The American Agent is written by Jacqueline Winspear. The title is #15 in the Maisie Dobbs series.
“Beloved heroine Maisie Dobbs, “one of the great fictional heroines” (Parade), investigates the mysterious murder of an American war correspondent in London during the Blitz in a page-turning tale of love and war, terror and survival.”
“When Catherine Saxon, an American correspondent reporting on the war in Europe, is found murdered in her London digs, news of her death is concealed by British authorities. Serving as a linchpin between Scotland Yard and the Secret Service, Robert MacFarlane pays a visit to Maisie Dobbs, seeking her help. He is accompanied by an agent from the US Department of Justice—Mark Scott, the American who helped Maisie escape Hitler’s Munich in 1938. MacFarlane asks Maisie to work with Scott to uncover the truth about Saxon’s death.
As the Germans unleash the full terror of their blitzkrieg upon the British Isles, raining death and destruction from the skies, Maisie must balance the demands of solving this dangerous case with her need to protect Anna, the young evacuee she has grown to love and wants to adopt. Entangled in an investigation linked to the power of wartime propaganda and American political intrigue being played out in Britain, Maisie will face losing her dearest friend—and the possibility that she might be falling in love again.”

I have read and loved every title in this series. The historical and cultural accuracy has taught me a lot about this period of history, especially as it pertains to Great Britain.
The titles are historical - cultural - tragic at times - skillfully written and plotted - stories of mystery, espionage, friendship and respect for the living and the dead.
***** ( )

As always, the author beautifully captures the spirit of the times where her story is set. She has created in Maudie Dobbs a wonderful heroine. Were she real, I would love to call her friend. Winspear has never disappointed me in any of her books, and her streak continues with this time. This is truly a well written tale that will enthrall the reader and make them anxious for the next installment. ( )

Enjoyable, believable murder mystery, with sympathetic, well drawn characters. The on-going Maisie Dobbs series is as good as ever. ( )

When a young American female journalist is found murdered, Maisie’s friend Robert MacFarlane of Scotland Yard asks her to investigate the case. Maisie will be working with American Mark Scott, whom she first encountered in Hitler’s Germany in Journey to Munich. Maisie has to use her time wisely. The Blitz is underway, and Maisie and her friend Priscilla spend several evenings a week driving an ambulance. Maisie spends long weekends at home in Kent with her father, her stepmother, and the girl Anna she hopes to adopt.

I love listening to the audio version of this series. Reader Orlagh Cassidy is perfect for the voice of Maisie, and her performance adds extra depth to the experience. The series transition from the aftermath of the First World War to the beginning of the Second has had its ups and downs. This novel succeeds, I think because Maisie seems much more at home investigating a murder than she does spying for the government. ( )

In this, the fifteenth in the series, Maisie Dobbs is asked to work with American agent Mark Scott, whom she met in Munich a few books ago, to find the murderer of a young American reporter. The reporter had been trying to earn a spot under Edward Murrow and filed stories trying to turn American public opinion toward aiding England, rather than isolationism. Meanwhile the Blitz has begun, there is more bad news for the Partridge's, and Maisie is on tenterhooks about Anna's adoption.

My favorite part of this chapter in the series is the inclusion of excerpts from newspapers and broadcasts, most aimed at an American audience. The words of Edward Murrow, JB Priestley, and other journalistic luminaries lend a nice touch of historical reality to the fiction. The struggle for the hearts and minds (and votes) of Americans was acute during this stage of the war. Joseph Kennedy is in the background of the novel, not a character, but a presence, and his resignation as ambassador to Britain is included. ( )