The Resistance Bakery by Siobhan Curham

Two interesting timelines. Paris 1943 on the brink of being overwhelmed and then the Nazi occupation. Cora lie is a young woman and does not know how the future is going to be. Even though very young, she is a brilliant baker and this is what draws the attention of the Nazi Abwehr who have occupied the hotel she works in, and forces her to continue. Much against her will. She is ready to do her part helping the French resistance and it is through her baking that she does this.

Fast forward to present day times and Raven is sent to stay with her grandmother for a short time. Rebellious and angry at her forced departure Raven is surly and unhappy making her feelings known. A chance reading of a recipe book and journal Raven discovers a whole world of stories behind her grandmothers younger years and together they unravel a story of sadness, treachery, love and change.

The story highlights the ingenuity of a resistance movement and how far the need to survive goes. History particularly the WWII period was harsh and unforgiving and people did survive. People also became treacherous and deceiving and at the same time helped others at great personal risk and the examples of bravery are so many.

An excellent historical fiction read 

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

A Killer Clue by Victoria Gilbert

 

Eloise, owner of an antiquarian bookshop is on a mission. A recent discovery amongst her mothers effects convinces Eloise, that her mother imprisoned till her death and convicted of her fathers murder, is actually innocent. She seeks the help of two people who could help - a retired librarian and a collector.

Whilst the investigation is in progress and because the case is so old and closed, Eloise looks for the detective who was originally in charge of the case. When he is found murdered in Eloise’s own bookshop, detectives start looking at Eloise as their chief suspect.

How to speed up the investigation and link the clues leading to the conviction of the murderer is Eloise’s aim along with the very reclusive Cam and more intrepid Jane.

Surprising end and leading to the next book (I hope).

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

Her Last Walk Home by Patricia Gibney

 

The story is a common one. A young woman goes on a date, her body found with stab wounds. A second woman goes missing, no body found. I found the lack of communication between these young victims and their families strange. So tight lipped so closed, that it makes the investigation so much harder.

When a third body is found. Emaciated, starved and abused the crime does not fit the earlier pattern.

The investigation begins to find links between the first two women and when the identity of the third woman is confirmed, more links are discovered. Coincidences in a crime investigation are never taken lightly but this one looks like a rabbit warren with clues going every which way.

The story is dramatic and quick, nothing spared so every chapter you’re hit with a different aspect and alternative options.

A very good read. My first from this author, definitely not my last.

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

Death on Dartmoor Edge by Stephanie Austin

 

Juno is a Jill of all trades and is quite busy trying to juggle it all. She also keeps an eye on Maisie an elderly, demanding lady and is soon entangled with her friends nephew newly arrived from London with a  murky past. Arriving in a hamper of used costumes was eccentric, but his story of escaping and the reason he did so, was even more so.

 Ashburton and Torquay were delightfully described, Dartmoor ditto. The moors seem a very apt area if you do not want  much attention drawn to anything nefarious you are up to. It’s quite desolate and lonely but seems very lovely as well.

Juno is the central character in the story and she is pivotal in the detection and solving of the crimes. The story was varied involving blackmail, as well as a large scale smuggling operation carried out in an unusual manner. Plus two murders. 

Altogether a good read.

Sent by Allison & Busby for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Cold Light of Day by Anna Lee Huber

 

The story was fascinating from several viewpoints. We have Ireland 1920, simmering like a cauldron ready to explode. The IRA and Sinn Fein at loggerheads with the British government who on the outside seem to be like ostriches burrowing their heads in the sand, totally oblivious to the ground situation and the carnage and loss of life on both sides as well as the slow but steady destruction of the Irish economy.

Then we have Verity Kent spy extraordinaire and Sydney her supportive husband. They are there to check on Alex, missing for months, feared dead. Verity wants to verify the facts first hand but she is in dangerous territory, as her presence is looked at with suspicion by the British powers that be in Dublin. Who is a loyal subject and who has switched allegiances in this tension packed country is hard to gauge.

Whilst the couple follow up on leads to check on Alex they also get involved in an enquiry regarding a girls attack and subsequent death. Many of the facts don’t add up but no one is willing to listen or take action when facts are presented. The end of their search was an eye opener for verity and Sydney but at least their job was successfully completed.

Fabulous historical detail, giving the stories on both sides in meticulous detail.

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

Poison in Piccadilly by Kelly Oliver

A series of cozy mysteries but this is good reading as a stand alone.

Kitty and Fiona are friends and when Kitty suffers a attack and subsequently has amnesia not remembering who Fiona is, it prompts Fiona to try to find who attacked Kitty, especially when another woman is found dead at a lunch attended by Fiona.

Set at the end of WWII Fiona has to figure out many things. Is this connected to a spy ring or is it a means of stopping the suffragette movement which is gaining momentum. On A personal level Fiona has to decide between Archie and Fredrick - is she willing to take on the role of stay at home wife after marriage. That is quite apparent if she chooses Archie. 

Many elements made this story interesting. Humour, plenty of secrets, hard to make decisions, distrust.

Altogether a fun read.

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

The House of Lost Secrets by Anstey Harris

 

The premise that we really do not know a person very well, however deep the friendship or relationship is, is epitomised in this story.

Jo thought she knew the Willoughby family very well. Rachel was her soul mate from childhood, sharing intimacies of family, loves and hates and everything in between. Turning up at Clachan to hear what Rachel specifically wanted to tell her was something Jo was looking forward to, with curiosity and trepidation.  She never thought she will find Rachel dead, and her secret that she wanted to share in a series of letters to and from Jo’s mother going back years. More would be spoilers.

Dealing with the frailties of human nature is hard, but where do you start when the person is dead. The story will resonate with many. We discover information hard to digest, both good and bad after a person is gone and it is not an easy task to move on. This was the story of Jo who had to do it all alone, for the first time in her life. And she found the going tough.

Getting her act together, moving forward, coming to terms with what couldn’t be unsaid or undone, forgiven or forgotten is hard.

An excellent read. Tense and emotional.

Sent by Lake Union Publishing for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Murder in the Countryside by Helena Dixon

 

Kitty and Matt are on a country drive when Kitty on her way to buy cider comes across a body, brutally done in. When the police arrive and when Kitty and Matt start their own investigation, the number of suspects rise everyday. The dead man was a nasty neighbour, a bullying and abusive father and a drunk in the neighbourhood. 

Asked by the family to get to the bottom of the murder, Matt and Kitty are held back by the lack of alibis for their list of suspects. It is a rural community, with people working alone. When a second death takes place, it turns the investigation upside down. The second death is the person high on the list of suspects for the first death. First father and now son. The investigation now has to look further afield and new secrets keep coming out.

Set in 1936 England,the cozy is set in a time when history was in the making all over the world and in this quiet part of the world was no exception. Aftermath of two wars didn’t make life easier for many.

A very well written and engaging whodunit.

Sent by Bookouture for a unbiased review courtesy of Netgalley.

Missy by Raghav Rao

 

Savi’s beginnings were inauspicious. Her upturn started in the house of the nuns, where she was schooled and learned that keeping her head down was the way to get ahead. Seconded for service to a rich household, put in charge of the youngest son in the house her life seemed ordained for service.

When an attraction to a budding artist got in the way, along with an attempted rape, and deaths, the couple fled first to the coast, then on a steamer to Yemen where Missy and Ananda now with new identities, skipped to America. Fast forward many years, two brilliant children, a flourishing business, Missy has never got over the fact that she is an illegal immigrant in America.

When Arun comes into Shilpa’s life, Missy feels that her world is tilting. Only when Shilpa goes to India to meet the family, does the karmic forces come full circle to reveal that this is the family where Missy and now her ex husband caused mayhem and unimaginable grief when they lost their eldest son in that initial brutal assault. The explanations decades later being accepted by the family of the actual stories of the deaths was the beginning of peace for Missy.

Very descriptive of the domestic situation in the house in South India as well as the situation in America, it gave a glimpse of how hard it is for some to adapt to a different way of life, and also how easy it is for second generation immigrant children to live in the manner born in the new country. The feudal system of servitude which prevailed in rich houses in Asia may exist still on a reduced level though dictatorial attitudes may be absent today.

Engrossing read.

Sent by Hera Publications for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

A Seaside Murder by Alice Castle

Sarah is a retired GP and Daphne is the owner of a tarot shop. The two ladies are poles apart in temperament and looks but they balance each other very well. They’ve had one stint of solving a crime and think they’d do very well at another.

When Sarah finds the dying Aby on Daphne’s doorstep she is determined to find out who was responsible. Despite firm orders not to get involved, the friends embark on this mission not realising the danger they put themselves into when there is a determined and savage murderer in their midst.

Set in an idyllic English seaside town, the small village atmosphere adds to the charm of the story, apart from a very good cozy story.

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

The Paris Understudy by Aurelius Thiele

 

1938 Paris was precarious. Most Parisians thought the Nazi operations was going to be something that would not impact them. By the time it did, it was too late for many of the elite and definitely for the Jews. Madeline Moreau was the current star of Parisian opera, a position she zealously guarded against all newcomers. Her biggest competitor was Yvonne Chevalier, brilliantly talented and poor but kept firmly out of selection for any role, by the powerful Madeline.

When Yvonne does manage to catch the attention of a high flyer in the Nazi regime he promotes Yvonne much to Madeline’s anger and chagrin. The highlight was singing at the Austrian town of Bayreuth for high ranking officials of the regime, including Hitler.  Yvonne sitting down at Hitlers feet was a photograph that went viral, cementing Yvonne’s fate with loyal French who barely concealed their animosity towards her. It also spelt doom for her career post Nazi occupation. It was the final blow in her relationship with her son, who publicly said she was a traitor to her race.

The story is portrayed vividly as the competition for a position. Madeline to maintain her position but for Yvonne it was survival and started as a means of getting her son out of a Nazi prison. Sadly her son never realised the sacrifice she made, but only saw it as a betrayal. The detention and treatment of Jews is also a part of the story, because many artistes were Jewish and those that could not escape, became victims of the Nazi aggression. Madeline helped many, not knowing that her own husband turned informer through jealousy of a former lover. That was another chapter because his denouncement came from Yvonne, not Madeline because Yvonne had proof on paper.

The story was intense and emotional. What else could it be when you are literally dealing with life and death whilst living under circumstances which are precarious and which you know can crumble at any minute.

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

Two Spinsters and a Corpse by Eve Torrington

 

Judith and Miriam are sisters along with their vicar father live in a small village in Regency England. Appearances and respectability are paramount. Judith likes to keep to the rules and Miriam is flighty and very young and resents Judith’s strictures.

The Haddingtons are their benefactors and Judith resents the lavishness of their lifestyle and the manner in which they coddle their daughter. They have bought this estate purely to prevent their daughter entering into an unsuitable alliance.  When Louisa Haddington and Judith unwittingly overhear a murder, they put themselves in danger when they try to track the murderer themselves, because it has to be someone within the family who have gathered for the Christmas festivities.

Detection is hard under the rules applicable to ladies in this era, and some ingenuity is called for. Not an easy task in the circumstances, especially since the families brush their observations away as being fanciful.

The story was a mild cozy.

Sent by Victory Editing for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Murder in the Scottish Highlands by Dee McDonald

 

Ally has realised her dream of opening a small bed and breakfast inn in a small town. She looks forward to her guests but her introduction to the hospitality world was brutal. Her first guest was found brutally murdered in her backyard.

The arrival of first the brother of the deceased followed by the fiancée of the diseased causes confusion to the local police who seem confused enough as it is. The late Wilbur antagonised the entire village by laying claim to the title of Earl plus the extensive acreage he owned. The American wanted to convert the grounds into a pleasure park and practically the entire village would be homeless. It kept the field open for any number of suspects. When the driver of the Earl also dies in a car crash, where his brakes had been cut one feels the tension build up in the village. Ally herself has started her investigation and leans towards different suspects.

The actual plan and suspects were surprising. Ally sorted it out eventually. Detection was slow and any progress was minuscule on the part of the police. The atmosphere, attitude and gossipy nature of the villagers added interest to the story. 

A very nice cozy.

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

Count Their Graves by Jennifer Chase

 

Detective Katie did not expect anything on her morning run. She and her dog Cisco encountered a little girl deep in the forest, terrified and sobbing. Further on a house reveals four murders meticulously and neatly carried out, the entire Banks family gone.

When a second family is discovered also killed in a similar fashion, the entire community and the police force are put on full alert. What are the links between these two families, seemingly very different from each other. Most importantly it is important to rule out a serial killer before he strikes again.

The detection continues and uncovers so many links between these families but was there enough evidence to commit murder. A family in witness protection was the first clue but the final reveal of the murderer was unexpected. (Like all good detective stories it is the unexpected which adds interest to the story).

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

Cause of all Causes by James Marinero

 

Abu Ben-Zhair a terrorist wants to bring the West to its knees. He succeeds with his first attempt which left everyone in disarray. His grandiose scheme is now to attack a fault in our earths structure, near the Canary Islands which will trigger a massive tsunami reaching even the American coastlines.

A mix of unbelievable science experiments, brilliant brains Ben Zhair puts his plan into action. The story is quite unbelievable, which makes it probable and possible! Very tense the story delves into the mindset of a single minded person whose memories of childhood trauma has triggered his hate.

Disturbing but very readable, this was a deviation from my normal reading genres.

Sent by Wavecrest Communications for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Kidnapped Prime Minister & The Tragedy at Marsden Manor by Agatha Christie

 I was lucky enough to download a collection of short stories by Agatha Christie, from Amazon.   

They were both very short, succinct and very much to the point.

In the first at the end of World War II the BritishPrime Minister is kidnapped on his way to an important conference in France. Hercule Poirot is called in (reluctantly)by the British powers that be and in 24 hours, the mystery is solved merely by Poirot using a method of logic to solve the crime. All ends well.

In the second we have a young beautiful widow. Her elderly husband has died in an open and shut case. There is a substantial insurance settlement. Poirot has been called in to check whether it was a suicide which will void the insurance claim. Poirot realises very early on that the case is not straightforward.

There are several others which I look forward to reading.