Finalist for the Inaugural Sue Grafton Memorial
Award
Maisie Dobbs—one of the most complex and admirable
characters in contemporary fiction (Richmond Times
Dispatch)—faces danger and intrigue on the home front
during World War II.
During the months following Britain’s declaration of war on
Germany, Maisie Dobbs investigates the disappearance of a
young apprentice working on a hush-hush government contract.
As news of the plight of thousands of soldiers stranded on
the beaches of France is gradually revealed to the general
public, and the threat of invasion rises, another young man
beloved by Maisie makes a terrible decision that will change
his life forever.
Maisie’s investigation leads her from the countryside of
rural Hampshire to the web of wartime opportunism exploited
by one of the London underworld’s most powerful men, in a
case that serves as a reminder of the inextricable link
between money and war. Yet when a final confrontation
approaches, she must acknowledge the potential cost to her
future—and the risk of destroying a dream she wants very
much to become reality.