Really enjoyed this book and the dual timeline. Intriguing and very dark in places but so gripping. Can't wait to read more from the author.

What a great novel slipping between 1795 and the modern day of 2013, with two female characters who come alive in the pages of the book. On one hand there is Rachel Lovett who is enjoying the wealth of her young protector and feathering her own nest at the same time and on the other hand there is Eden Grey working as a private investigator. Whilst Rachel is transparent as a women from a lowly background given to taking what is not hers, it is different for Eden who seems to come from a shadowy past to reinvent herself. How the two ladies come to be part of this tale and linked by a find in the grounds of a private school is woven into an intriguing and page turning tale. A great read!

This book featured a dual timeline which tied together very well. I like the characters of Eden and Rachel but thought Rachel’s story was disturbing. It was a cleverly written story and I enjoyed reading it.
Many thanks to Sapere Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Paternoster is a split novel set in two different time frames. The central theme is a kind of secret society, loosely based on the Hellfire Club that really did exist in the England in the 18th century.

Eden Grey, or "Jackie" as she was called in a former life, is a former police officer who became a Private Investigator after she had to change identities in a witness protection plan.
When one of her clients suddenly dies of a very rare poison she becomes involved with a strange secret society.
Her lover Aiden gets tied in with this plot from a different angle when, as an archaeologist, he is called in to exhume two 200 year old skeletons.
While trying to find out what really happened to her client Eden takes on another assignment to find an 18 year old that has disappeared.

In the past, Rachel is a prostitute fallen on hard times, who flees the "thief taker" from London to end up in Cheltenham where one night she is sent to Greville house to participate in an initiation rite of the Paternoster society.

After some nail-biting developments it turns out that all the stories tie-in together and Eden and Aiden solve multiple crimes.

I really liked this book, it was well written, suspenseful and I think the author did a good job checking the historical facts and context.
Almost 5 stars, well maybe more 4,5*

I want to thank Sapere Books and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I love the dual time line in this story. I will admit it took me a few chapters to get into the rhythm but once I did I was in for a fun ride. We are introduced to Eden Grey who was an undercover police officer that was almost killed during one of her cases. Eden turns to private investigating and thanks to her archaeology professor boyfriend she is drawn into a case that deals with The Paternoster Club with time going back and forth from 1795 to 2013. This was one heck of a book and I look forward to many more in this series.

A well written dual mystery, about 200 years apart. When Eden's boyfriend Aidan, a local archaeologist, is sent to investigate some skeletal remains, she steps in and using her skills as a former cop helps to solve the past and current mystery. This is the first in the series, so sets up why she is no longer working as a cop, and is now working as a private investigator. Not sure why, but the killing of young James Little really bothered me. Wish that wouldn't have been part of the story. Oh well, otherwise highly recommend this book and author.

A new story using and old approach. It works beautifully, and shows the author's talents nicely. Well formed characters, nice connection of story lines, engaging plot and writing style. This is my first Fleet novel and it's a good one. Well done. Recommended for mystery fans.

Thanks very much for the review copy!!

Enjoyable dual time mystery, some might say 3 sided mystery as Eden has a story of her own.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.

Paternoster by Kim Fleet is a great start to a new mystery crime series. The story is told via two time periods; which add to the depth of the story. I really enjoyed the historical sections that tied into the main mystery. I wish there had been a bit more of these sections. Overall, solid start to this new series.

Though it has been done a myriad times, stories told in two time lines are fascinating for me. Invariably the first one is ancient, so there is history involved. Then the present time line brings in a modern twist to the mystery that has to be unfolded.

This is what happens here. England 1795 Rachel has lost her benefactor. She has gone back to being a prostitute and sees her future prospects dwindling. In the brothel, she is forced to join the Paternoster Club and this is the beginning of the end for Rachel.

This part of the story was harsh, and showed the hopelessness of women in Rachel's position sans family there was no protection of any kind.

Cheltenham 2013 and the discovery of two skeletons halts construction at a very posh school. Much to the irritation of the Management, it becomes a crime scene though the crime was committed 200 years before. Eden Grey is called upon to sort the mystery out, but she has secrets of her own and when they start to unravel Eden herself is in grave danger.

Paternoster was an edge of the seat thriller. Combing the best of historical fiction, mystery murders and a beautiful setting with excellent and unusual characters the book had everything going for it.

Mystery, intrigue, wild parties with untold going’s on... this book has it all. I was hooked from the very first chapter!

I was happily surprised at the smoothness between dual timelines. I enjoyed the main character’s in both. They were each strong relatable women fighting for survival.

I really enjoyed the amount of time dedicated to the backstory of Eden Grey. It really helped me understand her character better. I am excited to see her develop more as the series continues!

I enjoyed this crime story (part of a series) with its two timelines - England 1795 and Cheltenham 2013. The mystery surrounding the detective Eden Grey herself adds to the interest of the novel and I would be keen to follow up with other books in the series.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Eden Grey is many things. She is a smart, capable investigator. Eden Grey did not exist until after she went into witness protection to hide her from the dangerous kingpin whose gang she infiltrated and helped bring down but not before it almost cost her her life. She is now living in Cheltenham where she has built a career and has a personal life but it is all built on a lie. And if the wrong people figure it out, she is a dead woman.
When a client dies of poisoning before her eyes and his last words are “Paternoster” she feels obligated to find out who killed him and why. Her boyfriend Aiden has been called to an excavation site where ancient bones are discovered. Is there a common thread between the murders centuries apart? Eden has to find out but in doing so, does she open up the secret of her whereabouts to those who still want her dead. The signs seem to indicate she is in the cross hairs once again.
This is the first of a new series and it has oodles of potential. Both Eden and Aiden are interesting characters. They are attractive yet quirky with just enough demons to make the reader root for them. The two mysteries of the bones and the murders are each told in their separate time capsules. It is only at the end when the connections occur and help bring the modern villains to task. Of course you also have the suspense of the bad guys from her past catching up with her. Overall, it is a cracking good story.
Five purrs and two paws up.

4.5 Stars
England, 1795
Kept woman Rachel Lovett is forced onto the streets when her benefactor Darcy loses all his money.
Forced into stealing jewellery to survive, Rachel finds herself running from a thief taker after stealing some gloves and is forced to join a brothel and soon finds herself introduced to the ruthless Paternoster Club.
Cheltenham, 2013
Over two hundred years later a pair of skeletons are found in the grounds of a prestigious school, and local Private Investigator Eden Grey is called to the scene. It becomes clear that these are not recent murders, the bodies have lain there for maybe two hundred years.
As Eden’s past – and her true identity – starts to close in on her, and more strange cases land in her lap, Eden finds herself in a race against time to solve the mysteries.
I was drawn into the book from the first page when an undercover agent is outed & I was engrossed until the end. A well written page turning read. Strong characters added to the book. I liked both Eden & Aidan who were different in many ways but the chemistry between them was very good & believable. I particularly liked the two time frames & how they meshed together. There were a couple of loose ends that weren’t tied up but as I hope there will be more books in the series I can see that these threads could easily continue through
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

“Paternoster” takes place during two different periods in time. Part of the book is set in Regency England in 1795 where a prostitute named Rachel Lovett is forced to work in Greville House in Cheltenham and take part in the vile activities at the Hellfire Club meetings. The other part of the book takes place in 2013 where former undercover officer turned private investigator Eden Grey is working on several different seemingly unrelated cases. One of Eden’s clients is murdered and a mother contacts her to find her missing daughter. Eden is also intrigued by a case of bones discovered on the grounds of an exclusive school that her boyfriend is working on. This, along with stolen paintings, gives Eden a full plate even before she realizes the dangers from her old undercover life have followed her.

The way the story is told with the two timelines works well and both plots are intriguing. Much of Rachel’s story is hard to read because of the way she and the other women are treated. The scenarios are disturbing but I’m glad the author doesn’t include graphic descriptions of the Hellfire Club’s events. Rachel’s story is sad and there is a sense of foreboding in each of these chapters. Her story is cleverly tied to Eden’s story hundreds of years later.

Eden is intelligent and street-smart and I liked getting to know her. She is a good investigator who cares about her clients, although I was surprised a few times that she didn’t run basic online searches to get at least some basic facts on a few things she was looking into. Eden’s story is also tense as she lives in fear from people from her old life who may be trying to kill her. I have mixed feelings about her boyfriend Aidan. He can be so supportive and loving at times, but then thoughtless at others. When things are going well, they make a great team both personally and in piecing together the clues from the various cases. The book is suspenseful and Eden faces much drama before things come together for a satisfactory resolution. A couple things seemed to be a little pat based on previous events. However, I like the character and hope Eden’s adventures continue in future books.

I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Sapere Books. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

This book starts out with a bit of a wild ride and I wasn't sure how it would all get tied together, but it certainly did. I loved the dual timeline and found both Rachel and Eden/Jackie to be engaging characters that you immediately connected with. The whole concept of the Paternoster Club was a little disturbing but not so graphic that it made me want to stop reading. This was a great mystery along with a little historical fiction thrown in for good measure. I look forward to more books in this series.

An engrossing and entertaining read that kept me hooked till the end.
I loved the dual timeline and how well the author make them work together, the well thought cast of characters and the setting.
The mystery is solid and it kept me guessing.
A very enjoyable read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this arc, all opinions are mine.