Because I like to read a range of things, and because it seemed the most attractive book on the featured shelf at my local library when I stopped in, I read The American Agent by Jacqueline Winspear recently. It’s part of a series featuring Jacqueline Winspear’s famous heroine, Maisie Dobbs. The book appeared in 2019.

Maisie is a British detective who solves mysteries for the British government. The murder she investigates in The American Agent happens in September 1940, in London, during the Blitz. The unfortunate victim is an American named Catherine Saxon.

Plot of The American Agent by Jacqueline Winspear

The setting is dramatic, for sure. London in 1940 is far from safe. The German bombing campaign known as the Blitz is in progress when the book begins. Nightly, Londoners take to air raid shelters and cellars to escape bombing. Maisie is part of an ambulance crew that drives the streets to help the wounded at night. She does her detective work by day.

The connection to Catherine is that she rides along one evening. You see, Catherine is an American who wants to be a radio reporter sharing the devastation of the bombing with American listeners. Her dream is to broadcast for Edward Murrow, the legendary American newsman. (Bonus points here—Edward Murrow is, like me, a graduate of Washington State University. Unlike me, Murrow has an entire school named after him within the university.)

The historical event of importance, besides the Blitz, is the actions of the US. People like Murrow and Saxon wanted to persuade America to abandon its policy of neutrality and join the war against Nazi Germany. Or, at minimum, step up its aid to the British. Catherine Saxon’s father, however, was an isolationist. (Several famous Americans shared this attitude, such as Charles Lindbergh, the noted aviator.) Thus, someone has a motive for the murder.

Please Click Here to Subscribe to Rob’s History Blog!

Maisie Dobbs

Maisie role in The American Agent is to find the killer. (The title is somewhat of a double reference. Not only is Catherine an American agent in a way, but Maisie also works with, and eventually falls for, a man from the American embassy in her investigation.) So, she goes around, assembling clues, showing her insights, and making links that the reader isn’t privy to. (If you’re annoyed when the investigator figures stuff out but saves it until the end, you might not like this.)

She’s very polite and compassionate in the process. Maisie is very much the kind of detective you’ll find if you watch PBS murder mysteries in the evenings. Which isn’t bad—just that she conforms to an archetype. Maisie also wants to adopt a daughter, which becomes a minor subplot of the story. So does her romance with the American agent Mark Scott.

(Note—Winspear has written many Maisie Dobbs mysteries. This one is well on in the series. You don’t need to read the others to enjoy the story, however. The book stands on its own just fine.)

Please Click Here to Get a Free Copy of Rob’s First Novel!

Closing Thoughts on The American Agent by Jacqueline Winspear

Well, is the book any good? In some ways, yes. The historical setting provides notable drama. The writing is quality—scenes, dialogue, and behavior of characters all seem authentic. Unless, that is, you want to knock Maisie for working all day, driving an ambulance at night, and managing to remain clear-headed the whole time rather than collapsing from fatigue. The only other character issue for me was the relationship with Mark Scott. We get Maisie’s interior thought on several issues, but not much for why she falls in love.

The other thing that lowered the drama of the book was the investigation itself. Maisie calmly goes around, questions witnesses, and assembles her case. At no time is she in personal danger because of her investigation. I guess the drama of detective stories is in solving the case rather than the risk to the detective. But for me, the end felt more inevitable than dramatic.

So, if you like detective stories of the type I’ve described, you’ll probably like this book a lot. Maisie Dobbs is a good character who does things for the right reasons. The end of the book is reasonably creative, even if the plot’s structure isn’t. The historical setting of the book is well-chosen.  The main reason to turn down reading The American Agent is if you need stories where the main character faces danger or trouble in each chapter. Typically, that is my preference, which is why I found the book pretty good but not excellent for my tastes.

Other Recent Reviews

Homegoing, by Yaa Gyasi

Every Breath, by Nicholas Sparks

The Return, by Nicholas Sparks

Please Subscribe!

If you enjoyed this blog, please sign up to follow it by scrolling down or clicking here, and recommending it to your friends. I’d love to have you aboard! You can also join the Readers Club for Rob Bauer Books by clicking here or like me on Facebook and Instagram. Don’t forget to check out my historical fiction novels, too.

As always, I welcome constructive and polite discussion in the comments section. Thank you!