Review: East Anglia

Two children playing in the rubble of World War II discover the body of a young woman, Mary Brock, who it is later determined has been murdered. The investigation of the murder changes the life of a young English woman and an American pilot stationed in East Anglia.

Jim Marron is the pilot that Sgt. Browning of the local police approaches for information regarding the men that are stationed at the local base that the victim has been seen with. Sgt Browning brings along a young woman, Angela Priest, who worked with the victim. Sgt. Browning asks that she be allowed to view pictures of the pilots on the base with Jim Marron and thus the wartime love affair of Angela and Jim begins. But this is all in March 1943 and the book starts in the present.

Jim Marron is 76 years old. His wife has passed away and Jim is now in the process of preparing his home for sale. Jim has two children Todd, who has always been a rebel, and a child that Jim has had a hard time understanding and Kit who is happily married and has children. In cleaning out his attic he runs across the footlocker that contains his medals and other mementos of the war as well as a letter to Sgt. Browning stating the name of the man that Jim believes murdered Mary Brock. . Jim was hurt in the war and sent home and the letter remained in the footlocker.

Jim journeys back to England to set the record straight. He stays at an Inn in East Anglia and becomes friends with two local men that help him in his investigation into the past. Sgt. Browning is deceased and Angela now lives in London.

Back home in the US his son Todd once again gets in trouble for purchasing pot and Jim has to return home to try and help his son but he goes back to England to finish his investigation.

The book reveals what it was really like for pilots and men in the service during World War II and it was not at all like the war movies led people in the United States to believe. Jim’s visits to England and searches through the old records reveals that all was not as it seemed to be with Sgt. Browning’s story nor with his relationship with Angela. This trip into the past has revealed a lot to Jim about his own life and led him to a better understanding of his son.

I would recommend this book highly. There are many flashbacks to the World War II time as well as happenings in Jim’s life after he left the service, married and settled down to raise a family.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Pat Reid - RAM

Book Review: East Anglia