In her latest novel, THE ROSE ARBOR, Rhys Bowen weaves a beautiful story full of suspense and characters whom readers will adore.

It’s 1968, and savvy London journalist Liz Houghton recently got herself in hot water due to her overactive imagination. If all had worked out as she had hoped, it would have been quite the story! Unfortunately, it didn’t go well, and now she's stuck writing obituaries, a lowly task that she abhors. So when her Metropolitan Police roommate Marisa mentions that she’s off to Dorset chasing a clue concerning Little Lucy, a sensational case about a child gone missing, Liz begs to tag along. She is bored and needs this chance to redeem herself with her newspaper. Against her better judgment, Marisa agrees.

"THE ROSE ARBOR is a lovely story that reminds us of how life isn’t perfect, but not all missteps lead to tragedy.... It is nearly impossible to open the book without becoming totally immersed in Liz’s life and story."

Their escapades take them to a deserted village called Tydeham, an overgrown ruins of a somewhat haunted town requisitioned by the military over 20 years ago as war was breaking out. The Army needed a place to practice their war games, and Tydeham fit the bill perfectly. They promised the displaced families that their homes would be returned to them once the war ended. But live ammunition used during the war practice left Tydeham in ruins and littered with unexploded shells. No one can go home again.

During the run-up to the war, panicked mothers often sent their children away on a train, far from London where the bulk of the bombing was going on, in hopes of keeping them safe. Assurances were made that they would be placed with families who would take care of them. And, like Tydeham, all would return to normal at the end of the fighting. But something went wrong, and three girls got lost. There has been no sign of them for 20 years. Naturally, Liz senses a story in their disappearances as well. Could they somehow be connected to Lucy? Was a serial killer at work back then and has resurfaced now? Or is Liz’s imagination running wild once again?

When Marisa and Liz are escorted around the ghost town, an eerie feeling starts to creep through Liz. She’s been there before. But that’s not possible. Her family lived nowhere close to Dorset, her father was away at war, and her mother didn’t drive. Still, Liz knows things about Tydeham that only someone who’s been there could know. But how? Did a family friend bring her without her parents’ knowledge? Is she psychic? Being the nosy reporter she is, Liz can’t let it be. Sometimes she’s too clever for her own good. But that’s what makes her such a fine journalist.

In the process, though, Liz definitely stirs up a hornet’s nest. And in the course of her snooping, she inadvertently catches the eye of a young man. So maybe something good will come of this after all. Still, she must not lose sight of the fact that her goal is to find Lucy. Everything else will be bonus points. What she does uncover rocks her to her core.

THE ROSE ARBOR is a lovely story that reminds us of how life isn’t perfect, but not all missteps lead to tragedy. Liz fights for a return to the job she knows she deserves and proves you can’t get where you want to go without taking chances. She believes not only in herself, but in her friends and her instincts as well. There’s an underlying intelligence about this tale that is inspiring in its execution and charming in its delivery. It is nearly impossible to open the book without becoming totally immersed in Liz’s life and story. Do yourself a favor and set aside some time for this one!