Elizabeth Ironside

Set in post WWII France, this excellent novel deals with issues of collaboration and resistance, acceptance and forgiveness. Although classified as a mystery and focused around the issue of who murdered the German soldier found naked and dead in a farmyard, it is more about human nature and the moral imperatives of war and occupation. A good read and a thoughtful novel.

Who killed the German SS officer who may, or may not have been lover's with the woman whose home he occupied? Was she a collaborator or a heroine of the resistance? What role did the different factions of the resistance play in the events? When Theo Gazalle returns home with the Gaulist forces at the end of the war he can either search for the answers or resign himself to his wife's withdrawal from their marriage. The novel moves between the events of the recent past and the investigation as show more he pieces together the answers. Excellent. show less

This is an excellent mystery. What starts out as the rather commonplace English weekend murder mystery (which I appreciate well enough), turns into a wonderful story that unwinds itself as slowly as a non-detective in the present time looks into the crime of the past. About a third of the way through the book, you will not be able to put it down. As delicately uncovered details are revealed about each character, you find yourself drawn back to the beginning of the story over and over again, show more each time explaining it a little bit, without changing the details of those original pages. And, the author cleared up the mystery at the end while tying it to parallels in the current time. This is meticulously crafted - a must read mystery. show less

Elizabeth Ironside writes a great mystery. Period. How could you not like the intersection of Russian genealogy, a depressed, but fashion conscious lawyer, petulant teenagers with middle class small town England, coupled with WW II secrets? Elizabeth combines it all into a believable and engrossing tale that will keep you up long before your mate goes to sleep. You won't figure this one out before the end. Think Betty Moody's cave!