Maisie Dobbs Pardonable Lies by Jacqueline Winspear

This is the 3rd book in the Maisie Dobbs series. She has become an old friend of mine in a short period of time.

When my life seems too busy and a little out of control, I know I can always relax into the soothing embrace of Maisie and her world. Secure in the knowledge that I will get a great story simply told, a gentle mystery to solve and plenty of satisfied 'ohhh's and ahhh's' in every chapter.

Maisie is a private investigator in London 1929. She is a poor girl, sent into service, befriended by the well-to-do, offered a place in Girton school, trained as a nurse before heading off to WW1 France to do her bit, returned traumatised and heart-broken to finish her training with her mentor/psychologist/detective friend Maurice Blanche.

Pardonable Lies sees Maisie return to France to help solve 2 cases of missing presumed dead soldiers. The case becomes dangerous as she uinknowingly gets too close to matters that the secret service would rather nobody knows about.

In some ways the mystery is the cover story in all the Maisie Dobbs books. They're simply a way of getting to know Maisie, her world and her times much better.

I love them whole heartedly and without reservation. One is not enough...which is why I've just started Maisie Dobbs #4 Messenger of Truth.

Winspear also has a great blog full of information about this particular period in history and her progress as she writes each novel.

This is adult fiction but any mature teen reader who loves historical fiction and gentle crimes would love this too.