To Die but Once

As the spring of 1940 dawns, a tense quiet has settled over Britain, dubbed the 'Bore War' for its deceptive calm. Amidst this fragile peace, psychologist and investigator Maisie Dobbs is drawn into a new case that will test her resolve to its limits. She's asked to find a young apprentice, a craftsman working on a highly classified government project, who has vanished without a trace. As Maisie delves into the labyrinthine mystery, her investigation uncovers unsettling connections to London's shadowy underworld, hinting at a far greater conspiracy. Simultaneously, the nation braces for an imminent enemy invasion, with news of the British expeditionary force stranded on the French coast casting a grim shadow. The personal stakes for Maisie escalate dramatically when she faces the agony of another mother's grief – a grief that strikes close to home as the missing boy is one she holds dear. Winspear masterfully weaves together the personal and the political, crafting a poignant narrative of courage, loss, and the enduring spirit of a nation on the brink.