When Nancy’s family tragedy is splashed across the newspapers she makes the decision to disappear to Tall Chimneys, her grandmother's beautiful former guest
house in a quiet seaside village, after all a sleepy village seems like the safest place to hide. But not for long, no sooner has she arrived, Nancy is found and now people know all about her family’s tragedy and the truth! Will Nancy share what she knows, will it jeopardise her happiness and freedom?

Not as gripping as other novels by Jane Corry but definitely enjoyable. I liked the back and forth to the history of Tall Chimneys as we learn that this old house also has its own secrets and a chilling wartime legacy that is as shocking as it is saddening.

Firstly, thank you goes to NetGalley, Penguin & Jane Corry for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was the first Jane Corry book I have read and I definitely wasn't disappointed!

36-year-old Nancy is negatively thrust into the public eye when she is part of a family tragedy - her mother and stepfather are dead (brutally murdered by her stepbrother). She manages to escape to her family-owned ex-board house by the seaside but it isn’t long before she’s found and secrets are revealed. Not just secrets about Nancy but also secrets about the board house dating back to the Second World War and Nancy’s grandmother…

This book is set out into two parts throughout - Nancy’s sections (based n the present day) and Elizabeth’s sections (based during World War Two). I have to say that the addition of historical fiction really piqued my interest - two of my favourite genres combined made for great reading! I definitely preferred reading Elizabeth’s story and think I would have enjoyed slightly more exploration into this.

I actually read the majority of this book (25%-100%) in one setting! The chapter endings were full of suspense and so I wanted to continue reading to see what secrets were revealed.

I sometimes finds books like these quite predictable but I didn’t see the twist that came right at the end!

Overall, this is perfect for anyone who enjoys a quick psychological thriller and I’ll definitely be reading more from Corry in the future.

Rating: 4 ⭐️

Coming to find you by Jane Corry
Publication date 22 June 2023

I was completly hooked from the opening lines by this dual timeline thriller, and raced through the pages.

Set in Sidmouth the story focuses on Nancy in the present day and Elizabeth in the World War 2 era. Tall Chimney, the house with its all its secrets is the link between the two plots. 'Coming To Find You' is a thriller that also packs an emotional punch.

I loved the World War 2 storyline and found it really interesting, from the evacuees to the secret army. It really transported me back in time. Elizabeth was a loveable character and my heart broke for her with the struggles she faced, as many women of the era did.

Nancy wasn't quite such an endearing character to me, but her storyline was still engaging. There's a sense of real foreboding and plenty of intrigue with her - what has she really done and who can she trust?!

As Jane Corry does best, there are plenty of plot twists and turns in both timelines. The novel is well paced and the past and the present are linked together really well, seamlessly moving from one to the other.
The paragraphs are short and snappy, having 'a just one more chapter' feel.

Sometimes with a thriller, you're left with questions at the end, and loose threads, but Jane wraps 'Coming To Find You' up very neatly with a satisfying and connected conclusion in both timeframes.

I throughly enjoyed this book and would absolutely recommend it. I haven't read any World War 2 historical fiction before, as I didn't think it would be a genre I would enjoy. It's a testament to Jane that she has changed my mind on this, with her story of Elizabeth, Adeline and the little evacuees Maisie and Shirley and I will be seeking out this genre more in the future.

I would happily give this book 5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Following a family tragedy Nancy decides to escape the press and leaves London. She chooses to seek refuge in her late grandmother’s house, Tall Chimneys, which is situated in the quiet seaside village of Sidmouth.
But the past has a way of catching up with us and someone knows where Nancy is. Can she really escape the past? Not to mention Tall Chimneys holds many of its own secrets.

I know by now that any book by Jane Corry is bound to be a good one, so it is no surprise that Coming to Find You did not disappoint.

In this book two of my favourite genres are combined- thriller and World War II historical fiction. I read both genres often, but I have not seen them come together this seamlessly before!

As with many of Jane Corry's books, Coming To Find You is written with a dual timeline, switching between the present day, where we hear Nancy’s story and the past which follows the story of a lady called Elizabeth. Both stories were equally captivating and as the story unfolds you begin to understand the different leads and how the stories intertwine.

The characters in the book were depicted incredibly well. Both female protagonists were strong, and I enjoyed following their stories. I like that they both do actions which we would categorically call good, as well as some which we would condone, they are not clear cut which makes them more intriguing.

One of the themes in the book was around ‘silent sentences'. I found this incredibly interesting as I haven’t come across this term before, but it is the idea that when somebody commits a crime their family/friends or even victims are condemned in addition to the perpetrators. For example, they may be hounded by the press. I thought this was portrayed well and made me think about how difficult this must be for those who’s reality this may be. Other themes in the book include the changing position of women in society, relationships, forgiveness and how things which happen in our childhood can impact us as adults.

Overall, Coming To Find You had me undoubtedly captivated and I could not read it fast enough. Five stars.

A brilliant story based during WW2 & modern day. A story of warmth and love alongside abuse and heartache. Marvellous rounded characters who I felt I was getting to know. Lots of twists and turns with many instances of bated breath. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Nancy has fled to her childhood second home on the coast, Tall Chimneys, after her stepbrother is convicted of killing his father and her mother. She has reason to believe that the press will pursue her and indeed they do, As does her stepbrother. He phones her, send her messages which the press get hold of leading them to think she too is guilty of murder. The story switches to wartime. Elizabeth lives in Tall Chimneys which is a boarding house. She is unhappily married to Henry and mother to Phillip who has just signed up to the army. It is some comfort to her when she takes in two evacuated children. Her friend Adeline gets her to join a secret army who vow to kill any German invaders. The viewpoint goes on to switch between present and past.

I found this to be a most confusing book. It can't seem to make up its mind about what genre it is in. Is it crime, romance, historical , psychological? There are elements of all of these in this novel and none of them are done justice. The main characters are not particularly well-drawn. Nancy is not a sympathetic character and neither is Elizabeth. Some of the minor characters are more sympathetic but as there are so many of them, it's hard to distinguish one from the other. The two storylines aren't particularly well linked, only the house draws them together and a vague rumour in the present day of a missing person during the war.

To sum up, this would have been a much better book if the author concentrated on one aspect.of the story. The wartime narrative is much more interesting than the contemporary one and there is clearly a story there waiting to be told; that of the secret armies ready to defend Britain in the wake of an invasion. But the present day story which in my view is very unlikely due to several plot holes, didn't hold my attention. Reading through other NetGalley reviews I'm clearly in a minority as so many others liked it;. Sadly, it wasn't to my taste. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC.

I loved this book and was sad to reach the end. Excellent historical fiction. Set in Sidmouth during the Second World War and up to the present times. Wonderful generational storyline and easy to follow. The characters are so well presented offering so many mixed emotions. Throughout there is a feeling of great sacrifice, kindness and courage. Offering a number of surprises through the book.

Two stories set 80 years apart and told side by side, the link being the house in which the action takes place. Secrets are slowly revealed, but something about it all just missed the mark for me. I was not as gripped as I should be, and the jumps between the two time frames made me feel I was trying to keep up with reading two different books. Sadly, for me, not one of the author's best.

A masterfully told story about the history of Two Chimneys a boarding house in Sidmouth.
Nancy fled to her family home following the trial of her stepbrother for the murder of her stepfather and mother. The house harbours a history of secrets and the more time she spends with the locals, the more she learns about its past.
I was fascinated by the ww2 events, delicately but realistically retold.

I LOVED IT! I always find Jane’s books thrilling but I loved the added touch of history to this tale. Jane really pulls her reader into the thick of the story and the storyline itself is structured well smoothly passing between then and now. The characters are brought to life on the page and each scene is set beautifully.

Absolutely loved this. Jane Corry doesn’t put a foot wrong and she’s delivered another captivating and enthralling thriller that I whipped through in a couple of sittings. There’s a dual timeline to the narrative and I found the WWII sections particularly fascinating. A real sense of time was created. Every story she writes takes the reader somewhere different and this has excellent pace and twists to keep you reading. A brilliant read.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

I could not put this book down!

I loved the dual timeline aspect of this book and the twists kept me hooked until the final page.

The way the book came together at the end was excellent and I look forward to my next Jane Corry read.

This is a book with a lot going on. I really liked the description of Sidmouth and Elizabeth’s story… overall, it didn’t grip m as much as I would have liked it to though.

Coming to Find You tells the story of Nancy who is seeking refuge at the family’s bolthole, Tall Chimneys, in Devon after the murder of her mother & step-father, for which her step-brother Martin has been convicted. But what really happened in the farmhouse that night?

This book is set across three time periods. In 1941, we follow the life of Nancy’s grandmother, tall chimneys and the war. The night of the murders, told through short flashbacks, and then there’s the present day.

I absolutely loved the 1941 timeline, reading about the evacuee girls, life during the war and the heartache at Elizabeth’s only child going off to fight the German’s. I found the plot and the characters really engaging and sadly more captivating than the present day Nancy & Martin storyline, where it all seemed a little flat and less exciting to read. I was left with a few questions towards the end but thankfully these were checked off in the form of a letter from the past that Nancy finds, giving the story it’s closing.

The authors writing style of short sentences and quick chapters made the book easy to read.

This my first book by this author and I’ll definitely be checking out her future releases.

Alternating between the second world war years and present day, this thought provoking thriller is a well woven story of family, home, murder, friendship and love. Told from the perspective of Elizabeth and Nancy, two occupants of a grand house in Sidmouth two generations apart. Nancy’s stepbrother has murdered his father and her mother in a bloodbath amid a tragic birthday celebration. In despair and with tabloid journalists wanting their pound of flesh, she flees London to the family holiday home in Sidmouth. Unable to shake off her demons despite her move, her life threatens to spiral out of control and finding it difficult to trust anyone, she wonders where she can ever find peace. Living in the same house, some 80 years earlier is Elizabeth. Trying her best to keep her husband happy and that of her paying guests, she then takes in evacuees from London together with their teacher. Desperately missing her son Philip, fighting abroad, struggling with rations and an abusive husband her hardship is very real but she has a steely determination about her. The two stories run side by side until connections are formed with twists and revelations aplenty. The question remains, is there ever any justification for murder?

I love Jane Corry's books and really enjoyed this one with a dual timeline of the present story and the past. Nancy is fleeing a scandal and holes up at the home she inherited from her grandmother. While she is there she learns of two children who lived there during the war and begins to investigate. Both stories had me hooked and I loved the characters and the way wartime life and emotions was brought to life.
Another five stars for Jane Corry from me.

A really enjoyable read with a dual timeline spanning World War Two and the present day. I loved the wiritng style and the characters were really well developed. A great read

What a stunning book beautifully written by a talented author!
Coming To Find You is set in a beautiful coastal regency house set in seaside village in Devon (hence the beautiful cover). The setting is very picturesque and sets the scene beautifully.
There is a dual timeline in the book, one for Nancy who is hiding away from a family tragedy, the other set in 1941, Nancy's grandmother Elizabeth who took in some evacuees from London to keep them safe from the bombings. That storyline was fabulous and I wished my mother in law who was a young child evacuated from London herself was still alive so that I could buy her the hardcopy of the book. Gripping storylines, both of them and a wonderful escape murder mystery to experience.
Could not recommend this book strongly enough...

The duel narrative of this story, whilst slow at times mainly kept me hooked each time it switched. Although it took me longer to get into Elizabeth's side of the story then it did Nancy's. I ended up throughly enjoying both sides of this story and the links and the mirroring.

A solid 4 stars that makes me want to delve into Jane Corry's back list.

I enjoyed this dual timeline novel set in the coastal town of Sidmouth in Devon. A beautiful house, Tall Chimneys, links the two timelines: present day and the early 1940s. Nancy, escaping from a family tragedy that is in all the newspapers, runs back to the house but finds her problems follow her. Meanwhile, we are introduced to Elizabeth in wartime whose son is missing. There is so much intrigue in this wartime timeline and I found it really engaging. The narrative moves cleverly between the two timelines and held my interest throughout. I liked the descriptions of Sidmouth and felt that I was there. There’s plenty going on in the novel and the ending is exciting and satisfying.