You Let Me Go by Eliza Graham

Morane was passionately loved and in turn loved her grandmother Rozenn. She also loved the house in Cornwall, so she was stunned (as was the family) when the house was left to her sister Gwen. Morane cannot understand what her grandmother expected her to feel but at the same time she has an understanding that there is more to this inheritance that meets the eye. At a very rocky place in her personal life, Morane decides to be impetuous, put aside her failing business and pursue the few clues left behind to go to Brittany and there discovers such a hidden history of her grandparents, a history that not even their son, Morane's father knew about. Discovering an uncle, an aunt whom no one knew about, finding out details of her grandmother's work during the Nazi occupation of Brittany and the shameful secret that she hid till the very end, not disclosing it even at the end though a muttered word on her deathbed was only discovered in hindsight by Morane much later. The story of the Guillou family unravels slowly - how the war affected them all and how it changed the course of their own family history. The descriptiveness of the area of Brittany is wonderful, characterization is spot on - each one was very different to the other despite being one family and close knit at that. Sent by Lake Union Publishing for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

All That Lingers by Irene Wittig

Every other read I pick up seems to be of the WWII vintage. Each story is different though a common theme of anti Nazism seems to run through it all. No one likes being submissive to a foreign invader, and this is something that has happened through the centuries (still happening sadly). Emma is our chief character but the story of Sophie and Uncle Freidrich are paramount to the story too. Set in Vienna, the idyllic period of Austrian history was about to be demolished and in its place a more darker part of history began. It is also surprising that Austria did not acknowledge this dark period in its history till very much later. Emma is leading a very comfortable life, well established when her eyes are opened to an alternate life for those around her - the Jews and those who are not sympathetic to the Nazi cause. The story was unusual. It did not end in 1945 but it continued into the next generation. This was an unusual take on WWII and the rise of Nazism in Europe, and then the eventual downfall. Sent by BooksGoSocial for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Reluctantly Home

Pip had never felt completely at home, at her home with her parents. They never quite understood her, her work or her education. After a tragic accident Pip is now back to recuperate after a breakdown of sorts. She has left behind her high powered job and her high powered boyfriend. Her life now is as different as it could be. She volunteers at a thrift shop and just manages to get through one day at a time. When a diary surfaces in a box of books, Pip is very intrigued by the contents as it seems to mark a particularly momentous year in the life of a Evelyn Mountcastle. Then her boyfriend Dominic breaks up with her and Pip buries herself in the life of one year of Evelyn. Tracking her down, befriending her and getting to know Evelyn marks a turning point in both Pips and Evelyn's life. Both are rejuvenated and are able to take an interest in life as it is now, as against what it was. A good story of how one can overcome personal tragedy, and though here both stories were bleak and very sad, the joining of two kindred spirits helped them both. Sent by Lake Union Publishing for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Farewell my herring by L C Tyler

Fell Hall is remote, no wifi connections, cut off from the outside world and ideal for a creative writing retreat. When just three of the participants turn up (two of them one day early), the others are the lecturers it is a mixed crowd and does not sit quite right. All are crime writers of different strengths and popularity and the convenor of them all seems very detached from it all. Running the event with an iron hand and according to rules with no deviation Wendy has done this before and hopes to conclude this one successfully. She did not envisage that those who came had all got complicated histories and that one of them was a blackmailer. When one body is discovered and when the whole Hall is cut off completely due to inclement weather it is upto Ethelred and Elsie to do the detective work themselves and try to find which of their small group is the murderer. It seems straightforward at first like all mystery murders but then they get side tracked by additional bits of information and events. Set over just a couple of days, the story goes back and forth dissecting each person present and the reasons they could or could not be the murderer. Why the victim was chosen is fairly straightforward and the end was not too complicated. A well told mystery. Sent by Allison & Busby for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths (Ruth Galloway series No. 13)

Ruth Galloway a forensic archaelogist of repute does not like amateur detectives. Very little patience with them. She is however good at not showing exactly how she feels and when a body is discovered in a nearby trench, it is a Bronze Age one and right up her street. She did not think that it will lead to a murder and another body to be discovered and dealt with. She did not think very much of the Metal Detectorists who also haunted the sites hoping to discover buried treasure in large measure. She had her reservations about all of them. When the body count starts piling up, and when there are too many coincidences the mystery deepens. Added to the tension is the fact that DI Nelson is also the father of Ruth's daughter and there is so much unwritten past and present and future in their dealings. The fact that he is now married to someone else, with a very young baby son does not detract from the chemistry that exists between the two. Story No. 13 in the series, this is not getting stale or boring. Sent by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Ice Blue by Emma Jameson

A Baron of Wellegrave is not someone you will normally find as a Superintendent of Police. Quiet, unassuming, not married, no vices and very unruffled. Sixty years of age and with an excellent record of solving cases with such a quiet demeanour and very understated. Totally, totally attractive! Detective Sergeant Kate Wakefield half his age, impetuous, going hell for leather into situations with no thought for the consequences in a male hierarchy which is close knit and will not allow females in any form, also a colorful home background trying to cope with many responsibilities in her life. Two very contrasting characters but they do have to act together in this latest episode and how beautifully it is done. One balancing the other. One persons outspoken character so charmingly blending with the quiet good taste of the other. I almost forgot I was reading a detective story! the give and take of the two characters was so attractive and compelling. The actual story of the killing of a top financier brutally done to death, the emergence of an old flame, and the rather harsh upper class background of the victim and his family were just side lines!!! Loved the writing style and story. A free download from Amazon.

Skelton's Guide to Suitcase Murders by David Stafford

It seemed an open and shut case. A dismembered body found in a suitcase, traces of blood on a rug in the accused's house, the wife having an affair and above all in 1929 England the accused was a foreigner, so naturally he was the main suspect. The victim was an Englishwoman! Arthur Skelton was called in to defend the accused. Noted for his quiet and clever defences, Skelton realises very early on that Aziz is being framed by someone and the Police for convenience would prefer to convict the Egyptian than look for any other clues pointing to anyone else. Uncovering clues and a detection skill that is understated and to be admired Skelton puts together pieces of evidence, seemingly not important at all to defend Dr Aziz perfectly. It was my first foray into David Stafford's writings and I liked it very much. A quieter pace and a very laid back style of detection. Sent by Allison & Busby for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.