A Pearl for My Mistress - Annabel Fielding

A story of class, scandal and forbidden passions in the shadow of war. Perfect for fans of Iona Grey, Gill Paul and Downton Abbey.

England, 1934. Hester Blake, an ambitious girl from an industrial Northern town, finds a job as a lady's maid in a small aristocratic household.

Despite their impressive title and glorious past, the Fitzmartins are crumbling under the pressures of the new century. And in the cold isolation of these new surroundings, Hester ends up hopelessly besotted with her young mistress, Lady Lucy.

Accompanying Lucy on her London Season, Hester is plunged into a heady and decadent world. But hushed whispers of another war swirl beneath the capital... and soon, Hester finds herself the keeper of some of society's most dangerous secrets...

What did I think?

I do love historical fiction and found it rather unusual that this book was set in 1934; it's neither the roaring twenties nor wartime England, so I wondered what Annabel Fielding had found to write about.  Set 5 years before war breaks out in Europe, we are plunged into an England filled with secrets, lies and espionage.

This really is a tale of two characters; hardworking and honest, Hester who wears her heart on her sleeve and cold Lady Lucy whose heart is as cold as her hands.  Oh, behind closed doors she can show affection when she feels like it, but underneath I found her cold, manipulative and sneaky.  

Annabel Fielding totally and effortlessly immersed the reader in the 1930's era.  Hebden Hall  in Northumberland is struggling to keep its majestic head above water and the servants find themselves one of the luxuries the family can't afford.  I felt sometimes that Lucy probably used this to her advantage: Hester needed to keep her job so she would do anything to keep Lucy happy.  Not that Hester was forced into doing anything she didn't want to do, I just felt that she was played.  Sorry, Lucy!  Whether I was right or wrong in my early opinion of Lady Lucy, you'll just have to read the book to find out!

I find it so interesting to read historical fiction and experience the thoughts and feelings of another era.  In this day and age, we can't imagine that a mixed race or same sex couple, for example, would ever have to hide their relationship.  It's so good to see how far we have come over the years, albeit at a snail's pace, at improving understanding and acceptance.  

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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The Betrayal - Kate Furnivall

Could you kill someone? Someone you love?

Paris, 1938. Twin sisters are divided by fierce loyalties and by a terrible secret. The drums of war are beating and France is poised, ready to fall. One sister is an aviatrix, the other is a socialite and they both have something to prove and something to hide. 

The Betrayal is an unforgettably powerful, epic story of love, loss and the long shadow of war, perfect for readers of Santa Montefiore and Victoria Hislop.

What did I think?

The Betrayal is another excellent book from Kate Furnivall set in pre-war France.  I've read (and adored) three of Kate Furnivall's books now and I have found that each one has swept me away to Kate's chosen location and historical era; they are pure escapism with riveting storylines and surprises galore.  The writing is so vivid that it feels very much like you're living in the book with these unforgettable characters.

The Betrayal has an amazing first chapter: set in 1930, Romaine (Romy) regained consciousness in her father's study with her father's body beside her.  Her twin sister, Florence, took control and encouraged Romy to blame the gardener for her father's murder, a crime which saw him tried and executed.  Romy had to live with the guilt of being responsible for an innocent man's death and she almost became carefree with her own life, by becoming a risk taking pilot.  Her twin, Florence, couldn't be more different: she mixes with the rich and famous and entertains high ranking Germans as Hitler prepares for war.

As Romy spends more time with her sister and her guests, there's something about the German language that causes fragments of Romy's memory to reappear.  She remembers that she heard German being spoken in her father's study that fateful day.  As Romy chips away at her memory, Florence is keen to keep it all hidden.  What does she know about her father's murder and what does she have to hide?  Or more significantly, what does she have to lose?

This was so gripping and reminded me of a game of Cluedo: all the pieces were laid out on the board pointing at Romy in the study with a paperknife but until Romy remembers what she saw and heard, we're playing the game with some key pieces still in the box.  So it's one of those books where you can't read fast enough to put all the pieces of the jigsaw together.  Now I've gone and mixed up my boardgames, but I'm sure you know what I mean!

You don't need a time machine with Kate Furnivall writing such superb historical fiction.  The Betrayal fully immerses the reader in the era, leaving no doubt as to the time and place you're reading about.  I do think Kate's books, in particular The Betrayal, would make a stunning film.  Not that it would enhance the story, as it's written so beautifully, but I just feel that the dramatic scenes described in The Betrayal would be absolutely breathtaking on the big screen.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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Shadows on the Nile - Kate Furnivall

'I'll find him. I will.'

It's 1932 and 27-year-old Jessica is living London life to the full when her younger brother Tim, an ancient Egyptian archaeology expert, goes missing. Teaming up with Sir Montague Chamford - who can resist neither a damsel in distress nor the chance of adventure - Jessie vows to find her beloved brother.

Following the clues Tim has left in his wake, Jessie and Monty head to Egypt. In the relentless heat of the desert, romance is kindled between them, but danger also lurks in every shadow. And then Jessie starts to wonder how much Monty really knows about her brother's disappearance . . .

A dramatic story of adventure, excitement, love and romance can all be found in the SHADOWS ON THE NILE

What did I think?

After immensely enjoying Kate Furnivall's The Liberation and checking out her back catalogue, I added Shadows on the Nile to my wishlist, as I have a keen interest in Egyptian history.  I recently popped into my local library and the breathtaking cover of Shadows on the Nile was shining in front of my eyes like the golden rays of the sun god Ra.  So I put my feet up with a nice glass of wine and prepared to be whisked away to Egypt.

With a dramatic, heart-wrenching first chapter, the story starts in 1912 with 7 year old Jessica being awoken by a noise in the night followed by a frightened squeal from her little brother.  Waking up the next day, it's as if events of the previous night never happened and Jessica's life continues as normal.  Fast forward to 1932 when Jessica's brother, Tim, goes missing after attending a séance.  Jessica follows Tim's trail to the location of the séance and meets Sir Montague Chamford.  Monty joins Jessie in her search for Tim and I was quite suspicious of his motivations - what is he hiding or what doesn't he want Jessie to find?

Whereas we would hop on a plane, Jessie and Monty have an 80 hour journey across Europe to Cairo.  This is where Kate Furnivall excels in her writing: the sights, sounds, smells, heat and dust of Cairo are described in such exquisite detail that you feel as if you are there.  I have been to Cairo before so my imagination does have a head start, but it really is exactly as Kate Furnivall describes it.  The golden glint of Tutankhamun's death mask and the majesty of the pyramids are truly brought to life in Shadows of the Nile.

Jessie's family history plays a massive part in the story, but I can't say too much without spoiling it for others.  Suffice to say, Jessie's search for Tim leads to a confrontation with the past, a past that may have been buried but history has shown us that so many well buried secrets are unearthed in Egypt.

Another superbly atmospheric story from Kate Furnivall that swept me away to the Nile valley.  Through her breathtakingly beautiful prose, Kate Furnivall paints a stunning and vivid picture of this incredible ancient country.  This is historical fiction at its finest and I highly recommend Kate Furnivall's books.

I borrowed this book from my local library and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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Summertime - Vanessa Lafaye

Synopsis:

In the small town of Heron Key, where the relationships are as tangled as the mangrove roots in the swamp, everyone is preparing for the 4th of July barbecue, unaware that their world is about to change for ever. Missy, maid to the Kincaid family, feels she has wasted her life pining for Henry, who went to fight on the battlefields of France. Now he has returned with a group of other desperate, destitute veterans, unsure of his future, ashamed of his past.

When a white woman is found beaten nearly to death, suspicion falls on Henry. As the tensions rise, the barometer starts to plummet. But nothing can prepare them for what is coming. For far out over the Atlantic, the greatest storm ever to strike North America is heading their way...

What did I think?

Summertime starts us off quite gently (for just a few minutes) with Missy, the Kincaid’s maid, trying to cool down in the heat then immediately grabs us by the throat as an alligator enters the garden.  Missy freezes in horror and I was almost screaming at her to grab the baby and run!  While Missy is still running through all the scenarios in her head, her neighbour Selma comes running with her shotgun!  Fire up the barbecue it’s gator steaks all round!

As we are introduced to the whole town of Heron Key, there are quite a few characters in the book so it can sometimes get confusing but the main characters quickly shine through.  We learn about Missy’s employers, Nelson and Hilda Kincaid, and their less than perfect marriage despite the birth of their son Nathan.  Missy is still living with Mama as she is waiting for the love of her life, Henry (Selma’s brother), to return from war.  Thanks to Selma’s Haitian love spells, Henry returns from war and his heart skips a beat when he sees Missy, but he returns with other veterans and lives with them at the veterans’ camp.  The veterans are quickly ostracised and when a white woman gets attacked the veterans’ camp falls under immediate suspicion.  Meanwhile, a storm is brewing…

It’s quite shocking to read about the degree of racial segregation that was enforced in America back in those days (the book is set in 1935).  It is even more disturbing when the storm comes, and lives are at stake, that colour of skin becomes a ticket to safety.  I was completely gripped by the whole story of the storm, and I did indeed gasp out loud as the storm claimed its first victim.  The ferocity and danger of the storm followed by the temporary peace and tranquillity of the eye was felt in every page and I almost felt like I was living through it with the residents of Heron Key.

This is a work of fiction based on fact so it can't help but reach into your soul and leave an imprint of the events of that fateful day in 1935.  It is an amazing story about courage and strength in the face of adversity - fight for what you believe in and never give up hope.  

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