The Baby in her Arms by Suzanne Goldring

 

Set in 1943 occupied Paris. Starting with the round up of Jews a desperate mother locks eyes with a young Frenchwoman on the sidewalk and drops her newborn in a rubbish bin, praying that she will be saved and she is.

The occupation is hazardous for all French citizens and Sadie is in a quandary how to bring up an infant in a brothel, because Sadie is a young prostitute, just trying to survive. Neighbours give details of suspicious behaviour to the Nazi and Sadie is terrified of the questioning that will follow if they discover an infant with her. When the Americans free the city and an offer to adopt the little girl comes up, Sadie decides in the best interest of the child to give up the baby she considers her own.

Fast forward several decades and Ellen wants to discover her roots. Taken aback at her beginnings, she discovers her Jewish heritage and the suffering that her mother went through before she was released. Apart from the main characters, there were many women who helped the baby to survive, from a woman acting as a wet nurse as well as the Madame of the bordello who offered her protection to the infant.

The lifestyle at the time of the occupation was horrific and so many did not survive the bombardment, the starvation and the inhuman treatment meted to prisoners. 

The story was emotional and heart breaking with so much sadness but for Ellen it ended on a positive note.

Sent by Bookouture for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Vanished by Irina Shapiro

 

I’ve only read the Tate and Bell books by this author so this was a wonderful surprise.

Historical fiction at its best, along with a fascinating family saga. I do not want to give too much away because this is an excellent read.

Douglas Bellamy,  Earl of Gosforth is dying. He has two unmarried daughters and is worried over their future. The estate is entailed to a male heir who is American, and turns out to be charming. Lady Geneva has half heartedly started an affair with the estate manager, that road is not going anywhere. Honor the second daughter is scheming and calculating, determined to throw a spanner in the works. This is the original timeline.

Fast forward to 2023. Quinn reputed clairvoyant, who picks up stories by holding on to an item of a missing or dead person, has suffered immensely by trolls in the media ridiculing her ability. Now a body is discovered in the peaty well of Winchcombe Estate and it needs to be identified. Quinn immediately reckons more details of the woman’s death and can pinpoint the year of her death. The story unfolds how even when girls, especially those in the upper classes had rigorous guidelines to follow, there were always loopholes and deviations which because they were never guided in practical ways of living had devastating results as in the case of the Bellamy sisters.

Over riding greed for power and position, simmering jealousy within the family blighted the Bellamy family throughout.

An additional side story of Quinn’s brothers mysterious disappearance and the need to protect his young son, at all costs was a distraction to the Bellamy story which was complicated enough.

The story of Quinn’s abilities is inexplicable and cannot be understood by logic or science, but such people obviously exist. The fact that it helps to clear up a mystery and brings justice to the victims, is good. We just take it from there.

A complicated story, sent by Storm Publishing for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Operation Vienna by Michael Ridpath

 

I am glad I got to the first in the pre WWI series so that I can now look for the others.

It was a tense read because we read about the establishment of the Weimar Republic and the fast growing popularity of the Nazi party. We read so much about the actual living under the Nazi establishment, this gives us an inkling how comfortable life was for “others” pre Nazi and how lives were changed so much post.

The background of Berlin was key to the story and the characters of Esme and Archie were stellar. So different yet woven together very well to produce a tense and emotional story.

I look forward to the next read by this author.

Sent by Boldwood Books for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Botanist’s Secret by Liz Eeles

 

Morwenna and Tamsin are the only inhabitants of an isolated island, three miles from the nearest village. Buffett end by stormy seas the crossing is rough. Tamsin conducts studies in botany for students and this the only source of income. Morwenna, her grandmother deals with salves and elixirs and does not much care for the students who periodically come over.

When someone comes looking for a person missing for thirty years, who has links to the island, he won’t let go of his quest, despite Morwenna saying no such person came to the island. During a raging storm, a huge almost magical tree falls over revealing human remains and the detection of a long lost woman comes alive, unearthing a history that was hidden for a long time.

The story was good and the setting unusual. The two main characters were themselves unusual. 

Thanks to Bookouture for sending me this book for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Sisters of tge Midnight Sun by Fiona Valpy

 

Told in two timelines 2005 and the 1940s both stories carry grief and the trying by both women to survive a wave of sadness. 

Ruby has come to Scotland in the aftermath of losing a beloved twin sister. She is trying to come to terms with her loss and believes a change of scene will help. Hanna a survivor of the Nazi regime, also lost a sister in the dreaded camps, but before that lost her parents. Hanna a member of the Resistance is sent to Scotland for training and meets someone whom she is attracted to, but their paths get diverted because she has to move back to the Shetland Islands, where she does the dangerous work of being a radio operator. 

The stay in Scotland is healing for both women. Nurturing a small Croft which was a a small holding, was not easy under the constant threat of a neighbours expansion plans but the two women are determined to carry on.

Initially starting as a story of survival under an oppressive regime, it evolves into a story of friendship and care which was very touching to read.

Sent by Ballantine for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Secrets of the Penny University by Amanda Roberts

 

Amy and Gareth are so excited to open a coffee shop, all complete with the bells and whistles needed for a 2025 modern coffee shop. It has been in the Cowper family for generations starting from 1656 so it really has history. Discovering a mural set off a voyage of discovery for Amy who was wanting to get to the whole story. When Amy suddenly began to see people and sense tension in the room, much to the cynical dismay of Gareth, her determination to get to the whole story is part of this story.

1656 we have Tilly, pregnant with a lover gone to Jamaica and she sent to a relationship to wait out her pregnancy. Adept at figures, she settles into life at the Cowpers, befriending Bertie, the Cowpers little boy, ignored by his parents. Jane resents her presence despite her help, but Lawrence Cowpers appreciates the work she puts in. Jane Cowpers sickly but dies at the hands of a murderous man and Tilly has her baby son, purportedly dead but actually given for adoption. Tilly marries the widower Lawrence but Nat her former lover appears and this causes a rift between Tilly and Lawrence.

The story is full of a lifestyle of Oxford 1656 and present day Oxford which for me was very interesting to read. Amy deciphering the whole history of Tilly, Nat, and the Cowpers brought to life history of 1656, turbulent times in England under Cromwell. The entire read was fascinating.

Sent by BooksGoSocial for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Harlot of St Cecelia’s by Darcy Graves

 

England 1923. The war over but not forgotten. Hundreds of soldiers who have returned suffering trauma. Not recognised for what it actually is and most people do not know how to deal with it. Eden an American librarian looking for her brother works at St Cecelias. Unexpectedly gets drawn into a family drama. Getting locked in overnight with Simon Cross was unexpected, and finding Isabelle Jalbert murdered in the library while they were locked up added to the problem, worse since Isabelle was married to Simon long years ago.

The immediate suspects are Simon and Eden, and the Detective’s boss wants Simon taken into custody as quickly as possible and the case wrapped up. Inspector Garrett prefers to follow the rules with evidence and motives his guidance. He is not sure that Simon is the murderer and so the cat and mouse investigation begins.

A nicely written debut mystery novel and an author I will be looking out for.

Thank you to Pomegranate Seed Press for sending me this book for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.