The New Person by Loretta Nyhan

Roxy's entire world is her little boy. working two jobs she knows that what she can offer him in material terms is much less than his father and new wife. They have a lavish lifestyle and Roxy can see clearly that the boy is tempted and overwhelmed by what is on offer. When the dice is thrown for a full custody by the father, Roxy turns to the tricky precarious world of being a surrogate. The couple wanting a surrogate have a story of heartbreak, loss of their own and the three try to bond in the waiting period of nine months. This was an emotional story told from many viewpoints - each with a complicated history of their own. This was a no win situation for all the players and looked at not just child custody and the see saw between bickering parents, but the basic emotions of those involved in surrogacy. The book was sent to me by Lake Union Publishing for an unbiased review courtesy of Netgalley.

The Wife’s Promise by Kate Hewitt . The Goswell quartet Book 1

England 1939 and now. Two women enter this the small remote village of Goswell, Cumbria with trepidation. One is Alice just twenty, lived with her widowed father in comfortable surroundings, and then we have Jane coming from a high powered job, three children raised in New York used to the rush and bustle of big city life now stuck here as an outsider. In different timelines both women faced the frostiness and insularity of village life. one was expected to take on the position notjust ofbeing a brand new wife, but also that of the vicar's wife with Sunday school activities, Mothers Union and be availabke to all and sundry. Janewas set apart from the beginning - she was American and therefore right away in the eyes of the others did not fit in! When Jane discovers slip of paper indicating a grocery listof years ago, she feels compelled to investigate the life of this vicars wife who seemed to have been completely forgotton. This in the midst of Jane's own inner turmoil. Her foundering of her position as a mother, as a wife. Jane herself finds herself wanting. She feels in turn guilty that she has not realised that there are matters that have to be rectified and corrected where her children are concerned and she is inwardly horrified that she was not aware of them before, then she in turn is resentful that she has sacrificed a career and a different lifestyle to what she is forced into now. Alice herself faced immense challenges from the word go. First her miscarriage from which she hardly recovered mentally to David being called up, and Alice having to live alone and fend for herself which was frightening for the now 21 year old. Taking on a difficult 12 year old evacuee, who was resentful and rude, turning over the garden so that they could feed themselves and then facing the news of David's death and her having to leave the vicarage were all immense blows for Alice to face alone. The similarities were there and not there as well for both women. the story ofcourage, resilience and a spirit to overcome initial barriers were remarkable in both women. They were not going under. A very warm story despite instances of sadness it was a very rewarding read. Sent by Bookouture for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Jaggard Case by J C Briggs

I have been looking out for books in the series as I love the vintage feel of detection plus the meticulous follow up by both Inspector Jones and the unofficial role of detective played by Charles Dickens. 1851 London from both the Inspector's and Dickens point of view not the most salubrious place to be. The description of the places where the poor live and where crime abounds sounds like hell on earth. This part of the story is itself descriptive enough to be the base of a story. Then the characters in the story like Dickens, Jones, Stemp followed by Elizabeth, Catherine, Scrap, Posy who are present throughout the series makes the book very character driven. You then add the villains in the piece - Jaggard, Phib, the Millers, Craggy and his minions and you have a plot there itself. The crime of murder/s, forgery, robbery, human trafficking is the core for this book. very well written, absolutely engrossing, makes me want the next one immediately - makes me give this a five star review Sent by Sapere Books courtesy of Netgalley for an unbiased review.

Sudden Death by Rachel Lynch

One in a series which was new to me this book was a good one - the story, the characterizations, the twists and turns and very importantly the setting. In the beautiful calm oasis of the Lake District group of fell runners are on a competitive run. out of the blue a whirring helicopter descends, totally out of control spinning to the ground in a fiery end. The death toll is heavy, the investigation into the crash is high powered. One of the persons being ferried is a peer in tge House of Lords, the other is a millionaire with a very unsavory reputation. DI Kelly is in charge of a highly volatile case - as more and more lurid details are revealed the Home Office looks for damage control and the businessman's family also has an agenda of their own, a cover up as well trying to hide that the remote area was used to provide sexual favors involving minors. Kelly is caught in the middle, trying to find justice for the seventeen dead, especially when it turned out to be deliberate sabotage. The story was intriguing because it reflects the politics in every country - the corrupt and wealthy try to get away with literally everything and very often times succeeding. Very few Police forces can face the wrath and weight of two forces and come out victorious. I will be looking out for more books in this series. Sent by Canelo for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Haunting of Abney Heights By Cat Thomas

i have been getting some very unusual and intriguing reads lately, different genres. This was no exception. the story setting is dramatic. Also it was in two time lines 1907 and present times. Megan is a genealogist/archivist and she has been asked to find out whatever she could on a particular inmate of the institute Elle. The present day institute was earlier a asylum, and to Megan resonated with the heaviness and unhappiness of what those institutes were at the time. Delving into Elle's history and sad end, we also delve into the life of Lucy. A person also an inmate of the asylum, admitted for hysteria by her fiancee and family who became very close to Elle. Though not openly spoken of Elle was admitted because she was a lesbian and Dr Wood who was in charge at the asylum worried over the increasingly close relationship between the two women. The story weaving the daily workings of the asylum, with Dr Wood's modern approach of integrating the inmates as much as possible into public life showed up historically the manner in which mental incapacity was treated, the stigma attached to it and for many the hopelessness for the future. The present day building was apartments and Megan lived there whilst unravelling the task she was set to. it had strands of historical fictiin, along with two mystery murders which were solved decades later and altogether was a very interesting read set in Edwardian times. Sent by BooksGoSocial for anunbiased review courtesy of Netgalley.

The Whispering woman by Trish MacEnulty

1913 Louisa finds herself in a peculiar position. once part of the rich, upper class welcomed everywhere now after her fathers financial ruin the family are barely tolerated in society but Louisa is happy doing what she feels she has a knack for. She writes a society column for The Ledger and though it is not the journalism she seeks, it is the family's bread and butter. Forced to face head on the unspoken subject of abortion and the death of a young maid at the hands of an unscrupulous doctor - not a backyard abortionist but a suave well spoken of high society, Louisa sets on a course of investigation which literally turns society upside down. not just abortion, abduction of young women, trafficking them into forced prostitution, a murder of a young female police investigator and corruption in the Police itself and cover ups galore. Louisa puts herself in grave danger and though rescued the story she uncovers shows Manhattan society at its worst, with those at the top equally involved at least some of them in the unsavory machinations of high society. An eye opener at behind the scenes of society - the division between the rich and the poor, the class consciousness and the condescension and discrimination shown to the Irish, the Jews and to those involved in 'trade' are all featured here. The struggle for the female vote is also a small part of the book. Very well written keeping the reader focussed on the story of Louisa as well as the history of the time. Sent by BooksGoSocial for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Murder After Christmas by Rupert Latimer

Set in the 1940s this was not the classic crime I was expecting. I felt the story was all over the place and though it bore all the hallmarks of vintage detective stories - quirky characters, patient detectives, upper class folk - it did not quite fit the bill. It was amusing in parts, but the humour had to be forced and really did not do justice to the genre. Sent by Poisoned Pen Press for an unbiased review.