Lori Rader-Day (The Lucky One; The Day I Died) uses historical incidents as the foundation for her atmospheric novel Death at Greenway. The story begins in 1939, with author Agatha Christie deciding to do her bit for the war effort by opening up Greenway, her vacation home, for young evacuees from London.
The " 'vacs" are accompanied by two nurses, both named Bridget Kelly. The first Bridget Kelly, "Bridey," is a young Irish nurse trainee, who was devastated by the death of her mother and five siblings in the Blitz. The other Bridget Kelly, "Gigi," says she has nurse training, but keeps shirking their duties to the 'vacs, much to Bridey's annoyance.
Greenway is a pleasant enough place to land--on the surface. But a series of thefts plagues the neighborhood, German bombs keep falling nearby, and then a young man whom the Bridgets met on the train turns up dead in the river. Bridey begins to suspect that there might be more to Gigi's presence at Greenway than meets the eye.
Death at Greenway does an excellent job of encapsulating the terror of the war, and the tension felt by those on the home front. Bridey's anguish over the loss of her family, the mysterious occurrences in the neighborhood, and Gigi's compelling character all add to the intrigue. Mrs. Christie may be away in London, not noticing the drama happening under her very roof, but readers are sure to appreciate it. --Jessica Howard, bookseller at Bookmans, Tucson, Ariz.