The missing sister by Dinah Jefferies #bookreview #Arc #providedforreview #TheMissingSister #AgathaChristie

I love historical fiction – it’s such a diverse and varied genre. I was delighted when I got approved for an ARC of The missing sister by Dinah Jefferies. I have looked at a couple of her books previously but until very recently I hadn’t gotten around to reading any.

Well, that was a mistake.

A big mistake.

Because as it turns out – I am a Dinah Jefferies fan.

She writes the sort of historical novels I love.  

And I enjoyed The missing sister by Dinah Jefferies, a lot.

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Book Blurb

A stolen sister. A daughter determined to uncover the truth.

Belle Hatton has embarked upon an exciting new life far from home: a glamorous job as a nightclub singer in 1930s Burma, with a host of sophisticated new friends and admirers. But Belle is haunted by a mystery from the past – a 25 year old newspaper clipping found in her parents’ belongings after their death, saying that the Hattons were leaving Rangoon after the disappearance of their baby daughter, Elvira.

Belle is desperate to find out what happened to the sister she never knew she had – but when she starts asking questions, she is confronted with unsettling rumours, malicious gossip, and outright threats. Oliver, an attractive, easy-going American journalist, promises to help her, but an anonymous note tells her not to trust those closest to her. . .

Belle survives riots, intruders, and bomb attacks – but nothing will stop her in her mission to uncover the truth. Can she trust her growing feelings for Oliver? Is her sister really dead? And could there be a chance Belle might find her?

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The missing sister by Dinah Jefferies was a great read and I knew from the very beginning that it was going to be a book for me. I loved the writing, the setting, the characters – well most of them, and I really enjoyed the mystery element of the plot.  

It was all very atmospheric of a bygone era.

Going into the novel I knew very little about Burma in the 1930s, and I very much enjoyed getting immersed into the world Belle was living in. In fact, I would love to know more. It was clear from reading the story that Dinah Jefferies had done her research. I would love to visit Rangoon, which is now called Yangon – and from having a look through google images, it looks like an immensely beautiful place that is steeped in history.

When I was reading The missing sister by Dinah Jefferies I was reminded slightly (and in a very positive way) of The man in the brown suit by Agatha Christie – which is one of my all-time favourite Agatha Christie reads. It was maybe the mystery element or that Belle reminded me of adventurous Anne, but while I was reading the story I really wanted to go back and revisit with The man in the brown suit.

Belle was a fantastic character, but I thought that some of the others fell a bit flat. In particular, I didn’t connect with Oliver even though I wanted too. He was a bit boring. A bit one-dimensional and I felt he lacked substance. I could have taken him or left him. Edward was only a bit better, I still felt he could have been written a lot stronger.  These are only very small criticisms because as I’ve said I did very much enjoy the book from cover to cover.

Since finishing The missing sister by Dinah Jefferies I have gone and purchased several of the author’s earlier books, which I intend to get stuck into whenever the mood strikes.

Absolutely worth a read.

The missing sister by Dinah Jefferies is due to be published in Kindle format on the 28^th Feb 2019.

I received a copy of The missing sister by Dinah Jefferies from the publisher via NetGalley, the review is my own opinion.