Aggravation

I suppose I should be a little glad not to be sucked into yet another series, but I must admit that Birds of a Feather, the second in the Maisie Dobbs series, was a big letdown. The set-up is perfect - a lady detective in post WWI England. There's all the intriguing history, a population still recovering from the losses of war, interesting fashions, and upstairs / downstairs dynamic. And yet, this book was godawful.

My biggest complaint is how Maisie solves mysteries. Its all through mystical hunches and feelings. I think its just lazy writing.

This book also annoyed me with the constant mentions of how little Maisie eats. She's always skipping breakfast or only having a bite of something. At one point, one of Maisie's admirers comments on how she takes the batter off her fish before eating it. It does nothing to add to the character. It only makes me suspect that the author was dieting while writing this book.

I give this one a 2, and I'm swearing off the Maisie Dobbs series for good.