If you’re looking for the Maisie Dobbs books in order, publication order is the best way to read Jacqueline Winspear’s historical mystery series. The cases usually stand on their own, but Maisie’s personal story builds across the books, so starting at the beginning gives you the cleanest read.
This guide also covers Jacqueline Winspear’s books outside the Maisie Dobbs series, including her standalone novels, memoir, companion books, and anthology contributions. Maisie is still the main focus, but those extra books are included near the end for anyone who wants the full Winspear list.
Jump to:
- Maisie Dobbs Books in Publication Order
- Should You Read the Maisie Dobbs Books in Order?
- Is Maisie Dobbs Finished?
- Other Jacqueline Winspear Books in Order
- Who Is Jacqueline Winspear?
Maisie Dobbs Books in Publication Order
The Maisie Dobbs books are easiest to follow in publication order. Winspear starts Maisie’s story in post-World War I England, then lets the series move forward as Maisie takes on new cases, faces old grief, and watches the world edge toward another war.
- Maisie Dobbs (2003)
- Birds of a Feather (2004)
- Pardonable Lies (2005)
- Messenger of Truth (2006)
- An Incomplete Revenge (2008)
- Among the Mad (2009)
- The Mapping of Love and Death (2010)
- A Lesson in Secrets (2011)
- Elegy for Eddie (2012)
- Leaving Everything Most Loved (2013)
- A Dangerous Place (2015)
- Journey to Munich (2016)
- In This Grave Hour (2017)
- To Die But Once (2018)
- The American Agent (2019)
- The Consequences of Fear (2021)
- A Sunlit Weapon (2022)
- The Comfort of Ghosts (2024)
Should You Read the Maisie Dobbs Books in Order?
Yes, you should read the Maisie Dobbs books in order. You can follow the mystery in many of the books without being completely lost, but the series works better when you read it from the beginning.
The first book introduces Maisie’s background as a nurse, psychologist, and investigator, along with the emotional weight she carries from World War I. After that, each book adds another piece to her life. Her relationships change. Her work changes. England changes around her. That slow build is a big part of why the series has lasted so long.
Is Maisie Dobbs Finished?
Yes. The Comfort of Ghosts is the final Maisie Dobbs novel. It was released in 2024 as book 18 in the series, and it brings Maisie’s long-running story to a close.
That makes this a finished series, which is nice if you’re starting from scratch. You can read from Maisie Dobbs through The Comfort of Ghosts without waiting for another book to land later.
Other Jacqueline Winspear Books in Order
If you’re looking for Jacqueline Winspear books in order beyond Maisie Dobbs, there are a few more titles to know about. Winspear hasn’t written a huge list of non-Maisie books, so this section is short and easy to keep straight.
Jacqueline Winspear Standalone Novels
- The Care and Management of Lies (2014)
- The White Lady (2023)
Jacqueline Winspear Non-Fiction and Companion Books
- What Would Maisie Do? (Companion Book) (2019)
- This Time Next Year We’ll Be Laughing (Memoir) (2020)
- Maisie Dobbs: A Mysterious Profile (Profile) (2022)
Jacqueline Winspear Anthology and Handbook Contributions
Winspear has also contributed essays and short work to several anthologies and mystery collections. These aren’t core reading-order books, so I wouldn’t chase them before finishing Maisie Dobbs unless you’re a completionist.
- Why We Ride: Women Writers on the Horses in Their Lives (2010)
- Cherished: 21 Writers on Animals They Have Loved and Lost (2011)
- A Study in Sherlock: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon (2011)
- Odd Partners: An Anthology (2019)
- Private Investigations: Mystery Writers on the Secrets, Riddles, and Wonders in Their Lives (2020)
- Shattering Glass: A Nasty Woman Press Anthology (2020)
- How to Write a Mystery: A Handbook from Mystery Writers of America (Handbook Contribution) (2021)
Who Is Jacqueline Winspear?
Jacqueline Winspear is a British-born author best known for the Maisie Dobbs historical mystery series. She was born and raised in Kent, England, later moved to the United States, and built Maisie’s world around the long shadow of World War I and the social changes that followed.
Maisie Dobbs was Winspear’s first novel, and it introduced the character who would become her signature creation. Maisie works as a psychologist and investigator, but the series is about more than solving crimes. It’s also about grief, class, war, recovery, and the cost of living through history while trying to keep moving forward.
Winspear has also written standalone historical novels, a memoir, Maisie Dobbs companion work, and short pieces for anthologies. Still, for most readers, her name is tied first to Maisie Dobbs, and that’s where I’d start.
Looking for more books in order?
If you want more mystery authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Mystery Books in Order index.
One thought on “Maisie Dobbs Books in Order: All Books + Jacqueline Winspear List”
I have loved the Maisie Dobbs series. Are you leaving her in 1942 or will she see the end of the war and “live happily ever after?”