The Return of Captain John Emmett by Elizabeth Speller

His wife and child died while he was in the war.  When he returned he was a bit lost, so he decided to write a book about the history of the local churches.  However, the note from Mary about her brother's suicide suddenly took him in another direction...


Houghton Mifflin Harcourt sent me an ARC of this book to review (thank you).  It was published the 5th of July, so you can purchase a copy at your local bookstore now.


The author chose to write about the soldiers of the Great War.  Many died in battle and many came home wounded in both body and spirit.  I almost expected the story to be a bit dry and slow, but I was pleasantly surprised.  Ms. Speller imbibes her characters with life.  They may be reserved, but they have strong emotions and will persevere.  She describes the war only to the extent that it ties to her story line and she does a piece at a time.  Her clues to the mystery are like bread crumbs.  You never know when one is going to show and many times the search is futile.


The main character finds himself discovering more about his friend than he knew while he was alive, which is a bit discerning.  He also finds that many of the people he wants to talk to are dead before he gets there.  Perhaps there is a conspiracy?


The mystery is complex and unpleasant and the connection between all the people is murky.  The author leads you through the tale until she finally shows you the solution.  She surprised me with it.  Maybe you should read it and see if you can figure it out before the end.  It's a very good read.


I am giving away my ARC.  If you'd like to win it, leave a comment here on my blog and email me at info at bookfaerie.com with your name AND address and tell me why you'd like to read it.  I will be picking a winner in about a week.


Happy reading.