Messenger of Truth by Jacqueline Winspear

c Waterloo Public Library 2007

The fourth in the Maisie Dobbs series, Messenger of Truth is another chance to immerse yourself in the world of England in the early 1930s. Maisie Dobbs is an unusual young woman who served as a nurse in the Great War, was injured in an explosion at the field hospital where she assisted her lover in surgery, and now conducts confidential investigations for clients out of her London office.

The story begins when a talented artist falls to his death; Nicholas Bassington-Hope was in the process of setting up an exhibition and while the death is declared an accident, his twin sister believes it is murder. Maisie gets the case and soon finds herself dealing with memories of the Great War, as she discovers that the source of inspiration for Nicholas was the war itself, since he had served as a war artist. Winspear's vivid descriptions of the pieces on exhibit, with their depiction of the mud, blood and destruction of the battlefield, serve to remind the reader again of the horrors of war.

Throughout the book, Maisie endeavors to discover the truth, not only about the death of the artist, but also about his artwork, his family, and his circle of friends. There is a haunting quote at the beginning of the book; it was written by a man who served as an official artist in the Great War. It was his job to record what he saw. "I am no longer an artist interested and anxious. I am a messenger who will bring back word from the men who are fighting to those who want the war to go on forever. Feeble, inarticulate, will be my message, but it will have a bitter truth, and may it burn in their lousy souls." (Paul Nash, Artist. 1899-1946)

Many of the characters found in the other books appear here, including Lady Rowan, who was Maisie's first benefactor and who is now a friend; Maisie's father, Frankie; her loyal assistant, Billy Beale and his family; and Inspector Stratton, a local police officer. Winspear's work is richly descriptive with wonderfully crafted characters, dialogue and action. This is not a quick, easy read; however, it is enormously satisfying to watch Maisie unravel the mystery and to feel her sense of engagement with the task. I cannot think of another series that is so steeped in historical research and yet so entertaining.

You can find Messenger of Truth in the Adult Fiction area at the Waterloo Public Library.