When her father is murdered, Evie must prove her boyfriend innocent and find the real criminal before he kills again.
Loss is inevitable, as Evie Hampton knows all too well. But despite losing her mother to cancer and her older brother to a war, she knows she’s one of the lucky ones. After all, she still has her father, a distinguished professor of medieval history. And she has Gary Redhawk, the … distinguished professor of medieval history. And she has Gary Redhawk, the man she loves despite the emotional scars he carries from the Second World War–and despite her father’s opposition to their relationship.
When Evie’s car suddenly careens off the road, she chalks it up to poor maintenance or sheer bad luck making another appearance in her life. Little does she know a host of hardships is just beginning–the car was her father’s, and the brake lines were deliberately cut. Someone wants them dead–but why? All fingers point to Gary, a man with a troubled past and no solid alibi, but Evie is unwilling to believe he’s involved. Determined to uncover the truth, she begins to piece together a startling picture of deception and vice. But as she closes in on the truth, it is clear that someone is determined to silence her–and the next attempt on her life may be a deadly success.
Praise for The Redgrave Murders:
“A compelling love story blended with a suspenseful mystery and sprinkled with WWII history. The Redgrave Murders kept me reading into the early hours.”
–Jennifer Moore, award-winning author of Becoming Lady Lockwood and The Shipbuilder’s Wife
“One of the best who-dun-it mystery/romances I’ve ever read–filled with enriching little-known historical details, fantastic characters,beautiful prose and powerful passages, heart-wrenching drama, and plot twists and turns that kept me turning pages long into the night.”
–Charissa Stastny, blogger and author of the Ruled Out Romances series
“A. L. Sowards is a master at weaving stories set in the past. This time,she has crafted a murder mystery set in a post-World War II town laden with trauma and prejudices, resulting in a multilayered whodunit that will chill and intrigue both history and mystery fans.”
–Stephanie Black, award-winning author of Mind Games and Not a Word
“A.L. Sowards does it again! In The Redgrave Murders, Sowards weaves a fantastic tale filled with relatable characters, a mystery that grows more intense with every chapter, and a romance that makes the heart cheer after each struggle the lead characters overcome. A terrific read for all.”
–Gregg Luke, author of The Healer and Plague
“Known for her award-winning historical novels, A.L. Sowards has ventured into a new genre, historical mystery, and proves that yes she can deliver compelling reads in both. The Redgrave Murders is a solid murder mystery highlighted with in-depth research of post WWII. I highly recommend it.”
–Kathi Oram Peterson, award-winning author of Bloodline and A Familiar Fearmore
I first read a book by A. L. Sowards a couple of years ago and I’m never disappointed in her books. This one is a little different than her historical war novels, as this one is what I would consider a suspense (the author calls it a historical mystery) which takes place in a small town after WWII.
Evie has already lost her mother to an illness and her brother died in WWII before the book starts, so it’s just Evie and her dad, who’s a professor at Redgrave University where she works in the bursar’s office. She’s dating Gary, a Native American and veteran of the war who suffers from what we know of as PTSD. Evie’s life is good until the brakes on her dad’s new car fail and she barely escapes having an accident. This is just the beginning–a few days later her dad is found dead in their home and the police’s main suspect is Gary.
Like all of this author’s books I’ve read, this story pulled me in right from the start. I learned how life was for those returning from the war. Times were still tough for a lot of people without enough jobs and those who fought trying to recover from the horrors of war. There were no treatments or support groups for those who suffered from shell shock (the term used back them) or PTSD. Evie’s relationship with a Native American was also looked down upon at this time (1948), even though he was a hard worker and was attending school using the GI Bill.
I liked Evie. She knew even though Gary had issues because of the war he wouldn’t kill anyone. So when he was arrested she immediately acted to at least get him released on bail, then did her own sleuthing to find someone who had a motive. I found that unexpected for a woman in 1948. I didn’t figure out who was behind the murders until right before Evie put it all together.
I really liked this book–the cover, the story, the characters in the story. It all made for a great whodunnit.
It kept me guessing. That for me is the most important thing in the mystery/suspense genre. I like to figure it out, but I don’t want it to be too easy to figure out. This book was perfectly balanced. I was given an advanced copy of the ebook from the publisher and couldn’t put it down. I thought I had it figured out a couple of times, there were enough red herrings to throw me off the real scent.
I really felt for the MC in this book as she tries to unravel what is going on around her and keep her loved ones and herself safe.
The author creates witty, smart characters. There was definite realism as the author tackled PTSD and the atmosphere following WWII.
This book was a huge surprise to me and in a very good way. I didn’t expect to become so completely engrossed in Evie’s story and not only her relationship with her boyfriend Gary, but the murders that keep happening around her. As soon as I thought I had a part of the puzzle figured out, or I thought I knew who was behind it, the Sowards would throw another curve ball my way. This is a true whodunit and kept me on my toes and page turning until the very end. I highly recommend The Redgrave Murders to any mystery/suspense fan, you will not be disappointed! I received a copy of this book for free, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
A.L. Sowards always does a fantastic job of transporting me back in time, creating a world that isn’t always common for the era. In this case, post World War II in New York state, Evie and her Native American boyfriend find themselves in the middle of a serious murder mystery. I was captivated from start to finish and loved every minute of trying to figure out this story.
Evie and Gary are great characters, who don’t fit the typical mold and relationship that one would picture of the time. They are such a great balance and support for each other, especially as Evie’s loved ones start dying. Evie works so hard to prove Gary’s innocence when signs show otherwise and I loved how she takes matters into her own hands, showing her incredible strength and determination. Characters like hers are some of my favorites–strong, yet vulnerable, and completely resilient. Honestly, I think I would melt into a puddle of anxiety with what Evie and Gary go through.
The romance is a great supplement to this thriller and I couldn’t help but to cheer them on and hope for them to defy society. The climax of the story was chilling and intense and the ending left me completely satisfied.
Content: mild romance (some implications and light innuendo); mild+ violence (deaths/murders, attacks, kidnapping, etc)
*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*
Isn’t the cover of this book eye catching? I love it. I feel like it captures the era the story is set in, and while it’s beautiful it has a sinister feel, which captures the tone of the book extremely well. So, nice job to the cover artists on this one. My kids kept asking me questions about the cover and I had to keep responding that I didn’t know! I hadn’t read the book yet! Well now that I have I can say that this cover is perfect for the novel.
This was set in such an interesting time period. I haven’t read many novels post WWII that discusses PTSD. How devastating to classify these men as psychoneurotic, and to just write them off because they were “crazy”. Gary had an even more difficult time because he was Indian and was discriminated because of that as well, and had the crappiest childhood ever. Evie was wonderful to see a person as a person and judge them based on that.
You really feel for Evie and everything that happens to her during the course of the novel. She has to be really strong to combat everything and still remain standing, so to speak. The author creates feelings of doubt, and love, and suspense, and whew…I went through a myriad of emotions while reading this book. The “who done it” is artfully done, and she keeps you guessing throughout the novel. The only negative thing I have about this book is that Evie suffers loss after loss, and it seems that she doesn’t ever really mourn. She just accepts and moves on…which is plausible since someone is trying to kill her, but it seemed like she was emotionless during these deaths.
I will definitely keep reading more from this author, and I will pass on this book to all my book reading friends (and if you like to listen to the audio version, the narrator does an excellent job with it).
*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I have read a handful of A.L. Sowards’ books and enjoyed them, but this one was just… wow! I think it was the mix of suspense and post-WWII history that made this story so captivating. There are a lot of books about WWII, but you don’t hear much about the emotional trauma that those soldiers had to deal with after they came home. Gary not only had to deal with that, but the trauma that he suffered as a child as well. Even with all of that, he tried his best to be a good person.
I enjoyed watching the relationship between Evie and Gary grow and develop. The romance was a good part of the story, but not the main part of it by any means.
The author did a very good job keeping me guessing until almost the very end on who the bad guy was. I did figure it out before the reveal, but only just. I also enjoy the little history blurbs that the author includes at the end of the book.
This is one that will go on my keeper shelf and I highly recommend it to anyone.
I’ve really enjoyed every book I’ve read by A.L. Sowards. She is a very talented author and not only are her war-time novels entertaining, but readers get a good feel for what happened during those horrible times in history.
Sowards’ latest novel, The Redgrave Murders, is a bit different from her other novels in that it takes place after the war is over. It was quite eye opening to read about the PTSD that some of the characters went through. It’s more common now to hear about these issues, but it seems like it was pretty unusual to hear about it after WWI and WWII. I don’t recall ever hearing my grandfathers talk about it.
In addition to PTSD, Sowards addressed interracial relationships and the prejudices in the late forties that people had against Native Americans. It was very interesting and heartbreaking to read about how Gary suffered as a child, as a POW, and as he tried to get a college education.
I really liked that I was kept guessing about the bad guy throughout the story. I thought Evie would have been more distressed by certain events than she was, but she plowed through and proved to be quite the detective.
I can see myself reading this again, and highly recommend it.
I’ve read many books by this author. Most of the other books were about characters in the middle of a war. The battle scenes were some of the best I’d ever read. I loved how this new book dealt with the after-effects of WWII.
The Redgrave Murders, of course, is full of suspense right from the start. This novel was one that I sat down to read and only put it down to eat. This is what I love about Summer reading. One of the most engaging aspects of this novel are the letters at the beginning of each chapter that main character Evie and her brother Clive wrote to each other during the war. It filled in important character development on Evie’s part and also showed family dynamics that play out within the novel.
One of the main characters, Evie’s boyfriend Gary Redhawk, was a minor character in a previous novel the author wrote. I remembered the scene from the other book that he described in this novel. Gary is a Seneca Native American. He was my favorite character in this book. I feel his character was written realistically showing the plight of Native Americans at this time in history. This novel also does a great job of showing how the horrors of war caused PTSD in so many of the returning soldiers. He and Evie are good together and the romance part is secondary to the murder mystery that keeps you as a reader on your toes. There are so many suspects that stand out as you read each chapter. I quite enjoyed figuring out who ultimately was the person behind all of the terrible crimes.
This book is not a fast-paced book but keeps you enthralled none the less. The Redgrave Murders was a winner for me.
There are a few scenes of violence with this being a murder mystery, a little kissing, and a lot of breathtaking action scenes. This book would be appropriate for older teens, and adults.
On the cover of the novel, The Redgrave Murders, it says “romantic suspense.” To me, this book was more a murder mystery, a classic whodunnit, with some romantic drama splashed in. Evie and Gary try work on their relationship and piece together who committed murder and why. Gary is blamed for the murder by local authorities and several of the people in the town are biased against him based on his race and culture. The suspect list is long and several people have a motive. The writing style reminded me of a classic mystery style novel or a classic mystery movie. I was on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. I loved how it was well-written and there was historical events mentioned. I hope Sowards continues to write mysteries. There is a lot of violence mentioned in the novel, but the author isn’t descriptive enough to make it graphic. I would also suggest reading the author’s notes in the back of the book. They were interesting to read and learn more about the time period.
Please note that I received a free copy of this book, however, my opinion remains my own.
A.L. Sowards knows how to write a suspense novel full of historical detail. In this one, Evie Hampton’s life takes an awful turn when someone murders her father and frames her boyfriend for it. Her efforts to clear her boyfriend, Gary Redhawk, lead her in directions she could never have imagined. Unfortunately for her, the murderer doesn’t seem to be finished and she’s clearly his next target. I enjoyed reading this both for the mystery aspects, but also for the historical setting. In addition to the murders, her relationship with Gary is uncertain as he struggles with serious PTSD and trauma from his childhood. As a Seneca Indian, he was forced to attend an Indian Boarding School as a child, where abuse was rampant. But Evie loves him and wants to help, she just doesn’t know how. So unlike many of Sowards previous books, this one doesn’t take place in the middle of war, but it deals with the aftereffects of war and the emotional damage it causes. The inclusion of Gary’s Indian school experiences adds additional historical context. Although reading about it and Gary’s PTSD was difficult, it certainly made him an empathetic character. One of the things I especially enjoy about Sowards books is the depth of her characters. They feel like real people dealing with real problems in a flawed but determined way. A great book for readers who enjoy romantic suspense, but also those who enjoy a book with a solid historical setting.
From page one the author weaves together a story that will put readers on the edge of their seat and leave them guessing what will happen next. There are twists and turns in the story that readers will not be able to guess, especially when it comes to who the murderer is. Sowards is a talented writer the brings her story and characters to life off the pages, creating a story in which readers feel almost as if they are a bystander within the story. This romantic suspense story will keep readers awake late into the night, anticipating the turn of every page until the last one is turned and the cover closed. Readers will not want to miss this exciting new book from this fantastic author!
Genre: historical, romantic, suspense, mystery
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Publication date: July 1, 2019
Number of pages: 272
A review copy of this book was provided by Covenant Communications. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
I’ve been reading (and loving) books by A.L Sowards for a long time. She is one of my favorites because her books absolutely come to life in my hands. This book is a bit different than her previous books as it is a mystery instead of a historical fiction, but I’m so happy that it actually felt like a historical fiction because Sowards really knows how to build the time period she is writing about to feel so authentic and real. The beginning of each chapter also includes a snippet of letters that Evie and her brother exchange while he is serving in the military during WWII which accomplished the dual purpose of establishing a human connection between Evie and her brother and giving me another bit of history to lean into.
This story really brings to light all the social, economical, and political unrest occurring at the time. The effects of the war have brought about economical depression, low housing, and war veterans who are struggling to live and work because of the horrors they witnessed. As always there is discrimination which seems to be present no matter what time period historically is being represented.
Greg battles discrimination as well as PTSD (although it wasn’t called that at the time) from a brutal childhood as well as his horrible experiences during the war. Greg is working so hard to overcome the stigmas and his past. His gentle, steady nature made him a hero in my eyes. Evie has dealt with much loss and tragedy herself. I could feel and I connected with her desire to be loved, valued and accepted. Greg and Evie together were fantastic lead characters.
While mystery isn’t my very favorite go-to genre, I really did love this one. That’s probably due to the author’s ability to bring to life the time period. It was fantastic.
I love the cover of this book. It’s a perfect representation of what is inside. Can I also just say that I love the details of this book too? Each chapter heading has a noose like the one on the cover and I loved how the theme carried throughout the whole book- cover to cover.
Content: violence (mostly referred to and not described in much detail), kissing, mention of sexual and physical abuse, death
– I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
This book is SO INTRIGUING! Multiple story lines intertwine with each other to bring a rich reading experience. You will read about cut brake lines, falling bookcases, letters from the front line of war, post traumatic stress disorder, and interracial relationships, just to name a few; all while trying to solve a murder mystery. SO. GOOD!
I LOVE a good suspense book! And this is a good one. It’s a bit different from the way A.L. Sowards usually writes, but that’s a good thing!
I loved Evie in this book. Evie is a young woman living in the time period just after World War II. She’s lost her mom and older brother before the story starts. She lives with her dad. And her boyfriend is Gary.
There is a lot of things with this time period that the author did a good job including in this novel. The way Gary would have been looked at because he was a Native American was one thing I noticed. It’s not right, but he would have been looked down on, and his and Evie’s relationship especially would have been taboo.
It’s no surprise that when bad things start happening, Gary is the first suspect. And there’s no other suspects that the police are willing to consider. While Gary’s in jail, Evie shows what she’s made of and works on the investigation all on her own. I love that she does this, and doesn’t get scared off, even when it would have been easy to.
This book kept me guessing from the beginning to the very end. I would have never guessed just who the bad guy was or why! It’s my favorite thing when that happens. If you’re a fan of good suspense books, make sure to pick this one up!
I was sent a copy of The Redgrave Murders as a gift from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
A.L. Sowards has done it again. She has written a book that I could not put down. I have read seven books written by her and all have been a 4 or 5-star rating. She really is that good.
This story was a different genre, but it was set in the same general time period as some of her books. Usually, she writes war stories, this time she wrote a suspense novel. She used one of the supporting characters in a previous book and it set after he has come home from WWII. He is dealing with PTSD and trying to figure out who is setting him up for murdering his girl-friends father, and then a couple of more people. For a small town that sees little crime, there are several murders. Gary’s girlfriend is Evie. The story is mainly told from her perspective. She is in love with a Native American and it was interesting to see the twist in culture and prejudice it causes.
I loved learning some of Evie’s family history from the letters from her brother who was killed during the war. A.L Sowards was able to use her historical fiction genius as she told about the war on the Pacific Ocean.
If you haven’t read one of her books, YOU SHOULD! I will continue to be a fan and try to pick up a copy of everything she writes in the future. This story does contain non-graphic violence.
Source: I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
Note: I did receive a free #netgalley copy of this book for review purposes.
I really enjoyed this clean romantic suspense book. Set right after World War 2, this provides for an excellent setting. One of the storylines deals with the PTSD that soldiers would have dealt with after the war. What is fascinating is the author talks about the terminology for PTSD that would have been used back then. Although I did have a good idea of who might be the villain, there were definitely enough twists and turns to keep me guessing. I would read more books by this author.
The Redgrave Murders is listed as a romance and suspense story which peaked my interest. I read almost all historical fiction, but haven’t read a lot from this time period.
Knowing the summary of the book, the first chapter did not immediately draw me in, but I became interested soon after. I am not used to stories being written in the first person, and I think it threw me off a little at first.
While the story is about the solving of murders, the characters all seem realistic and raw. My favorite character was Gary Redhawk.
Gary makes you immediately feel protective of him. Being in the Indian reform school, and then being a POW must have really been traumatic for him. Of course, this would not make him innocent of the issues that arise against him, but there is something that seems innocent and vulnerable about him from the very beginning. You slowly get to learn more about his history, and I felt even more of a connection to him.
Gary felt that he was broken after the war. He still had nightmares every night, and he worried about hurting others. My favorite scenes were when Evie was trying to break down Gary’s walls and show him he could still be loved. Everyone is broken. We are just broken in different ways.
Since the book is written in first person, I felt that I didn’t learn as much about Evie Hampton’s past. The letters from her brother at the beginning of each chapter helped some.
Evie’s father is a history professor, and I loved hearing about the décor of their house. My favorite was the suit of arms that they named. I would love to know what happened to it.
There are a lot of intense issues in this book. PTSD is a major theme. There is also a minor character who is a pedophile and continues to be non-repentant. The PTSD was especially interesting to me. During this time, many men returning from war were written off as having psychological issues if they displayed any symptoms at all. Yet there was no real help for them.
The main characters are in an interracial relationship which causes a lot of conflict with others. Gary has been through so much, and I loved the lighthearted comment he made after someone made a derogatory comment about him.
I liked the pace of the book. There were a lot of things happening, but it didn’t feel rushed. I also liked that things didn’t feel predictable. It felt like I was trying to solve the case right alongside Evie.
If you enjoy an excellent blend of romance, action and mystery, be sure to checkout The Redgrave Murders.
While I received a complimentary copy of this book, I was not required to write a positive review.
This is an awesome book. A historical suspense set in 1944 and 1948. An era when dating an Indian was frowned upon. Evie and Gary have trouble not only with small town folks but also with family who is not happy with their relationship. Then Gary is accused of murder and Evie begins her own investigation to prove his innocence. Told in the first person POV this will keep you guessing until the very end. If you are a fan of suspense and/or WWII history you will not want to miss this book. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through Net Galley. This is my honest review.
The Redgrave Murders was a wonderful mystery novel that kept me interested until the very end. I enjoyed the characters in the story and how well written and realistic they were. The plot was interesting and I enjoyed the twists throughout the book. I was surprised a few times with the way things played out and definitely enjoyed how it ended. A great suspense/mystery novel.
A.L. Sowards is one of my favorite historical authors, and I’m delighted that she turned her hand to writing a mystery. The Redgrave Murders is set in a small New York town, post-World War II, where feisty heroine Edie tries to figure out who killed her father. I’d love to see Edie again in a sequel.