This week I read two books that were really average. The first was the better of the two; Tendrils of the Past by Anthea Fraser.

I have read quite a few by Fraser and enjoyed them. This one, in my opinion, was not up to par.

The basic story is this: Charles and Sarah have a happy marriage. They socialized regularly with another couple: Lily and Luke. Luke becomes obsessed with Sarah but after a short affair, she attempts to break it off.

Fifteen years later, the deaths of Sarah and Charles are still a mystery. But their two daughters begin remembering the night in question. The stories of two other couples cycle in and out as well as Sarah’s mother’s. The adulteries and near adulteries are difficult to keep track of. The mystery is not much of a mystery.

The second book I read was more of a novella. I read it because it is set in the twenties.

It reads like it too with mysteries royalty, a secret treasure, and a key to the treasure that Pip, the protagonist, figures out. This one was very Nancy Dervish.