Praise for Maisie Dobbs: "Maisie Dobbs is a quirky literary creation. If you cross-pollinated Vera Brittain's classic World War I memoir, Testament of Youth, with Dorothy Sayers's Harriet Vane mysteries and a dash of the old PBS series 'Upstairs, Downstairs,' you'd approximate the peculiar range of topics and tones within this novel. . . . Its intelligent eccentricity offers relief."-Maureen Corrigan, "Fresh Air" on NPR "Deft. . . . Prepare to be astonished at the sensitivity and wisdom with which Maisie resolves her first professional assignment. . . . Winspear takes her through her ordeal with great compassion."-Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review "Surprisingly fresh. . . . Winspear does a fine job with the 'Upstairs, Downstairs' aspects of the story, depicting the class tensions that inevitably arise as Dobbs climbs to a new station in life. Her progression from domestic staff to college student to wartime nurse to private investigator is both believable and compelling."-San Francisco Chronicle Maisie Dobbs is back and this time she has been hired to find a wealthy grocery magnate's daughter who has fled from home. What seems a simple case at first becomes complicated when Maisie learns of the recent violent deaths of three of the heiress's old friends. Is there a connection between her mysterious disappearance and the murders? Who would kill such charming young women? As Maisie investigates, she discovers that the answers to all her questions lie in the unforgettable agony of The Great War. Jacqueline Winspear was born and raised in England and later worked in publishing and as a marketing communications consultant in the U.K. before emigrating to the United States. She now lives in California and is a regular visitor to the United Kingdom. Birds of a Feather is her second novel featuring Maisie Dobbs. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

The eponymous heroine of Winspear's promising debut, Maisie Dobbs (2003), continues to beguile in this chilling, suspenseful sequel set in England a decade after the end of the Great War. Maisie, "Psychologist and Investigator," as the brass nameplate on her office door declares, gets hired by a wealthy industrialist to find his only daughter, Charlotte Waite, who has gone missing. With the help of her cockney assistant, Billy Beale, Maisie sets out to learn all she can of Charlotte's habits, character and friends. No sooner has Maisie discovered the identities of three of these friends than they start turning up dead-poisoned, then bayoneted for good measure. At each crime scene is left a white feather. Increasingly preoccupied with these tragedies, Maisie almost loses sight of her original mission, until it becomes apparent that the murders and Charlotte's disappearance are related. As in her first novel, the author gives an intelligent and absorbing picture of the period, providing plentiful details for the history buff without detracting from the riveting mystery. Readers will be eager to see more of the spunky Maisie, with her unusual career as a one-time maid, nurse and university student. Agent, Amy Rennert. (June 15) Forecast: A Top Ten Book Sense 76 pick for 2003, Maisie Dobbs has been nominated for both Agatha and Edgar awards. A win of either of these in late May, followed by a national author tour, will help propel sales of Birds of a Feather. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

In this historical mystery set in 1930s England, psychologist-detective Maisie Dobbs is hired by self-made grocery tycoon Joseph Waite to find his thirtysomething runaway daughter. As Maisie painstakingly follows leads, she discovers that Charlotte Waite's friends are dying of suspicious causes and the only clue is a white feather. This carefully plotted mystery also offers glimpses of the political, social, and economic climate of postwar England. Secondary characters and plot lines enhance the novel without detracting from the main story. Kim Hicks's narration complements the text and adds atmosphere; her dialectical skill captures the range of British social classes. While this is a standalone mystery, Maisie Dobbs-the first book in the series-gives listeners insight into who Maisie and the recurring cast of characters are. Recommended for libraries with diverse mystery collections or whose patrons enjoy British mysteries or procedurals featuring women detectives.-Gwendolyn E. Osborne, Evanston, IL Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Adult/High School-The spirited heroine of Maisie Dobbs (Soho, 2003) is back to solve another puzzle in post-World War I London. Having been trained by a master detective, the former serving girl now a Cambridge graduate is hired by grocery magnate Joseph Waite to find his wayward daughter, Charlotte. What begins as a simple missing-person case evolves into the investigation of three murders, all of young women who were friends during the war. Charlotte may be the next target. Chock-full of period details such as how to start a 1920s-era MG, what to buy at the grocer's, what to wear in the country, soup kitchens, and heroin use, the novel follows Maisie's progress as she uses detection, psychology, and even yogalike centering to clear her mind. There is much substance to this mystery, which mines the situations brought about by the horrors of the war-both on the front and at home, and its still simmering aftermath-plus a hint of romance and the beginning resolution of two father-daughter rifts. The story flows easily, descriptions are vivid and apt, and character is limned quickly, with each an individual. This is an utterly enjoyable and painless history lesson and a well-plotted and consistent mystery that will appeal to teens looking for more than just historical fiction.-Susan H. Woodcock, Fairfax County Public Library, Chantilly, VA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Jacqueline Winspear was born and raised in the county of Kent, England. Following higher education at the University of London's Institute of Education, Jacqueline worked in both general and academic publishing, in higher education and in marketing communications in the UK. She emigrated to the United States in 1990.

She is the author of the Maisie Dobbs mystery series. The second book in the series, Birds of a Feather, won the Agatha Award for best novel of 2004. The seventh book in this series, The Mapping of Love and Death, will be released in 2010.

(Bowker Author Biography) Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.