Book Review: TELL ME HOW IT ENDS by V.B. Grey

Title: TELL ME HOW IT ENDS

Author: V.B. Grey
Publisher: Quercus Books
Read: April 2020

Expected publication: 9 July 2020

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Book Description:

 Delia Maxwell is an international singing sensation, an icon of 1950s glamour who is still riding high on the new 60s scene. Adored by millions, all men want to be with her, all women want to be her. But one woman wants it maybe a little too much...

Lily Brooks has watched Delia all her life, studying her music and her on-stage mannerisms. Now she has a dream job as Delia's assistant - but is there more to her attachment than the admiration of a fan? Private investigator Frank is beginning to wonder.

As Lily steps into Delia's spotlight, and Delia encourages her ambitious protegée, Frank's suspicions of Lily's ulterior motives increase. But are his own feelings for Delia clouding his judgement?

The truth is something far darker: the shocking result of years of pain and rage, rooted in Europe's darkest hour. If Delia thought she had put her past behind her, she had better start watching her back.

What attracted me to this book:

Virtual time travel to the 60’s. A bit of glamour. A bit of intrigue. With a wartime mystery at its heart. Who can resist that premise?

My musings:

It’s the early 1960’s, and Delia Maxwell is a famous British entertainer who has just been offered a starring role in a Hollywood movie when she unexpectedly disappears. Worried about her safety, Peter Jenks, her manager, sends his wartime friend Frank Landry to use his army skills to track down the missing star in time to sign her movie contract. During the search of Delia’s home, Frank comes across a young woman, Lily Brooks, who first claims to be Delia’s assistant, and later makes a public announcement that she is in fact the singer’s daughter, who Delia gave up for adoption shortly after birth.  When Delia comes out of hiding, she happily embraces the young woman as her long lost child. But Frank has his suspicions – he believes that Lily may have an ulterior motive. 

I really enjoyed this gentle, character driven story, especially the complex dynamics between all three main characters, who are each giving us a take of the story through their unique POV. It was very obvious from the beginning that Lily Brooks had some ulterior motives befriending Delia, but I was surprised at the depth of the story that enfolded from here. I love mysteries that explore people through different shades of grey rather than those drawn in black and white, hero and villain. People are complex, and Grey demonstrates this beautifully through the three voices that narrate this tale.

Rich in historical detail and faithfully recreating the general atmosphere of the era, TELL ME HOW IT ENDS made for virtual time travel of the best kind. With the war still a raw wound left in the lives of many, its cold sinister memories are very much part of the dynamics in this group of characters. This may be a gentle and slow burning tale, but if brims with emotion and intrigue as long buried secrets rise to the surface. If I had any preconceived ideas about any of the characters, they were soon dispelled as my empathy grew for each and every one of them.

Summary:

In summary, TELL ME HOW IT ENDS is a perfect example of why I love slow, character driven historical mysteries. Lacking any of the gimmicks of modern crime writing (the unreliable narrator, the killer twist you won’t see coming, etc), it instead explores interpersonal relationships scarred by a wartime mystery. With a depth often lacking in other crime fiction, the story touched my heart whilst also keeping me totally intrigued until its satisfying finale. I thoroughly enjoyed the author’s writing and look forward to reading more of her books in future!

Thank you to Netgalley and Quercus Books for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.

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