A Lesson in Secrets by Jacqueline WinspearMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Maisie is coming to terms with the death of her mentor Maurice Blanche and her inheritance of his properties, papers and wealth. She's come a long way from the maid who used to work there. Her love affair with James is progressing well, although he's currently in Canada wrapping up his business interests. Then Maisie is approached by the Secret Service who want her to go undercover as a philosophy lecturer at a small, relatively new, Cambridge College to report on any activities "not in the interests of His Majesty's Government.". The college is founded on the idea of international peace and cooperation and encourages young people from all over the world to study together. The founder of the college, Greville Liddicote wrote a series of children's books, although three books written during WW1 were withdrawn from publication and all copies destroyed.
When Mr Liddicote is found dead at his desk, his secretary calls Maisie who immediately realises this is not a heart attack, but murrrrderrrrr. While MacFarlane and Stratton are brought in from Special Branch to investigate the murder, Maisie is embroiled in yet more fall-out from WW1, including alleged mutinies, the murder of conscientious objectors, and the use of women in espionage. Add to which the rise of politics and admiration of Germany's National Socialism Party and Cambridge is fast becoming a hotbed of political intrigue.
This feels like a readjustment book. I feel Maisie/Jacqueline Winspear is finally letting go of WW1 and anticipating WW2, similarly Maisie's new wealth and lover have changed her from the young woman suffering from (I suspect) PTSD of the earlier books. Also, Maisie has gone from police procedural to assisting the Secret Service, what is next spying in Germany (I've seen the later covers so I assume yes). Whether this change will get her out of the WW1 rut I don't know.
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