that again is a frightening one.Maisie Dobbs is an incredibly strong literary heroine, and these books are great reads for young women and for anyone who enjoys historical mysteries. For a woman in her era to do the things that Maisie does with such strength, compassion and intelligence is a wonderful example for girls. She has her flaws too, and that makes her human.I give Journey to Munich my highest recommendation and it is one of the best books in the series.
    • 3/5
      Not my favorite in this wonderful series. It fell a bit flat. Maisie is tasked with transporting an important person out of pre-WWII Munich. The suspense felt muffled and restrained. I look forward to the next one.
    • 4/5
      Maisie accepts an assignment posing as the daughter of a prisoner held at Dachau by the Third Reich. Leon Donat is to be released and returned to England, where he is highly valued for his inventive and creative mind--a useful tool for the anticipated clash with Germany.
    • 5/5
      Maisie Dobbs is one of my favorite series and in this book she's ready to start living again after the loss of her husband and unborn baby. Old friend, Robbie MacFarlane offers her an assignment to go to Germany as the daughter of Leon Donat to secure his release from Dachau prison. Some unexpected circumstances made things more complicated than she expected and the introduction of the arrogant Mark, American spy, will most likely be involved in Maisie’s life going forward.
    • 4/5
      I must admit that I had lost faith in Maisie. The last few books gave me a heroine that was at a far remove from the smart, direct woman I had met in the first book I had read. In this book Maisie leaves Spain where she had gone to deal with the traumas she had suffered in A Dangerous Place. I don’t want to offer too much in the way of plot for those who have not read the previous book. This book can stand alone as the author does weave in the pertinent information to inform the reader of past events in such a way that you are educated without feeling like you are being force fed a long list of details.Maisie returns to England to face the ghosts of her past. She is not anxious to go back to her childhood home, nor does she want to spend time with her in laws. She opts to temporarily move in with her old friend Priscilla and that is just what she needs. Although her peaceful stay does not last long as she is approached to handle a sensitive mission to Germany for her country. As much as she doesn’t want to do it she knows she will and in a way knows it’s what she needs to get her out of her funk.As Maisie pursues her assignment she soon learns that all is not as it seems and she was not told everything she really needed to know. Thrown into the mix is the request of her husband’s former employer who wants her to find his daughter who has disappeared somewhere in Germany. All of this takes place just as Hitler moves into Austria and the Reich strengthens it’s hold on the people of the region. Maisie finds herself caught in a dangerous place once again.I enjoyed this book. It was a return to the Maisie I first fell in love with. She has changed due to the major events she has experienced but she is back to being a smart, decisive woman. She is back in control of her life and moving forward. Unfortunately the times to come are not good as well all know from history. While the book ends with Chamberlain’s appeasement, Hitler did not pay any attention to what England or the rest of the world. Soon England will be at war and I’m sure Maisie will be elbow deep in fighting the Nazis to the best of her abilities. I’m glad she has found herself. I’ll look forward to the next book now despite my not wanting to read WWII books. This is a character I’ll follow into that second Great War.I had a hard time putting this book down. It was full of twists, turns and spies from assorted countries all trying to deal with a very great evil.
    • 4/5
      This latest adventure of Maisie Dobbs is set primarily in Munich in 1938, describing the horrors already imposed by Hitler and the Nazis leading up to World War II. Maisie impersonates the daughter of a man valued by England for his possible contributions to wartime science who had been sent to Dachau by the Germans. Still grieving the death of her husband, Maisie has spent time in India and Spain prior to this story, but a melancholia seems to pervade her mood, even as she responds with her usual quick thinking and wits to the dangers she encounters in her attempt to bring this gentleman home to England for the Secret Service. The personalities involved are complex and interesting, and add to the reader's suspense and commitment to hurrying to the ending to find out how the situation is resolved.
    • 5/5
      This has been my favorite Maisie Dobbs novel in a while. She was more like her old self. Losing her child and husband was very sad but she needed to be more like her old self. It was nice to revisit all the old characters from other novels. She does a wonderful job in Germany as a spy. That would have been such a scary time. I look forward to many more Maisie Dobbs novels again. I received an ebook copy of this through eidelweiss for a fair and honest opinion.
    • 4/5
      I read the first book in Jacqueline Winspear's wonderful Maisie Dobbs series back in 2003 - and was promptly hooked. The latest entry (#12) - Journey to Munich - is newly released.Maisie has been many things - housemaid, student, nurse, psychologist, private investigator and an agent for the British Secret Service. Maisie is such a wonderfully drawn character - her intellect, determination, courage, kindness, loyalty and stalwartness have all endeared her to me. Winspear has moved Maisie's personal life along from that first book - although not always in a direction I wanted - and I have happily followed along.But I also appreciate Winspear's plotting. She draws on historical fact, social mores and customs of the time periods and mixes in an always intriguing mystery.The series began in the years of WW1 and Journey to Munich finds us on the cusp of WWII. A British citizen has been held captive for two years in Dachau. The Germans have agreed to his release - but only to a family member. Maisie is sent in to facilitate that release, appearing as the man's daughter. I found the impetus for this plotline fascinating...."Journey to Munich was inspired by a story told by my mother of a man she worked for in 1944, when she was seventeen years old.......told her that before the war he had been set free from a German concentration camp into the hands of the British government after they had paid for his release."A secondary plotline involving someone from Maisie's recent past tests her personally. There were a few plot points that thought were a bit unrealistic, but they didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the book.Winspear does a fantastic job of bringing time and place to life - the months just before all out war is declared again and the danger that was Nazi Germany.And the ending is just perfect - I can't wait for the next installment in this series. Although this book could be read as a stand alone, I recommend starting with the first book.

    Book preview

    Journey to Munich - Jacqueline Winspear

    CHAPTER 1

    Holland Park, London, February 1938

    The day was bright, the air crisp, with sunshine giving an impression of imminent spring, though as soon as a person ventured out from a warm, cocooned indoors, a nip in the chill outdoors soon found its way to fingertips and toes.

    Maisie Dobbs—as she preferred to be known, though she was now the bearer of a title through a marriage cut short—opened her eyes and decided it was mid-morning, given the way the sun was shining through a crack in the curtains. No one had disturbed her, no one had come to her room with breakfast or tea, though she supposed Priscilla would bring a tray soon, afraid to leave her friend alone and awake for too long.

    Someone—likely the maid—had been in to light the fire, for the room was warm, and a gentle heat skimmed across her skin. Upon first waking, she thought she was still in Spain. But the deep mattress, soft pillows, and sheets reminded her that this was not her stone cell; she was not in her plain wooden bed with only a blanket to keep her warm, and there was no one to minister to in this grand house in Holland Park, a world away from battle, from soldiers who came to her filth-covered and bloody.

    From a simple community she had grown to love, Maisie had come home to England—at first to Kent, to be with her father and stepmother, then to share the lingering grief of bereavement with her in-laws, who had lost their only son. How could she ever explain to them that service—tending the terrible wounds of those who fought for freedom from oppression—had lifted her own deep melancholy? How would they feel if she admitted that in becoming a nurse again, she’d found a reason to go on? Only now could she come home to face the landscape of her former life, and find her way through its changed paths and byways.

    It was Priscilla who had found her in Spain, Priscilla who had brought her home to England, and it was to Priscilla she had come following the muted celebrations of Christmas and New Year at Chelstone, the estate where her husband had grown to manhood. It was Priscilla, she knew, who would leave her alone to do what she needed to do in her own good time—unless, of course, Priscilla had other ideas.

    Maisie? Maisie? The knock at the door was insistent, as if, having waited long enough, her friend would no longer allow the late-sleeping guest any quarter. Time for tea and today’s gossip!

    The door opened, and Priscilla Partridge stepped into the room—now Tante Maisie’s room, according to her three sons, who had spent their early years in France—carrying a tray with tea, toast, and a boiled egg, her hands steadying the silver platter as she closed the door with her foot. The egg is soft, the toast is hot and crisp, the tea strong, and as you may have guessed—I didn’t do a bloody thing! Thanks must go to Cook.

    Sorry—I slept late, said Maisie.

    I’m giving you a bit of a lie-in. Having that checkup yesterday would have taken it out of you. But at least you had a clean bill of health, and all seems to have healed. Tea?

    Maisie sat up. Lovely. She raked a hand through her short-cropped hair.

    I think you ought to see my hairdresser—though heaven knows, you didn’t leave yourself with much for him to work with, did you? Whatever possessed you to cut your own hair, and with a blunt knife by the look of it? I nearly went through that stone floor when I saw you shorn of your locks.

    My hair was getting on my nerves, and keeping it short made sense—something less to organize.

    Right-ho. I’m going to make an appointment for you in any case—one thing less for you to organize. Now then, onto juicier things. Perching on the side of the bed and resting the tray on the eiderdown, Priscilla poured tea. I have to tell you the latest about the Otterburns.

    Maisie took the cup. Priscilla, I don’t want to know anything about the Otterburns.

    Sorry. I don’t blame you for feeling as you do about John Otterburn, but—anyway, this is about Elaine. I just heard the news from Patsy Chambers—I thought you would be interested.

    Ugh. When did you begin hobnobbing with Patsy Chambers?

    She has her uses. But I must tell you—Elaine Otterburn, delivered of her child just a few months ago, has upped and gone off.

    Maisie felt her skin prickle. What do you mean, upped and gone off?

    "Well, everyone knew her marriage to that chinless wonder, the Honorable Charles Whitney, was all done in a bit of a rush—remember me predicting the birth announcement would read ‘born prematurely’? I confess I was a little shocked at my foresight when I saw those actual words in the Times. It seemed that one week she was engaged, the next married, and then in short order a mother. Priscilla sighed. Let me tell you, they gave that girl far too much rope her entire life, and it came home to roost. Apparently she has some friends, all young women of her age, you know, early twenties, who are in Germany—Bavaria—having a whale of a time. Elaine has been popping back and forth to see them for ages now—you know, a Friday to Monday of parties. Now she hasn’t come back! All I can say is that it wasn’t like that in my day."

    You made it something like that, though.

    No, Maisie—what I got up to at Girton should be no indicator of what happened when I was in Switzerland. For a start, I was younger and chaperoned when I was sent off to finishing school, and I certainly wanted to come home at the end of it. These girls are in flats of their own, and it’s one party after another. She paused. Plus, when I returned to England, I did not run away from my responsibilities. Neither did you. We knew what we had to do when the war came, and we did it. And you lied about your age. How old were you?

    Just shy of eighteen when I enlisted.

    I rest my case. Priscilla picked up her cup, taking a sip of the hot tea.

    But why Germany? Everything I’ve read, everything Douglas has said about the situation there—it doesn’t sound like it’s a place to have a wild time. Maisie paused, musing. Mind you, Elaine Otterburn managed to find a party in the middle of the Canadian nowhere the night before James was killed.

    Priscilla set her cup on the tray but continued to clutch it with both hands, as if to warm her fingertips. But here’s what’s happened. Elaine’s abandoned her husband and child, and now not even the Otterburns have any idea where she’s to be found. She’s gone to ground.

    I don’t believe that. John Otterburn has money. He’ll find her. He’s probably got men searching everywhere for her.

    Oh, she won’t come home in a hurry.

    It’s not exactly safe there, is it, Pris?

    Priscilla reached for a slice of buttered toast. It is if you have a bit of a thing for Herr Hitler and his raving Nazis.

    Maisie frowned. What on earth do you mean?

    You heard Douglas at supper the other night—he’s writing an article on this very thing, though heaven knows who might have the courage to print it. Priscilla licked butter from her fingertips and pushed the plate toward Maisie, who took a slice of toast. And you’ve seen it yourself, years ago, before you married James—didn’t you have a couple of cases where you witnessed the Nazi lovers in all their glory? There are people in high places who are enamored of Hitler and his cronies—and, much to John Otterburn’s embarrassment, his daughter has become one of them. Perhaps she became disenchanted with young motherhood—who knows? And remember, you were overseas and missed all the business with the abdication. You know what they call that Wallis in certain circles? America’s gift to the British! That was one way to rid ourselves of a Nazi-sympathizing king! Don’t repeat that with my name attached to it, will you, darling? She laughed, then smiled at Maisie. How about Bond Street? You’re looking a bit ragged around the edges. A few new garments are in order, if you don’t mind my saying so.

    Maisie shook her head as she finished a last bite of toast. Oh, no, no, no you don’t! I have plenty of clothes—I just need to unpack properly. Brenda’s going to help me when I return to the Dower House next week. In any case, I have a few things to do today.

    Priscilla stood up and reached for the tray. Anything interesting?

    I’m going to look at a couple of flats. The flat in Pimlico is rented, and I don’t want to go back there anyway—but I do want my own nest here in London.

    You could stay here for as long as you like—I would love it.

    Maisie reached for Priscilla’s hand. And I love being with you, Douglas, and the boys—but I need my own walls around me, Pris. She went on before Priscilla could counter. If I’ve time, I may go over to Fitzroy Square, just for a walk-around.

    Slaying a dragon?

    Maisie shrugged. Perhaps. And I’ve to see Mr. Klein too. I want to find out if I can stretch to a new motor car.

    Priscilla looked up and sighed. I don’t think that will be a problem, Maisie. But do let me come with you to look—you know I love a new motor car!

    Maisie laughed. Oh, Pris, I think my idea and your idea of what to drive around in are two entirely different things.

    After viewing two flats in Chelsea and one in Maida Vale, Maisie decided she had had enough. Taking the Underground to Oxford Circus, she walked along Oxford Street toward the café where she had often stopped for a cup of urn-brewed tea and a plate of buttered toast. Though there had been changes along the way, thankfully the café was still there. She ordered tea and an Eccles cake at the counter and settled into a seat by the window. Her old contact at Scotland Yard, the Murder Squad detective Richard Stratton, had always referred to the place as more caff than café. She wondered about Stratton, and how he might be faring. He had been promoted to Special Branch, working with Robert MacFarlane, and had over time found his superior to be a difficult man. A widower with a young son, Stratton had—out of the blue, it seemed—decided to return to the profession for which he had trained before he enlisted for service during the war, when he became a military policeman. Much to the surprise of his colleagues, he accepted a position as a teacher of science and mathematics at a boys’ school in the West Country, far from London. His son would receive a free private education, he was given a cottage in the grounds, and—more important—he would be home every day with his boy. Maisie added up the years and decided that the son—what was his name? Had she ever known his name?—of course, he must be fourteen years of age by now. Almost a man himself.

    The years spent away from England seemed to render everything around Maisie in sharp relief. Memories came and went as she walked toward Fitzroy Square: of people met, of conversations in the street, of events holding little consequence and others that had taken her breath away. She crossed the road when she approached the place where she had witnessed a young man, disturbed by the war that still raged in his mind, kill himself with a hand grenade, filling the air with the terror of a blood-soaked hell that haunted him.

    She wasn’t sure how long she had been in the square, standing at the edge of Conway Street and looking over toward the former mansion that had housed the first-floor office of Maisie Dobbs, Psychologist and Investigator, but she felt her cheeks growing cold and her eyes watering. She pulled her now somewhat unfashionable cloche hat down farther to keep her ears warm, and snuggled into her winter scarf. It was as she began to walk away that she felt the nape of her neck prickle, as if someone had run a feather across her skin. At once she was afraid to look around. She had a distinct feeling that she was being watched. She stopped and half turned her head—was that a footstep behind her? Or was it a ghost from her past, reaching out to pull her in? She shook her head and began walking across the square toward Fitzroy Street, but still a wave of anxiety washed over her. She admonished herself—it was early days still, and she had been so afraid of returning to England, so fearful of how she might face the places she and James had been together before she left—before she accepted his proposal, and before their marriage, which was a happier union than either imagined it could be. As her eyes filled with tears, she stopped to reach into her brown leather satchel for a handkerchief.

    Will this do, lass? The Scottish burr was unmistakable. Maisie turned to face Robert MacFarlane, the former Special Branch detective who apparently now operated in the undisclosed realm where Scotland Yard and the Secret Service met.

    I might have known. She took the proffered white cotton handkerchief. Have I no rest from you, Robbie MacFarlane?

    You do a pretty good job of escaping my notice, I’ll give you that.

    I hope this is an accidental meeting, said Maisie.

    MacFarlane inclined his head toward the building that had once housed her office. Did you know it’s for rent again? The last tenants moved out at the end of the year.

    Maisie blushed. I didn’t know, but I’m not interested. She sighed. How are you, Robbie?

    Cold. You would think I’d be used to this weather, being a hardy Scot, but that little sojourn in Gibraltar made my blood run thin, so I’m a wee bit on the chilly side. He turned and pointed toward a black motor car idling at the end of the street. If you’re not busy—and I don’t think you are—a colleague and I would like to have a quick word.

    I’m not interested, Robbie.

    You might be. Could be just what you need. And I think you owe me a favor, after giving me the slip.

    Oh, for goodness’ sake, I’m not interested in cloak-and-dagger assignments anymore. I’ve had enough.

    You’re freezing cold, Maisie. Let me give you a lift somewhere. If I stand here a second longer, I’ll turn to stone.

    Maisie looked at the black vehicle again. The driver had emerged and opened the back passenger door, ready to receive them.

    Oh, all right—you can take me to Bond Street.

    That’s the spirit, lass. And we can have a wee chat while we’re about it. After all, your country needs you.

    Who’s your friend in the motor car?

    Well, I think you’ve met Harry, the driver. And you’ve met Mr. Huntley too.

    Brian Huntley?

    Yes, the very man.

    MacFarlane nodded to Harry, who stepped back as MacFarlane held the door for Maisie. She took a seat next to the man who waited inside. MacFarlane climbed in, flapped down the extra seat in front of them, and closed the door. He rapped on the glass partition, and the motor car eased away into Warren Street in the direction of Tottenham Court Road.

    The man next to Maisie turned to face her. His dark gray pinstripe suit seemed brand-new, the creases in his trousers sharp. He wore a white shirt, and his tie, bearing the insignia of a Guards regiment, seemed to stand out even in the dim light. He removed his Homburg and smiled.

    You’re looking well, your ladyship.

    I do not care to use the title, if you don’t mind, Mr. Huntley.

    "As you wish. If you don’t mind, we’ll take a little diversion on the way to . . . Bond Street, was it? I am sure Mrs. Partridge will still be shopping. In fact— He leaned toward the window to consult his watch. About fifteen minutes ago, she was still in Selfridges."

    Maisie sighed and closed her eyes, opening them again a few seconds later. How long have you been watching me?

    Oh, come now, Maisie—may I call you Maisie? We know each other quite well by now, don’t we? Huntley didn’t wait for an answer. There’s something that you can help us with, Maisie. I understand very well what you have endured in recent years, but you are the very person we need for a particular job. He looked down at his hands and pushed the signet ring on his little finger back and forth toward the knuckle. Maurice held you in high esteem, Maisie, and he knew our work inside out. He was my mentor as well as yours—and you’ve done good work for us in the past.

    I don’t know that I’m up to my old work.

    I believe you are. And this is an important task for a woman. It involves a little travel, however.

    Maisie did not respond. She wiped a gloved hand across the window and looked out at people walking along the pavement, heads bent, scarves pulled up, hats tugged down. At tram stops they stamped their feet, and others ran into shops as if to gain respite from the cold. She turned and looked at MacFarlane, who had said nothing.

    She met Huntley’s eyes. Where to?

    Munich. Of course it is a little cooler there at this time of year.

    She was quiet again. Huntley and MacFarlane allowed her the silence.

    Perhaps it was time. Perhaps one small job wouldn’t cause any harm. What would she do otherwise? Sit in the Dower House nursing her broken heart? Allow the past to simmer up to a rolling boil again? Perhaps it was the right thing to do.

    All right, Mr. Huntley—tell me why my country needs me. She looked at MacFarlane. He was smiling.

    CHAPTER 2

    Maisie spent a sleepless night in Priscilla’s guest room. The deep, soft mattress that usually made her feel as if she were a cygnet nestled under its mother’s wing now seemed hard and lumpy, as if horse hair had been stitched into pillow ticking and laid across concrete. She turned one way and the other, unable to find any semblance of the comfort that would lead to sleep.

    Without doubt, part of her felt a sense of excitement and worth—though when she considered what was being asked of her, she wondered if she were not biting off more than she wanted to chew. In truth she had become used to being part of the family, staying at Priscilla’s home. The boys delighted her, and Priscilla’s ebullience energized her. As friends they knew each other’s history, knew the twists and turns that had brought them to this place in the world. And they understood each other’s fears and frailties; nothing had to be explained. Now, in the space of a day—a day that seemed to be whirring around in her mind as if it were a film running back and forth on itself in an endless loop—another landscape had been spread before her.

    And Maisie knew, as thoughts contradicted each other, conspiring to exhaust her into sleep, that with one short assignment she could test the water. She could find out how it felt to be working again.

    During the circuitous journey to Bond Street, the two men had revealed the bare bones of the assignment the Secret Service had in mind for Maisie. The more detailed briefing took place the following day. Arriving at an address in Whitehall, she was escorted along a labyrinthine web of corridors until she reached the department presided over by Brian Huntley. She had first met Huntley some years before, when he was a field intelligence agent sent to follow her and bring her to the Paris headquarters of his department. She’d felt shock, and no small amount of betrayal, when she realized that his superior was none other than Maurice Blanche, her longtime mentor. Following Maurice’s death, the house in Paris became part of her inheritance, and though it was leased to the British government, an apartment on the upper floors originally kept for Maurice’s personal use was now where she stayed in Paris.

    In the meantime, here she was, about to meet Priscilla for a shopping expedition, feeling as if she were straddling two different worlds. In a final letter to Maisie, Maurice had written, You will be called to service as I was prior to and during the last war. I believe you are ready and suited to any challenges that come your way. He had closed his note with the words, And I predict that they will be the making of you.

    As she walked along Bond Street, she sensed tears welling. A few years earlier, as a new bride in Canada, she had thought that motherhood would be the making of her. Now she felt quite alone.

    "Ah, Maisie—let’s take a more comfortable seat." Huntley extended his hand toward a table set alongside the far wall of the spacious room. The chairs were of solid dark wood, with padded leather seats. An envelope marked with her name indicated her place. She picked up the envelope and moved to another seat, this one facing across the room to the window, which looked out across Whitehall. From this position she could just see the top of the Cenotaph, Sir Edwin Lutyens’ memorial to the dead of the Great War.

    Interesting move, Maisie, said MacFarlane. He’d taken a second look at Maisie as she entered, his eyes glancing from the magenta two-piece costume Priscilla had persuaded her into buying to her short hair, which was partially covered by a neat black narrow-brimmed hat in the fashionable Robin Hood style, embellished by a single gray feather.

    I’d like to be reminded of the reason I’m doing this, she replied as she pulled out her chair.

    Huntley cleared his throat. Right. Let’s start by going over a few points from our little chat yesterday.

    MacFarlane looked at Maisie and raised an eyebrow. The little chat had taken them down to Covent Garden, along the Strand, around Buckingham Palace, up toward Piccadilly, along Regent Street, to Oxford Circus, and finally to Bond Street. The most crooked taxicab driver could not have taken a more rambling route. But that was the informal conversation. This was the formal briefing.

    Huntley opened his manila folder, removed the green tags securing one document to another, and pushed a photograph of an older man toward Maisie. She estimated him to be in his mid-sixties.

    Leon Donat. Engineer and man of commerce. Age at the time of the photograph—taken by his daughter—sixty-five. He’s now almost seventy years of age. Mother was French; father British, by way of Italy. Donat took over his father’s machine-tool factory in Birmingham at age twenty-five. No wartime service. On paper he was obviously too old for service in 1914, but he was very useful to us anyway because his factories—he’d expanded the business considerably—were requisitioned for the manufacture of essential parts required for the production of munitions. He expanded into France following the war, as well as Germany, plus he diversified. In France he went into production of foodstuffs from imported raw materials. His wife, incidentally, passed away four years ago. Donat is known for inspiring great respect among his employees, which has led him to achieve quite enviable production records. He provides educational grants for children of staff, and he will never see an employee sick without paying for medical attention. It has paid off. He has channeled a good deal of money toward worthy causes and is a respectable and respected man—a man in the mold of a Victorian paterfamilias. His foray into publishing academic texts in the areas of engineering, mathematics, and physics seems to have been born of a desire to diversify—and of course the business was not profitable, so it became advantageous with regard to taxation.

    He paused, passing another sheet of paper to Maisie. Well, as we know, it seems parties are the places to meet people. Lawrence Pickering was invited to a reception at an engineering conference, where he was asked to speak about the role of academic publishing in the education of young technically minded students, and there he met Leon Donat. Donat, as ever, was on the lookout for investment opportunities, and he realized that Pickering’s fledgling company could do with some help. He took an interest, which in turn led to a partnership. Donat was just the person Pickering needed, at just the right time. Initially Donat was the silent partner behind the Pickering Publishing Company, but his involvement increased, though it appears he took care not to tread on young Pickering’s toes. Donat did not run his businesses like a dictatorship, but preferred to nurture talent. By way of information, as you know, Lawrence Pickering met Douglas Partridge at a party, and that’s how he also met your former secretary, Mrs. Sandra Tapley, who subsequently became an employee of the company.

    Huntley paused and flicked over a page. During the years of your absence, Leon Donat became increasingly involved in the company, enthusiastically supporting Pickering’s plans for expansion. From a commercial standpoint he was right to do so; there were ideal opportunities to secure publication and translation rights in Europe, given the number of academic institutions. Donat is fluent in German, so he took over the task of making connections with German publishers—and until a few years ago, there was more publishing in Germany than in any other country in the world.

    And now Donat is in prison in Germany.

    Specifically, just outside Munich. Huntley nodded at MacFarlane, who handed Maisie a bound sheaf of papers.

    This is a full report on the circumstances of his arrest and incarceration at a camp in a place called Dachau. I’d call it Hitler’s torture chamber for Communists, free thinkers, journalists, those of Jewish extraction, and anyone else who dares to have an opinion that isn’t held by the man they call the Führer. MacFarlane paused. It was opened for business in 1933 on the site of an old wartime munitions factory, and has built itself a fine reputation for brutality.

    Maisie nodded as she opened the report.

    While in Munich, MacFarlane continued, "Leon Donat decided to pay a visit to the son of an old friend, formerly of Berlin, who is now living in Geneva, and with whom he wanted to discuss the representation of his list of books. The son, name of Ulli Bader, is a writer, and the friend had expressed to Donat a fear that the young man would never make a mark—in monetary terms or by reputation—so he put in a good word for his boy. On the face of it, it appeared

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