Member Reviews

Having never read a Rhys Bowen book before, I will definitely look out for her in the future! Crime is not typically a genre I read, but The Rose Arbour kept me hooked. I loved the multiple levels of mystery involved including the missing girl, the unsolved cases decades beforehand, and the protagonist's childhood. The flashbacks to those unsolved cases especially kept me reading and I found that I was more interested in the missing children from the war if anything- particularly when Bowen includes the perspectives from the missing children to create more mystery in the plotline. I enjoyed the historical aspect set in 1968 and the main character that stubbornly gets involved with the case despite her job as a journalist and therefore not the sort of person that should have access to information on the cases let alone solve them. Overall, I wouldn't say this is a high tension plot, but rather something I read when I wanted some down time and I like it better because of that! The romance was also subtle and sweet and I'm glad it didn't become a huge factor to the narrative because there was already so much depth to the mystery to get your head around.
The only reason I'm not giving it a higher rating is because it isn't a genre that I usually read and, even though I mostly enjoyed the ending as it certainly wasn't what I was expecting, I think I would have liked more exploration of the relationship between the main character and her parents who, for most of the narrative, seemed a bit too side-lined. Saying that, I'm glad I have read it and it has made me want to read more like it.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC of this book and the chance to write a review on it!

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Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union for the opportunity to read The Rose Arbor by Rhys Bowen, an author to be counted on - always - when it comes to Historical Fiction. I loved it.

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I loved immersing myself in this mystery book, a masterful fusion of history, romance, and tantalizing plot twists! Set in both WWII and 1968, this was a both a sweet story and a sad one. It is set partially in a real place, abandoned in the 1940s but mysteriously remembered by the main character, Liz. She first visits while investigating the disappearance of a little London girl. It also leads to her researching the disappearance of three other girls and answering questions about her own past.

The infusion of history enriches the narrative, lending it a profound sense of authenticity and depth. With every turn of the page, one finds themselves transported to different eras, exploring the mysteries of bygone times while unraveling the complexities of timeless human relationships.

Romance adds a layer of emotional resonance, infusing the story with warmth, passion, and heartache. The character descriptions made me care about them sufficiently to follow their drama, their struggles and triumphs. Amidst the twists and turns of the plot, the love story between James and Liz develops slowly, which I was pleased about!

And oh, the plot twists! Each subtle turn keeps the reader on the edge of their seat, anticipating the next revelation. While it did seem somewhat predictable, there were enough surprises to keep me wanting to know how it all turned out. After a slow and steady pace, the ending seems a bit abrupt but isn't that how life goes sometimes?

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and the author for an ARC of this book and the opportunity to provide a review!

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I've read and enjoyed several books by the prolific Rhys Bowen, and I also thought that this was an entertaining period piece. Set about 20 years after WW II, the time period allows the main character, Liz, to have some freedom in exploring the cases of missing girls (then and in her present) along with her female roommate, a member of the metropolitan police. This is a cozy mystery as nothing is gory and grizzly, but it does have strong emotional overtones due to missing children and questions about Liz's own family and background. For readers who enjoy English mysteries and explorations of the English countryside.

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Interesting and intriguing story featuring a lost wartime village. Flash backs to the past and memories in the present. A good read.

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My rating:

Plot: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Writing: 5 out of 5 stars
Character development: 4 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4.5out of 5 stars

Recommended for readers of:

Historical Fiction
Mystery and suspense

Review:

This is a gripping story, with the right amount of mystery,suspense and intrigue, haunting at times. The book is well written and flows well and is in no way predictable, it keeps you guessing till the end.. The characters are interesting and their personalities are explained well this gave them an authentic feel.

Overall and highly enjoyable read that captures you from the start and is hard to put down. You can't help yourself you have to know what happens next.

Review copy provided through Netgalley at no cost to me.

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I absolutely loved this story. Then again I love rys Bowens book. Loved the writing and it's a definite recommend

Thank you publisher and netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and isn't influenced by anyone else

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The mystery, intrigue, and suspense pulled me in almost from the very beginning. The book has a dual timeline, one with the demise of a quaint little village and its manor house and three little girls lost during the war, along with another lost little girl in the current storyline and the heroine’s own story, each heartbreakingly poignant. I also love a little romance, and although the love story was more secondary, it was sweet and satisfying with Liz and James, both coming from a heritage of landed gentry, adjusting to post war life. Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, I received a free ARC copy. These thoughts and opinions are my own.

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I recently read The Rose Arbor by Rhys Bowen. This mystery is the story of a young newspaper reporter’s embroilment in a search for a missing child. Treading carefully between those advising her not to get involved and a nearly mystical pull to solve the case, she travels around 1968 England. The reader learns of heartbreaking relocations from the World War II era intended to keep children safe from German bombing. The banter between the main character and her policewoman roommate make the reader chuckle as they meet an interesting batch of characters during the investigation. The flashbacks to the war era are appropriately solemn, but I was hoping to hear a bit about swinging 1968 London by way of a pop culture reference or two. This novel is a nice read and has enough twists to keep the reader guessing. Very enjoyable.

Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing for a copy of The Rose Arbor. It has been great fun to give you my personal views.

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Liz Houghton has been reduced to writing obits for The Daily Express due to a great expose she wrote that was. OOPS, about an MP and a call girl who just happened to be an old school chum of the owner of the Express. The story of the day is the kidnapping of Little Lucy, a MP's step-daughter, but there is no chance at all of Liz getting a scoop while stuck in obits. Her best friend and flatmate, Marisa, works as a detective constable at Scotland Yard and has been put on the case to provide "a woman's presence" if Lucy is found. Marisa and her boss are sent to Dorset to check out a tip, so Liz calls in sick and tags along.
That decision unravelled not only Liz's life but solved the current case, several missing persons cases, unearthed a body, and introduced her to a possible love interest, who was NOT married, for once!
This is an amazing historical novel with dual timelines and snippits of the experience of the missing girls. Liz draws on her own experiences to figure out "what if" and more often than not is mostly right about what did happen.
It was a great read with an emotional rollercoaster, but very satisfying at the end.

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This was such a good and interesting story. Well written and absorbing. Didn't put it down til i finished it !! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher

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Another win by Rhys Bowen!
I always look forward to Ms. Bowen's books, and this one didn't disappoint. In this story, Liz, an obit writer for a newspaper is trying to make it back into the newsroom, She accompanies her policewoman friend Marisa and her boss on a case concerning three missing little girls. Liz delves deep into each case and could lose her job, but she is determined to solve the cases and get a scoop on the latest disappearance. It's a multi faceted story and one I read in two days. Loved it! Highly recommended!

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Rhys Bowen is such a fabulous writer. This wartime mystery is full of heartache and surprises with the mysterious disappearance of three little girls and the reporter who with the help of her flatmate, digs up some amazing history. Thank you NG for this page turner.

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Good mystery set in 1968. Interesting characters. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

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Fictional history is the best way I can describe it. Dual settings in England during World War Two in the 1940s and the hippy years of the 1960s. Three little girls sent to safety in the country side miles away from bombing of London vanished. No one saw or heard from them again. And then in the 1960s a kidnapping of another little girl. Vanished with no trace. The kidnapping is high profile and is in all of the news media. Two young roommates, one a police women at Scotland Yard and a female news lady, who has been relegated to obituarys, pursue the current kidnapping, colliding with the missing children of the past.
I really enjoyed this book. It is witty and suspenseful with a touch of romance. Thank you Ms Bowen for teaching me about the lost children of WW2. I'm sure these fictional little girls were not the only ones missing.

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The beginning of The Rose Arbor by Rhys Bowen begins in 1943 with the removal of everyone from Tydeham when the town is requisitioned by the military for operational training. We get a flavor of the people who reside in the town and it is an important backdrop for the story when it picks up again in 1968 with Liz Houghton. Liz is demoted to writing obituaries for a London newspaper after her investigative article would have exposed political corruption. She and her roommate police officer Marissa begin investigating the case of a missing child, whose case stirs memories of similar missing girls from decades ago. Liz finds herself drawn into trying to solve the old cases as visions of the past lead her to clues. Bowen’s narrative of both time periods draws the reader in and the book is a gripping read. There is a little romance too as well as a nicely portrayed female friendship between Liza and Marissa.

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DNF at 41%

The story was interesting enough, but the constant spewing of anti-hippie rants and the promotion of right-wing ideas gave me the major ick. At first, I just tried to ignore all of this, but it is just so tiring to force oneself through prejudiced stories, so I gave it up. It's a shame, because if it weren't for the significant aforementioned flaws, the book would probably be great. Hopefully the rest of Bowen's books don't adhere to the same bigoted ideology, and hopefully the characters in this book do not reflect Bowen's own belief system.

I received an ARC ebook from NetGalley.

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The Rose Arbor will grab your attention and never let go until the final period. The recent disappearance of a child brings memories of three children who disappeared during WWII. News reporter, Liz Houghton, whose roommate Marisa, is a policewoman wonders if these cases could possibly be connected. Her probing into the four cases becomes personal, though, when she has a vision of a body being buried…and indeed there is a body. Rys Bowen has woven a plot full surprises as new revelations emerge. This mystery should not be missed. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley. Most highly recommend.

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Enjoyable WWII and 1960s dual timeline mystery set in London and various English countryside locations. 20-something friends Marisa and Liz, a policewoman and newspaper reporter respectively, embark on unravelling seemingly unrelated missing children cases from the 40s and present day (60s).

There were well-placed red herrings to keep my interest, and prove me wrong! I have read other Rhys Bowen books but this is the first that falls into the mystery category. Some of the resolutions seemed quick and convenient (mother of 1960s missing child comes to mind) but overall it was an entertaining and engaging story.

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Rhys Bowen never ever disappoints and this new book is a delight. 4 girls have disappeared over time and the heroine of the day goes out to find out what happened to them whilst searching for answers about her own life. Bit of a mystery, bit of romance, bit of life in the ‘40’s/‘60’s and how women & children where treated, sad in places but on the whole a joyful story with a lovely ending.

I was living in Weymouth in the 60’s and can vouch for the authenticity of what it was like there then…I even felt I was back in woolworths! Marvellous!

Thank you to Netgalley the author and publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review

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