Finding Secrets by Surrey-resident US expat author Lauren Westwood is her standalone contemporary literary/women's fiction journey of self-discovery
cum investigative mystery novel with f/m romantic comedy elements, starring the manager of an historic Elizabethan house who discovers a locket in an old coat pocket which leads her on a trail to uncover the truth about past secrets dating back to the London Blitz and the Russian Revolution, with perhaps someone else on the trail as well, encountering discoveries which in turn unlock her future and her heart, as these things do, free for a limited time courtesy of publisher Head of Zeus's Aria digital-first imprint for newer authors.
The customer reviews say this has a solid (probably non-murder) investigative mystery into the provenance of the locket, fleshed out with a dual POV via faux-historical diary entries, which forms the main plot along with the heroine's related self-realizations, with the romantic elements secondary. YMMV.
Currently free @
Amazon UK (apparently UK-only, and decidedly unfree when I spot-checked assorted regional stores, though YMMV). Price-drop-check linkage for
Kobo &
iTunes UK &
Google Play, if you're feeling optimistic.
Description
A country house, a precious jeweled locket, and a puzzle dating back to the London Blitz and Imperial Russia. Utterly captivating, a fantastic romance from beginning to end. Perfect for the fans of Carole Matthews and Milly Johnson.
Alex Hart loves her dream job as manager of Mallow Court, a historic Elizabethan house, even if her friends think she needs to get out more. But a discovery in the pocket of an old coat – a jewelled mechanical locket shaped like a bird – changes everything, and Alex discovers that things are not as they seem.
From an old diary, to a handsome barrister, a mysterious clockmaker, and the darkest hours of the London Blitz, Alex must follow the trail of the jewelled bird to uncover the truth about the things she holds dearest – and someone is determined not to let sleeping dogs lie!
Only by finding the secrets of the past can Alex find the keys to her future – and her heart.