... riveting ... The novel evokes Christie’s style, complex plots, and atmosphere, but with impressive updates in terms of intimate relationships and psychology ... Rader-Day introduces many hints, some of which prove to be omens and some distractions. Even paying close attention to these, most readers will be unable to guess at the details of the unfolding plot or the nature of mistaken identities ... Readers of historical novels will love the mix of history and fiction, admiring the way facts are easily feathered into the flow of the story. Highly recommended.
Told from multiple perspectives (even those of individual children), Rader-Day's novel is in many ways a portrait of grief and trauma. Each character is suffering due to displacement, rationing and German bombings. There are no real monsters, just people forced into circumstances they never thought possible. Bridey is a particularly compelling character—the reluctant detective, longing to move on with her life, but unable to let sleeping dogs lie ... as taut as a bow string, with every character capable of snapping at a moment's notice.
Rader-Day, known for masterfully weaving historical elements into her female-focused literary thrillers, imbues this wartime whodunit with palpable emotion as Bridey reconciles her family’s bombing deaths through a plan to save another life.
Agatha Christie would be pleased with Rader-Day’s sixth novel ... This is an intriguing mystery with well-developed characters and fascinating historical details. For fans of Charles Todd and Jacqueline Winspear.
... richly nuanced ... Through multiple viewpoints, Rader-Day nicely evokes the isolation and dislocations of people in WWII Britain while revealing her characters’ complexities. Despite the many allusions to Christie’s life and work, she eschews an artificially neat conclusion. Fans of both Christie and Rader-Day will relish this.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay[/caption]
