As a favour to her head of chambers, Anthony Shelley, Trish McGuire agrees to do a little private research for his friend Henry Buxford. Although, Trish hates the trading of favours that was second nature to her head of chambers., she recognises that it won’t do her career any harm. The research concerns Henry’s friend Ivan Gregory who following his stroke five years previous, has with Henry’s help set up a private gallery near Southwark Bridge, to exhibit the Gregory Bequest, This collection of painting belonged originally to his father, Jean-Pierre Gregoire, who was French, and met Ivan’s mother when she was a nurse during the First World War. He was killed at sometime before Armistice, but no body was ever found. Henry Buxford is concerned about the sale of a recent painting by the gallery’s director Toby Fullwell. When questioned as to the reason behind the sale Toby looks frightened, and Henry is uneasy.
Trish has recently discovered that she has a 9-year-old half-brother, David. Following the death of his mother Trish takes him into her home, but he has been through a lot and Trish is treading new ground, getting the boy into school and trying to provide a stable home environment. So what seems originally a simple request, quickly becomes complicated, when the one of David’s classmates, who he tells her is acting weirdly, turns out to be the son of Toby Fullwell. Then walking to school, they are witness to a dead body being recovered from the Thames.
The fascination and strength of this book is Helen’s story, Ivan Gregory’s mother, which runs along side Trish’s investigation into the truth behind the paintings. The glimpses of that life in France in 1916 provides a powerful backdrop to the current day story.
As with previous books in this series, Natasha Cooper gives us a compelling
mystery, and one where the protagonist is faced with the emotional dilemmas,
we all have to deal with, at one time or another. Trish is happy to have her
half-brother living with her, but she is conscious that it will, and is effecting
her relationship with her lover George. She is now also a working mother and
her working hours can be erratic, so she is faced with the need for babysitters,
when she wants, or has to go out of an evening. The arrival of 9-year-old David
in her life has also caused a rift with her father, which may be healing. I
eagerly look forward to the next book to see how it works out.
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Lizzie Hayes
Other books in the series are Creeping Ivy, Fault Lines, Prey to All and Out
of the Dark.. Natasha Cooper is also the author of the Willow King series and
writes psychological thrillers under the name of Clare Leyton.