Thank you to #NetGalley and to the publishers for an advanced copy of #AQuestionOfTrust in exchange for my honest review.

The late Penny Vincenzi sticks to her tried and tested formula in A Question Of Trust, as this is another lengthy romantic family saga. The story spans the period of the 2nd World War to 1950s London. The author is beautifully descriptive in her prose and always writes in what feels like a posh manner to me.

There are a large number of characters (sometimes I felt too many) however it is tiresome in my opinion to continually consult the beginning of the book to find out who so and so is and who they are related to. If the option to consult this section wasn’t there I have no doubt that I would find this annoying also.

The story outlines the struggles and upper class resistance to the NHS, it outlines the negative, and hateful attitude towards homosexuality at the time and of course there is the relationships between the characters and emotions that are experienced.

This novel as with some other Penny Vincenzi novels, I have found slow to progress. I felt that I was eager to gain information on the characters that were on the sidelines rather than the main characters. There were a lot of sections that I felt could have been further developed.

Parallels to The Clifton Chronicles by Jeffrey Archer in the story whereby Tom is supported by his teacher to better himself and gains a scholarship to grammar school and becomes a labour politician.

I did enjoy reading this story and would recommend it to fans of Penny Vincenzi or those who like family sagas.

#NetGalley #AQuestionOfTrust

Wonderful, Vincenzi never fails to please. Tom is highly principled, and always puts them first, unless it suits him not to..... When his wife completely goes against his beliefs, his world and ambitions come crashing down. compelling reading, beautifully written.

Not up to her usual standard which is a shame as it's her last ever book. A large ensemble cast with lots of overlaps and ripples. It starts with the Second World War and moves forward to the beginnings of the National Health Service in the following years. A touch slow for my liking.

Penny Vincenzi has always been a favourite of mine.
Huge novels with depth, a cast of characters and a saga to deal with. Whilst it had three of the ingredients, it just wasn’t deep or descriptive enough. As a beach read it would work, but at home in reality it wasn’t strong enough, particularly compared to some of PV’s earlier novels.

There were just too many characters to really get invested in them - it was more a description of events rather than what motivated them. Lots of interesting events were glossed over with little details missed that peppered her previous novels.

I enjoyed reading about Tom and Diana but found them vacuous and not particularly likeable. I thought Laura, Jillie, Alice and Ned were the most interesting stories but their role was limited to the sidelines.

3.5*
An interesting read which taught me about fashion photography and the early days of the NHS but sad to say it’s not my favourite PV novel.

I was delighted to have been given the chance to preview the last Penny Vincenzi blockbuster .I have read all her books and absolutely loved all of them and A Question Of Trust was no exception . Set in 1950's London it gives an insight into the glamorous rich and not so rich of that era, when the law was a lot different and the NHS was just born .I didn't particularly like Diana' or Tom' for various reasons but Ned Alice and Jillie were lovely souls .As usual this book is very well written and I really felt I was there at the 'Dorch' with the in crowd having fun and drinking champagne , how lovely to have been them in that era ! This was a nice long read and I am very sad that this will be the last Penny Vincenci blockbuster I will miss her books .Many thanks to he Publisher ,the Author and NetGalley for my preview copy in exchange for an honest review .

This was an amazing look back at the British society after the Second World War and into the 1950’s. It was an interesting perspective and full of interest, about politics, the birth of the Health Service, homosexuality and the influence of newspapers on the times. There is also the loves, lies, adulatory, politics, moral dilemmas also contained and enthralling to read. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the book in exchange for an honest review.
This was another lengthy book by the prodigious author Penny Vincenzi and is once again an awesome read.
Highly recommended.

oh wow I absolutely loved this roller-coaster of a read. Absolutely fantastic and un-put-downable.

Tom Knelston was always going to rise from his humble beginnings and be a star. It didn't matter who he hurts along the way like his loving wife, Alice and one-time mistress Diana. He's never forgotten his lost love and is unable to share exactly why she was so special. He's a rising star in the Labour Party and determined to make a name for himself. He has to turn his back on his ideals to save his son with devastating consequences.

Alice's friend Jillie, a female surgeon is unlucky in love and finds it hard to not forgive Ned, lovely passionate Ned. Ned who stands by his principles at his work as a paediatrician and in his life.

The characters are brilliant, not always likeable but the story flows around them. Loved it.

I loved this book. The many characters & their lives that develop through out this book keep you turning the pages, added to this is the glamour of the 50's along with politics and love makes this a truly immersing novel.
A really great read.

Thank you for providing me with a copy of this. I enjoyed it, but found it harder to get into than some of her previous books.

I found this hard to get into and put it aside for a while. On returning to it, I enjoyed the saga and was glad to be able to recommend this fine example of Penny Vincenzi's writing. One for her fans but you need to persevere.

I loved this book and could not put it down. Another excellent story from this author and definitely recommended.

Fab story which really draws you I from the start. Good flow with strong characters and a story line that has lots of twists and turns

This book is not normally something i would read, but i used to be a big fan of Pennys a long time ago and had stopped reading her.

This is set in the period just before and after the 2nd world war. It is essentially a story about the NHS, the Labour Party, Homosexuality, and High Society. I was not expecting such a political book.

It tells the story of Tom, who worships the Labour party and his ambition to become an Mp. Then we have Ned, a surgeon who is Gay in a time when everyone thinks its disgusting and they get arrested and chemically castrated. Then we have Diana, beautiful, bored, spoilt, drinks to excess and becomes a world famous model. Jillie who is training to be a Surgeon. Alice a nurse. Laura a headmistress. All of their stories, whilst individual are all interwoven.

At times this book was interesting, the struggles to get the NHS up and running, how the wealthy didnt want it at all and fought against it. How peoples attitudes towards Gay men in the 40's and 50's are so different to how they are now. But the romantic side of it fell flat for me, i didnt believe any of it, none of them were passionately in love with each other, it was all a bit flat and boring frankly. However the book was ok, but i wouldnt read it again put it that way.

I found it quite difficult to get into but once I got into it it was a great holiday read. Kept you thinking how did they all fit into each others lives as they all crossed paths at different time.s

Against a backdrop of the beginnings of the NHS, Vincenzi interweaves the stories of her characters. The class divide,the role of women, the effect of war and the glittering excesses of the upper classes are all backdrops for romances and escapades of her characters. Well paced, warm,entertaining saga but thought provoking, as social issues are subtly explored over the 20 plus years.

What a glorious saga of post war Britain! Loved the complex and sometimes flawed characters and the wonderfully described era with all its traditions and prejudices. This is a real page turner, one of Penny Vincenzi's best. Sometimes escaping to the world of the elite and glamourous is just what you need! Highly recommend.

Great read for the beach. Jumps around a bit in places so that I had to re-read sections as I wasn't actually sure what had happened or what character was being discussed. But a great read altogether, just make sure you have your tissues ready at the end!

I have thoroughly enjoyed every Penny Vincenzi book and A Question of trust is no exception. The story is set in the 1950’s and centres around the political ambitions of Tom and the early days of the NHS. I must admit it took me longer to get into this book but I think this is due to so many characters. Once I’d figured out who was who I couldn’t put it down. As usual her characters are portrayed as interesting, strong people and there are many twists in the story. Highly recommended. Thank you netgalley

I love penny vincenzis books. They are always a treat and this is no exception. The size, the scale the epic ness that she writes just swallows,you whole. This story is set in the fifties and centres around Tom, a politician. In penny’s inimitable manner this story explores marriage, affairs cheating, loyalty family dynamics choices and the consequences of our actions in ourselves and out loved ones. Brilliant

I have always been a big fan of Penny Vincenci and have really enjoyed all the novels of her's that I have read. I am sad that this will be her last novel because she sadly died late last year.
Although I could not put this book down and enjoyed reading it I felt that the story was very much based on a formula that had been used in her previous books. In some ways she makes you think about problems faced by people who lived through the 50's and 60's and the problems faced by people coping with the realities of sexual orientation and its effect on family and professional lives.
It follows a group of people from different social and political backgrounds and gives insights into both their family , work, and political lives.
I will not repeat what has already been said in other reviews but would recommend fans of Penny V to read it and to enjoy reading what was her last novel and join other readers in being sad that she has died.