Journey to Munich

Few Americans have any appreciation for the complicated relationship between Britain and Germany in the run-up to World War II. The British royal family was German, having changed their name from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor in World War I. In fact, King Edward VIII and his American wife, Wallis Simpson, were ardently pro-Nazi and actively collaborated with Hitler after his abdication from the British throne in December 1936. Many other aristocratic Britons were sympathetic to the Nazis. Wealthy Britons frequently vacationed in Germany, and many spent years in school or university there. Commercial relationships were close. And when Neville Chamberlain signaled “peace in our time” after meeting Adolf Hitler in Munich in 1938, the overwhelming majority of British subjects heaved a sigh of relief. Precious few then placed any credibility in Winston Churchill, who was widely regarded as a crank because of his repeated warnings about the imminence of war with the German Reich.

Chamberlain’s now-notorious meetings with Hitler occurred in September 1938. The events in Jacqueline Winspear’s novel, Journey to Munich, begin in February that year, one month before another seminal event, the Anschluss, when German troops occupied Austria. Maisie Dobbs’ own journey to the Bavarian capital lasts several weeks. She is present in Munich when the Anschluss takes place. Winspear’s setting in that particular time and location is shrewd. Of all Germany’s major cities, Munich was the most fervently pro-Nazi. It had been there that Adolf Hitler had engineered the 1923Beer Hall Putsch that landed him in prison (where he wrote Mein Kampf). When Maisie witnesses the pall of fear that has descended over the city and the sadistic cruelty of the brownshirts toward Munich’s Jews, she receives but a foretaste of much worse to come.

Most of the novels in the Maisie Dobbs series are detective stories, focusing on Maisie’s profession as a “Psychologist and Investigator.” However, as the 1930s slip by and World War II grows ever closer, Maisie finds herself pressed into service by the British security services. In Journey to Munich, she is recruited to assume a false identity to help gain the release of a prominent British businessman imprisoned at Dachau for financing anti-Nazi propaganda.

As usual, Winspear has done her homework. The historical setting reeks of authenticity. The plot is complex and suspenseful. Above all, Maisie’s compelling, multidimensional character shines through. At a time when the world, and the field of mystery and suspense fiction in particular, cries out for strong female leads, Maisie beautifully fits the bill.

In an interview included at the back of Journey to Munich, Winspear is asked, “What are the ‘magic ingredients’ that make historical fiction unforgettable/irresistible? And in your opinion, what do the best historical fiction writers do to ‘get it right?'” The author responds, “I wish I knew something about magical ingredients! I think the best thing a writer of historical fiction can do is to remember that you are a storyteller first and foremost. Everything else there is to support the story . . .” Amen to that!

I’ve loved all the Maisie Dobbs novels up to now. But this one has so many gaping holes it is hard to make myself finish it. The first and biggest hole is the second plot line involving the Otterburns; most of the other holes are connected to that. First, Maisie is going to Germany impersonating someone else. Why on earth would she agree to try to find someone (Elaine) who does not and cannot know that?! Is Maisie so gullible that she didn’t think that if Otterburn could find out about her secret mission he could find his daughter? And is it reasonable to think, given the nature of the mission, that she would not be accompanied by the Brits and followed by the Germans everywhere she went? Would her “training” not focus as much on Edwina, since Maisie is impersonating her, as much as on Leon? Wouldn’t the Brits have expected that the Germans would expect a ringer for Edwina? …. I could go on, and on. I’m struggling to finish it just to see how Winspear is going to explain everything. All in all, this story is way too implausibly convoluted. I hope the next one is back to her usual high standard.

I loved all the Maisie Dobbs books until A Dangerous Place, and this one also disappointed.

My biggest complaint is not with the mystery plot itself, but with Maisie’s character and the incredible string of fortuitous happenings at the novel’s end — which have nothing to do with the main plot, but wither return to her old life. However: spoiler alert if you don’t want to know ANYTHING about the character’s personal trajectory.

Maisie somehow is turning into a historical detective novel version of Nancy Drew, brilliant at everything she touches. In a week or so she becomes pretty fluent in German. Her very first attempt to fire a gun results in a bull’s eye. A few hours’ training and she becomes able, physically and psychologically, to tackle someone who is following her, release herself from their hold, sprain their fingers, and quickly pull her gun on them.

When she finds Elaine Otterburn, she is able to almost instantaneously forgive her for her indirect role in James’s death, even to nurture and support Elaine.

Then the universe aligns with her desires, and upon her return to London she is able to find her previous office up for rent, enlarged and improved. Sandra and Billy are both coincidentally available and ready to work with her. She has somehow changed from the woman who at the book’s beginning was still amazedly thinking of herself as a widow (after four plus years) into one who accepts James’s role in his own death, and even wonders whether she will find love again.

The unbelievability factor was just too high for me to enjoy this one as I have the previous installments.

I discovered Maisie Dobbs earlier this year and was hooked. Finally, I had found a decent book with a character with integrity and intelligence and I chain-read all the books. I thoroughly enjoyed the first 6 books but then felt something changed which was disappointing along with the new publisher and rather brasher printing on the front cover. I noticed that occasionally a description in more graphic detail than was necessary would creep in, as if Ms Winspear were experimenting but, for me, it added nothing to the story and didnt fit in with the tone of the book. The prologue to Elegy for Eddie was off-putting for me but I persevered and was relieved to get to book no. 11 A Dangerous Place as she seemed to get back on track.

The latest book, Journey to Munich, was excellent. However, I was irritated by the flashbacks which I obviously recognised having read the series but, to a newcomer, perhaps these would be a bit bewildering and annoying. Theres a wonderful build-up of Maisie creeping around in a derelict house but it was completely spoilt by her having a long flashback to an event in the previous book, A Dangerous Place. It was completely implausible it would not happen in such a situation. Again, also, the graphic description of the method of murder by an SS officer was disturbing and entirely unnecessary.

Having said this, I really hope the Maisie Dobbs books dont lose that special something and that Maisie Dobbs character doesnt change. I look forward to the next instalments in her life and have a feeling that shell eventually recognise that the clue to her future happiness has been there all the timeperhaps. Ill give Ms Winspear another chance

I read this on the Kindle

This is the 12th book in the Maisie Dobbs series & I am very disappointed with it

This tended to repeat what had happen in previous books not just once but it got very repetitive so much so I was skipping pages as I knew what had happen

I can understand telling the read it once but you get to a interesting part then it go off telling of what had happen previously & not just in previous books but repeating what had been told earlier in the book it was as if the author couldn’t make the storyline last so had to keep telling what had already been told earlier in the book which made the book very poor in my opinion

The storyline was a good one if it had been told & not dragged out with previous & repetitive bits
I certainly can’t recommend this book i will say that the ending has been left that more Maisie Dobbs books can be done if this is the case I just hope that it will be new storylines & not keep going over the old ones

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