*Many thanks to Charlie Garratt, Sapere Books and Netgalley for ARC in exchange for my honest review.*
Had I not known better, I would have categorized this novel as belonging to The Golden Age Detective Stories as it reads like a piece of the old Masters. And for me it means it is good, to say the least.
There are mysterious deaths of three people which seem to be a murder and two suicides. Inspector James Given has some doubts and begins probing into the family history. During the investigation we learn more about his past and identity, and in the background the Munich Conference is over.
This is a truly well-written novel, with interesting characters and narration that takes a reader on a smooth ride. Not many novels of the genre written in contemporary times read so well!

I was slightly disappointed with A Shadowed Livery by Charlie Garratt as I found the book a little bit too slow and therefore difficult to get into.

The premis of the book is very good so maybe it was just me. I will give the next one in the series a go and will probably return to A Shadowed Livery at some future date

"The first book in a page-turning historical mystery series! Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Philip Kerr and Andrew Taylor.

War is on the horizon...

Warwickshire, England, 1938.

While Hitler and Chamberlain are preparing to sign the Munich agreement, the murderer of a Jewish shopkeeper is being hanged in Birmingham.

After witnessing the execution, Inspector James Given, who brought the killer to justice, is surprised to find he has been taken off the investigation to pursue something completely different.

Grovestock House, owned by the wealthy Barleigh family has witnessed a triple death.

With the terrible events neatly written off as a murder and a double suicide, Given is supposed to tidy up a few loose ends with the help of local constable, John Sawyer.

But Given is sure there is more to the case than meets the eye.

What dark secrets were the Barleigh family hiding? Could there be another killer involved?

And how will Given react when he is forced to confront the ghosts of his past...?

A Shadowed Livery is an intriguing historical mystery - a traditional British investigation set in England immediately before the Second World War."

A time of change, a true event, and perfect for fans of Agatha Christie? Perfect summer read in my book.