Will Maise Dobbs ever escape the claws of her memories of "The Great War" and find true love? It appears that she's gaining ground in this page turner. Jacqueline Winspear imbues her fiery mystery with tales of the English countryside in the post World War I era and kept me guessing until the end.

I found this book to be mildly interesting, just a bit odd and full of quirky characters. I am quite certain that you have to love an old fashioned English mystery to thoroughly enjoy this book. The pastimes, habits, and conversations were sometimes a bit confusing and made the reading of this book quite slow. Hop picking, gypsies and living in tents and caravans all sort of added to the "other worldliness" of this novel. I think this is the first and last Maisie Dobbs book that I will attempt...not enough excitement for this mystery lover.

In September, 1931, thirty-three years old Maisie Dobbs accepts an assignment to investigate a potential estate purchase. Over the years there have been a series of mysterious fires which the villagers refuse to discuss. Overshadowing all is the Zeppelin raid during World War I that killed a local family. Maisie solves one of her most challenging cases by traveling through the lazy countryside of Kent in post World War I and interviewing villagers, a band of local gypsies, and some of the Londoners who go down to Kent every summer to pick hops. Good period details.