The thing I love most about a good mystery is when it keeps me guessing to the very end. Add in some history and a bit of romance and I’m sold! The Redgrave Murders had all of these things and more. The story takes place post WWII in a small American town. The main character, Evie has lost many of her loved ones and continues to lose many more throughout the book. She is a likable character, but I would argue she’s almost too perfect with no flaws throughout the story. Her boyfriend, Gary, is a Native American and his story is one of pain and hope. Pain at what his people have suffered as their land, culture and children were stolen from them; additionally, the pain from serving as s POW in WWII. However, his relationship with Evie has let hope enter into his life again. I thoroughly enjoyed this murder mystery, the walk through history, and the romance between Evie and Gary and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a suspenseful romantic mystery!

Thanks you Netgalley and Covenant Communications for the eARC!

Oh my goodness. This book is worthy of Agatha Christie! I couldn't figure out who commit murders until it told me. I loved this book!

Evie has lost her mother to cancer and her brother to the war. She has been seeing a young man for about a year, who is suffering from being a prisoner of war as well as being treated badly as a native American Indian. Evie's father, a professor at Redgrave, disapproves of the match, but Evie is 24 and can choose her own life. When her father is murdered, Evie goes to stay with her aunt, who is also murdered. Who is eliminating her family? Find out.

This book is SO INTRIGUING! Multiple story lines intertwine with each other to bring a rich reading experience. You will read about cut brake lines, falling bookcases, letters from the front line of war, post traumatic stress disorder, and interracial relationships, just to name a few; all while trying to solve a murder mystery. SO. GOOD!

"The Redgrave Murders" is a romantic suspense set in 1948 in New York. Evie loves a WWII veteran who struggles with flashbacks of traumatic events from his past. They're also facing prejudice because he's Seneca (Native American). When Evie's father is murdered, her grief is made worse by the police assuming her boyfriend did it. She's determined to prove that he didn't. She's distracted from reasoning out whodunit by the grief of losing loved ones, worry for her boyfriend, and trying to stay alive despite the repeated attempts to kill her. Gary helps Evie with investigating whodunit, but he's struggling with his past ghosts, prejudice, and staying alive.

The mystery was clue-based, though there weren't many clues. I still quickly narrowed it down and strongly suspected the correct whodunit for the whole story. I understand why the kind and caring hero and heroine didn't suspect or really have time to reason things out, but I'm baffled as to why the detective didn't think of whodunit. The motive was pretty obvious and much more reasonable than the ones that Gary and Evie came up with for their suspects. Also, once they finally suspected the motive, there was something obvious they could have done to make Evie no longer a target, yet they don't do it.

Anyway, it was suspenseful, and I cared about what happened to the main characters. Gary respected Evie and was trying his best to keep a positive attitude despite the challenges he faced. Evie was loyal to those she cared about. They built each other up. I enjoyed the historical details about WWII and the challenges faced by veterans and minorities. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable historical suspense.

Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.

As a disclaimer, I don't read many mysteries, so this took me out of my preferred genres. I thought I'd like the historical and romantic aspects of this book and decided to give it a try. I did like looking at the 1940s and the treatment of Gary, the Seneca Indian character, and I thought the discussions of "psychoneurosis" behavior (which would now be classified as PTSD) was interesting, but I wish other aspects of the time period had come through more. There were some interesting aspects in the plot, and I didn't guess the murderer's identity before Evie figured it out, which kept me reading to figure out whodunit. The romance was sweet. However, I'm a character-driven reader and I didn't ever feel like I really connected with the characters. There just wasn't an emotional connection for me that got me to fully invest in this story.
3.5 stars.
I read an ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I don’t read a lot of mystery but that may need to change. I really liked this book. It’s my first by this author but won’t be my last. It didn’t take long to be emotionally connected to the main characters which made the twists and turns more interesting. I like a story that is not too predictable, this was it.

The Redgrave Murders by A. L. Sowards is a historical novel post WWII that has three different elements to the story. History, Murder Mystery, and my favorite…Romance. Though I love the other elements as well, but romance has a special place in my heart.

History…I’ve always been a lover of WWII history ever since I read Dean Hughes’ Children of the Promise series. So reading this book as helped me glean more about the war era, specifically post war and the PTSD veterans faced.

Murder Mystery…Who doesn’t like a good murder mystery? This book is full of mystery and speculation of who dunnit, which the author kept me rethinking of who the actual culprit was until the very end. I did not see that coming, though after reflecting back on the story I saw hints of it.

Romance…After reading this story, I wanted Gary Redhawk for myself. He’s protective, strong, and he has come a long way in overcoming his past that most women would run away from. But he also as a bit of a bad boy image as well that I think all women deep down enjoys a bit in a guy, but not too much. So in a way, Gary is the perfect guy…at least until I read a new book that makes me fall in love with another character.

Overall, this book was simply amazing and I highly recommend it to all history and mystery lovers. This is simply a must read. I had a hard time putting this book down to do basic adult stuff like, work, clean, and sleep. But when I did have a chance to spend time reading the book I got through it quickly thanks to short chapters.

Note: I did receive a free #netgalley copy of this book for review purposes.
I really enjoyed this clean romantic suspense book. Set right after World War 2, this provides for an excellent setting. One of the storylines deals with the PTSD that soldiers would have dealt with after the war. What is fascinating is the author talks about the terminology for PTSD that would have been used back then. Although I did have a good idea of who might be the villain, there were definitely enough twists and turns to keep me guessing. I would read more books by this author.

It kept me guessing. That for me is the most important thing in the mystery/suspense genre. I like to figure it out, but I don't want it to be too easy to figure out. This book was perfectly balanced. I was given an advanced copy of the ebook from the publisher and couldn't put it down. I thought I had it figured out a couple of times, there were enough red herrings to throw me off the real scent.

I really felt for the MC in this book as she tries to unravel what is going on around her and keep her loved ones and herself safe.

The author creates witty, smart characters. There was definite realism as the author tackled PTSD and the atmosphere following WWII.

Loved this book and the way it discussed difficult topics in the history. Loved the connection to DEFIANCE, one of my favorite books by this author. The mystery had me turning pages quickly and I didn't guess the culprit until the author revealed it! Perfect romance, perfect suspense.

#TheRedgraveMurders #NetGalley

A fast paced suspense set in the 1940's. Evie and her boyfriend Gary have plenty of people, who think they shouldn't be in a relationship, due to Gary being an Senca Indian.. Each chapter starts with letters that were exchanged between Evie and her brother Clive, serving in WWII. When Evie and Gary stumble on a murder, and Gary is the lead suspect, things come out about Gary that Evie had no knowledge of. This book will keep you guessing until the very last few pages.

This is an awesome book. A historical suspense set in 1944 and 1948. An era when dating an Indian was frowned upon. Evie and Gary have trouble not only with small town folks but also with family who is not happy with their relationship. Then Gary is accused of murder and Evie begins her own investigation to prove his innocence. Told in the first person POV this will keep you guessing until the very end. I highly recommend this book. If you are a fan of suspense and/or WWII history you will not want to miss this book.

Many thanks to #NetGalley and Covenant Communications for providing an ARC of the book The Redgrave Murders. What follows is my honest opinion.

I was very pleased to be able to read a copy of this book prior to it’s upcoming publication on July 1st. I have read and enjoyed several other books that A.L. Sowards has written. Most have focused on the World War 2 era but this novel is a little different because it takes place in the years shortly after the end of the war, but for those who like wartime novels, rest assured that the author’s knowledge and experience with this time period is an integral part of this story too.

Sowards has actually taken on several subjects within this novel that are important for readers to know about and consider because they are still timely in our own time period. One of the main characters in the book, Gary Redhawk is a man of Seneca origin who spent many of his formative years in a residential school where he was abused and pressured to fit into an identity that really wasn’t his. Gary was also a soldier who fought in the war including the Battle of the Bulge, and as the story unfolds, the reader learns about some of the horrors that he faced and still has great difficulty talking about, including time spent as a prisoner of war. All of those experiences had a huge impact on him and led to what we would now diagnose as a classic case of P.T.S.D. In that time period though it was referred to as having psychoneurotic episodes.

The main character of the book is Evie, a rather naïve young woman who works in the bursar’s office of the local university. Her voice is the main voice we hear as readers, both as she tells what is happening and also through snippets of letters that she and her brother wrote to each other throughout the war. I felt that as the story progressed she grew as an individual and really exhibited great strength of character. When the story began, Evie had been dating Gary for quite some time and was hoping that their relationship would eventually lead to marriage. This was at a time when in some states, inter-racial marriages were illegal. Many of the people around her still held the view that she should not continue her relationship with Gary and at times she herself wondered if their love could last in the face of so many obstacles. The author chose not to use a sexual relationship to further the story although some of the secondary characters reacted just the way one would expect a nosy gossip to react, spreading rumours about something that wasn’t actually happening.

The story is set in the fictional town of Maplewick but some of the places and events described in the novel were based on actual places and events that occurred and Sowards provides information on them in her afterword.

This book does contain a murder mystery. More than one individual who is close to Evie ends up dying and at times she wonders if the murderer is after her or after Gary. When Gary is initially arrested as a murder suspect, Evie sets out to prove his innocence and manages to do just that though not in time to prevent Gary from undergoing some major emotional trauma. I had some thoughts initially as to who I thought the murderer might be, but I wasn’t really sure who it was until close to the climax of the story.

If you like a good murder mystery that includes lots of history about the time period, then I think you will enjoy reading this book. I highly recommend it for teens or adults.

This was my first book by this author and I enjoyed her writing style. This story is set in a post WWII time period. It is full of murder, mystery, and romance. Evie’s father is murdered and her boyfriend is framed. She has to prove his innocence before the murderer strikes again. The suspense of who did it will have you keep turning the pages to find out! Fun mystery and sweet romance all in one book.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for sending me the ARC in exchange of my honest opinion.

Thanks to NetGalley and Covenant Communications for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review of this book.

Having already been a fan of A. L. Sowards I was excited to read her new book. This one did not disappoint! If you enjoy books whose characters engage you from start to finish and keep you guessing on the “who done it”, this book is for you.

This one was also a bit of a surprise in that her other books, that I have read, were historical fiction based on WWII. While there is some reference to that era it is more of a mystery and suspense.

This murder-mystery-romance was super captivating. It takes place in post-WWII upper-state New York and has an intriguing premise. The characters are Evelyn Hampton and Gary Redhawk, a bi-racial couple (white girl, American Indian boy) in a time when that was not acceptable. Gary has an uphill battle to climb in society. Indians were looked down upon as lazy, no-good drunkards. But Evie sees Gary’s strengths--his love for her, his intellect, hard work, and his respect. He’s a war veteran and a POW who’s endured a lot and has many demons she knows nothing about..…until the mystery and horror unravels. Evelyn’s father is found murdered in his house. Doubt and circumstantial evidence stacks up against Gary. He’s thrown in jail, which freaks him out because he has PTSD and can’t stand to be behind bars and bullied by the biased police. Evelyn determines to prove his innocence, but as she works to establish his alibi, weird, scary things keep happening. It seems as if someone wants Evelyn dead. Or Gary. Or both. Why?

This book kept me guessing clear to the end. The mystery was fantastic. I loved it. Each side character introduced seemed like a reasonable suspect. As the plot thickened, I didn’t know who-dun-it! But the mystery wasn’t the only thing I loved. The characterization was phenomenal. The author delved deep into Evelyn’s and Gary’s lives to flesh them out into believable and heart-tugging characters that stuck in my heart long after the story ended. Gary’s Indian background was explored, and I loved the theme of how biased Americans were to Indians in the first half of the century. I learned a lot from the background history details. Gary’s demons and pain became mine; I agonized with him as he strove to rise above them. The prose was beautiful as well. So many powerful quotes and passages that I wanted to outline. I also loved the romance. It had great tension and heart-wrenching drama. I also loved how the story was organized. There are letters between Evelyn and her brother Clive from 5 years in the past at the beginning of each chapter. They tangle into the present day drama. There was nothing I disliked. Nothing! I highly recommend this superb book! One of the best who-dun-it mystery/romances I've ever read, filled with enriching little-known historical details, fantastic characters, powerful passages, heart-wrenching drama, and plot twists that kept me turning pages long into the night.

I understand the need to catch a readers attention from the very beginning but starting with an innocuous letter and then jumping into driving a car with no brakes isn’t the way to catch someone’s attention. I was irritated right off the bat. Why do I care that Evie’s brakes weren’t working? I know nothing about the character so why should I feel invested in her well being? To top that off, there was virtually no character development for Evie but plenty of background storytelling from the author to explain the rest of the characters. This was like a bad who-dunnit written in the 40s instead of just set there. There were so many little bits and pieces of stories that were just for moving the overall plot forward but had no real point to the story and were never resolved or quickly overcome. I’ve never read this author before and I’m not tempted to do so again. The only reason I’ll rate this higher than 1 star is because of the inclusion of a Native American character.

I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A story set in the early 1950s America and with all of the prejudices of the times. Evie loses her father, an eccentric history Professor, having lost her mother to cancer and her brother to WW2. She has a loving boyfriend who served gallantly in the war, survived but has grim repercussions about both the war and his upbringing - he being a Native American. They, too, have problems with being a so-called mixed couple and many of the locals not accepting him for who he is. Her father is murdered, her aunt is murdered, her cousin is murdered leaving few potential suspects. Some, but not all, of the police are convinced that Gary, the boyfriend, has to be guilty, Evie sets out to determine alibis for him at the time of her father's murder and we gradually are brought round to money being the motive. There's an unpleasant ex-boyfriend, a drunken cousin and jealous academic colleagues to muddy the waters further. In all a good mystery story and evocative of the times. It did feel as if absolutely everything that could conspire against Evie and Gary did so, a bit too much so, but they came through in the end. Thanks to NetGalley and Covenant Communications for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.