Sharon Thompson

The rumours state that there is a Murdering Wives Club. In 1944 Laurie Davenport has returned to Davenport Manor, from the war blind, convinced his wife, Charlotte, intends to kill him. Family friend General Frederick Ashfield involves him, and his carer and assistant, Noran Walsh in the case of murderer Eve Good and her connection to the Sinful Sisters and the Club.
An interesting and entertaining well-written historical mystery with its varied and absorbing characters.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher via Library Thing and am voluntarily leaving a review… (plus d'informations)

The first half of this book was utterly gripping. The story is told from three points of view, which at the beginning weave seamlessly together to push the story forward. Laurie is a veteran returned from the war, disfigured and blinded from his time in the trenches. His wife inexplicably turns up missing- shocking, but a secret relief to him as he is convinced she is trying to murder him.

Laurie's close friend sends him Norah as an assistant, and requests that they help him on a case of the Murdering Wives Club. Norah's presence in the house is welcome to all, but her narrative chapters hint at a greater purpose for being at the house than simply to serve as an assistant to Laurie.

The third narrative is furnished by Eve, an imprisoned woman thought to be a member of this club. She agrees to speak with the police in return for favours, so Laurie and Norah travel to see her. Here is where the story began to unravel a bit for me...Eve will not talk to Laurie with a woman in the room, but she agrees to write Laurie long detailed letters. For a woman who purports to be afraid to death of this Club, why agree to put pen to paper? And she can clearly tell he is blind, so she writes knowing Norah is reading the missives to Laurie anyway.

There isn't a lot of depth to the plot so I won't go into details. The read is enjoyable, the characters are likable, but the end overreaches and tries so hard to be twisty, unexpected, and shocking that it just came across as confusing and somewhat of a let down.

For the clear writing, good characters, and general enjoyablility, I give this 3 stars.… (plus d'informations)