Miss Burnham and the Loose Thread: An uplifting and evocative debut historical book club novel by Lynn KnightMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Rose Burnham and her sisters Gwen and Alice have recently left their respective jobs in department stores and set up their own dressmaking business. Things appear to be going well until their best client, Miss Holmes, comes to tell them that she no longer wants the outfit they have spent hours designing and making, she can't even pay them for the clothes she has already had, she has been duped by a man she met through a matrimonial agency (rather sickeningly called Cupid's Arrow) into 'investing' her inheritance of £800 into his start up business. Since then she has heard nothing from him, she has no way of contacting him and she is mortified.
At first Rose's indignation and pity for Miss Holmes is also fuelled by a desire to try recoup some of Miss Holmes' money so that their business can also stay afloat. She realises that they have neglected to drum up new customers and have perhaps not accurately priced the clothes they have made for their existing customers. Rose determines to go undercover to Cupid's Arrow and try to get matched with Miss Holmes' beau.
This was a pleasant, dare I say cosy, mystery. I am by no means an expert on the 1920s but a lot of the historical detail seemed authentic. I am a resident of South-East London and it did give me a thrill when Rose's mystery bus ride with her beau took her through Bromley and Petts Wood which are very close to where I live. I liked the references to the ongoing impact of WW1 on the lack of men of a certain age, and those that were around were injured in some way. I also liked the subtle indication that Miss Jennings and Isobel were not just friends. Loved the detailed references to clothes, as one would expect from a Professor in Fashion Curation at the London College of Fashion.
I would definitely be interested in reading more in this series.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
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