Time 2 Read: Review: Journey To Munich

Journey To Munich

by Jacqueline Winspear

Why I chose this book? I’ve never read Maisie Dobbs and this one is set in pre-WWII Berlin

When I read this book? April 2016

Who should read this book? Maisie Dobbs fans and those interested in WWII fiction

Source: TLC Book Tours

Here is a synopsis of Journey To Munich from Goodreads

Working with the British Secret Service on an undercover mission, Maisie Dobbs is sent to Hitler’s Germany in this thrilling tale of danger and intrigue—the twelfth novel in Jacqueline Winspear’s New York Times bestselling “series that seems to get better with each entry” (Wall Street Journal).

It’s early 1938, and Maisie Dobbs is back in England. On a fine yet chilly morning, as she walks towards Fitzroy Square—a place of many memories—she is intercepted by Brian Huntley and Robert MacFarlane of the Secret Service. The German government has agreed to release a British subject from prison, but only if he is handed over to a family member. Because the man’s wife is bedridden and his daughter has been killed in an accident, the Secret Service wants Maisie—who bears a striking resemblance to the daughter—to retrieve the man from Dachau, on the outskirts of Munich.

The British government is not alone in its interest in Maisie’s travel plans. Her nemesis—the man she holds responsible for her husband’s death—has learned of her journey, and is also desperate for her help.

Traveling into the heart of Nazi Germany, Maisie encounters unexpected dangers—and finds herself questioning whether it’s time to return to the work she loved. But the Secret Service may have other ideas. . . .

My Review

I picked this one up because of the cover; I love WWII era fiction and this one takes place in Berlin in the years leading up to the US entry into the war. Then I found out it is a Maisie Dobbs book. I’ve heard good things about the series, but had never read a book before, so this seemed like a good place to start. I really want to talk about the cover a bit because I do like it very much. The Nazi flag, as well as the train and the clothing give you a feel immediately for the era in which the story takes place. I also like the it is artwork as opposed to photography, letting me ‘feel’ more than ‘see’ what the story is about.

I also want to address this book as a ‘stand-alone’ novel. I opted not to read any of the previous books before this one, because I wanted to be able to tell year if it works as a ‘stand-alone’ novel. The verdict — yes it does. Even though I’d never read a Maisie Dobbs book before, I found the story very easy to follow, with enough background information given when needed, so that I didn’t feel I was missing out. That said, even though it did work well as a stand-alone, there were times when I wished I’d read the previous books to understand Maisie’s relationships to other characters a little better. One example, we are introduced to Sandra, a former employee of Maisie who currently lives in Maisie’s apartment. While details aren’t important to the story in this book, I did feel there are some stories Maisie and Sandra have shared that would be interesting.

Now on to this story — I enjoyed reading about Berlin in the pre-war days and the way people were on edge, wanting to believe that all was well, but in denial about Hitler and what he stood for. I also enjoyed the mystery and the thought processes Maisie used. There were some suspenseful moments. Even though I knew it would all work out in the end, there were times I wanted to say, “Maisie, don’t do it! That is just going to cause trouble for you down the road!”

If you are a fan of Maisie Dobbs, you should enjoy this one very much. Even if you haven’t read the series in the past, I think you will enjoy this one, and perhaps want to go back and read some of the previous Maisie Dobbs books!