Our Noble Selves by Kate Atkinson
I'll start by saying I love Kate Atkinson's books. Started Early Took My Dog, Case Histories, Life After Life. But I found Our Noble Selves kind of meandering. I liked the main character, Flynn, a former war reporter now back in England after the war. He starts to work for The Festival of Britain, meant to highlight the creativity and ingenuity of the British. Then he goes on one awful date with Delphine Dubois, who turns up missing. And because he was the last one seen with her, he becomes the prime suspect in her supposed murder (though there is no body). Then his soon to be ex wife shows up with her daughter, the very precious Veronica, who ends up staying with Flynn while the almost-ex goes off with her fiance. Oh yes, and there are a lot of former and possibly current spooks involved with the festival and possibly with Delphine's disappearance. I liked Flynn enough to keep reading till the end, but I much preferred Started Early Took My Dog.