Flight Patterns by Karen White

Georgia is an expert on fine china.  She's left home thirteen years ago and tries not to look back, but when a potential client comes in and brings a piece of china that seems to match a piece she found at home she doesn't have much choice.  If it matches, it will help her track down the Limoge's background and help develop a value for the client.  She doesn't want to go, so she asks them to look for it.

NAL sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  It is now available and you can buy a copy now.

Georgia learns they can't locate it.  She remembers finding it and showing her mother who then became uncommunicative and needed hospitalization.  It's not a happy memory but she does remember seeing it.  It has a distinctive bee added to the design so you can't mistake it.  She decides she must go and search herself.  Her client, James, asks to come along.  She wants to say no but she knows he lost his wife, so she agrees.  She'll need him.

This is a family of secrets.  Georgia and her sister have one; that's what drove them apart.  Her mother has one, her grandfather has one, and the truth is hard to face.  But if they are going to solve this mystery and reconcile the family, it must be done.

The truth is twisted about and dates back to their mother's beginning days.  Part of her mental problem is avoidance of the truth.  She doesn't want to remember or discuss it, so she hides in her mind and only sings songs. It takes a long time to sort it out and it hurts.

The most interesting message in this story is that all the things were done were done because of love.  Their actions were driven by their love for someone.  In this family, that caused some hardships.  But it looks like clear sailing now and I'm glad.