I loved this book, the setting and story gave enough reality and the continuity from the previous books is there without being intrusive for new readers. I love the characters and enjoy the mix of historical research and the authors fictions. The stories about the hiding of the National Gallery Collections in a Welsh slate mine are fascinating. Nicola Upson has a way of using events I vaguely know about as linchpins for her stories and this is excellent. She’s such an appealing writer. Clear, intelligent and surprising. I recommend this series and this latest instalment to all intelligent novel readers.

An intruiging story with many twists and turns. When, during the Second World War the National Gallery decides to hide their pictures in a slate mine in Wales, little do they expect to find the skeleton of someone who died about 40 years ago. Four schoolchildren at the time, think that they know the truth, but do they?

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher I read a free, advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

Excellent book to develop the Josephine Tey historical mystery series by Nicola Upton. This features real life writer Tey, but in fictional murder mysteries, and I think Upton does a really good job in honouring Tey both in personality and plot. There’s good historical research, interesting mysteries, and characters you care about - so ticks lots of boxes for me! Funnily enough after reading about Welsh Nots in this book for the first time, another book I’m reading then mentions them as well! All I can say is it was a horrible idea and I hope it’s died out now.

The plot here was interesting and different, and I didn’t spot the twist near the end that made me do a double take… really liked that! It was an enjoyable read, and I definitely need to go back and read the series from the start!

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

I really like this series - and this is a really good entry to it. If you haven't read any of the previous books, this is actually a good entry point too because the wedding at the start means that all the main characters are introduced as part of that.

In the latest book we've reached 1941 and the height of The Blitz as Josephine and her friends gather for Archie Penrose's wedding. But as soon as the wedding is over Archie is off to Wales to help supervise the operation to move the National Gallery's paintings to the safety of a slate mine. Josephine is also in the area on holiday in the hopes of spending some more time with Marta who is part of a film crew documenting the operation for newsreels. Also in Wales is Noel Coward who is working on his new play, which will star Margaret Rutherford as a clairvoyant. They're all hoping for a peaceful time away from the terror of the bombings in London. But as the paintings are being moved in a roof collapses in part of the mine and reveals a body. It's been there for decades and Archie's superiors don't want him to investigate just to move the paintings but that doesn't sit right with Archie so he and Josephine start to investigate as best they can.

The mystery is good - and as ever I really enjoy the way that Upson weaves real people and real events into everything. I particularly enjoyed the paintings plot in this instalment because we went to Penrhyn Castle on a recent trip to Anglesey so I really appreciated the descriptions of the house which was one of the more boggling National Trust properties we have recently been to. In a weird quirk, I actually read two books set around the same night of the Blitz within a few days of each other so I hope that this doesn't become the new "night out at the Cafe de Paris" of World War Two-set books but this one obviously was timed to real events - while the other one was... less so.

All in all - definitely worth reading if you like historical mysteries like Jacqueline Winspear or Sally Smith.