Pardonable Lies - Tapa dura

'In Maisie Dobbs, Jacqueline Winspear has given us a real gift. Maisie Dobbs has not been created -- she has been discovered. Such people are always there amongst us, waiting for somebody like Ms. Winspear to come along and reveal them. And what a revelation it is!' -- Alexander McCall Smith 20060515 'The British counterpart to Alexander McCall Smith's The No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' -- Associated Press 20060515 'A fine new sleuth for the twenty-first century' -- Elizabeth George 20060515 'A heroine to cherish' -- New York Times 20060515 'A wry and immensely readable beginning to what promises to be a vivid new addition to crime fiction' -- Praise for MAISIE DOBBS, Daily Mail 20060515 'Feisty, working-class heroine Maisie is a deliberate throwback to the sleuthettes of old-fashioned crime writing. The well-plotted story, its characters and the picture of London between the wars are decidedly romantic. American readers loved it; many Brits will, too.' -- Guardian 20060515 'A terrific mystery ... Intriguing and full of suspense, it makes for an absorbing read' -- Observer 20060515 'For readers yearning for the calm and insightful intelligence of a main character like P D James's, Maisie Dobbs is spot on' -- Boston Globe 20060515 'Even if detective stories aren't your thing, you'll love Maisie Dobbs' -- New Woman 20060515 '(Maisie Dobbs') most engaging adventure so far' -- Sydney Morning Herald 20060515 'It is only a question of time before this series hits the television screens, for it is just made for it' -- The Irish Times 20060520 'Altogether an excellent mystery story, which grips the reader all the way through. Contains many ideas which would interest book groups' -- New Books Magazine 20060701 'Wonderfully nostalgic and traditional sleuthing in post-First World War London' -- Bookseller 20050909 'Maisie Dobbs is a delightful character... The war's long shadow over Maisie and her clients and suspects lends emotional depth to an enjoyable mystery' -- Literary Review 20060301 'Think Upstairs Downstairs meets Miss Marple -- with a touch of chirpy cheerful Cockney from the Dick Van Dyke school' -- Yorkshire Post 20060301 'The classic crime buyer' -- Publishing News 20060519

Maisie Dobbs, psychologist and investigator, has handled many difficult cases since she opened her office in Fitzroy Square, London. But few requests have been as unusual as the one she receives from Sir Cedric Lawton on a September evening in 1930: She must prove that his son Ralph really is dead. This is a case that will challenge Maisie in unexpected ways. For Ralph Lawton was an aviator shot down by enemy fire in 1917. If she is to get to the bottom of the mystery, Maisie must make the journey across the Channel to Northern France, where she spent time as a nurse in the Great War. And she soon realises that on the old battlefields, ghosts still linger. For Maisie, this investigation raises far more questions than answers. Before she can reach the truth, she must first uncover the secrets and lies that some people would prefer remain buried