Maisie Dobbs--"one of the most complex and admirable characters in
contemporary fiction" (Richmond Times-Dispatch)--faces danger and
intrigue on the homefront during World War II.
Spring 1940. During the months following Britain's declaration of war on
Germany, Maisie Dobbs investigates the disappear-ance of a young
apprentice working on a hush-hush government contract. As news of the
plight of thousands of soldiers stranded on the beaches of France is
gradually revealed to the general public, and the threat of invasion
rises, another young man beloved by Maisie makes a terrible decision
that will change his life forever.
Maisie's investigation leads her from the countryside of rural Hampshire
to the web of wartime opportunism exploited by one of the London
underworld's most powerful men, in a case that serves as a reminder of
the inextricable link between money and war. Yet when a final
confrontation approaches, she must acknowledge the potential cost to her
future--and the risk of destroying a dream she wants very much to become
reality.