It's like R.S. Maxwell knows me and tried to get all of my favourite things into one story: mystery, history, ghost story, World War II, London, a writer, a small English village, restless spirits... be still my heart.

This was a realistic portrayal of life in a small village during the war, including rationing, blackouts, and the arrival of evacuees from the cities, as well as the closed nature of such a community and its distrust of outsiders. I do wish the mystery and ghost story components were stronger - I didn't feel the eeriness, tension, or suspense I'd like to from a mystery or ghost story. I also kept waiting for something riveting, but it never came - the stakes were never very high, and the minor things that popped up were resolved quickly with little fuss and no real repercussions. As such, I would categorize this more as a safe, quiet cozy mystery, with elements of historical fiction, mystery, and ghost story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC.

Ruth leaves her studies at Cambridge University to more to a small English village. Ruth, like many others are escaping the war. Ruth thinks she finds a perfect place to find security. World War Two is just one the events that is threatening her safety. The village has a mysterious past, years prior a wraith haunted the village and had been dormant for years. Until, the the arrival of new people, the wraith starts haunting the village again and the locals blame the new people. Ruth teams up with a soldier to discover the truth about this sinister entity. A mysterious thriller with a riveting plot and interesting characters.

Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC, I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A perfect read for a dark, dreary Fall evening leading up to All Hallows’ Eve!

I’m glad I took a chance on this WW2 historical fiction book because it was a unique blend of history, mystery and ghost hunting! It opens with an evacuation at Cambridge University due to unexploded ordnance and continues with Ruth’s retreat to the countryside in order to finish writing her book and provide a clean break. As more evacuees settle in fictitious Martynsborough, locals fear they have angered the ‘restless spirits’ but, for Ruth, it offers a distraction and she enlists the help of her neighbour to help investigate. She gets more than she bargained for!

So often with wartime historical fiction, the focus is on the battlefield or forces fighting against occupation. It was nice to have a homefront focus for a change. That being said, I didn’t feel the tension or suspense that I was expecting with a mystery. I would have eagerly traded the forbidden romance subplot for a nail-biting ghost appearance. Regardless, it was a well-paced, well-written cozy mystery highlighting buried secrets and offering a unique wartime fiction premise.

Congratulations on a terrific cover! This beautiful Atlas moth captured my attention and I had to know how it related to the title and the story… if you look closely, the peacock makes an appearance!

I was gifted this advance copy by Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Through A Darkening Glass is a mystery romance set in a remote English village during World War II. The story follows aspiring novelist, Ruth Gladstone, as she tries to uncover the secrets behind the Martynsborough wraith alongside injured war veteran, Malcolm, whom she develops feelings for. They soon discover there are more secrets that haunt the village than those of a ghost.

I enjoyed the setting R.S. Maxwell created and I think it worked well for the story. The village is very much tucked away from the full impact of war but country life is still disrupted by rationing, blackouts and the influx of evacuees. The intrusion of strangers is what many villagers believe has made the wraith return and their distrust of outsiders makes it harder for Ruth and Malcolm to get to the truth.
Although I liked the setting, unfortunately I never really felt it had a haunting atmosphere, which meant when the ghost sightings occurred they were lacking in impact. In addition, I found that the story overall didn’t have a real sense of tension or suspense. Part of the issue I believe is that the romance component took over and the mystery side of things became pushed aside rather than the two working together. I found that the story meandered at times and my enthusiasm waned, meaning I had to push myself to keep reading – this might be also because I am more keen on mystery than romance.

I must admit I found it hard to like Ruth as to me she came off as nosy, self-righteous and a bit of a know-it-all, even though in fact she was frequently wrong in her assumptions. Malcolm was more endearing and I felt for him as he battled with his feelings for Ruth and those for his wife, who was no longer the woman she was after suffering injury and trauma during an air raid. I also liked Maud, who was unapologetic in her mischievousness and brought an element of humour.
Ruth’s unwanted fiancé, Warren, to me felt entirely unnecessary. His actual presence in the story was fleeting and his impact minimal, in fact I believe if he was completely removed from the story it would make very little difference. If he had taken up residence in the village he could have been an added complication to both Ruth’s mystery solving and her growing romance with Malcolm. However, he was gone as soon as he arrived and I do not feel he served any purpose except as filler.
The story of the ‘sisters’, Vera and Edith (Ruth’s grandmother) also felt underdeveloped and to me, tacked on. There are some hints at a secret between them but we only discover the truth by accident and then discussion through the two characters. I might add here a jarring aspect of the novel in that for nearly half the book we see the story through only Ruth’s third person point of view then suddenly other characters’ views are brought in, mostly to reveal secrets.

Then we get to the revelation of Martynsborough’s mysteries, which in my opinion was disappointing overall. Firstly, Ruth and Malcolm don’t exactly uncover the truth but are told it by other members of the village. After all their work, researching and traipsing about, it feels underwhelming. I very much felt in the end that I was told rather than shown the truth. The romance element of the novel felt much more satisfying in how it was wrapped up and I think again this highlights how the romance pushed aside the mystery aspect.

Overall, I feel the title and the cover are misleading in that it emphasises the mystery when in fact it is the romance which plays a greater part in this story and is given more focus. Unfortunately, in the end I was left feeling that the mystery had been waylaid in order for the romance to develop. Those looking for a romance in a wartime setting would be more likely to enjoy this story. However, anyone looking for a mystery with a haunting atmosphere might be disappointed.

An interesting story set in a village during WW2, mysterious tales of ghosts or wraiths wandering the village at night-time, give Ruth plenty of ideas for a novel she wishes to write. With the help of a colleague she attempts to discover the truth.
As much as I enjoyed the novel I did feel that it was slightly long winded and could have been condensed slightly, and the last chapter seemed almost rushed, with no indication of how or why Ruth ended up in France. But overall an interesting take on historical fiction.
3.5 stars rounded to 4

"Through a Darkening Glass" by RS Maxwell is an interesting enough story. When war threatens Cambridge students, many relocate to remote locations to avoid danger. Ruth goes with her grandmother to stay with her Great Aunt in Martynborough. She discovers the mystery of the village Wraith and she bases her gothic novel idea around rumours and sightings. Some enjoyable characters.

very different from any ww2 book i’ve read before. it was really good though and i loved the mystery elements of it.

I really wanted to like this as a story about evacuation during WW2, investigation of mysterious wraiths in a country village, lost children and family mystery. The setting felt right and the descriptions of country life at the time spot on. I had problems with Ruth, the main character - a 25-year old student evacuating to her aunt in the country? I wanted to know why she was still a 2nd-yr undergrad and why she didn't feel the need to help her country by getting work. She felt exceedingly naive in one way. The village characters had much more going for them - dark secrets, relationships and so on. Short bit with the dreaded and awful fiancé - thankfully. The wounded soldier, and wife, working on MinofAg paperwork alongside Ruth provided unwelcome romance for me. Their sleuthing about the wraiths was interesting as was the background of the local big estate. Really not convinced about the noble Castor and Pollux - having escaped/being hidden from the sheep cull required I doubt that they would have remained smart and pristine, not being sheared regularly. A mixed opinion then. Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

It was a well-written book filled with mystery. The stories about the wraiths and romance were interesting. I liked many characters, but my favourite was Maude. She was such a good friend and a funny woman. Definitely recommend it to everyone who loves historical fictions with some romance and mystery.

Really enjoyed this, it was an interesting cozy mystery/historical fiction mix with gothic overtones. Ruth is a Cambridge literature student during WWII who flees to the countryside to get away from an engagement and focus on writing her first novel. Once she relocates, she teams up with Malcolm, an injured soldier and eventual love interest, to investigate a wraith allegedly haunting the villagers. I appreciated a story set in WWII that wasn’t really about the horrors of the war or the deprivations suffered by the populace etc. And when I think about evacuees during WII, I think about young children, not university students, so this was also a different viewpoint for me. Overall, an intriguing mystery and enjoyable read.

Historical fiction mixed with cosy murder mystery. I loved it, it was engaging and unpredictable and I loved that it was set during World War Two but was more about the murder mystery.

"Literature student Ruth Gladstone evacuates Cambridge University for Martynsborough, a tiny English village with a shadowy history. For Ruth, retreating to a forgotten corner of the country is more than a safety maneuver; it’s an opportunity to end an undesirable engagement and begin writing her first novel. But upon her arrival, Ruth learns of a ghostly wraith haunting the villagers after decades of silence. Although Ruth is enthralled by the legend, the locals are less charmed by the wraith’s return. They blame the evacuees—and among them, Ruth—for stirring up restless spirits."

This was different from any other WWII novel that I've read (and I've read a few)! I enjoyed the setting and the backdrop - it made me realize that hey, yeah, for a LOT of people in Europe during the war, life went on. I liked the storytelling perspective and learning a little about the evacuee situations in England. I also think that this drove home the point that the war really affected everyone in different ways.

Moving on to the characters. Maude was probably my favorite - she quite literally did not give a hoot what others thought about her and was quite content searching for her rock samples, thank you very much. And the PEACOCK.....HA. I think we're supposed to dislike Warren, and dislike him I did. What a baby. I enjoyed the hints of romance throughout the novel, and I also liked that romance was not THEEE driving plot point. The mystery elements - and the unraveling of said mysteries in the town - was entertaining to me (although at one point I asked myself, "wait, how many wraiths are there?!?!?!"). The love triangle (I guess that's what I'd refer to it as?) between Elise and Malcolm and Ruth was slightly tragic...I don't know how to feel about it...but I did enjoy the ending and Ruth's role in Malcolm and Elise's life.

SO. Wrapping up. Yes, I enjoyed it. I'd recommend it to my historical fiction friends and those who like cozy little small town mysteries. I'm glad I took the time to request and review it.

This book was an interesting mystery set in WWII. I liked the premise and characters which gave it a bit of a spooky and cozy feel.

I was drawn into this world very quickly; Ruth’s journey, Cambridge and Martynsborough are vividly drawn. The historical setting, of the early 1940s is very enjoyable, as if her unfolding relationships with tragic local artist, Malcolm. I really enjoyed the book. However, l did sometimes feel that the author didn’t write a scene I’d been anticipating, like the night Ruth ends her engagement and the moment she and Malcolm come together. I’d have like to see these moments instead of them being passed over, making me feel like there were gaps in the narrative. Conversely, l also felt that too much information was “told” the reader at the end, too quickly, rather than it unfolding before my eyes. I did really enjoy the book - perhaps l wanted more of it.