Journey to Munich

Poor Maisie Dobbs. A woman who once climbed many figurative mountains now flits around foreign countries really messing up intrigues. She's not able to retain a disguise or manage anything undercover (what undercover agent leaves her actual passport laying around her hotel room?). She doesn't seem to pay attention to what is going on around her and is constantly being “found” by various agents on both sides. There are also far too many coincidences for my taste!

And she will not stop going on about James and her lost baby; that may sound cruel and harsh, but this character didn't care for James until after he was killed in a flying accident. Since that rather sloppily-done bit of off-book drama, we have to listen to constant pining after someone Maisie really didn't love. Of course, Billy and Sandra are magically available and ready to work as soon as Maisie returns. Perhaps the publisher realized that Maisie clearly cannot manage any investigating on her own? I really ought to stop with the series at this point as it is outrageously silly.

This story is set in 1938 when the Nazis were ascendant in Germany. Maisie Dobbs has returned to England after working for a while as a nurse in civil war-torn Spain. Before she can really reestablish her life in London, British Secret Service ask her to travel to Munich on a special assignment. She somewhat reluctantly accepts the assignment. She is to pose as the daughter of Leon Donat a British citizen imprisoned by the Germans in Dachau prison near Munich. The British government has negotiated his release, but the Nazis will only release him to a family member. She also agrees to try to find the daughter of a wealthy British-Canadian businessman. The daughter has gone missing in Munich and Maisie is to persuade her to return home if possible.
The mission appears straightforward but proves to be anything but. The Secret Service and Nazi SS have agendas and there are mercantile interests at work. As if that weren't enough, German underground activists and an American agent get into the mix and the daughter is up to something. Nazi Germany is not a safe or good place to be. Maisie has a dangerous road to walk.
Pretty good story. Orlagh Cassidy's narration is well done. Solid four stars.

Firstly: I love this series. (and this is a series - not a group of stand alone books with the same main character - you really need to read them in order since each book builds on what came before it) But I'd have to say that although I enjoyed the book, this one is my least favorite. I would agree with one of the prior reviewers - it's a 3.5 - 3 seems a little harsh, and it's definitely not a 4.
I really had to completely suspend disbelief at several points. Maisie is absolutely shoehorned into this set of circumstances. Her decisions are not particularly true to the character (she's smarter than this) - and I'm still scratching my head over some of the character's decisions. I enjoyed book #11 quite a bit (many did not) - mainly because it covered a bit of history I know little about (and made me interested enough I sought out more information)
Do read the series. Maisie is a wonderful character. This installment is a bit weak - but it appears the series might be back on the rails for #13 (if there is a #13).