Messenger of truth, by Jacqueline Winspear

The fourth of the “Maisie Dobbs” series finds our heroine involved with an artistic family whose painter son has fallen to his death from a scaffolding while preparing to exhibit his masterpiece in a gallery. His twin sister refuses to believe that her brother actually fell – she suspects foul play and employs Maisie to ferret out the truth. Again, the long reach of the effects on “The Great War” on families has a central place in the story. The controversial artist served in the war and afterwards retreated to an artists' camp consisting of repurposed railway carriages on the coast. This coast has an centuries-old connection to pirates, and Maisie stumbles upon suspicious activity while investigating. Another great outing. 337 pp.