A Dangerous Goodbye by Fliss Chester is the first in a series featuring Fenella Churche that is set in 1945.
Land Girl Fen receives a letter from her Fiance Arthur,stating that if she has this letter, he is dead. When the war is over she decides to follow the clues Arthur has left in his letter and travels to a village in France. Once she arrives she attempts to follow the clues. Fen almost decides to give up when she finds Arthurs silver cigarette case and yet another letter full of clues. The local priest is killed so Fen obviously thinks someone is making sure their secrets stay hidden from the war.The bodies begin to pile up and Fen begins to think there is a killer at the chateau.
A brilliantly entertaining murder mystery, with a strong and clever woman leading the way. The story is told from Fens perspective and this helps to become involved with the story and feel like we are alongside her as she goes on her journey of solving the clues and the murder as well. I really took to Fen, she is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery and will not let anything get in her way.
I thought the book was intriguing and somewhat different to other books that are based around this time. This story is full of lies, spies, murder, romance, mystery and so much more. Bursting at the seams! A book surely anyone would find something they liked about it!
Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for the copy of the book .

Fenella Churche is devastated by the disappearance and supposed death of her fiance Arthur during WW2. He was in France working undercover to undermine the Nazis but never came home. She is determined to find out the truth even if it is bad as she fears.
Fen travels to the village in France where he was last seen and starts work at a vineyard. But soon a murder occurs...
It was rather lovely to be immersed in the French countryside in a different era. The traditional Christie style use of cyanide felt familiar. The descriptions were rich and I could easily visualise the characters and the locations.
The historical depictions of the aftermath of the Second World War with the wounded pride of the French and their revulsion towards collaborators felt natural and realistic from my own knowledge of the era (I'm a history graduate).
A Dangerous Goodbye has a wonderful lead character in Fen. Her heart is broken for her lost love but she is determined to find out the truth about his death. I wish we had had more chance to see the pair as a couple before war tore them apart.
Fen and Arthur's relationship was full of crosswords and cleverness and this is represented in the narrative. The plot is littered with crossword puzzles which had my brain working overtime. It has been some time since I did a cryptic crossword so I was a little rusty but managed to get some of the correct answers!
I did guess the culprit but enjoyed the revelations and motives. The ending leave plenty of potential for a series of sequels and I look forward to seeing where Fen's adventures take her next and how she moves on from Arthur's death.

1944 Fenella Churche receives the dreaded last letter from her fiance Captain Arthur Melville-Hare. But he has left her clues in the letter to where he was sent. Deciphering the clues she discovers that he was on an undercover mission in France, in Morey-Fontaine.
After the end of the war Fen travels to France to discover any information about Arthur. Arriving at Morey-Fontaine where she finds employment and starts asking her questions. Not long after death arrives to claim its first.
An interesting and enjoyable well-written historical mystery. A likeable cast of well-rounded characters and a good start to a new series.
ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A Dangerous Goodbye by Fliss Chester is the first book in A Fen Churche Mystery series and a great start to a new series.

This is a historical mystery set right after the WWII partly in Britain and partly in France. Fen is a young girl who has spent war working on a farm, she has met a soldier Albert, fallen in love and got engaged.
Sadly she receives a letter from his which seems to be his goodbye letter. What makes this letter special is that it is written in code as both Fen and Arthur are very fond of puzzles.
Realizing that she will not receive any more news about her beloved fiance, Fen sets off to France to the last place that Arthur mentioned in his scripted letter.
There she will see a whole new world ravaged and destroyed by war, meet new people and negotiate situations she has never dreamed of being thrown into.

Great historical story, that clearly describes the post war period combined with a love story. It is also a story about two different worlds, mentalities and ways of life.
Fenella is a smart, educated, down to earth, relatable character. She doesn't lack courage and determination to fight for what she believes in.
There are many side characters, so well portrayed and very vivid in my imagination, that add to the picturesqueness of this book.
The puzzle aspect of the story was an additional plus for me as well as many other mysteries that combine with the main story.
There were some slower throughout the book but they didn't deter me from enjoying the book.
I also appreciated the fact that the mystery took awhile to happen as it was imperative to get a whole and accurate picture of the era and the terrible war that happened.

All in all a very good start of the series and I am eagerly looking forward to seeing where the next book will take our heroine.

I've been a fan of historical fiction for many years, so when I saw the blurb for A Dangerous Goodbye, my interested was instantly piqued. Although being set in a time period that I am familiar with, the premise of this novel was slightly different, being a mystery that needs solving. I really felt the for the main character Fen; she has been left in the dark as to what has happened to her fiancé Arthur, with just a few clues to go off. Their relationship was greatly influenced by their love of doing crossword puzzles and they'd even create clues for each other to solve. This plays quite a big part at the beginning of the novel, as Arthur's clues to Fen were written in a crossword style. Fen follows the clues to a small village in France, which is struggling post-war, celebrating liberation but second guessing those who may have collaborated with the enemy. She joins an interesting group at a vineyard, which has some ties to Arthur and his fate. Slowly she starts discovering small clues which tell her that she's looking in the right place, but soon other people start to die, suggesting that Fen might be getting a little too close to the truth.

Admittedly, the novel is a little slow to get started, but once the mystery started to unfold, I couldn't put the book down. I just needed to know what was going on! A Dangerous Goodbye is a great, entertaining mystery set in a complex historical setting. The plot was really good and easy to follow, not too complex, but I loved that Fen was effectively trying to solve two mysteries simultaneously. It was great fun trying to solve the crossword clues as she got them.

I think Fen is an interesting character to get to know. She is initially a little naive, in my opinion, in terms of how the French feel following the country's liberation, but I feel like she definitely has some growth throughout the novel, which she could easily continue during the rest of the series. She's intelligent and I loved seeing how she unpicked the clues from Arthur and the greater mystery.

I gave A Dangerous Goodbye 4 out of 5 stars and would really recommend it to fans of historical fiction and mysteries - with spies, codes, murder and intrigue, what more could you want?! I loved trying to second guess what was happening, and being surprised by the twists and turns. I'd be really interested in picking up the next book in the series, to see how Fen's story continues!

"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.

1944. While war rages in Europe, Fenella Churche is doing her bit in the green fields of England as a land army girl. She hasn’t heard from her fiancé Arthur since he was posted to France on a dangerous undercover mission, when she finds a letter addressed to her on the scrubbed farmhouse table, she knows the news won’t be good, from his very first words she knows he may not be coming back. 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. A year later 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. Then there are more deaths & Fen realises someone in the Chateau is a murderer.
This is the first book I’ve read by the author & I believe it’s her first mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed it & found myself drawn in from cover to cover. I loved Fen who was determined to find Arthur or what had happened to him. The book was well written & although I did work out who the murderer was quite early in the book it didn’t spoil my enjoyment as there could have been a twist to prove me wrong. A well written whodunit & I look forward to more books in the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

This mystery is set in WWII where we find a British Land Girl, Fen Churche, who just received a strange letter from her fiancé Arthur, an allied spy. In 1944 this cryptic letter, filled with puzzling clues, starts it all. As Fen reads this missive her fiancé is letting her know "this might be the last letter she will receive from him." The journey begins as Fen becomes a sleuth in her effort to find her love. Is he dead or alive? It is now 1945, the war is over...Fen travels to a pretty French town hoping Arthur will be there. With the clues in his last letter to her, she managed to find the small village in Burgundy.

Arriving at the village she finds employment at a chateau with vineyards, where she works picking grapes, all the while hoping to find more clues, more answers. At the chateau she meets the family...Sophie, her husband Pierre, their children, Clement Pierre's father, Estelle the nursery maid, James, a British spy who stayed at the chateau after the war, and other supporting characters. Did they know Arthur, did he in fact stay at this house during the war? Not finding Arthur, but only finding a few of his effects and another clue-filled letter, she continues her search. But will Fen be successful, or will she be in danger as well?

There are clues, and murders abound, but who wants Arthur murdered, who indeed is behind this? Who is the murderer of three other people...not only who but why? There are enough supporting characters in this book that could definitely lead you down the wrong path as you read along hoping to solve this mystery yourself! This book was well written, an enjoyable and an entertaining novel. The plot moved along nicely, the character development was good, all in all this is a book I would recommend if you are into a mystery set in a Historical Fiction novel. Highly recommended.

My thanks to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Churche Mystery #1

Set in 1944. Fenella Churche travels to France to see if she can find out what had happened to her fiance. She heads to the chateau where the winery was that he had been based in. She finds work she got help looking for Arthur from his old friend, James Lancaster. Three people are found dead soon after Fan's arrival.

This is the first book in a new series. When Fen recieved a letter telling her that her fiance had been killed, its filled with clues for her to try and figure out what had happened to go him. The story doesn't really start until you're past the 40% mark. And them up until then, the pace is slow. The characters are both likeable and dislikeable. There's a few twists as well as crossword clues to solve. The book has a satisfactory ending.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Fliss Chester for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve read a lot of historical fiction, mostly centered around WWII and I am always interested to learn something new (yes, I know I’ve mentioned that before). This one however was truly unique, because it was more of a mystery set in the era instead of a straight historical fiction novel. And I truly enjoyed it.

To be perfectly honest, the author had me at crossword puzzles and wordplay.

That both Fen and Arthur were fans of cryptic word puzzles was an excellent background to the mystery of Arthur’s whereabouts. It was unique to have the initial clues in his letter and it highlighted the connection that the two of them had in spite of the shortness of their actual relationship.

I liked how the author didn’t get bogged down in the post-war dread. We know that it was a horrible time, and there were still terrible things going on, but that wasn’t the concern of the characters in this book. There’s a time and a place for such things, and it would have been VERY out of place here.

Instead, it was almost light-hearted. That’s not exactly the right word for it, because it was still post-WWII France. I guess a better way to put it was that it the author chose to let the spy/intrigue/mystery take care of the “drama” aspect of the story.

And there was plenty of spy intrigue. I thought it was all well-done. (I really don’t want to say a lot, because I don’t want to give anything away).

Suffice to say that I thought Fen was tenacious and quick-witted – a real heroine to get behind. I loved this mystery, and look forward to more of her cases!

Fenelle Churche receives a letter from her fiancée Arthur. Its the last letter Fen receives after he was posted to France on a secret mission.
After the war, Fen follows the clues left in Arthurs letter. They both shared a love of cryptic crosswords. It leads her to the French chateau and vineyard where Arthur last was.
Once there, a series of murders occurs. Fen becomes an investigator to discover who committed the crimes as it may lead to her knowing what happened to Arthur.
Fenella is a great character. This will make a great series. A new Miss Marple. I could just see this book being made for Sunday evening TV.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest review.

What happened to Arthur? Fen's fiancé went missing during WWII, a not uncommon sad circumstance, but she's certain that she can find him. They are both puzzle fans and he's sent her lots of clues in his letters. Now, in 1945, she heads to France, to the village where she's sure he once was. Somehow (this is a bit unrealistic but go with it) she manages to get work and searches, along with his old friend Lawrence. Then the murders start- and Fen is the person who solves them. There's lots of secrets as well as anger in this village about what happened during the war so Fen finds herself wading through dangerous waters. No spoilers from me. I liked the use of puzzles and Fen's a good character. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For fans of the historical mystery featuring a strong female character.

I would like to thank Netgalley for an advance copy of A Dangerous Goodbye, the first novel to feature Fenella Churche, set in WWII. Brilliant book and will definitely read more by this author

A lovely WWII story. Excellent, gripping read.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of A Dangerous Goodbye, the first novel to feature Fenella Churche, set in 1945.

In 1944 land girl Fen receives a letter from her fiancé, Arthur, saying that if she’s reading it he’s dead. The letter is full of clues so after the war ends in 1945 she takes off for a village in Burgundy to find out what happened to Arthur, only for the local priest to die in front of her, poisoned.

I enjoyed A Dangerous Goodbye which is a light, entertaining read with an interesting plot. It is told entirely from Fen’s point of view so the reader can get immersed and solve both Arthur’s clues and the murder alongside her. I didn’t find it hard to identify the killer and while the motive was slightly more elusive the broad outline was fairly obvious. This is, I think, due to the author’s lack of experience in the genre - she’s not yet devious enough. Having said that, the novel is well plotted and easy to read so guessing in advance is just a minor blip in a pleasurable few hours.

Historically the novel is set in a difficult period for the French with the joy of liberation set against financial hard times and a determined vengeance against collaborators. These are mentioned to give the reader a feel for the era but it is not a deep or meaningful dive into these strong feelings.

I like Fen Churche who is a resourceful woman with a strong sense of duty. She may be a bit stereotypical in her upper class attitudes but she has room to grow as the series progresses. I will take that journey with her.

A Dangerous Goodbye is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

What a fantastic read this was. If you enjoy historical murder mysteries, then you won't go far wrong with this one. Set just after the close of the second world war, it focuses on Fennela Churche, who travels to France to see if she can find out what has happened to her Fiance. As she starts to look around the chateau and winery that he was based at, it becomes clear that whatever happened to him is tied up with events that are unfolding at the chateau now.
The book had a great sense of time, atmosphere and place. It wasn't hard to picture the small village in 1940's France and the life that they are trying to put back together after the German forces have left. The characters in this book are fantastic, both those who lead the story and those that are on the edges. It adds a great richness to the story.
As for the mystery itself, it worked well. I had solved it and the reasons behind it before the reveal, but that didn't really matter. I was still caught up in the book and wanted to know if my deductions were correct. The whole thing was well signposted with clues and the odd red herring. I don't think it was too obvious though.
I really liked Fen as a character. She's a great combination of brave and daring, without being unbelievable. She certainly feels of her time and not out of place in the historic setting. I quite liked the way that she has a little bit of a weakness when it comes to her appearance, it's these little things that humanise a character.
I really enjoyed A Dangerous Goodbye and will certainly be reading the next book in the series. I'm looking forward to what Fen might get up to next.

A Dangerous Goodbye is great start to a new series with Fen Churche.

Fen is courageous and determined to find her fiance as she heads off to France following cryptic clues from a letter from Arthur.

Murders follow as Fen follows the clues.

I quite liked Fen and was cheering her on the entire time.

There are many clues to follow, I was fooled.

Can't wait for book 2 in the series . I am quite intrigues by Fen and her adventures.

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture for read that kept me guessing .

I was intrigued by A Dangerous Goodbye: An absolutely gripping historical mystery’s cover and book description. Instead, Fen Churche’s journey to discover what happened to her fiancé during WWII was a peculiar story. The couple enjoyed crossword puzzles immensely and after he returned to the front lines in 1943, his letters contained various clues. By mid-1944, his missives stopped.

Little time was spent on Arthur’s and Fen’s actual relationship in 1943. I chalked it up to a brief romance that became an engagement. Because there was so little character build-up, I had a difficult time engaging with the MCs. After the war ended, Fen travelled to France. She thought she would find answers as to why Arthur was still missing.

The author wrote an interesting setting but I expected more heartbreak and misery. After all, the war just ended. And the French citizens seemed to accept Fen a little too easily. I missed some tension.

Fen was a likable protagonist. The mystery was cautious but reasonable. I knew one character had most of the answers but the author conveniently placed him elsewhere when Fen needed him the most. At this point, I found Fen slow on the uptake. I also had no problem determining who the ‘baddie’ was so I was somewhat disappointed by the end of the story.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Bookoutre Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Fliss Chester for providing me with a review copy.

If you are reading this, then in all likelihood I am dead.

This is how A Dangerous Goodbye begins. It is written in a letter to Fen Churche from her fiancé Arthur. It is 1944 and soldiers are sent all over Europe to fight in World War 2. Fen does not know where Arthur is stationed or even what his job is, she only knows he is in danger.
About a year later when the war has finally ended, Fen decides to set out on a quest to find Arthur, from whom she hasn't heard anymore after his alarming letter. Might he really be dead?
Arthur and Fen used to enjoy solving cryptic crosswords together. Their letters were always full of riddles and clues. This is also the case with Arthur's last letter, leading Fen to France.
In France she finds work and lodging at a local winery, not knowing she would soon be busying herself with solving three murders. Would solving these murders lead to Fen finding her fiancé?

This lovely mystery novel is from author Fliss Chester. As I have never before read anything by Chester, I could only compare the book to other writers. Visualise historical fiction author Kate Mosse meeting Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's character Sherlock Holmes and Kerry Greenwood's Miss Phryne Fisher. That might describe the atmosphere of this book. A romantic, historical story with a touch of strong femininity and some page-turning murder mysteries.

Right up until the end I had no clue who the murderer was. No, that is not true. Fen had lots of clues for us readers. I simply did not see what they meant and actually liked that. As I needed to know who the killer was, I just kept reading. House chores? No time for that!

I've enjoyed this book from the beginning until the end. It's the little details that made me smile. Fen saying 'Bonjour monsieur' every time she saw the winery's cat, speaking to him like he would solve all her problems. It gives the book a realistic vibe, as though this could really have happened.

As this is the first novel in a series, the Fen Churche Mystery series, I am most definitely looking forward to the next book!

A charming escapist novel for historical fiction and puzzle lovers!

This book takes you back to the very end of World War II, with a look first at the West Sussex countryside and the Women's Land Army (an interesting tidbit of history that I enjoyed reading about). Fen Churche has vowed to contribute to the war efforts by working the land with a group of other women, in place of the male field laborers off at war. You learn of her fiancé, Arthur, sent off to war, through a coded, final letter that she receives from him. Once the war ends, Fen decodes Arthur's clues to find the town where he may have spent his final days, vowing to uncover what happened to him. What ensues is a peek into a small town in France's wine country, a series of supposed murders, a cast of suspicious characters and more puzzles for Fen to solve.

While I normally am an avid fan of dark thrillers and murder mysteries, I also have a love for historical fiction every now and then as a breath of fresh air and a way to escape into another time and place. This book not only suited that purpose for me, but it added in a fun aspect of puzzle-solving (and some murder as well). I kept seeing flashes of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (a show about a glamorous, female private detective in the 20's) when following along with the protagonist, Fen Churche.

I was relatively able to figure out the whodunnit, but suspense and twists weren't something that I turned to this book for in the first place. The author plans to continue Fen's mysteries after this debut, and I look forward to seeing what she gets herself into next!