Short: FOSTER by Claire Keegan

 Short: FOSTER by Claire Keegan, 2010 and 2022, 9780802160140.

Young girl sent to live with relatives in rural Ireland after the birth of her latest sibling. The girl does all narration.

Girl is from a poorer and larger family than the aunt and uncle she lives with. They are critical of her father as shiftless. Aunt and Uncle are very kind and caring. Girl has an odd adjustment where she expects to be yelled at for different kid mistakes - spilling, being late, talking our of turn - and is not. Her aunt bathes her, brushes her hair, finds her clean and new clothes and says, "There, you just needed some minding."

The kid seems to thrive under the attention. Her own family is big and busy and sounding a bit chaotic. Things happen as the Girl learns the couple's son drowned a few years ago and they are still grieving the loss. 

Well done. Worth your time. Keegan gives a neat child's perspective and without writing in cutesy "child" way. 

Paper: ROPE & CANVAS by DDC Morgan

 Paper: ROPE & CANVAS by DDC Morgan, 2023, 9781914475528.

Third in the series with Reg Calloway. Former British Army soldier, and former Army military policeman Reg has been falling further into depression, self-loathing, and PTSD. He's working as a doorman at a venue with live women's wrestling and living in a leaky rooming house.

A friend from novel #1 comes by asking for help because his brother-in-law was declared dead. But, there is no body and little info on what happened and how. His sister-in-law is starting to booze it and lose it.  Reg signs on to assist and - of course - trouble runs deep.

Lots of post-war neatness about these books. London always seems wet and gritty. Lots of war vets trying to get back to work. Many are doing ok. Others are missing a leg and barely getting by. A few are drunk all day.

Reg travels to Berlin. Reg visits a trucking company like the one in HELL DRIVERS. Reg finds a connection to motorcycle racing and traveling fairs with a Wall of Death. Reg's former love teams up with him as she rides the Wall. Woman wrestler from Germany beats up a bad guy. Reg gets stuck in a spy game and stranded in West Germany. I honestly don't recall the full plot. This is more a journey with Reg as he pursues the truth about the dead brother-in-law while pushing through various subplots that get in his way.

There is a lot going on. Spies, infidelity, secret medical clinics, bombed out London luxury hotels with squatters, tiny cars with big Reg squeezed in. I enjoy the series. 

Comments:

• I do love the cover artwork of this series. This cover may be a bit misleading to you if you expect everything to be set among professional womens wrestling. 
• I lucked into this series and author after Professor Crabbypants published a novel with Fahrenheit Press.
• Smuggling people from East to West Germany.
• Lots of cigarettes.