This is book five in the series. It was very boring and didn’t have a mystery at all. It is well written. I didn’t warm to any of the characters.

This is only the second Mitford mystery I have read and I absolutely adored it. In this, the 5th instalment Louisa and her husband Guy are running a private detective agency and are instructed by the Mitford family to find their missing daughter Jessica (Decca) who has disappeared in Europe and believed to be on her way to Spain and the Civil War with her cousin Esmond Romilly. Alongside this search Louisa is instructed to find another missing woman in London. I loved the blend of fact and fiction in The Mitford Vanishing, like many I am drawn to and intrigued by the lives of the Mitford sisters and I love the period and political settings of these books. I love the character of Louisa and was thrilled to see her running the detective agency with Guy even if she cannot escape from the pull of the Mitford family. It encouraged me to re read Hons and Rebels by Jessica Mitford and of course read the rest of the books in this series. This was an easy but completely immersive read that I would highly recommend.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

I totally loved the first few novels in this series, but the inevitable shift in tone from the first couple meant this one was not as enjoyable. I suppose given the lives of Unity etc, that is inevitable.

Louisa is a great main character and as with previous books, immersion in her and her husband's world is fun. The setting, the experience- all great. But once getting into the story properly, the reality of the story of Decca (Jessica Mitford) ironically feels like fiction. The cosyness of the first story etc rather goes out of the window. In fairness, the shadow of the war, the actual civil war in Spain and all the realities of all of that are done well. But it is a fault of the reader (me!), not the author, that the glitz and intrigue of the earlier Mitford imaginations from Fellowes is rather missing in this book. The latter parts sometimes felt like a bit of a slog.

Another great mystery from Fellowes in this series. I really enjoyed all of them. The plots are engaging and it makes me curious to solve the mystery. Very engaging writing.
Thanks to NG and the publisher for this copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Mitford Vanishing, which is a mixture of fact and fiction, recounting the escapades of another notorious Mitford sister. I found it fascinating reading, especially as there is so much fact in it. Basically, just about everything about Decca is fact, believe it or not, and everything about Petunia is fiction. A delightful read!

This was a very delightful read, and i love how elements were based on true scenarios. Definitely had an Agatha Christie air about it. Loved the book, and enjoyed the writing style, will definitely be reading more from this author. Highly recommend.

Following the fifth Mitford, Jessica we are back with Louisa Cannon who it seems cannot escape the pull that the Mitford Sisters seem to have on her.

Louisa, settled and married to Guy a former policeman and with a small daughter, life is full and busy. With their own private investigation business starting to prove busy, Louisa finds herself intrigued by a client who comes to ask about her missing sister when she has no luck with the police. Having watched how sisters can relate to each other Louisa says she will help.

Then Nancy Mitford contacts Louisa and says that her younger sister Jessica, known as Decca has gone missing. What are the chances of two cases at work to do with missing sisters? Knowing the pull that the Mitford’s have both Louisa ang Guy concentrate on trying to locate Jessica.

But the world is rapidly changing, it is 1937. Negotiating peace seems to be the order of the day between Britain and Germany to prevent a war, whilst in Spain a civil war is already raging. Louisa and Guy find themselves travelling to Spain both separately and together to where it seems Jessica has decided to run away to.

Along with Jessica’s cousin, Esmond Romilly, the pull of doing the right thing and supporting what you believe in is a driving factor in this race across Europe. Despite war, wedding bells are mentioned and it seems both the Mitford’s and the Romilly’s have a lot to lose in this potential partnership.

Can Louisa and Guy give everyone the answers that they are looking for? Will Jessica realise the conflict she has brought on an already divided family? And what of the other missing women, does she know Jessica Mitford?

Following the previous novels, Jessica Fellowes cleverly blends, factual events, the truth, real life characters with fiction and gives you a crime story that you can lose yourself in as well as learn some history along the way. Whilst I don’t think this is the stronger of the books, it is still a good read, but unless you know your history and the story of the Mitford’s then a lot of it may be lost on you. I recommend starting at the beginning of this series and indulging.

As usual in my reviews I will not rehash the plot - plenty of other reviews like that out there if that's what you are looking for.

I did not realise when I requested this book that it was part of a series, but felt that it worked just fine as a standalone, so don't worry if you haven't read any of the others!

This was an interesting read, based on real events in the lives of the famous Mitfords. I liked the characters of Louisa and Guy, but I'm afraid that most of the Mitford family came across as rather unpleasant in various ways.

The main plot - based as it was on real events - was nevertheless well thought out as obviously the sections involving the detectives were fictional. I thought it entirely probable that the family would have employed private detectives to try and bring the errant Decca home and to her senses!

The secondary, but no less intriguing plot, was also well thought out. It was upsetting to read that the authorities turned a blind eye to domestic violence in those days (set during the Spanish Civil War).

All in all an enjoyable read, and I will now seek out others in the series.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

The Mitford Vanishing by Jessica Fellowes

It is 1937 and Europe is marching towards war, with Civil War already raging in Spain. Idealists on both sides – Communist and Fascist – are drawn to the conflict in Spain, perhaps not realising the horrors they will face there. The Mitford family is as divided as Europe but they come together when they realise that Communist sister Jessica (nicknamed Decca) has eloped to France and believed to be heading for Spain. Their former maid Louisa now runs a private detective agency with her ex-policeman husband Guy and the two of them are surprised when novelist Nancy Mitford hires them to track down Decca and her unsuitable lover. Scandal, war, ruination face the young woman if she cannot be found in time.

The Mitford Vanishing is the fifth novel in Jessica Fellowes’ wonderful series, which follows the lives of this extraordinary, glamorous and controversial family. Each one tends to look at a different sister and so you can pick them up easily but I’d really recommend reading the series from the beginning as then you’ll know more about Louisa and Guy. Louisa is the star of these novels however shiny the sisters are. One thing’s for sure, they all attract trouble and they have kept Louisa’s investigative skills busy since the day she first met them.

This time we’re on the trail of Decca but, as she remains elusive for much of the novel, the focus is on the people that Louisa and Guy meet on their travels across France. The war in Spain looms over events and the details about that are fascinating. Louisa, though, has other matters on her mind and spends much of the novel investigating another case in London of a missing woman while Guy chases clues on the continent.

The novel mixes fact and fiction very well and the scenes in France are particularly compelling. I wasn’t convinced as much by the London missing person case or its conclusion but Decca’s mysterious disappearance is thoroughly entertaining and a great device through which to look at the rise of fascism and the Spanish Civil War.

Louisa is a fabulous main character and I’ve enjoyed following her over the years. Her husband Guy plays a much bigger role than usual and he is improved for it. The two now feel like an equal partnership and they work so well together.

I listened to the audiobook, which was well-read but I think the treebook would be better due to the many brief chapters.

We are running out of Mitford sisters now but arguably the strangest of them all remains – Unity. I really, really hope Jessica Fellowes tackles her next!

Other reviews
The Mitford Murders catch up (The Mitford Murders and Bright Young Dead)
The Mitford Scandal
The Mitford Trial

Another excellent book in the series, each of which is well-researched and perfectly evoke the period.

This time we find ourselves knee-deep in the Spanish Civil War, and the political extremes which are tearing the Mitford sisters apart. Their former maid Louisa, now happily married and with a young child and in business as a private investigator with her husband Guy, is drawn into their affairs once more when Jessica Mitford goes missing. Once it becomes clear that she has run off with her boyfriend and is heading for Spain, both Louisa and Guy find themselves shuttling back and forward to Bayonne in France to find the couple, accompanied by various members of the Mitford clan. Meanwhile, back in London, Louisa is also investigating another missing woman, and as that case develops it becomes clear there is something badly wrong, especially when a body turns up...

The historical setting is perfectly suited to modern readers, as we find ourselves living in equally politically extreme times, and the turbulent period of the 1930s is an apt metaphor for the somewhat messy shenanigans of the Mitford family. The sub-plot of the other missing woman turns into something much bigger, and while it eventually ties in with the main plot of Jessica's disappearance - in that it all ends in the same place - I wasn't quite so taken with it, despite the important 'message' that Fellowes was clearly trying to impress.

Nonetheless, this continues to be an excellent series and one that I will always make time for, so definitely recommended to fans of historical crime with a good grounding in fact and character development. 4 stars.

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.)

Another interesting tale in the Mitford murders series with Louisa Cannon taking a leading role. She’s certainly grown more backbone and is much more confident in her dealings with the family.

Great story built around Decca’s elopement and her interests in the Spanish civil war. Appreciated the historical footnotes at the end which provide the real context and explain what was true and what was the author’s imagination

Can’t fault this series, always happy to read and bereft when the book is over!

Another fabulous Mitford. Book from Jessica Fellowes. I love the enduring friendship of Louisa and Nancy in particular and the way this has been developed over the series. Guy has left the police and along with Louisa has set up Cannon and Sullivan - their own private detective agency. They soon have a case to investigate when Jessica Mitford (Decca) goes missing.
Excellent book.

I really enjoyed the first four books in this series and was so looking forward to the fifth. The initial storyline is the disappearance of 19 year old Jessica Mitford. The family asks Louisa, an ex employee, and her husband, Guy, who now run a private detective agency, to find her. The problem for me with this storyline is that if you’re even reasonably knowledgeable about the Mitfords, you know exactly where Jessica is, why, and with whom. There is therefore no mystery, A secondary storyline dovetails with this one but the momentum is lost as we keep returning to the drama Jessica is creating around herself.

I’m sorry to be disappointed in this. I have to admit I found it quite boring. It may be that if you don’t know Jessica’s life story, this book will be much more enjoyable.. I can only hope that the sixth in the series, if there is one, will be better. I gave the others 4 and 5 stars so my fingers crossed.

With thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for a review copy.

3,5* rounded to 4
As I'm a huge fan of Nancy Mitford I'm always attracted by this series even if I know that the books are a hit/miss.
Becca is a fascinating characters and I was looking forward to reading about her. That said the story involves her but she's not at the center of the scene.
This is a cozy series and i liked the mystery and love Louisa, a well rounded characters.
The historical part is a bit light but it was interesting to read another POV.
The mystery is solid and kept me guessing.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Louisa Cannon is now a married mother but her links to the Mitford family mean that she is called in when Jessica (Decca) disappears. Decca has eloped with her cousin and both are travelling to fight in the Spanish Civil War. However Louisa and husband Guy have also become involved in more missing persons cases - a secretary, a battered wife and a nurse - and all are linked by a violent man who happens to be a Fascist supporter.
This continues to be a very entertains series of light detective novels set loosely around the Mitford family. Here the historical facts of Decca's elopement are used as a foil for a plot around the treatment of female victims and the horror of the Spanish Civil War. It's all cleverly done and, whilst not Haigh literature, definitely passes the time pleasantly.

This was part of a series and I did not read the other ones, so I was at a disadvantage there. The book itself is a very good read, but I think I will need the rest of the series to see the whole picture, and I may just get them based on this one being so good. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of the book.

If you like your historical mysteries with a mix of fact and fiction, the Mitford Murders Series is the one for you. Taking the lives of the Mitford Sisters, a family of socialites in the early 20th century, as a starting point, Ms Fellowes delivers another intriguing mystery in which we travel to France and Spain, with the Spanish Civil War as background.

It is 1937, Louisa and Guy are now parents of a little girl and have founded a private detectives agency. One of their first cases will be trying to locate Jessica, the fifth of the Mitford sisters, whose communist ideas don’t sit well with her family and who seems to have left for the war in Spain. Soon, another disappearance engages Louisa’s attention. Could solving one case help solve the other?

Louisa and Guy are adorable characters. It has been such a pleasure seeing them grow throughout the series. We first met Louisa when she was a teen and now she’s a woman in her thirties, married with a kid. I like how, with putting the focus in a different sister each time, the author manages to move forward Louisa’s story. The sisters are all very different and have completely opposite ideas. You can agree more or less with them, but they all make really interesting characters. Each time I finish one of these books I immediately go to Google to learn more about their fascinating lives.

I loved how this time the background was the Spanish Civil War. I’ve read tons of books about it but always from Spanish authors so it was nice reading about it from another perspective.

The mystery itself was really entertaining and although at the end it turned out a little far fetched I liked how it presented a final dilemma for Louisa and Guy.

One thing I love about this series is the perfect blend of fact and fiction, so seamlessly you can’t really know which is which until you’ve read the author’s notes.

Another great installment in the series, now I can’t wait to read Deborah’s (the youngest sister) story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sphere for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was quite a good read but, as it was part of a series I did struggle with it as I hadn’t read any of the others beforehand. But, it was I try and was very well written and I’ll probably try to get hold of the earlier ones in this series . My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I was delighted to see that Fellowes has written another Mitford mystery! She has such a knack for storytelling, and this mystery kept me hooked from beginning to end! It's delightfully atmospheric, I just love the time period. It's classic, and cleverly woven into history with real historical figures. Thanks for the ARC!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for an advance copy of The Mitford Vanishing, the fifth novel to feature former ladies maid to the Mitford sisters turned PI, Louisa Cannon, set in 1937.

Just as she is about to join her husband, Guy Sullivan in their newly minted detective agency, Cannon & Sullivan, Louisa receives an urgent call from Nancy Mitford. Her younger sister Jessica, known as Decca, has disappeared, having lied to her family about a trip to Dieppe with friends. They quickly discover that she may be on her way to join the International Brigade in the Spanish Civil War in the company of a fellow communist. While Guy investigates in France Louisa takes on another missing case in London, typist Petunia Atwood has not been seen for weeks.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Mitford Vanishing, which is a mixture of fact and fiction, recounting the escapades of another notorious Mitford sister. I found it fascinating reading, especially as there is so much fact in it. Basically, just about everything about Decca is fact, believe it or not, and everything about Petunia is fiction.

I admire the author’s skill in seamlessly weaving fact with fiction. Of course, Decca Mitford’s life and experiences read like fiction, so she has some help there. Nevertheless it is well done and I found myself glued to the pages. Deccan’s story puts the events of 1937, from the civil war to the looming world war, in perspective and that’s interesting as the overriding sentiment seems to be a lack of awareness and interest. The mystery in the novel comes from Petunia Atwood’s disappearance and that’s all go, not in terms of physical action, but in developments and twists that I never saw coming. It may not be totally believable but it’s fun and seems in keeping with the spirit of the novel. It held my attention throughout.

Both Louisa and Guy have a strong moral compass, but differ in the detail. As a former police detective Guy believes in trusting the justice system whereas Louisa has a more elastic approach and does what she feels is right. They have some serious disagreements about this, with Guy tending to back down. I like this.

The Mitford Vanishing is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.