What an enjoyable book! The premise of a historical fiction book paired with a mystery seemed intriguing and it really worked well!

The beginning of the book we meet Liz and her roommate and follow them as they follow a lead about a missing girl. The story unfurls, but it’s not the only lead Liz follows. We learn more about Liz, her past, other missing girls and more.

Advance reader copy provided by Lake Union and NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

In 1968 London, Liz has been demoted to writing obituaries at the newspaper where she works. Her friend and flat mate, Marisa, is one of the police officers assigned to the case of a missing little girl. Without permission from the paper and with plenty of objections from the police, Liz follows Marisa to a town where the girl was reportedly seen. While there, Liz learns that three other little girls went missing during the war. As she digs deeper, she uncovers information not only about the village, but about herself as well.

I really like Rhys Bowen’s books, am working my way through all three of her series and have been enjoying her standalone books as well. Like the other standalones I’ve read, this one is historical fiction, but instead of being set primarily during WW2, this is set in the late 1960s, although it does flash back to WW2 somewhat regularly. The dual timelines were not hard to keep straight, as the events and the people were distinctly different.

I like Liz as a character, her friend Marisa, and even came to like DI Jones and James before the book was over. As the story developed and it was obvious that some really bad things happened, I wasn’t sure if some of the characters could be trusted, but isn’t that what a mystery/puzzle is supposed to do? There were several mysteries within this book, with some being easier to figure out than the others. Although I shouldn’t have been, I was surprised by the resolution to one of them, and I was glad things ended the way they did.

I look forward to reading the next Rhys Bowen book on my list, whether it’s continuing one of her series – I haven’t visited with Molly lately, so maybe that will be next? – or reading another standalone book.

Master storyteller Rhys Bowen has done it again! This is a finely woven, dual timeline tale of mystery, determination and redemption set in England 1940s and 1968.

1968 - Liz Houghton is determined to regain her newspaper reporting job by taking advantage of her roomie’s police constable’s status. A missing girl in London, and possible leads on the South Coast lead Liz to discovering a village claimed and abandoned by the WWll Armed Forces, an unidentified buried body and a previously unsolved disappearance of three girls. Liz feels an unexplainable connection to this village and is compelled to try and solve the mystery. Along the way, she uncovers startling secrets and truths.

This is a stand alone Historical Fiction mystery that keeps your interest and keeps you guessing. A compelling and enjoyable read!

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the complimentary eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The investigation into a little girl's disappearance interests Liz Houghton who works as an obituary writer for a newspaper and is awaiting her big break into the newsroom. Liz inserts herself into part of the police investigation after her friend Marisa, a police employee, is assigned to the case. The story uncovers the abandoned village of Tydeham, raises questions of children who were sent away during the war, and Liz begins to question her own past.

Liz is languishing in her job as a obit writer, but she knows her chance for a big break comes to her as a young girl disappears without a trace. If she can solve the mystery, with the insider info. of her BFF and roommate, Marisa, who just happens to be assigned to investigate, As the women dig deeper, they realize there maybe a pattern and other potential victims tied to the WWII. Will the now abandoned village of Tydeham, once commandeered by the army to prepare for the D-day invasion, help break open the case? A quick read and a good blend of dual timelines set in 1943 and in the late 60s giving this mystery a dose of historical fiction. This is my second Bowen book, and will not be my last! She's a masterful storyteller and you will engrossed and kept guessing until the very end.

Liz Houghton is an obituary writer at the Daily Express, a London newspaper, it’s not her dream job and when a young girl Lucy Fareham goes missing and she thinks this could be her chance for a big scoop. Liz wants to be a news reporter, her best friend Marisa and flat mate is a police officer, she follows Marisa to Dorset and just happens to be staying at the same guest house as her and Detective Inspector Jones.

They discover twenty five years ago three young girls went missing, evacuees from London and one was found murdered by a train line. The two other girls haven’t been seen since, Liz explores all of the possible scenarios, could the cases be linked, is anything similar in the girl’s disappearances, and could it be the work of a serial killer?

Liz uncovers during the Second World War, the village of Tydeham, in Dorset was requisitioned by the military, to be used for D-Day preparations and it’s now an abandoned ruins. Could the girls have stayed in the village prior to everyone leaving, or could it have been used later to hide them and even their remains? Liz, Marisa and Detective Inspector Jones get permission from the army and visit Tydeham, they discover the villagers and owner of the land and main house called Tydeham Grange were given two weeks' notice to leave, they thought after the war ended they would be able to return and it didn’t happen. Liz is fascinated by Tydeham Grange, when the others return to London she decides to have a better look, she has an odd feeling that she has been there before and she would’ve been a toddler at the time.

There’s nothing like an interesting and well written dual timeline narrative to get your attention, set in 1968 and 1943 and it kept mine for the entire book.

Using a real wartime village on the South Coast of England as her inspiration for The Rose Arbor, Rhys Bowen has created a story-line full of mystery, suspense, secrets, odd coincidences, unanswered questions, eerie feelings, lost memories, and great characters, one being a journalist who joins the dots together and leaves no stone unturned in her search for the truth. Ms. Bowen has composed yet another five star read and I highly recommend The Rose Arbor and her previous book, The Venice Sketchbook.

This novel gives the reader a historical account of a small coastal town which was taken over by the British Army during WWII. The inhabitants were told that they had two weeks to vacate to another location in 1943. It’s a situation that no one would want to think about especially those few villagers that had been there for generations. In 1968 London Liz Houghton, a newspaper reporter, is eager to solve the cases of 3 missing girls from WWII and a little girl missing recently in London. Her roommate is a policewoman and the 2 of them are determined to follow up any leads they find. Very enjoyable. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Rose Arbor slowly but surely draws you into the story of the small town of Tydeham in WW2 that the British government commandeers and everyone must leave their homes.

It is also the story of Liz Houghton in 1968 who is a newspaper reporter desparte for her big scoop who not only investigates the little girl missing presently but also the three little girls that went missing during WW2.

She is tenacious, she is strong willed and with determination she sets out on her own time to find out the truth.

Rhys Bowen always does a remarkable job of not only writing very well but her research is extremely well done and The Rose Arbor is no exception.

I got inmersed in the mystery of all the girls and could not put this book down.

Highly recommend you get your copy and settle in for a fantastic read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the privilege and opportunity to read and review The Rose Arbor.

This was a pretty solid standalone historical mystery from Rhys Bowen. Liz Houghton, an aspiring journalist in 1968 London, has been demoted to obituaries after upsetting some powerful men, and she's constantly looking for ways to prove herself as a reporter. Her best friend and roommate is a police officer with the Met, and Liz manages to attach herself to a case involving the disappearance of a young girl. I expected the book to be a bit more about that disappearance, but there are actually a few historical disappearances (all related to girls who were evacuated from London during the war) that reveal themselves to be somewhat connected to the current case that pique Liz's interest, especially after she has a sudden and powerful memory of being in a village that was requisitioned by the British military and used for live training, ultimately destroying the homes of those who once lived there. While I do think there was a bit too much going on here, I still enjoyed the mystery and was really interested in the setting of the abandoned village that was requisitioned by the military as well as the stories of the evacuation of children from London during the war. Not my favorite by Bowen, but a solid read.

Another wonderful book by Mrs Bowen . I began reading her Royal Spyness series years ago .
This story was a great change for me

London: 1968. Liz Houghton is languishing as an obituary writer at a London newspaper when a young girl’s disappearance captivates the city. If Liz can break the story, it’s her way into the newsroom. She already has a scoop: her best friend, Marisa, is a police officer assigned to the case.

What an excellent plot for a story! I was sucked into this book from page 1, It begins with the removal of all the residents of a village during the Second War. The army has requisitioned the village and all must leave. Forward to 1968 and Liz, an ambitious young journalist looking for a story, and her flatmate just happens to be a policewoman investigating the disappearance of a child.
This book will have you hooked, the reality of the army taking over villages and leaving them abandoned at the end of the war is fascinating and the mystery is well plotted and executed. I highly recommend this book and hope to see more from this author. Thanks for an ARC of The Rose Arbour.

📖 Book Review 📖

📱 "The Rose Arbor" by Rhys Bowen

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
To be published August 6, 2024

A slow moving, suspenseful historical fiction novel about the investigation into a young girl’s disappearance, which uncovers a mystery dating back to World War II. In 1968 Liz Houghton is a London obituary writer wanting to become a journalist. Her best friend and roommate Marisa, is a police officer and assigned to the case. Over 25 years ago, 3 young girls disappeared right off the train while evacuating London during the Blitz. One was found dead in the woods but the other two were never found. Liz follows the case and clues which leads her all over England. She learns of a clue in the small village of Tydeham, which the British military requisitioned during the war for training and left in complete ruin.

This was not my favorite Rhys Bowen historical fiction novel since I found it slow and just not enough happening to keep my attention. I loved her previous novel “The Paris Assignment” and would recommend that book if you have never read anything by this author.

Thank you to @netgalley for this eARC

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During the war the village of Tydeham was chosen to be the site of invasion practice. All residents including those at the manor house had to move out leaving their homes, their memories and legacies behind and their village was destroyed. Years later reporter Liz Houghton comes to the village with her best friend, Marisa, a police officer, as they try to find a missing girl. Instead Liz has a vision looking at the rose arbor up at the manor house and is sure someone is buried there. This starts a quest to find not only Lucy but 3 other missing girls who vanished when children were evacuated to the country from London. An engrossing read with a lot of coincidences that doesn’t make it any less fun to read.

Liz Houghton is a young woman in the mis 1960s, struggling in her career and her love life, when her roommate Marisa is assigned to the case of a missing young girl. Liz decides to take control of her own life and follows Marisa to Weymouth to help investigate the disappearance but ends up interested in the story of a nearby town that was forced to be evacuated during WWII by the military. There are multiple streams within this story, and I admittedly was confused about how they would all tie in together by the end.
As with previous books I've read by Rhys Bowen, the writing is clear and well done, but for me this book just had too much going on. There were too many threads that had to be tied together and it just felt a bit disorganized and chaotic as result. There were also many, many digs at hippies, that to me felt excessive. With that all in mind, I am rounding down my rating on this book from 3.5 stars to 3 stars. I found the storyline about the abandoned town interesting, but by the end of the book, it veered well into the melodramatic and honestly implausible.
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

As aspiring journalist Liz takes the opportunity in front of her to investigate a missing child, she happens on bones of an adult woman, other missing children and a village that was requisitioned and subsequently destroyed by the army in WW2.

Liz pulls on the tiniest of threads for missing girls and follows them to seemingly dead ends. But Bowen is able to weave the threads together and Liz is able to make sense of them. This was a fascinating book to read while Liz tries to resurrect her career as a journalist. She meets James, learns about her own childhood and researches (without Google) a lost village.

I loved this book - it had all the elements for me - intrigue, mystery, potential love, and family drama.

I was given this book by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own,

Another great stand alone read by Rhys Bowen. A page turner. Always learn interesting history about the time period in her stand alone books as well as her series and this one was no exception. The resiliency and sacrifices made by the English during WWII is overwhelming and this story is yet another example. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC.

Amazing, this is my 1st Rhys Bowen but won’t be my last. This was very cleverly written weaving different years and missing girls, an abandoned village and lots of secrets and lies with a golden thread of a love story. It kept me hooked from page 1 to the end. This is my number 1 book of 2024.

London: 1968. Liz Houghton is languishing as an obituary writer at a London newspaper when a young girl’s disappearance captivates the city. If Liz can break the story, it’s her way into the newsroom. She already has a scoop: her best friend, Marisa, is a police officer assigned to the case. Liz follows Marisa to Dorset, where they make another disturbing discovery. Over two decades earlier, three girls disappeared while evacuating from London. One was found murdered in the woods near a train line. The other two were never seen again. As Liz digs deeper, she finds herself drawn to the village of Tydeham, which was requisitioned by the military during the war and left in ruins. After all these years, what could possibly link the missing girls to this abandoned village? And why does a place Liz has never seen before seem so strangely familiar? This is a very well crafted mystery following different timelines yet managing to tie it all together in a brilliant and unexpected ending. Highly recommend!

This is one of those books where you can sit back in a comfortable chair and let yourself go into someone else’s world.

It gives the reader a historical account of a small coastal town which was taken over by the British Army during WWII. The inhabitants were told that they had two weeks to vacate to another location in 1943. It’s a situation that no one would want to think about especially those few villagers that had been there for generations.

The book also made me think about how strong a mother’s bond is with her child. During the war, children were evacuated without their parents by their sides. They were placed on trains with gas masks and some essentials and then sent to the country to live with a stranger where they would hopefully be safe. There wasn’t an internet or good way of keeping track of the children. How horrible this must have been.

In the story, Liz is a 27-year-old obituary reporter who wants to be in the news room. She calls in sick and secretly meets up with her roommate, Marisa, who just happens to be a police officer. She travels three hours to the South Coast and checks in at the Seaview Lodge where Marisa and a detective are also staying. Then she manages to join them for dinner and talks her way into helping them search for a missing little girl, Lucy, with high profile parents. To make things more interesting, Liz just discovered she has supernatural abilities that may help with the case.

There are a number of clues along the way and the story keeps you intrigued with the friendly characters. It makes you feel like you could be at a pub trying to capture everything Liz is investigating. As Liz digs deeper, she finds out there are more missing children from the war and she continues to use her sick days to work on potential news stories.

While the story had my attention with a good timeline, there were a lot of coincidences and it wasn’t too hard to figure out the plot. The message was that coincidences can alter someone’s life – for those of us who want to believe it. I did learn more about the effects of the war with the villagers and children. It’s heart wrenching to think about the situations they endured.

My thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of August 6, 2024.

In World War II torn Britain, the army commandeered the hamlet of Tydeham. All of the residents had a short period of time to leave their homes, take a few possessions, and relocate. The army promised they would have their homes back, but they were all destroyed by the military operations.

During this time of strife, children were often sent from London to the country to live with other families and keep them safe from the bombing in the city. During this exodus, three little girls went missing. One child was discovered murdered, but the other two were never found.

It is now 1968 and reporter Liz Houghton shares a flat with police detective, Marissa. A child has gone missing and the entire country is searching for her. Liz wonders if this case might have something to do with the earlier ones and her investigation brings her to Tydeham where she has the strange feeling that she has visited there before. And thus, crimes are uncovered, long held secrets revealed.

I have only recently discovered prolific writer Rhys Bowen whose writing I continue to really enjoy. The multiple interrelated story lines raised questions that kept me engrossed and guessing. And just as in life, there were some (very few) questions left unanswered. I loved the historical perspective of both the war years and the late 1960s. History, mystery, and a bit of romance….what more could you ask?