Nobody does 20th century history quite like David Roberts, and one of his novels is always a treat.  Not because of the plot exactly, but because of the book’s ability to immerse the reader in the political atmosphere of the 1930s.  As ever, Verity steals the show here and continues to be one of mystery fiction’s most real-seeming heroines.  Here she ponders on whether being a Communist and marrying into the aristocracy is possible, and also on what the party has become in recent years.  A theme running through the book is the appeal of the ideas behind Communism, a desire for justice and equality which is betrayed by those in power.  Also under the microscope are the Astors, the Kennedys and Churchill, portraits sketched in briefly, but which manage to come to vibrant life.  There is even a dramatic denouement in St Moritz, leaving me feeling that there had been something of everything in an admirably paced book.  A series to cherish.