Firstly, Teresa’s writing in the diary during the air raid. I can’t believe that any 11 year old girl, whose first language is not English, would write so fluidly and eloquently. It read like it was written by a highly educated adult and just didn’t sit right for me.

Corrine, the present-day narrator, also has her own battles to overcome in her relationship with Nidra, her wife who has to deal with present day racism. Corrine receives a call from Mary asking her to save Theresa at Rochester Place and she despatches services to help. But when they get there, Rochester Place doesn’t exist- leading to Corrine trying to find out the truth. Teresa is a young Basque girl, frightened and alone and evacuated to London after the Guernica bombing in 1937. Her journey by ship, the grey slimy bacon to eat, and the feelings it instills all connect you to her straight away. She ends up at Rochester Place in the care of kindly Mary Davidson but trouble follows her. potential spoiler in this paragraph* I really truly did not expect there to be in twist in this story. The fact that I didn’t think there was going to be a twist meant I couldn’t even guess what the twist was but I LOVED IT.Through Mary’s diary and the dual timeline we learn about her past and difficult times she faced which could be heart wrenching to read. Mary seemed like a kind soul who left Ireland to seek a better life in London but is sadly met with prejudice. And similar to Mary, Teresa was seeking a life in London away from the War that ravaged in Spain. Mary and Teresa lived during a time when World War I was looming over their heads and bigotry was especially rife. The writer shows just how much of a tough time it was for them but they believed in trying to do their bit to help those in need.

Surely the Mary who called me in the early hours of the morning is not the woman commemorated on this plaque - a woman who died eighty years ago to this day.’The Secrets of Rochester Place’ by Iris Costello is a historical mystery-drama that unfolds over three timelines and chronicles the lives of three women. While it is a heartwarming story about the bonds of love and family it also explores darker themes including the toll of war, bigotry and racism.

I thought this was a beautifully written book, plotted to perfection so that all the threads came together skilfully and magnificently. I’ve read this author’s psychological thrillers before (as Nuala Ellwood) and really enjoyed them. This book has a different focus, a historical and family mystery, but the same fantastic writing is in evidence. I hope there will be more in a similar vein from Iris Costello. I absolutely adored finding out The Secrets of Rochester Place. All they have is the clues that Mary left during the phone call to lead them on the trail and that closer to finding out what happened. It's Spring 1937: Teresa, a young girl is evacuated to London in the wake of the Guernica bombing. By chance Teresa meets Mary Davidson who changes her live and takes her to live with her and her husband Ronald at Rochester Place. But happiness soon turns to tragedy. I originally rated this 3.5 stars but had to up it to 4 stars after writing this review. I loved the characters and loved how the plot developed through the book.Spring 1937: Teresa is evacuated to London in the wake of the Guernica bombing. She thinks she’s found safety in the soothing arms of Mary Davidson and the lofty halls of Rochester Place, but trouble pursues her wherever she goes. I’m so happy to have had the chance to read an advanced reader copy of this book! Although I did not finish it prior to its publication, but rather a month later, I am happy that I took my time with reading, because I really felt I had the chance to enjoy this fully, without rushing to finish books before the end of 2022. Rochester Place is a magical experience a beautiful journey into a historic world, I absolutely loved this book from start to finish, it was beautifully written and plotted with characters that you will take to your heart, once I was hit with the first twist I literally cried and didn't stop till the end. My thanks to Penguin Random House U.K. for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Secrets of Rochester Place’ by Iris Costello. This is an ambitious wide ranging story gathering in many areas of history and multiple timelines. In the present Corinne and Nidra are trying to solve the mystery of the call. In the 1930s we have 11 year old Teresa who has newly arrived in London after fleeing Guernica. She is rescued by Mary who has her own history - her brother was killed in the Easter Rising.. This is a history that Mary must keep secret.

Meanwhile, the reader discovers Teresa’s and Mary’s history. Mary left Ireland for England in 1920s where she worked as a nanny. She had to hide her “Irishness” and pretend she was English. The first chapter of The Secrets of Rochester Place really thrilled me. What a brilliant start which set the tone for a whole book of mysteries and revelations! Corinne in the present day timeline is an emergency call handler, taking calls from people in dire situations and talking them through it until the emergency services arrive. A call she gets one particular night is different though. It's from a woman called Mary, asking her to save her daughter who is trapped at Rochester Place but when the emergency services get there there's no sign of Mary…..or the house. Was it a hoax? Corinne is used to them but something feels different this time.The present weaves in with the past and the book jumps from different parts of the past to the present in a way that keeps it interesting.