Past Unbecoming

Really excited about this book. It was an Absolutely phenomenal read. High will recommend to others to pick up as soon as it is released.

Past Unbecoming has an original plot and well-developed characters.. During the course of writing a regimental history, Dominic Mallory, a retired army officer ,uncovers a crime which took place during the Second World War. This discovery leads to a present-day murder.
The book is written by an experienced army officer and this shines through.
I found the pace at the beginning of the book rather slow due to the lengthy descriptions of military life and history. The pace then picked up and I became absorbed in the story. There was an unexpected twist at the end when all was revealed.
A recommended read for fans of crime fiction.
Thank you to Netgalley and The Book Guild for sending me this review copy. All opinions are my own.

I received a free e- book of “ Past Unbecoming” through Net Galley . My thanks to the publisher and author.
Nick Everard’s “ Past Unbecoming” is a mystery novel about what happens when the past is re-examined, even with the best of intentions. Dom Mallory is a recently retired businessman with time on his hands when he receives a call from an old army friend who invites him over to discuss a project he thinks is perfect for Dom. The regimental history of Prince Rupert ‘s Horse ( a cavalry regiment converted to armored) service in the Second World War, was left only partially completed , with service after D-day only sketchily filled in. Given full access to the files, Dom begins his research. He finds much more that he bargained for.
Starting by delving into photos and letters from the past, he start to piece events together when one day Dom’s wife, Kate happens to notice, while looking over his shoulder, something interesting : two different officers received love letters from the same woman. The handwriting is the same . Intriguing. Further digging results in an accusation that the officer in command, the recipient of some of the letters, is accused of causing the death in action of his rival. What seemed a simple task has become a scandal provoking dangerous publicity to the regiment .
This well written story moves swiftly.Mr . Everard’s main characters, Dom and Kate have the kind of marriage , with the bits of verbal sparring, unvoiced communication and tolerance that marks closeness. It comes in handy when things hidden for sixty years are uncovered, resulting in a murder. The author’s description of the Regiment’s almost hierarchical membership, at least among the officer class , is very British to American eyes and very “ old-boys club” -ish. It was part of a cover up that was widespread, and lasting enough to hide simmering resentment over the death of a unforgotten love.
Altogether a very entertaining mystery novel by this first time author .
Cautions: nothing in language, violence or politics that could offend anyone. Just a well written story.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, it kept me entertained and hooked the full time. I felt this book was written so well and didn’t drag on about the same topics for ages boring the reader instead kept interest going.

Great crime and WW2 book. It shows how the past is often linked to the present. I recommend for WW@ and crime mystery readers.

I didn't enjoy this book at the outset but as I continued reading I became more and more invested in the characters. It shows how many many years after military service ends there is still comradeship and loyalty to fellow soldiers and the regiment. Even if this means trying to cover up murder that happened 60 years ago and the present day.

I really just think my main issue with this book is that it wasn't for me. I recognize that it was well written, that it had a solid plot, strong characters, and was fast paced. However, I should have read more of the synopsis for this book as it is very heavy war time vibes, which is simply not my thing. Beyond that, I did think it was good.