Hi ForeverBookers,
I've just finished Miss Treadway, And The Field Of Stars and it was much better than I was expecting. I read this as a NetGalley arc so thank you to NetGalley for allowing me access. The actual book isn't released until 28th February 2017! (I'm writing this review in November of 2016).
4 Stars!
NOTE: this is an ADULT book as characters are found in compromising positions and the language used isn't for under 16s, I'd say.
We follow a number of characters as they try to piece together the disappearance of another character. This is another book based in and around England.
Spoilers below...
Yolande Green is a well known actress at the beginning of the book. She's seen with Anna Treadway, the girl the title names in the first chapter as she comes of stage one night. After chapter one though the book becomes a mystery novel, as we, the readers don't know what's happened to Yolande Green either. I liked the continuing mystery factor of the story as I was kept forever guessing.
Anna is of course worried when Yolande doesn't turn up for work the next day. She informs the police straight away and then happens on a black man. He helps her as well.
Racism plays a huge role in this book. The story takes place in 1964/1965 where black people were thought of as different/evil. Certainly not the same as the white people. I found this really interesting to read as I hadn't read a novel based around skin colour or it's supposed importance before, even literature based in history. The black man is hurt by a police officer because he's seen as a threat to society, when he was only asking for directions. No behaviour such as that would be acceptable in England today.
Anyway, the black man, Aloysius and Anna work together and develop quite a good friendship, which borders on that of a relationship. Nothing happens beyond that of a kiss on the cheek and sharing of gloves in this novel though. The arc cover of the book I believe, has them on it in the bus.
Aloysius and Anna find out that Yolande went to an abortion clinic but we don't know if she actually had the abortion or if it worked if she did. That's left in the dark, which would be okay if there was a second novel in this series.
The police play a role here, as I've already stated. They're very rough and ready though, not like the police of today in Britain. We also see from a Muslim family's perspective and how they see the world. They don't play a huge role in this novel, however. They're side characters. And there's Yolande's American brother who is brought into the story at points, as well as the main policeman's wife and daughter as well.
In the end the characters come to the conclusion that they must work together if they wish to find Yolande. I don't want to spoil what happens at the end. Do they find her? Is she alright? What happens between Anna and Aloysius? You'll need to read to find out.
I actually really enjoyed Miss Treadway, And The Field Of Stars much more than I thought I would. I loved Anna as a main character and how she was with every character. Some she accepted while others she didn't. I enjoyed the main plot of Yolande's disappearance and the developing relationship of Anna and Aloysius. I sort of skipped over the parts about the policeman as I wasn't as interested in his story. I'm therefore giving this book a 4 star rating. The only couple of things that I didn't like were reading about the policeman's life, although this becomes more essential to the plot as you read on and the will they/won't they involving Anna and Aloysius, even though I loved the maybe relationship they formed in the end.
I really hope this has a second book, involving the same characters as this one is left on a bit of a cliffhanger but we'll have to wait and see.
What did you all think of after it releases on 28th February 2017? (I'm writing this review in November of 2016).
Stand by for my next review, coming soon...
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