Early April, 1933.
Maisie’s newest clients are the costermongers of Covent Garden, men who sell fruit and vegetables from horse-drawn carts on the streets of London. To the costers, Eddie Pettit was simply a gentle soul with a near-magical gift for working with horses, and when he is killed in a violent accident, the costers are skeptical about the cause of his death. Because her father, Frankie, had been a fellow costermonger, Maisie has known these men since childhood and remembers Eddie fondly, so she is determined to help, but it soon becomes clear that powerful political and financial forces are equally determined to prevent her from learning too much about Eddie’s death.
Maisie’s search for answers begins in the working-class streets of Lambeth—where Eddie lived, and where she grew up—but quickly leads her to a callous press baron, a “has been” politician named Winston Churchill lingering in the hinterlands of power and, most surprisingly, to Douglas Partridge, the husband of her dearest friend, Priscilla. As Maisie uncovers lies and manipulation on a national scale, she must decide whether to risk all to see justice done.
The story of a London affected by the march to another war years before the first shot is fired, and of an innocent victim caught in the shadow of power, Elegy for Eddie is Jacqueline Winspear’s most poignant and affecting novel yet.
Review
“Long before the Downton Abbey craze, Jacqueline Winspear was writing remarkable mysteries about life in England circa WWI.” (New York Journal of Books)
“Compelling.” (People (3 ½ out of 4 stars))
“A detective series to savor.” (Johanna McGeary, Time)
“A series that seems to get better with every entry.” (Tom Nolan, Wall Street Journal)
“When people ask me to recommend an author, one name consistently comes to mind: Jacqueline Winspear...Winspear chronicles the uncharted, sometimes rocky path chosen by her protagonist and delivers results that are educational, unique, and wonderful.” (Deirdre Donahue, USA Today)
“For as long as each novel lasts, we live in Maisie’s suspenseful, intelligent world.” (Evelyn Theiss, Cleveland Plain Dealer)
“[Catches] the sorrow of a lost generation in the character of one exceptional woman.” (Chicago Tribune)
“Engages the mind and enriches the heart.” (Jay Strafford, Richmond Times-Dispatch)
“A heroine to cherish.” (Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review)
“Terrific....Maisie is one of the great fictional heroines, equal parts haunted and haunting.” (Parade)
From the Back Cover
Maisie Dobbs—psychologist, investigator, and "one of the great fictional heroines, equal parts haunted and haunting" (Parade)—returns in a chilling adventure, the latest chapter in Jacqueline Winspear's bestselling series.
Early April 1933. To the costermongers of Covent Garden—sellers of fruit and vegetables on the streets of London—Eddie Pettit was a gentle soul with a near-magical gift for working with horses. When Eddie is killed in a violent accident, the grieving costers are deeply skeptical about the cause of his death. Who would want to kill Eddie—and why?
Maisie Dobbs' father, Frankie, had been a costermonger, so she had known the men since childhood. She remembers Eddie fondly and is determined to offer her help. But it soon becomes clear that powerful political and financial forces are equally determined to prevent her from learning the truth behind Eddie's death. Plunging into the investigation, Maisie begins her search for answers on the working-class streets of Lambeth where Eddie had lived and where she had grown up. The inquiry quickly leads her to a callous press baron; a has-been politician named Winston Churchill, lingering in the hinterlands of power; and, most surprisingly, to Douglas Partridge, the husband of her dearest friend, Priscilla. As Maisie uncovers lies and manipulation on a national scale, she must decide whether to risk it all to see justice done.
The story of a London affected by the march to another war years before the first shot is fired and of an innocent victim caught in the crossfire, Elegy for Eddie is Jacqueline Winspear's most poignant and powerful novel yet.
About the Author
Jacqueline Winspear is the author of the New York Times bestselling Maisie Dobbs series, which includes In This Grave Hour, Journey to Munich , A Dangerous Place , Leaving Everything Most Loved , Elegy for Eddie , and eight other novels. Her standalone novel, The Care and Management of Lies , was also a New York Times bestseller and a Dayton Literary Peace Prize finalist. Originally from the United Kingdom, she now lives in California.