Part of Maisie Dobbs, book 5
First published 2008
Economic troubles plague the country, and Maisie Dobbs worries about her detective business. When an old friend offers her what seems like simple work investigating a land purchase, she accepts gratefully. The case brings her to a Kent village during hop picking season. The countryside looks peaceful, but Maisie senses trouble beneath the surface. Fires break out repeatedly around the village. Petty crimes multiply. The locals harbor deep hatred for the seasonal workers who arrive each harvest. They also carry scars from a wartime Zeppelin attack that still haunts them. Maisie notices how the villagers guard their secrets. She must use every detection skill she has learned to uncover what really drives the violence and fear in this seemingly quiet place.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, suspense, mystery, crime, detective
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-detective, small-town-mystery
Setting: Kent
Period: Post-World War I
Audio CD · Macmillan Audio