The Posting by Gillian Edward’s

 

1939 England was bleak and for an adventurous young woman, village life was a trifle limiting. Going upto London to work as a domestic was a first step in a tale which swept Jane from the confines of a very narrow world, right across the world to Morocco, Egypt which were transit points and then on to Karachi, India and eventually Ceylon now Sri Lanka and then finally to Singapore.

Working as a junior nurse was very hard and the privations and harshness of superiors was grim but Jane and her fellow nurses always seemed to find something to be happy about. The stories are very vivid, very descriptive of actual living conditions in far flung areas with very little equipment and supplies but tge nurses did a marvellous job with limited resources they had.  They also had adventures galore, visiting every place of interest they could, despite orders not to!

I was particularly interested in Jane’s work in Ceylon, being Sri Lankan myself and the story was so informative as well on facilities I had no idea about and the yeoman tasks entrusted to these young women. 

The story is a real one, an account of the authors own mother in law who was an intrepid and brave young lady who flew into an unknown and alien land very bravely.

The cover however does not do the story justice.

Sent by The Book Guild for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Paris Reckoning by John Pearce

 

Colonel Sandrine has had enough. After a twenty year stint with the US Army, ending in a near fatal attack in the Sahel, her heart is set in Paris. A long held ambition to have her own security firm in a city which has won her heart.

The unexpected happens. Sandi falls in love with Stevie who disappears with many questions unanswered, leaving her lots of money but people wanting to know where he is, and also wanting the money back. What follows is a trail of a missing looted painting, belonging to Poland, treachery amongst friends and high rolling stakes amongst the mafia in several countries.

Fast paced, detailed and exciting reading for mystery fans.

Sent by Alesia Press LLC for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

A Dangerous Just8ce by John Pilkington

 

First in the series of Justice Belstrange this was historical fiction, very well told. No frills, no histrionics.

Justice Belstrange now retired, is seeking his neighbours son who has gone missing in London. The problem is that the neighbours is strong Catholic, and 1616 was not a good time to be Catholic. There was severe antagonism and witch-hunt for anyone with a hint of being Catholic and Belstrange was going very close to being tarred as popish in his quest.

Belstrange finds the boy eventually at the Bedlam Asylum in a very psychotic state. But the question is not without danger because Belstrange has now become the target of the rich and powerful at the Court. He is maligned, drugged thrown in jail - all to intimidate him and force him to give up on the search for Thomas Jessop and return home.  But Belstrange once he decides on something is determined and he is one man who will fight for justice.

The best of historical fiction coupled with religious fear make this an excellent read.

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

The Club for Rebellious Ladies by Siobhan Curham

 

A dual timeline with fearless women. Elodie in 1918 finding it very hard to fit in a very rigid finishing school, meeting up with a man who becomes the love of her life, being raped by the benefactor of the school, ignored by her teachers and finally running away to Paris where she carves out a niche for herself in tge art scene. Fast forward to 2025, we have Rae buying the ruin of the school on a whim, with the idea of renovating the place. She feels a sense of belonging to the place, but realises there are many secrets hidden in its walls. She faces the hostility of her neighbours head on and is determined not to give into the petty annoyances and hindrances put in her way.

The discovery of a diary and papers give details of Elodie’s life post school and Rae sets out to Paris with the few clues she has to put her to rest. Elodie is supposed to have died in a tragic accident on the cliff walk, but investigations prove that was a cover up for Elodie’s escape. Elodie established herself as an artist, met Etienne again and had a child. Rae is determined to find out the child’s relatives and the story takes off from there with wonderful results.

A real page turner and one which ends so happily was a joyous read.

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

Judas Kiss by J T Ellison

 

Taylor is lead detective on a horrifying case. A young expectant mother found brutally murdered in her own home with a toddler daughter left unscathed. Discovered after a couple of days in a virtual bloodbath because the toddler had tried to waken her dead mother and there was bloody little footprints everywhere. 

As usual the husband was the first suspect but he was miles away on a business trip. When his alibi did not quite pan out, and with the discovery of a sophisticated porn recording studio in this seemingly ordinary house the net has to be thrown wider to ring in a few more people. The detective herself comes under heavy scrutiny, with an obsessive vengeful killer stalking her, and to add to Taylor’s difficulties, secretly filmed sex tapes of her and a former lover are available on the net. There was the added complication of a senior officer also gunning for her suspension and dismissal. 

So many strands to be woven together in this very tense murder/detective story that it can get a little mixed up but I did find the telling of the story a tense one with just the right amount of edge.

I have requested two more from this author from Netgalley and I do hope I get them.

Sent by Thomas & Mercer for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Graham and the Flitchcombe Murders by David Fairer

 

Graham is on a working holiday. A crime writer his characters have passed their sell by date and his agent wants a change of scene, change of characters and even a change of name. Arriving in the Cotswolds seem idyllic, but small isolated villages seem to be anything but benign. What starts as a writers retreat ends up in murder, uncovering years of secrets, old, old antagonism, feudal warfare, very much alive and kicking in this century.

An interesting take on the cozy mystery genre adding a lot more to the story.  Totally unpredictable and a very good story.

Sent by The Book Guild for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Montecito by Michael Cox

Hollis is a very messed up man. He has been fired three times, always because he never could keep quiet and spoke up for what he felt was right but was not considered right by the big boss. Now in an affluent neighbourhood with fancy house neighbours, he is trying to do right by his very supportive family. Keeping up with the Joneses is not going to be easy.

A chance encounter turns out into what is supposedly a lucrative business offer, but what is too good to be true is really just that. Obvious from the word go, Hollis is taken for a ride from the word go, and unfortunately because he never disclosed the nitty gritty to his astute wife, he sailed on more and more towards disaster. How unsuspecting a manager could be is astounding in this story. Almost stupid.

It does get sorted in the end with murder, international money laundering, the Soviets getting involved and the FBI. That Hollis escaped with his life is a miracle.

The story is based on a real life experience, which makes it rather depressing. But it is a tense story nevertheless.

Sent by Inveniam Press for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.