A Dangerous Goodbye (A Fen Churche Mystery #1) by Fliss Chester
Genre: Historical mystery, Historical fiction, Mystery, General fiction
Read: 17th August 2020
★★★★ 4 stars
DESCRIPTION:
Your lost love never came home after the war. Would you risk everything to find out what happened to him?
1944. While war rages in Europe, Fenella Churche is doing her bit in the green fields of England. But when she finds a letter addressed to her on the scrubbed farmhouse table, she knows the news won’t be good. She hasn’t heard from her fiancé Arthur since he was posted to France on a dangerous undercover mission, and from his very first words she knows he may not be coming back.
I fear this may be my last letter to you, my darling, Arthur writes. Fen won’t give up hope and calls the war office, wanting to know if Arthur is still alive; they refuse to tell her anything. Searching for answers, she returns to his letter, but parts of it just don’t make sense. Through her tears Fen realises that her darling Arthur is giving her all the clues she needs to find out what happened to him.
1945. With the war behind them and nothing left for her in England, Fen travels to the deceptively pretty French village where she thinks Arthur might be, but there’s no sign of him. She’s close to giving up when she finds his silver cigarette case and another letter full of clues. But when the local priest is killed, it’s clear someone wants to keep wartime secrets buried. If Arthur, a brilliant spy, was outwitted and betrayed, can Fen stay alive long enough to find out what happened to the man she loves?
A gripping story of war, mystery, espionage and murder. Fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Charles Todd and Rhys Bowen will absolutely adore this unputdownable World War Two murder mystery.
MY REVIEW:
"If you are reading this, then in all likelihood I am dead."
These are the opening words to A DANGEROUS GOODBYE by Fliss Chester, the charming new historical mystery series featuring cryptic crossword cluer, Fenella Churche. An intriguing debut filled with spies, codes and murder with a touch of Miss Marple meets Father Brown.
West Sussex, 1944: Land girl Fen Churche (yes, like the station) receives a letter at her lodgings with those opening words written by her fiance Arthur, who has been stationed somewhere in France for the past year. Much of his letter would be redacted due to classification but Arthur is wise enough to pepper his correspondence with cryptic clues for Fen to figure out his location. So does this letter mean he is trouble?
Whatever the case may be, Fen knows she must crack the code to the clues he has given her and let them lead her. But what did it all mean?
France, 1945: With the war now over and the British War Office refusing to tell her anything, Fen has decoded enough of Arthur's last letter to lead her to a quaint French village and chateau with a vast vineyard. Although seemingly abandoned in somewhat of a ruined state, Fen manages to gain employment in the chateau's vineyard. Having been a land girl throughout the war, she was ripe for the task. She was immediately roomed with Estelle, a grumpy housekeeper and nursery maid, who didn't take kindly to sharing a room.
Fen meets the occupants of the chateau at dinner that night - patriarch Clement Bernard, son Pierre, wife Sophie and their two young children, as well as Hubert from the vineyard and fellow countryman, James Lancaster. She's already met Estelle and that reception was more than a little frosty. And she can't help but wonder what does this place and these people have to do with Arthur? Fen is just bursting to ask questions but knows she must bide her time.
The following evening the village hosts a fete in honour of their patron saints Gabriel and Michael. Everyone seems to come alive with feasting and dancing - even churlish Estelle and the grouchy Hubert. She briefly meets Father Marchand and has the feeling he has something to tell her, but the moment passes. The evening ends when there is a scream and Sophie is discovered to have fallen and twisted her ankle.
Breakfast is a subdued affair with a couple of hangovers and an injured hostess. But when Father Marchand joins them for breakfast and is coaxed into an almond croissant, no one expects him to fall down dead after just a couple of bites. It is quickly determined that he was poisoned and the French police arrive to arrest James. Fen does not believe James is a murderer and sets about to prove his innocence, with the mystery of what became of Arthur set aside. Soon after there is another death, however this one is to be deemed an accident...but Fen is not so sure. She does some stealthy investigating to prove otherwise. Until there is a third murder.
The murders are not as straightforward as police had at first thought with all clues leading back to the German occupation during the war and Arthur's presence, and subsequent disappearance, in the village. Fen believes that if she can decipher all of Arthur's clues, then she will be able to identify the murderer and hopefully discover his fate. Joining forces with James, the two set out to lay a trap that they hope will uncover the murderer.
This quiet quaint little French village has turned into an Agatha Christie novel with Fen a Miss Marple and Father Brown rolled into one! Although it could be forgiven for being mistaken for a quaint Midsomer village, if it wasn't for being in France.
Admittedly, A DANGEROUS GOODBYE was somewhat slow to start and although it was marginally interesting in her quest for answers into what became of Arthur, it wasn't until around 40% that the book became much more intriguing...beginning with the first murder. And despite all the murders it is still very much a lighthearted read that is quite enjoyable.
I had no trouble identifying the murderer but I don't think that was down to the author's lack of experience in this genre. A DANGEROUS GOODBYE is meant to be a lighthearted historical mystery with no devious depth to it that we would find in much darker reads. Although, having said that, Ms Christie herself was very adept at hiding the identity of her murderers rather cleverly though I still think the author did a tremendous job of masking the guilty whilst surreptitiously drip feeding us clues through Fen as to who it could be.
I look forward to seeing where Fen Churche takes us next and I do hope she brings James Lancaster along with her. I think the two make a good team.
Well plotted and easy to read, A DANGEROUS GOODBYE is a light an entertaining read that would appeal to fans of Rhys Bowen, Agatha Christie and Father Brown. I have no hesitation in recommending it.
I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Fliss Chester's debut mystery A DANGEROUS GOODBYE.
I would like to thank #FlissChester, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #ADangeousGoodbye in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Fliss Chester lives in Surrey with her husband and writes historical cozy crime. When she is not killing people off in her 1940s whodunnits, she helps her husband, who is a wine merchant, run their business. Never far from a decent glass of something, Fliss also loves cooking (and writing up her favourite recipes on her blog), enjoying the beautiful Surrey and West Sussex countryside and having a good natter.
Social Media Links:
No comments:
Post a Comment