The House at Riverton by Kate Morton

Told in flashback by Grace in 1999, we follow the story of the Hartfield sisters Hannah and Emmeline during the 1st World War and into the 1920's. Aged 14, Grace starts working for the family as a housemaid and forms a strong attachment to them. We know at the outset of the book that the sisters are witnesses to the suicide of a young war poet one summer evening. The slowly meandering story takes us from Graces early days as a servant to the final shocking truth about that hot, summer night. This is a delightful book which brings the class system of the early 20th century alive, whilst always reminding us of the impending tragedy.