The Steal by M J Rose and C W Gortner

France 1957. The Cannes Film Festival all that is glittering, fashionable and very in is there. Jeremy is also there in his capacity as an insurance agent. Ania Thorne carrying on the legacy of her father the diamond merchant of impeccable taste and design now forced to retire and she has ably taken over. She did not envisage a robbery of all her priceless pieces in Paris of all places. The setting of an impossibly well planned robbery meticulously arranged and to Jerome bears all the hallmarks of the infamous Leopard who has never been sighted. The story follows the diamonds and Jerome always one step ahead of the Leopard trying to outsmart him with the rest of the diamond pieces brought over for those that were robbed. The ultimate unveiling was a bit unbelievable but the story was fast paced and entertaining. Sent by Blue Box Press, Author Buzz for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Murder Most Fair by Anna Lee Huber (*****)

I am a fan of Anna Lee Huber. The fact that I've not read many of her books is because I've not been able to access them easily. The setting, the style of Verity - her flair, unusual boldness and independence in the time of stultifying feminine expectations especially since she did come from an upper class of society all added to the verve in the book (s). Verity has worked for the Secret Service during WWII. Bound by the Official Secrets Act no one other than her husband and colleagues know exactly the demanding work she undertook. Her mother thinks the family has been ignored because Verity was being a social butterfly in London. This has caused a deep rift further heightened because Verity has not come home for five years since the death of her beloved brother Rob. For Verity the wounds are too raw to face a home without her beloved brother. In this story with the antagonism against anything German at its height, Verity's German aunt and her maid descend on London unexpectedly with worries of their own. Taking her aunt to the family home in a small village with strong anti German feelings was not the best scenario but the best that Verity and Sydney could undertake. A secret of years past, a vendetta on the part of the Germans, antagonism of locals and suspicion against Verity herself from the village where she grew are all part of this very attractive package wrapped up in the most beautiful writing. So very grateful to Kensington Books, Kensington for sending this on to me, for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Spanish House by Cherry Radford

Ideal reading for present times. Everyone is in lockdown and you really do not want to have more doom and gloom. Maybe escapist reading but it is entertaining and quite descriptive. Juliana is offered a gorgeous opportunity for change. In Spain house sitting with a list of repairs and conditions to be done to the house and elsewhere to gain ownership of a coveted property. Will anyone bypass this opportunity. It seems too good to be true and in the process of painting, repairing and generally following Uncle Arturo's list Juliana comes up with obstacles from neighbours, romance and finding out lost or rather hidden family skeletons which were firmly buried till now. The book was a good read, warm and entertaining. Sent by Aria & Aries, Aria for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Ancient History by Sophie Penhaglion

Athena is the only child and brought up in a well protected and loved atmosphere. When they suffer an accident under extra ordinary circumstances in Crete and when both of them are killed, Athena returns to her Oxford roots to try to make a start of her life without them. Athena had a suspicion that everything was not quite what it was with the death of her parents. Meeting the enigmatic Patrice very much man about town who befriends Athena and becomes her lover and indicates that other than sex, he has no interest in any kind of relationship. Hovering in the background is Dr. Jack Latimer, whom she met at her uncle's home and whom she heard having arguments with her uncle. When he turns up in Oxford as her Professor the coincidence seems too much, but Athena is a bit naive and accepts that it is just a coincidence. The story dealing with artefacts from Egypt and the lucrative trade in them and how unwittingly Athena and her father have become part of this and how many people are on her tail trying to see whether she knows anything about the piece missing and which belongs to a museum in Egypt and which is being pursued by both good and bad guys. Athena becomes the magnet because both sides know that it has to be somewhere which she may knowingly or unwittingly know of. Set in Oxford, Crete and Paris all three settings unimaginably lovely the story was a good one. Athena is a bit naive for a grown up woman but the story was good. Sent by BooksGoSocial for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Paris Wife by Meghan Masterson

1865 Paris is in a turbulent state. Livia is a simple young woman, a doctor's daughter married and expecting her first child finds herself with a reserved, distant husband trying to find her feet in Paris. Longing for home when she is befriended by Elisabetta, the Emperor's mistress. Elisabetta herself has been sent from Turin to spy for her Italian masters and though beautiful and talented she is not the only one to hold the Emperor's interest. When Elisabetta takes Livia as a friend, Livia slowly begins to relax and feel that she can make Paris her second home. However Elisabetta is with enemies and when Livia who is well versed in poisons discovers on one occasion a dish of berries mixed with deadly nightshade she knows that someone is either trying to get rid of Elisabetta or through her kill the Emperor. When Elisabetta is once again poisoned this time with doctored brandy, Livia has to draw on all her knowledge to get her friend out of danger. The tables are turned when Elisabetta accuses Livia's husband and brother and a friend of the assault. Imprisoned and without influence Livia must use all her wit to get her husband out of prison and clear his name. The story was one of Livia and her husband trying to get into a closer relationship because their marriage was one of convenience. How adversity brings them together and how Livia begins to understand her reserved husband better is part of the story. It is the history undoubtedly which takes precedence over the personal story. Set within Napoleon III's era it is full of intrigue and always full of plots to overthrow him. Added to this was that each chapter began with a description of a common poison - its appearance, its symptoms and its final outcome. It added a piquancy to the story. Sent by Bookouture for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

A Home In The Sun by Sue Moorcroft

This was a delightful story set in Malta in part and in England. Judith has established herself in Malta for the last four years. She has found love with Giorgio and although there are drawbacks (he will not publicly acknowledge her in keeping with the customs of his family despite being separated from his wife for fourteen years) Judith is undoubtedly happy. She has a stake in her uncle's business, she has made investments with Giorgio's travel company and she finds the climate, the general joie de vivre of Malta bright and cheerful and uplifting. When Giorgio dies suddenly, she is bereft especially when she realises how alone she has become and she now decides to return home to England. This was not a success. Her sister is set in her ways, seems to have plenty of issues in her own marriage and then Judith is told that her investment with Giorgio's company is a write off so she seeks part time employment as well as tries to get her house back which she gave on rent. The solitude she craves for to grieve in private is not to be with everyone from her sister with her troubles, to her step son and then her ex husband weighing heavily on her mentally. Judith knows for her own sanity she has to get rid of them all if she is to come out of her period of mourning in one piece and sane! The ups and downs of family life, helping one another in crisis, the chauvinistic attitudes of some males which never seem to change and Judith's own fighting spirit of survival is well shown in this delightful novel. The romance also helps! Sent by Avon Books UK for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Bookshop Murder (Flora Steele Mystery Book 1) by Merryn Allingham

A 1950s setting in a quiet English village and of all my favourite places a bookshop. Seems idyllic but when a young man's body is found coshed in her bookshop Flora is puzzled. She has no clue as it his identity, he then is revealed to be a new comer to the village - a visitor from Australia and the links are tenuous to this small village. I usually like the setting of these stories and even the slower pace of detective work in the form of procedures and regulations which are somewhat slower and more "plodding" for want of a better term. With lack of hi tech innovative tecqniques that are available for detection now the stories are somewhat charming nevertheless. This however was a little different. It seemed that Flora to whom the task of uncovering the victim's purpose and then also the murderer was a bit too naive at most times. It was also strange how the police were quite willing to pass the murder off as a death by a heart attack and not pursue the fact that a strange person was found in totally unrelated surroundings dead. I found this slightly unbelievable. The man was young, healthy and to be found just dead and with no post mortem or enquiry being done just did not sound plausible in England. Sent by Bookouture for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.