Maisie is asked to investigate the case of a young American who died in France. He was a cartographer who went missing. His body, and those of the men in his unit, were discovered recently. His family is eager to find out what happened. As the youngest in a wealthy family, he was cherished by his parents. He was doing some mapping in California when the war broke out. Instead of returning home, he immediately set off to England to enlist.

The maps he was creating were invaluable to the English army as they fought the German army. At the same time as Maisie and her right hand man, Billy, look into Michael Clifton's death, Billy's wife has returned from the hospital she went to after her breakdown.

Maisie contacts her former employers and runs into their son, Stephen. Stephen provides invaluable help to Maisie's investigation. One of many who suffered during the war, Stephen went to Canada to work in his family business. He has returned a much different man who wants nothing but peace.

Maisie approaches her mentor for confirmation of her fears about the cause of Micheal's death. Maisie is shocked to learn that Maurice is severely ill. Even with her sorrow for Maurice weighing on her, Maisie continues the investigation into Michael's murder. Unexpectedly, she finds herself falling in love.

The Maisie Dobbs mysteries deal with some difficult and painful topics. Placed at the end of the Great War, Maisie deals with the trauma of the war and the indignities of her chosen profession with a stoicism and dignity that will charm the reader. As a follower of the series, it is nice to see Maisie emerge from her melancholy to find love again.

Masterfully plotted and placed against a time in English history when the structure of society was undergoing a radical change, the Dobbs mysteries will keep the reader coming back for more.