A Mystery on Church Street, by Gail Kittleson ~ A Book Review and Recommendation

 

A Mystery on Church Street

A Mystery on Church Street is a delightfully written WWII, small-town murder mystery also featuring two gently woven-in romances. One is that of a middle-age married couple who have weathered life’s storms and are still in love after years together (and the lady is quite a sleuth). The other involves a fresh and honest-feeling romance between the couple’s daughter and the town's new young pastor who is just learning what it’s like to pastor a church in a tightly-knit community—for good or bad. 

Author Gail Kittleson managed to work in all the historical details of small-town life on the WWII home front, when the war sometimes scarred people’s lives in invisible ways, and folks still searched for life’s balance in a world turned on end. Meanwhile espionage at home was a real concern, and suspicion of one’s neighbors was not taken lightly. I found this to be a very engaging story with lifelike characters I connected to. It hit on all the small town feels as well as historical buttons of interest. It's a very different sort of WWII novel. I would call it kind of a cozy historical, and I highly recommend adding it to your TBR list.