A Bright Young Thing by Brianne Moore

1930s England must have been a very difficult time for young women who had a yen for independence. They had a peak at it during WWI, got all their freedom taken back at the end of it and were expected to go back to a Victorian age. The plight that befell Astra Davies was similar. Her parents dying in a freak accident, her taken in by an unwilling Aunt, no monies available for survival and no skills at all for her to survive on her own. Astra realized soon after the death of her parents that things were really bad. The only way out, as touted by her Aunt was a rich marriage. Suitors were there in plenty but on Astra's side she had to hide the fact that she was almost destitute. What she thought was a comfortable living was a lie, her father had invested badly had lost it all. When Astra realized that she had been living in a coccoon, she took the reins into her own hands and tried to slowly uncover the secrets her parents had hidden from her, in a foolish bid of protection. From discovering a simple minded young man, purported to be her brother in an institute, to fraudulent withdrawal of monies due to her by her lawyer, her own Aunt's hand in witholding information and a virulent, psychopathic jealous woman amongst her circle who is ready to destroy Astra's reputation in anyway possible to get rid of her from the social scene. The last was the vituperative bit and unimaginable to what lengths a jealous woman would go to bring down a rival. It was fascinating reading and as the story unfolds the importance of "what will society say" seems paramount for society at the time and anything and everything was done to maintain one's position just so. Very descriptive of the times, very descriptive of the main characters in this story this was a really interesting book to read. Sent by Alcove Press for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

1985 is not really a very long time ago. The way the story unfolds however it seems like the Middle Ages. Bill Furlong his wife and family live in Ireland minding their own business. He supplies coal and kindling to everyone around, is a fair businessman and a steady family man. His focus is on building up his business and providing for his wife and children. The convent in their midst is one of the features of Irish life. Strong Catholic links everyone in these parts but though others are aware of what goes on Bill seemed to have been a bit oblivious. The Magdalene laundries are infamous and after having read one account of it, I would not have picked this one up if it was too descriptive of these places but it was not so. On a visit to supply coal and kindling to the Convent, Bill is faced with a small view of what actually goes on in these places but he closes his eyes to it and returns home. It weighs heavily on his mind though. His wife just wants him to forget what he saw because she knows interference with the workings of the Convent will have a huge repercussion on the family. The power of the Church was widespread, and vindictive. (at the time in Ireland). The story is very touching, and emotional. It is also quite precise and not long winded. Though the subject is a tough one, the feeling of being humane and compassionate are all encompassing in this read. Sent by Grove Atlantic for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Farewell Blues by Maggie Robinson (Lady Adelaide Mysteries No. 4)

Lady Adelaide is not the average lady of the day. She is more than halfway in love with Detective Devanand Hunter, a relationship which will be scandalous for more than half the aristocracy. Her worries right now are not on that score. Her mother the very proper Dowager Compton is in prison for the murder of the Duke of Rufford. The evidence is over whelming, the Rufford family wants to see justice done and this seems the quickest way to achieve it and they are not too bothered if the Dowager is actually guilty or not. Lady Adelaide is not going to take things lying down. She is determined to see her mother vindicated, and free and at the same time find out who the murderer was. She knows socially the family will be outcasts with this scandal and the future of not just her but her younger sister is at stake. The story written with the setting of the English aristocracy with all their eccentricities and foibles, their methods of doing things just so, the attraction between the young Detective and Lady Adelaide, the unscrupulousness of the Rufford family all do their level best to put roadblocks in the investigation. The Police, corrupt as they possibly could just want to finish the case, see the Lady hang and be done with it. I loved the writing style, the setting, the romance (not overly done) and the entire story. I hope I can get more from this author soon. Sent by Poisoned Pen Press for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Little Bones by Patricia Gibney (Detective Lottie Parker No. 10)

Though this is No.. 10 in the Detective Lottie Parker series, this does very well as a stand alone. Isabelle Gallagher is found murdered, her throat slashed, a razor blade in her hand whilst her infant daughter is screaming in her cot. The baby is unharmed. Detective Lottie Parker is on the scene and what she unravels with a belligerent husband, a mother who is hiding something and a very quiet, unassuming victim who obviously incurred the wrath of someone to meet a death like this. No clues are apparent, the killer was clever but when another mother and son go missing and when the body turns up again with razor blades on the scene there seems to be a connection, however tenuous it is. Connecting the dots and turning up a trail is not easy for these victims who led lives with no history and who lived almost under the radar. A good thriller, well written holding one's interest from start to finish. Sent by Bookouture for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Susan a Jane Austen Prequel by Alice McVeigh

A mix of Regency Romance, touches of Persuasion, lots of Pride and Prejudice and you get a scintillating mix for the Jane Austen fantasy. A mixed bag of characters with the familiar Lady Catherine always hovering in the background, her daughter Lady Anne being more assertive than ever before, Frank Churchill dying before his time and Alicia Collins and Susan the start of the show. The characters were nicely placed and I liked that Susan was not all that sweet and submissive and ladylike. On the contrary she was scheming (not just for herself but for others as well), but with good intentions throughout, although her manner of achieving her aims was not very conservative. Mr and Mrs Collins were very nicely portrayed, long suffering and under obligation always. The entire story with its romantic themes interwoven throughout was a good one. Sent by BooksGoSocial for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Woman at the Gates by Chrystyne Lucyk-Berger

A difficult story to assimilate as no holds barred in the telling of it. But this is how a story should be told especially one like this. It is also difficult if one has not lived through oppression of been under government control to understand living conditions like this. You can never under estimate the power of neighbours or relations who may not like you and who may "dob" you to the authorities. Compromise which may seem the cowards way out on reading it, may be the only way to survive and the human spirit does need to survive, come what may. The story set in 1944 embodies the spirit of survival, of family ties, of love and the heartbreak behind it all. Of personal sacrifice for the better of the common good. The characters in this story are doing the best they can not just for their country but for their own survival. I followed the maps which were interspersed with the chapters and saw how the borders of Ukraine, Lithuania, Slovekia, Yugoslavia, and even Russia changed every few years with wars and greed of one power taking over another. The story is full of historical detail (in great depth) which may not appeal to anyone other than those who like history because though the personal story is very powerful, the historical story is the one which is uppermost. It was my first read of a story set in 1944 Ukraine. Sent by Bookouture for an unbiased review courtesy of Netgalley.

A Death at Candlewick Castle by Emma Jameson (Book No. 2 in series)

The setting of a book and the geography also contributes much to the pleasure of reading, especially if you are not from the area, live in a totally different type of environment. Having a book set in Cornwall and the Scilly Isles brings to the overseas reader another glimpse of Britain - a most idyllic one here in this story. The story of a cozy mystery murder set in such surroundings, with an unofficial sleuth on hand and her band of friends adds to the piquancy of the read. When one body is found, and questions raised and he is found to be not such a nice guy after all the suspicions start pointing all ways and when another body is discovered Jem knows she has to get cracking with the clues before the bodies start piling up. Very pleasant reading from this author whom I discovered through another series by her. Sent by Bookouture for an independent review, courtesy of Netgalley