Coronation Year

 Coronation Year (2023) by Jennifer Robson

It is 1953 and the year that the United Kingdom will see a new queen crowned. London is preparing to celebrate. Hundreds of visitors are expected and Edie Howard, owner of the Blue Lion Hotel, hopes that enough of them will want to stay at her establishment to help get the hotel back on its feet. The hotel has been in her family for generations and she doesn't want to see it fail. When she learns that the queen's route will bring her royal procession within feet of the hotel's front door, she's certain that her luck is about to change. Especially since she'll be able to charge well above the usual rates for guests to be so close to Queen Elizabeth II.

Edie isn't the only one hoping for a change in luck. James Geddes is a decorated war hero and a talented artist, but he needs a big break to make his mark in the art world. He gets his chance when a company on the processional route commissions a large painting to commemorate the day. This brings Jamie (as he's known) to the Blue Lion. A room fronting onto the street will give him the perfect view to help him create his masterpiece. Edie manages to provide a room with both a perfect view as well as a skylight to give the perfect lighting for an artist at work.

And then there is Stella Donati, a young Italian photographer, who has tried to break into the photography business. When an advertisement for "Photographer Wanted" appears in the London magazine Picture Weekly, she has little hope that they will want a girl from Italy with no professional experience. But the editor is impressed by the raw talent displayed in the portfolio of photos she sends and she finds herself in London. Her parents, lost to the Nazi concentration camps, were friends of Edie's family, so when Stella writes to ask for a room Edie is more than happy to give the girl a place to stay while she finds her feet. She's also going to be in the perfect spot to take pictures of the queen's procession.

But then...just when things are looking good at Blue Lion, a determined man tries to talk Edie into selling her hotel. And after she repeatedly turns him down anonymous threats centered on Coronation Day and the Blue Lion begin to appear. Someone wants Edie and her regular guests out of the hotel--but is it the thwarted buyer or someone else. Edie, Jamie, and Stella wind up risking their lives in their efforts to get to the bottom of the threats and save Coronation Day for the Queen...and for the hotel. 

This is a lovely look at the 1950s when Queen Elizabeth II was crowned. Terrific historical detail with a cast of engaging characters. I enjoyed meeting Edie, Jamie, and Stella as well as the regular guests in the hotel and the staff. And I wouldn't mind reading another story that featured them. The only real disappointment was the mystery portion of the story. It wasn't nearly strong as the basic story and historical details nor were there many clues to be had or much detection going on. If the mystery had been as well done as the rest of the story then this would have been a five-star outing with no questions asked. ★★★★

First line: A gale from the east had swept across the city late the evening before, scouring away the worst of the smog, and the rare sight of London's night sky had inspired Edie to open her curtains and raise the fraying blackout blind.

Last line: "I can't imagine anything better," she said, and she looped her arm through his, and together they stepped into the welcoming light of their bright and beckoning future.
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Deaths = 4 (two in concentration camp; two natural)