Book Review: ‘Journey To Munich,’ A Historical Novel by Jacqueline Winspear

In Journey to Munich by Jacqueline Winspear, after a long self-reflecting journey Maisie Dobbs has found a form of peace with her loss. The pain still lingers at the death of her husband and the aftermath, but she is finally able to move forward and reconnect with those who have stood by her in her time of solitude. Yet her friends are not the only ones looking for something from her.

The Secret Service needs her to pretend to be the family member of an important British subject imprisoned in Germany.The Germans have agreed to release him to his daughter, who unbeknownst to them is gravely ill. Maisie must become this daughter in order to receive and deliver him to the British authorities.

Yet they are not only ones who need her help.The man she holds responsible for her husband’s death is now also in need of her services. His is of a more personal level, one that makes it almost more than she can bear. Can she put her feelings behind her and once more find her way to help someone in need.

Her own life has been turned upside down. Both her own problems and the war-torn craziness that is now infecting the whole of the continent threaten to derail her from her path.Can she find a way to be the person she once was, and help to extricate an older man from the grips of tyranny as well as overcome her reluctance to help an old enemy?

Winspear continues the story of her heroine, Maisie Dobbs, and take us deep into the heart of Nazi Germany as it begins preparations for the atrocities against others that linger in the thoughts of many even to this day. She sprinkles the storey with bits of history that and makes you feel as though you are there with Maisie as she faces the dangers of a regime that seems out of control. You feel her hurt and her fears as she carefully balances the challenges confronting her.

If you enjoy historical fiction, as well as mystery and spy novels, you will enjoy Journey to Munich and want to add it to your library. Maisie is a great character and you will want to go back and find her other adventures as you come to the end of this one. The history and storyline is intriguing and enthralling, keeping you reading late into the night.