I’ll be honest — I went into Then There’s Trust already hoping it would be good, having followed Susan Gray’s Blossoming of Truth series from the start. What I didn’t expect was for it to be the best of the three. But here we are, and I have no hesitation giving it five stars.
Set in 1950s northeast England, this final instalment picks up the threads of characters we’ve come to know well — Tom and Rachel, Chantal and Sam — while shifting much of the focus onto Darcy and her brother Josh, whose stories really come into their own here. Darcy, feisty and independent as ever, finds herself drawn into working alongside French detective Marcel Duval, a decision that brings excitement and real risk — not just to her safety but to her young marriage. It’s a gripping storyline that keeps you on edge, and Gray handles the tension between Darcy’s ambition and her personal life with a sure hand.
Josh’s storyline is quieter but no less engaging. Newly returned from National Service and finding his feet again, he strikes up a friendship with a young nurse named Judy — only to discover that any romance between them is strictly off-limits as far as her family is concerned. It’s the kind of slow-burn, forbidden relationship that you find yourself willing on from the very first page.
What strikes you most about this book compared to the earlier ones is how much more dramatic and emotionally rich it feels. The pacing is confident throughout, the dialogue natural and convincing, and the sense of place — that particular corner of postwar England — is drawn with warmth and authenticity. Gray clearly has a deep affection for this world and these people, and it shows on every page.
If you’re new to the series, do start at book one — you’ll want the full picture. If you’ve already made the journey, this is the send-off these characters deserve however be prepared for an emotionally charged and dramatic ending!
I award 5 stars.
