The Address by Fiona Davis

 

Sara Smythe works in a grand hotel in London.  When she saves a guest's child, he responds by offering her a job in New York, manager of the new Dakota apartment building, a major promotion.  Sara accepts and soon is busier than she thought was possible in a new country where she knows no one except Theo Camden, the man who offered her the job.  Theo is an architect and the Dakota is one of his jobs.  Over the years, Sara and Theo develop a relationship although she knows he is married with children already.

In the 1980's, Brooke Camden is at loose ends.  She is fresh out of rehab and fresh out of her decorating job.  She accepts her cousin's offer to redo her apartment in the Dakota and live there during the renovation.  Melissa is wealthy as Theo's great granddaughter while Brooke did not share in the estate as her Camden ancestor was adopted.  As she stores the original woodwork in the basement, Brooke discovers old trunks from Sara, Theo and his wife.  She discovers that Theo died young and Sara was the one who killed him.  What could have caused this and is Sara her ancestor?  

Fiona Davis is an author known for her books set in New York.  In this one, she highlights the iconic Dakota apartment building, known for its famous celebrity occupants.  Told by two women in alternating chapters a hundred years apart, it highlights the disparity between the rich elite and those struggling to make a living.  Brooke's detective work uncovers much more than she ever expected and it becomes a personal discovery.  This book is recommended for historical fiction readers.