Cover Image: Private Lives

Private Lives

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heerlijk ouderwetse whodunnit!
Deel II van een serie. Speelt zich af tijdens de zomer van 1942 in Devon/UK. De delen kunnen geheel zelfstandig van elkaar gelezen worden.

Een oudere politieman is getuige van een schietincident waarbij een jonge man komt te overlijden. Hij en zijn rechterhand Laurie Oliver worden al snel ingezet om te achterhalen wat er precies gebeurd is.

Gedetailleerd en humorvol geeft Harlond verslag van wat en met wie Bobbins in aanraking komt, op zoek naar de waarheid. Zo ontmoeten we een illuster theatergezelschap in huize Flowers, en welk geheim draagt Lavinia met zich mee?

Een fantastische mix tussen Lord Peter Wimsey (D. Sayer), Foyle's War & the Land Girls.

Ik hoop toch echt op nog meer delen. Heerlijk ouderwetse cosy mystery.

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Bob Robbins is like a lot of law enforcement officers: he comes back from retirement to help out his local force. While on vacation, Bob finds himself working to assist in an investigation in the countryside of North Devon. A local farmer was murdered and his body had disappeared. Robbins and his new, young sidekick work together to solve the murder of this local farmer.

I enjoyed the vivid pictures Harlond drew in regards to the 1940s timeline.

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Initially, I was confused by this book. I didn't know if it was set in Civil War time or the present. I didn't know if Bob Robbins was a hokey want-to-be policeman or the real thing. United States or England.

Despite giving the reader the names of both of the guest houses [Peony Villas, Number One and Number Two] and the names of the farms [Ridgeway and Hentree],it was hard to keep them separate. Many of the characters have at least two names. The rooms are also named: Bob is told "Honeysuckle is waiting" which he misunderstands].

Thankfully, there is a list of characters at the beginning to aid the reader.

I read this EARC courtesy of Books Go Social and Net Galley. pub date 05/09/20

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An excellent historical mystery, well plotted and engrossing.
I loved the vivid historical background, the great characters and the solid mystery that kept me guessing.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

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A comfortable 1940s war-time detective story st in north Devon. A village where murder has occurred and every one apparently knows everyone's business but says nuffin. Everyone also seems to be inter-related with family feuds going back donkeys. Nice policing of the old sort and an interesting set of characters. Semi-retired DS Bob Robbins has his holiday interrupted when he hears shots and sees an apparent shooting. Local police are overwhelmed and he is drafted in, reluctantly, to take over the case; not always helped by the local police naturally. Some nice red herrings and a quirky but believable set of protagonists - village life to a T - and a good feeling for the times. Thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

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Bob Robbins is a detective, but he is presently on holiday enjoying a short walking holiday in the countryside. Stumbling upon a shooting, one man dead, one man missing both of whom he actually saw he now finds himself embroiled in a peculiar mystery of linking pieces of an immense family puzzle.

I lost track of who was related to whom halfway through but I think in small country villages all over the world, everyone is interconnected by marriage going back generations. This village was no different. That was part of the charm of this story because history of clans seemed to be taken very seriously and accounted for various squabbles, ill feelings and stories never allowed to actually fade away - good or bad.

A classic mystery murder detective story this was a nice one set in a rural setting in wartime England.

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A murder mystery set during World War 2.Lots of interesting characters,twists and turns.A retired detective and his young sidekick work hard to solve it.

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Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the eARC.
WWII, 1942 on the North Devon coast finds Bob Robbins on a few days off from his police job. He reluctantly gets involved in the murder and disappearance of a wounded farmer. A new young police recruit, Laurie Oliver, joins him and they both take rooms at Peony Villas, where they meet the attractive owner and her strange actor guests. The case proves to be a difficult, frustrating one.
It's a good mystery with a true feeling of wartime England. The only thing I found a bit upsetting was the part about the skeletal tied-up dog and the starving pigs, although some of the scenes of being chased by the hungry hogs were amusing.
There seem to be some strange suspicious meats provided by the cook at Peony Villas, who collects kittens and puppies!? There are some unanswered questions regarding that and other events, but it's pretty easy to figure out what's what. I enjoyed the book and definitely recommend it.

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I received a free electronic copy of this historical British novel from Netgalley, J.G.Harlond, and publisher Lucero on May 15, 2020. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. Harlond writes a tense, tight tale with personable protagonists and an inviting background in southwestern England in late summer, 1942. I am pleased to recommend this author to friends and family.

Our main copper in Private Lives is a visitor to the Atlantic coastal town of Bideford, North Devon, England. Edward J. "Bob" Robbins is a widower, his son serving active duty, and Bob is again a Detective in the Constabulary of Cornwall County, once retired but called back to duty when all the younger men went to war. He is taking a long-delayed break of about a week in the hopes of seeing interesting fauna with his new binoculars and resting his poor tired knees. He desperately needs to unwind and find perspective. Almost immediately he becomes embroiled, basically against his will, in an investigation of one murder, perhaps two, which he witnessed in part. The Bideford police, all of whom are also unfamiliar with Bideford and overworked, feel free to pass the investigation of the missing farmer over to Bob as they are stretched thin with the search for a missing two-year-old girl and, now, the murdered young farmer, shot in the barn of Hentree Farms while Bob was searching the vacant house for the unconscious farmer. Bob, in turn, calls upon Cornwall County to send up a young Constable he has been working with, Laurence Oliver, to assist him in finding the missing old farmer who was at one time being drug across a field at Hentree Farm by the later murdered young farmer, which he observed through his new binocs. Now the older victim, probably missing farmer J. Slattery of Ridgeway Farm, cannot be located nor has he been seen by anyone since last viewed by Detective Robbins.

#1 Peony Villas is the overnight accommodation recommended by the Bideford police desk sergeant. Bob is housed there along with a troupe of stage artists and the tempting, well-preserved landlady, whose name is perhaps Jessamyn Flowers. Bob and later Laurie enjoy the occasional company of these lovely women and the excellent cooking of Mr. Potts, a WWI vet with emotional issues.

Private Lives is an excellent British police procedural, with three-dimensional characters and a wonderful view of time and place in SW England, 1942. Private Lives is the third in this series but is completely stand-alone. This author also has a trilogy, historical in nature, titled The Chosen Man. She is going on my must-read shelf and added to my 'seeking' list. I hope you enjoy her as much as I did.
pub date May 9, 2020

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1942 Bideford Due to the war DS Edgar (Bob) Robbins has been brought out of retirement to once again join the police force. While on holiday, walking a coastal path he hears shots and notices an incident, involving two men. The elder man looking injured but his help is not welcome. Then later while investigating at the Hentree Farm he hears a pistol shot and discovers the body of the young man. Soon due to local police shortages, Robbins is seconded to the area and is in charge of the investigations. He recruits his constable Laurie Oliver to help. While on the case he is staying at the Peony Villas, where he is sure that there is a mystery to be solved there.
An enjoyable historical well-written mystery with a couple of likeable main characters.

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