Maisie Dobbs

I thought this was interesting. Over 1/3 of the book is the backstory and training montage ofthe main character. The actual mystery is only a small part of the book.
I'm usually more interested in the plot then in the characters but Ms. Dobbs caught and held my attention. The time period is well described and the horrors of WW1 are a background for the book.
I'll try the next book to see if this kind of mystery interests me as it should spend less time introducing the characters.