Pardonable Lies: A Maisie Dobbs Novel
Written by Jacqueline Winspear
Narrated by Orlagh Cassidy
4/5
()
About this audiobook
In Pardonable Lies, the third novel of this bestselling series from Jacqueline Winspear, London investigator Maisie Dobbs faces grave danger as she returns to the site of her most painful WWI memories to resolve the mystery of a pilot's death.
A deathbed plea from his wife leads Sir Cecil Lawton to seek the aid of Maisie Dobbs, psychologist and investigator. As Maisie soon learns, Agnes Lawton never accepted that her aviator son was killed in the Great War, a torment that led her not only to the edge of madness but to the doors of those who practice the dark arts and commune with the spirit world. In accepting the assignment, Maisie finds her spiritual strength tested, as well as her regard for her mentor, Maurice Blanche. The mission also brings her together once again with her college friend Priscilla Evernden, who served in France and who lost three brothers to the war—one of whom, it turns out, had an intriguing connection to the missing Ralph Lawton.
Following on the heels of Winspear's triumphant Birds of a Feather, Pardonable Lies is another compelling installment in the chronicles of Maisie Dobbs, "a heroine to cherish" (Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review).
Includes a bonus interview with the author.
Jacqueline Winspear
Jacqueline Winspear is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Consequences of Fear, The American Agent, and To Die but Once, as well as thirteen other bestselling Maisie Dobbs novels and The Care and Management of Lies, a Dayton Literary Peace Prize finalist. Jacqueline has also published two nonfiction books, What Would Maisie Do? and a memoir, This Time Next Year We’ll Be Laughing. Originally from the United Kingdom, she divides her time between California and the Pacific Northwest.
More audiobooks from Jacqueline Winspear
The Care and Management of Lies: A Novel of the Great War Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The White Lady: A Novel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This Time Next Year We'll Be Laughing: A Memoir Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to Pardonable Lies
Titles in the series (5)
Pardonable Lies: A Maisie Dobbs Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pardonable Lies: A Maisie Dobbs Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Messenger of Truth: A Maisie Dobbs Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5An Incomplete Revenge: A Maisie Dobbs Novel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Among the Mad: A Maisie Dobbs Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related audiobooks
Messenger of Truth: A Maisie Dobbs Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pardonable Lies: A Maisie Dobbs Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Journey to Munich: A Maisie Dobbs Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Birds of a Feather Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Maisie Dobbs Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Vanishing of Dr Winter: A Cozy Historical Murder Mystery Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Among the Mad: A Maisie Dobbs Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Mapping of Love and Death: A Maisie Dobbs Novel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5An Incomplete Revenge: A Maisie Dobbs Novel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Elegy for Eddie: A Maisie Dobbs Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Lesson in Secrets Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5To Die but Once: A Maisie Dobbs Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Consequences of Fear: A Maisie Dobbs Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The American Agent: A Maisie Dobbs Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5In This Grave Hour: A Maisie Dobbs Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Leaving Everything Most Loved: A Maisie Dobbs Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Dangerous Place: A Maisie Dobbs Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Sunlit Weapon: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Killer in King’s Cove Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Death in a Darkening Mist Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Deceptive Devotion Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5An Old, Cold Grave Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Sorrowful Sanctuary Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5It Begins in Betrayal Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Betrayal at Ravenswick: A Fiona Figg Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Framed in Fire Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Lethal Lesson Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Question of Betrayal Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Match Made for Murder Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Historical Mystery For You
T. H. Elkman: A Western Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Echo of Old Books: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Curious Beginning Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Librarian of Crooked Lane: The Glass Library, book 1 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Impossible Girl Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Devil and the Dark Water Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Murder at the Mayfair Hotel: Cleopatra Fox Mysteries, book 1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Through A Bakery Window: Romance, mystery, and death in a small New England town Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The ABC Murders: A Hercule Poirot Mystery: The Official Authorized Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lavender House: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Socialite's Guide to Murder Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Night Ocean Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Murder by Degrees: A Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Physicists' Daughter Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Widows of Malabar Hill Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Eye of the Raven Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Shutter Island Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Watchmaker's Daughter: Glass And Steele, Book 1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The King's Beast: A Mystery of Colonial America Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Most Intriguing Lady: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bone Rattler: A Mystery of Colonial America Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Enchanted Hill Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Perfume: The Story of a Murderer Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Botanist's Guide to Flowers and Fatality Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Curse of the Brimstone Contract Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Rip Through Time: A Novel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Mapmaker's Apprentice: Glass And Steele, Book 2 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Original Death: A Mystery of Colonial America Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related categories
Reviews for Pardonable Lies
863 ratings68 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wonderful reader. The plots and writing of this series are sometimes problematic, but there is no question that the author has created a compelling main character.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I enjoyed this third novel in the Maisie Dobbs series. Maisie, having once been a nurse in World War 1, takes on a task to determine if a young English soldier lost his life in France. His father, a seemingly uncaring man, seems to prefer that the outcome be that his son did die in the war. While in France, Maisie is also able to spend time with an old friend who also lost someone in "the great war" (another mystery to solve). I really enjoy this series of cozy mysteries. Maisie is a very likeable character who has taken charge of her life to become a happy and successful woman.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Maisie's role as "psychologist and investigator" makes for an interesting combination and I enjoy the historical aspect, but the instances of her psychic abilities are hard to swallow and fit awkwardly. This was an audiobook read by Orlagh Cassidy who puts on a posh English accent but retains her American pronunciation, which is annoying, although probably not to American listeners. The Maisie Dobbs stories are a bit thin to start with so this will be my last.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Another great offering in the Maisie Dobbs series. It is hard to explain why I have fallen so hard for this series, but it has become one of my favorites. I love the character of Maisie Dobbs and the supporting cast that surrounds her. This book showed a more human side to Maisie as she struggled to deal with her demons from her time as a nurse during World War I. I liked that it took a little bit away from how perfect she had been in the first two books. The mystery in this book kept me turning pages, and the character development was superb. Really well done.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The third of the Maisie Dobbs series is just as delightful as the first two.In 'Lies' she is hired to find the location and if possible the burial place of a pilot who died in the war. During the upshot of this hunt several other crimes are solved and Dobbs finds herself being tailed, stalked with attempts made on her life. But she manages to come through with her usual aplomb.I highly recommend this series and gave Pardonable Lies a 3 1/2 stars out of 5.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Pardonable Lies by Jacqueline Winspear is Book #3 in the Maisie Dobbs series.Maisie is threatened and faces grave danger as she travels to France to try to unravel a young pilot’s death during the war.This is a very layered and intricate mystery with superb plotting, detailed character studies and locations.A rousing 5 Stars * * * * * and on to Book #4, Messenger of Truth.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This feels like the summer of Maisie to me. In book 3 we go deeper into Maisie’s relationship with her mentor, which is more complicated than she thought. She searches in France to discover what happened to two men killed during WWI. There’s a third plot with a young girl accused of murder and a fourth with a devious medium, both of which could probably have been cut. Still, I loved continuing the series.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5In 1930 Sir Cecil Lawton approaches Maisie Dobbs so that he can fulfil a deathbed promise made to his wife. She believes that their son who died in the war is alive, Sir Cecil wants Maisie to prove that he is dead. And so Maisie returns to the area of her WWI memories to resolve the mystery of the pilot's death. But what else will she reveal.
An interesting and enjoyable well-written story - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Maisie Dobbs, book 3. I’m reading this series out loud to/with a friend.This one seemed to have less humor than the first two books in the series, but it did have some, and it seemed to have a lot more intrigue, and intricate and fun multiple mysteries. I love the shades of gray in these books, with the characters and with their circumstances. There isn’t a lot of black and white, nor are there definite heroes and villains. I really appreciate that.I’m thoroughly enjoying this series but now associate it with reading out loud to/with this one particular friend. We are reading them really, really slowly. I have book 5 as a loaner from another friend which will be great because so far they’ve been Kindle e-books from the library and not renewable and there has been a wait to get each book back each time. Now waiting for book 4 for the first of likely multiple check outs.At the end of the book proper this edition has the Acknowledgements section and a short author bio, and also an interview with the author and discussion questions. These books are great discussion books.I’m glad that I’m finally reading this series. I really like it.4-1/2 stars
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A very deep and emotional read. These books are amazing.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5From the moment I met the character of Maisie Dobbs, I loved her and couldn't wait to see her succeed in the opening of her very own office on Warren Street, "M. Dobbs, Trade and Personal Investigations." I love her grit, determination, and kind manner to all regardless of socio-economic differences. I also enjoy reading the different reactions to one of Maisie's trademark styles of talking to everyone in a quiet and respectful way without need to raise her voice or yell to garner attention.New cases for investigation lead Maisie to confront memories of her own service as a nurse in WWI serving in France and now it appears the cases cannot be solved without a physical return to France as well. Can Maisie solve the cases without endangering her own physical and mental health? This novel is a poignant reminder that anyone that serves on the front lines of war may suffer from PSTD for years after the service they have given to their country. We cannot minimize this suffering. We should not forget that all who suffer may look fine "on the outside" but "on the inside" their pain is indescribable and that's why so many remain silent and don't even try to explain what they feel and what they are going through. Let us not ignore their pain. Let us not forget they suffer today because "yesterday" their service was on behalf of all of us.Maisie Dobbs has become one of my favorite sleuths and I can't wait to read more of this series!
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5This book was a lot slower read than the previous books in the series.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is a very well written, enjoyable, and thoughtful series. I recommend it!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Maisie Dobbs is back, and her private investigation business is growing despite the difficult economy. She's also starting to spread her wings a bit, to operate a bit more independently of her mentor, Maurice Blanche.
Then Lord Julian Compton, whose family helped her get an education and start her business, asks her to take on a case for a friend. His son was a pilot killed in the First World War, but his body was not returned and his wife never believed in their son's death. On her deathbed, she made her husband promise to find him.
While Maisie is struggling a bit with whether she wants to go to France to investigate Rafe Lawton's death, and risk revisiting the scenes of her own traumatic experiences in the war, her friend Priscilla Partridge asks for her own investigation: find the place where her brother, Peter Evernden, died.
For Maisie, it's a journey through the dark heart of the war, compounded by a discovery about Maurice that leaves her feeling confused and betrayed. She's forced to confront her own feelings, as well as learning secrets the families involved might be happier not knowing.
It's another pretty good mystery, layered around an insightful look at Britain between the wars, and the slow, rich development of Maisie's character.
Recommended.
I borrowed this book from a friend. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Plot holes you could drive that MG through. Preposterous coincidences. But somehow still enjoyable.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A deathbed promise, leads Cecil Lawton to seek out Maisie's services. Cecil wants Maisie to confirm that his son is dead, rather than alive. Conflicted, Maisie takes the case, if Cecil will represent a young girl accused of murdering her uncle.
As Maisie delves into the past, she is forced to revisit the war that still haunts her. The case brings unexpected revelations...can Maisie find closure for the Lawton family, her friend Priscilla, and even herself? - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Maisie is discovering that not all is as it seems when it comes to mysteries of the war. This is true for her as well. She is making small steps towards moving on with her life, but the wounds of the war haven't really healed. This was a bit of a grim story where the realities of Maisie's relationships are not as straightforward as she would like them to be.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Book description: In the third novel of this bestselling series, London investigator Maisie Dobbs faces grave danger as she returns to the site of her most painful WWI memories to resolve the mystery of a pilot’s death.Winspear cleverly spins a tale of several hidden identities and cover-ups that Maisie Dobbs have to unravel. I wonder if Maisie really can lay the past behind her - seems like a long journey for her.Interesting to follow the growth of maturity and independence in Maisie Dobbs - also as she has to confront her mentor, Maurice Blanche, and find a new way to relate to him. Orlagh Cassidys reading was great and I enjoyed the characters in a new way listening for the first time to a Maisie Dobbs novel. Not the last time.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Another very good offering from Winspear. I had a harder time getting into this third in the Maisy Dobbs series. There was a bit (I thought) of a psychological thriller/occult thing going on, and I don't care much for either of those two. But Winspear wrestled successfully to bring the book back to earth--and I found it really worth the read. How she manages to keep the various threads straight is something to behold.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/52005, Audio Renaissance, Read by Orlagh CassidyMaisie Dobbs, psychologist and investigator, is in demand. And this time her assignment will test not only her personal strength and dedication, but also her spiritual strength and her regard for her mentor, Maurice Blanche. Sir Cecil Lawton, on a deathbed plea from his wife, employs Maisie to investigate the death of his aviator son who was killed in WWI. Agnes Lawton never accepted that her son was killed – a torment that led her to brink of madness and to seek out those who commune with the spirit world. Maisie must travel to the French site of her most painful WWI memories to resolve the pilot’s death, and she will face grave danger before the case is concluded. Pardonable Lies is the most intriguing of the three Maisie Dobbs novels I’ve read to date. Winspear explores the reality of homosexual men in 1940s London: shame, secrecy, and indignity. Readers get a glimpse of the sense of hopelessness which drives us to desperately explore any avenue which might offer peace – including the dark arts. And Maisie’s personal life is evolving: her relationship with Dr Andrew Dene and her decision to purchase a home of her own. Highly recommended.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Maisie is hired to prove a well known Barrister's son is dead.... The Barrister, however, promised his wife on her deathbed that he would find out if their son was still alive..... His wife was visiting different Mediums because she did not believe that her son died in the crash that destroyed his plane.....
At the same time, Maisie is also searching for what became of her best friend Priscilla's brother Peter.... As it turns out there is a connection between the two young men, a political secret that involves Maurice, a disabled MP who happened to be "particular" friends w/ the Barrister's son, and several attempts on Maisie's life.
I found the story of the two young men very interesting, how their lives intertwined, and what became of them.
Also of interest: the lies we tell, live & maintain; the subject of homosexuality; intuition; Spirits/guardians; and Spirit Mediums....
The book was well written and it held my interest. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This is the third book in the Maisie Dobbs series, and it may be my favorite yet. Maisie gets involved in a case involving a young girl who has been accused of murder, while also seeking to learn what happened to two soldiers who were lost in World War I. As she follows the clues, her life is threatened. I continue to love Maisie and her no nonsense manner. The supporting characters continue to develop as well. This is a series that I will definitely continue on with.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Still working my way through the Maisie Dobbs series. I really enjoy these period stories.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Another good book in an excellent series. Maisie, as introspective and capable as ever, is asked to certify the death of a WW1 British aviator. The investigation requires her to travel to France and its bloody battlefields where she worked as a very young nurse during this really ugly war. Her demons are again loosed and almost defeat her. Peripheral plots intertwine and demand that they be resolved. Grit, intelligence and training are her strong allies as she sorts it all out.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Really enjoy the between the wars series.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is the third book in the Maisie Dobbs series. I really enjoyed it. In the book Maisie is hired by a leading London barrister to prove that his son was really killed in the war. The time is summer and early fall 1930, and I love the way Ms. Winspear brings this era to life in this series. Maisie puts herself in grave danger as she works this case and it forces her to face her past when she heads over to Belgium and France as she pursues her information. She has to work her way through a number of family and British army secrets while dealing with her own private demons. I really felt that Ms. Winspear portrayed the effect that the Great War had on anyone who served in it. Maisie was a battlefield nurse and as we see in this book, the medical staff were as affected by this horrific war as much as the soldiers who fought in it. The first 3/4 of the book was mesmerizing and I was enthralled with Ms. Winspear's writing. The plot was tight and the suspense held me throughout. Her portrayal of the effects of post traumatic stress is very moving and poignant. But I found that the last 1/4 of the book was a bit disappointing as it really had no connection to the plot of the story and it felt like an afterthought. I really enjoy this series and look forward to the next one.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Like most Maisie Dobbs books, this included a case related to the aftermath of WWI as well as a case that makes Maisie think about her personal experiences in the war. Her first case is an odd one, as she is asked to prove that a man’s son did not survive the war. This leads to a more personal investigation, helping a friend learn about a brother lost in the war under mysterious circumstances.
First a few general observations about the Maisie Dobbs books. The author always does a great job tying together the two, sometimes three, investigations taking place in each novel. Even if the cases don’t connect directly, there’s always some unifying theme that makes them more interesting to read about together. The writing is very good, with a “cozy” feel to it. I can empathize with Maisie and I think she reminds me a little of me, so it’s easy and comfortable to slip into her perspective. That’s not all there is to it thought. I think it’s also the way Jacqueline Winspear writes, especially her inclusion of ordinary events like Maisie making herself coffee and curling up on a chair in her office to work. She also does a great job including details of the times, such as specific clothes people wear and cars they drive. The few re-occurring things I don’t like are the lack of urgency and action in a lot of her cases, plus a certain melancholy feel in the WWI-related cases.
Read more here... - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Maisie Dobbs isn't keen to take on the investigations that come her way in this 3rd of Winspear's series. Each request points back to her time as nurse in France during the War - a time she doesn't want to remember with memories that continue to disturb. After much deliberation she accepts. One as a personal favour to a nursing friend. The other in a business trade off. Both will bring her into danger she never expected..I enjoy the further insights into Maisie, yet still don't get a personal connection to her. She seems very removed emotionally - perhaps the psychological elements of her overcome personality. The story itself is interesting and well written, but I prefer a more personable heroine that gets me emotionally involved. Maisie just seems to remain removed and stiff.The elements of each mystery are well devised and intriguing. Winspear's plotting is well done and storylines are unique, so I will keep reading them, but hoping for increase in personality.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Third in the Maisie Dobbs series. The post WWI England setting makes this an especially interesting series this year of the centenary of the Great War. The audio of this series has been keeping me coming back for more.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5As with the first two novels in Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs series, Pardonable lies deals with the aftermath of World War I and the hints of world instability to come. Winspear explores the deep issues of when telling an untruth may be in the best interests of everyone. We learn much more about Maurice Blanche and revisit with other favorite characters from the first two books. And there are things left unsaid, leaving room for us to learn more in the next Maisie novel.This is a series for those who care more about the period and less about mystery novels. It does help to have read the first two novels in the series, Maisie Dobbs and Birds of a feather as it is easier to understand Maisie and her need for truth. I highly recommend the series to anyone who really doesn’t care to read traditional mysteries.