Latest Books The Big Thrill Recommends: THE ROSE ARBOR by Rhys Bowen

The Big Thrill Recommends: THE ROSE ARBOR by Rhys Bowen

Recommended by Robert Dugoni

Rhys Bowen has received numerous awards and nominations for her mystery novels, including the Agatha, Anthony, Macavity, and Audie. She’s been nominated twice for the Edgar Award. What stands out, as much as the intricacies of the mysteries she weaves, is the beauty of her prose. The New York Times bestselling author writes with a grace and beauty often reserved for literary works, but as with her most recent work, THE ROSE ARBOR (Lake Union Publishing, August 6, 2024) is a complex and intriguing mystery that dares the reader to unravel the clues before her protagonist, London reporter Liz Houghton, does.

THE ROSE ARBOR is set in London in 1968, but with an enduring mystery based on fact: the British Army’s commandeering of the village of Tydeham in World War II to prepare for the invasion of Normandy.

In London, Houghton is banished to writing obituaries when her investigative piece touches too close to several powerful politicians, who kill the article and seemingly Houghton’s career. London is captivated by the abduction of a young girl, and Houghton’s best friend and flatmate, Marisa, is working the case. Liz sees writing articles about the investigation as a way back to the newsroom. It might also get her fired.

She follows Marisa to Dorset, where they discover that 25 years earlier, three girls disappeared while being evacuated by train from London during the Blitz—one murdered in the woods near a train line, the other two never seen again. A visit to Tydeham, what’s left of it, deepens the mystery when Liz can’t shake the feeling that she has been to the town before. Are there clues among the ruins that can link the missing girls to the mystery and, possibly, help solve the mystery of the missing London girl?

I’m a big fan of Bowen. She has a knack for immersing the reader into her characters, the setting, and the mystery. THE ROSE ARBOR is a crackling good mystery with plenty of intrigue for any seasoned mystery reader and smart, exquisite prose for those who luxuriate in the beauty of the written word. Take THE ROSE ARBOR on vacation, but be prepared for late nights.

The Big Thrill Recommends: THE ROSE ARBOR by Rhys Bowen