Summary

It’s 1915 and a year into World War 1 in the city of London. Hannah Merrill has already lost her fiancé, Gerald, in the war. She is saddened, but not overwhelmingly grief stricken by  his death. Now she is living in her own house and working in her Aunt Violet’s bookshop in Covent Garden. Her mother was deeply displeased, but Hannah felt the need to escape her mother’s suffocating presence in the countryside. When she finds her best friend, Lily-Anne, dead in the bookshop, she is concerned that her mother’s overprotectiveness will go into overdrive. Between that and her anger at the loss of her friend, Hannah determines that she will find the killer. 

My Thoughts

Lily-Anne was a social butterfly who liked to be involved in personal drama, so the number of motives and suspects is potentially large. It’s interesting to watch as Hannah and Violet try to unwind the tangled strands of the mystery. Although it is technically the Edwardian period, there are a lot of lingering Victorian attitudes that make people reluctant to reveal personal details to the police or outsiders, leading to lies, evasions, and cover-ups of unsavory truths. 

For the most part, I believe the author played fair with the reader. Not much that was required to identify the murderer was hidden. Although the inspector did hold back a few details, there are still an adequate number of clues for the arm chair sleuths. I did figure out who had done it, but not why, thanks to what I think was a cleverly placed clue. I did not land on the correct motive. 

Hannah is sensible, tenacious, hard-working and clever. However, she also has a tendency towards whininess when she doesn’t get her own way, but her best friend was murdered, so she can’t be expected to be at her best. Though it’s clear she is mourning the loss of her friend, her grief doesn’t weigh her down, instead it spurs her to action. 

The story has a great sense of place. Most of the time, I feel like I’m in London in 1915,  from the horses and carts on the street to the manner of dress. I like it when an author talks about scents because it can help create a very life-like picture of the place and this author does – everything from disinfectant and linseed oil to tobacco and herbs. 

What Else I Liked

• The author clearly did her research. I noted very few anachronisms. The historical details largely ring true with everything from bombings by zeppelins to the indignant women giving out white feathers to men who don’t appear to be serving in the war. 

• Her use of historical locations, such as the Endell Street Hospital started in London by Flora Murray and Louisa Garrett Anderson, add to the sense of realism. 

• The bookshop sounds like my kind of place with floor to ceiling oak bookcases and a black cat. 

• Aunt Violet is an impressive woman – a suffragette who works for the Red Cross during the time of the war. She steps willingly to Hannah’s assistance in the investigation. 

What I Didn’t Like

• I was a bit disappointed by twist with Aunt Alice. I’ll say no more for fear of spoilers.

• A few mannerisms felt out of place for the time setting, but not enough to pull me out of the story.

Rating 3/5

This is a strong first book for a new mystery series, and I will definitely read the next one. I think Hannah and Violet both have potential to grow as interesting characters.

I received a free eArc of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

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About the Author

Anita Davison is a British author who has also written the Flora Maguire historical mysteries.