The rose arbor A novel

Bowen ("Royal Spyness" series) skillfully crafts a new historical mystery, featuring Liz Houghton, a newspaper reporter in 1968 London, and her flatmate Marisa, a police officer. Little Lucy Fareham vanishes from a park, and the case is assigned to Marisa and her partner Jones. A sighting of Lucy is reported in Weymouth, and Liz tags along with Marisa, hoping to land a career-advancing scoop. Jones is haunted by the unsolved cases of three little girls evacuated from London to Dorset during World War II--two still missing and one found murdered. Liz and Marisa search for Lucy in the deserted village of Tydeham, destroyed by a 1943 military operation. Unexpectedly, Liz dredges up memories of Tydeham from early childhood, leading her to explore the ruined Bennington Manor, where she meets James Bennington and experiences a shocking flashback in the rose arbor. Liz, James, and Marisa uncover more clues to the missing girls--and to Liz's childhood memories--while racing to find Lucy in time to save her. VERDICT Bowen is adept at writing mysteries filled with intriguing clues, satisfying solutions, expertly captured historical settings, and a little romance. A must-add to popular mystery collections.--Barbara Clark-Greene