Paperback, 336 pages
English language
Published June 12, 2007 by Picador.
London, 1931. On the night before the opening of his new and much-anticipated exhibition at a famed Mayfair gallery, Nicholas Bassington-Hope falls to his death. The police declare it an accident, but his twin sister, Georgina, isn't convinced. When the authorities refuse to conduct further investigations and close the case, Georgina -- a journalist and infamous figure in her own right -- takes matters into her own hands, seeking out a fellow graduate from Girton College: Maisie Dobbs, psychologist and investigator.
The case soon takes Maisie to the desolate beaches of Dungeness in Kent, as well as the sinister underbelly of the city's art world. And while navigating her way into the heart of the aristocratic yet bohemian Bassington-Hopes, Maisie is deeply troubled by the tragedy of another, quite different family in need.
This book took a long time to get interesting. The final 20% is excellent. In the final analysis, the story offers an excellent discussion on human loss and dedication. Sadly because of the ponderous lead-in, I can't rate this better than a 3.
