To Die But Once by Jacqueline Winspear

It all started with a missing boy.  There's another war going on and the fathers who served in the last one are trying to protect their boys.  With the help of friends, they get them into government programs where they are protected from being called to serve.  What no one realized was that the government jobs were tampered with...

Harper sent an ARC of this book to read for review (thank you).  It will be published March 27th.

When Joe's parents don't hear from him for a while, they ask Maisie to check on him and see what's going on.  Joe has gone missing and it's not until they find the body that they realize how bad things were.  He's died from a head injury and they don't believe he jumped or fell.  They think someone killed him.  But there's no evidence.  Maisie has her work cut out for her.

In the meantime, she's fearful she may lose the little girl she loves and wants to adopt.  Since Maisie is a widow, she's not viewed as being suitable to adopt.  Along with that worry, another boy goes missing and Maisie is fond of him, too.  She know has another search to do.

The more questions she asks, the more evasive the answers get.  She is beginning to suspect there are some underhanded contracts being handed out and the product used is still being tested; it might be unsafe.  She's right.  She also finds out the murdered boy's mother is related to the gangster that is involved.

War is hell and this book points that out as good men die in the war or at home.  Most want to do their part but not all of them come home.  I don't like reading about war but Ms. Winspear always writes a good mystery so it's worth reading.  It's a good thing that Maisie is smart.