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historical mystery
Series · historical mystery
Maisie Dobbs
The Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear has 18 known books (18 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with Maisie Dobbs (2003).
- Books
- 18 known books (18 novels)
- Published
- 18
- First published
- 2003
- Status
- completed
- Shelved under
- Mystery & Crime, Historical Fiction
- Last checked
Start here: Maisie Dobbs (2003) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Maisie Dobbs
Maisie Dobbs is Jacqueline Winspear's opening novel in the series of the same name, first published in 2003. The series runs to 18 books in this catalogue; from here it continues with Birds of a Feather.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Maisie Dobbs - Book 2:
Birds of a Feather
Birds of a Feather, the 2nd book in Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear, was published in 2004 at 336 pages. In the reading order it follows Maisie Dobbs and precedes Pardonable Lies.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Birds of a Feather - Book 3:
Pardonable Lies
Pardonable Lies, the 3rd book in Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear, was published in 2005 at 384 pages. In the reading order it follows Birds of a Feather and precedes Messenger of Truth.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Pardonable Lies - Book 4:
Messenger of Truth
Messenger of Truth is the 4th entry in Maisie Dobbs, by Jacqueline Winspear, published in 2006 at 336 pages. It follows Pardonable Lies and precedes An Incomplete Revenge in this catalogue's reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Messenger of Truth - Book 5:
An Incomplete Revenge
An Incomplete Revenge, the 5th book in Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear, was published in 2008 at 320 pages. It follows Messenger of Truth and precedes Among the Mad in this catalogue's reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of An Incomplete Revenge - Book 6:
Among the Mad
Among the Mad is the 6th entry in Maisie Dobbs, by Jacqueline Winspear, published in 2009 at 328 pages. It follows An Incomplete Revenge and precedes The Mapping of Love and Death in this catalogue's reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Among the Mad - Book 7:
The Mapping of Love and Death
The Mapping of Love and Death is the 7th book in Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear, published in 2010 at 338 pages. In the reading order it follows Among the Mad and precedes A Lesson in Secrets.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Mapping of Love and Death - Book 8:
A Lesson in Secrets
A Lesson in Secrets is the 8th book in Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear, published in 2011 at 323 pages. In the reading order it follows The Mapping of Love and Death and precedes Elegy for Eddie.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Lesson in Secrets - Book 9:
Elegy for Eddie
Elegy for Eddie is the 9th book in Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear, published in 2012 at 335 pages. In the reading order it follows A Lesson in Secrets and precedes Leaving Everything Most Loved.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Elegy for Eddie - Book 10:
Leaving Everything Most Loved
Leaving Everything Most Loved is the 10th entry in Maisie Dobbs, by Jacqueline Winspear, published in 2013 at 339 pages. It follows Elegy for Eddie and precedes A Dangerous Place in this catalogue's reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Leaving Everything Most Loved - Book 11:
A Dangerous Place
A Dangerous Place is the 11th book in Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear, published in 2015 at 336 pages. In the reading order it follows Leaving Everything Most Loved and precedes Journey to Munich.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Dangerous Place - Book 12:
Journey to Munich
Journey to Munich is the 12th book in Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear, published in 2016 at 320 pages. It follows A Dangerous Place and precedes In This Grave Hour in this catalogue's reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Journey to Munich - Book 13:
In This Grave Hour
In This Grave Hour is the 13th book in Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear, published in 2017 at 351 pages. It follows Journey to Munich and precedes To Die But Once in this catalogue's reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of In This Grave Hour - Book 14:
To Die But Once
To Die But Once is the 14th entry in Maisie Dobbs, by Jacqueline Winspear, published in 2018 at 352 pages. In the reading order it follows In This Grave Hour and precedes The American Agent.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of To Die But Once - Book 15:
The American Agent
The American Agent, the 15th book in Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear, was published in 2019 at 384 pages. In the reading order it follows To Die But Once and precedes The Consequences of Fear.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The American Agent - Book 16:
The Consequences of Fear
The Consequences of Fear, the 16th book in Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear, was published in 2021. It follows The American Agent and precedes A Sunlit Weapon in this catalogue's reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Consequences of Fear - Book 17:
A Sunlit Weapon
A Sunlit Weapon is the 17th book in Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear, published in 2022 at 368 pages. In the reading order it follows The Consequences of Fear and precedes The Comfort of Ghosts.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Sunlit Weapon - Book 18:
The Comfort of Ghosts
The Comfort of Ghosts is the 18th entry in Maisie Dobbs, by Jacqueline Winspear, published in 2024 at 360 pages. It follows A Sunlit Weapon in this catalogue's reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Comfort of Ghosts
About the Maisie Dobbs series
Maisie Dobbs starts the series as a former housemaid turned Cambridge scholar turned battlefield nurse, who opens her own psychologist-and-investigator practice in London in 1929 — a profession she invents largely because the First World War, which she served through as a nurse and which took the man she loved, has left her uniquely attuned to trauma, grief, and the things people hide to survive them. Jacqueline Winspear built the series as much around the long shadow of WWI and the gathering storm of WWII as around the mysteries themselves — Maisie's cases regularly circle back to wounds the war left on ordinary people, and the series tracks British history in real time as it moves from the late 1920s toward 1945.
The appeal is literary and emotionally serious rather than puzzle-driven: elegant prose, a deeply humane lead, and a genuine interest in class, trauma, and the changing role of women across two decades of upheaval, wrapped around investigations that are more character study than whodunit mechanics. This is the series for readers who want historical fiction with mystery bones — think Downton Abbey's era with a detective's eye for the damage war leaves behind — and who don't mind a slower, more reflective pace than a typical crime novel.
Frequently asked questions
How many Maisie Dobbs books are there?
18 novels, published between 2003 and 2024, from Maisie Dobbs through The Comfort of Ghosts.
What order should I read the Maisie Dobbs books in?
Strict publication order, starting with Maisie Dobbs. The series is tightly serialized around Maisie's personal life and the unfolding historical timeline, so reading out of order will spoil major developments.
Is the Maisie Dobbs series finished?
Yes. Jacqueline Winspear has described The Comfort of Ghosts (2024) as the planned conclusion to Maisie's story, bringing the series to a deliberate close.
Do I need to know WWI history to enjoy the series?
No, but the war's aftermath is central to the books' themes and to Maisie's own backstory as a wartime nurse, so readers interested in that period tend to get the most out of the series.
Is Maisie Dobbs a standalone mystery series or a continuous story?
It's a continuous story. Each book has its own case, but Maisie's relationships, grief, and circumstances carry forward and build across all 18 novels.
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Reading order last verified .