This is the 7th in the Maisie Dobbs series, and I admit I have not read all the intervening ones--in fact I may have missed about 3 or 4 of them. That did not detract from my enjoyment of this audiobook, however, although I did get some surprises. In this installment, Maisie is well-established in her private investigator cum psychologist consulting practice. She is contacted by an elderly American couple who have recently learned that their son, who was MIA in The Great War, has been found, buried in a farmer's field. The remains of Michael Clifton and several of his fellow soldiers have been uncovered in a collapsed dugout. Although Michael was American by birth, his father was British and so, when the war starts, he heads for England to serve. Because he is a trained cartographer and surveyor, his skills are sorely needed and he is accepted into the British forces. His parents have also received a packet of letters that was on the body, apparently from a woman he was involved with, and they want Maisie to find her. They have come to Maisie at the recommendation of an American doctor with whom she worked during the war. Both Dr. Hayden and Maisie recognize from the post-mortem report, that something is amiss; for it appears Michael Clifton was bashed over the head--murdered--before the dugout was bombed. As with so many of her books, the plot is complicated but well-drawn, the creation of characters, place and time is faultless. It appears that someone does not want this mystery investigated, for the Cliftons are subsequently attacked in their hotel room and left for dead, and Maisie herself is attacked and her document case is stolen. Trusty associate, Billie, and Maisie both must deal with significant challenges in their personal lives as well. If you are a Maisie Dobbs fan, you won't want to miss this. If you're not a fan, get started with the first book so you'll become one.
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