A Season for Scandal (The Agency for Scandal Book 2) - Laura Wood

An all-female detective agency righting wrongs at the end of the nineteenth century; infiltrating a scandalous upper class world straight out of Bridgerton and using their wit and bravery to unmask a villain.

When Marigold Bloom finds her family business in trouble a chance encounter with the devastatingly handsome and extremely bad-tempered Oliver Lockhart leads her to the Aviary - a secret agency of women who specialise in blackmailing troublesome men. 

Soon, Mari is the agency's newest recruit, sent to investigate the mysterious return of Oliver's long lost sister. Forced to masquerade as a newly engaged couple, it is up to Mari and Oliver to determine if there is an imposter in their midst. But what happens when the line between truth and fiction starts to blur? And what do you do when a pretend romance starts to feel all too real?

 

What did I think?

A Season for Scandal is the second book in The Agency for Scandal series but it can be read as a standalone as it has its own contained storyline.  I haven't read the first book but I enjoyed A Season for Scandal so much that I now want to read the first book in the series.

This is the story of Marigold Bloom who runs her family florist.  After being unceremoniously dumped by her odious fiancé, the future looks very bleak for both Mari and her florist.  Luckily, fate intervenes and throws her into the path of Oliver Lockhart, who not only provides the swoony Mr. Darcy style love interest but also introduces Mari to a secret detective agency: the Aviary.

The characters are beautifully drawn and so vibrant (thanks mainly to Mari's colourful taste in clothing) that they virtually pop off the page.  I loved the idea of the Aviary and how they go about their mysterious and secretive business - this is what girl power looks like in Victorian England.  

Entertaining, vibrant and an absolute joy to read, A Season for Scandal may be a YA novel but it is perfectly suitable for adults to read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I do hope Laura Wood has plans to make this a long running series as I am well and truly hooked.

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The Runaway Heiress - Emma Orchard

London, 1815. Cassandra Hazeldon is on the run.

Under duress to marry a repellent friend of her uncle, Cassandra has made her escape, but now she is very much alone. With luck and quick thinking, she finds a refuge in a grand mansion in Mayfair, and a protector in Lord Irlam, or Hal to his friends.

Posing as a friend of Hal’s sister, Cassandra is swept up into the social whirl of a Brighton summer. But the attraction between her and Hal is starting to scorch, and when jealousy is added to the mix, things are set to reach boiling point.

Dear Reader, this wonderfully romantic story has passionate and steamy scenes, enjoy …

 

What did I think?

Regency romance books are very popular at the moment but I have never felt inclined to read one until now.  With a fiery redhead on the front, the cover of The Runaway Heiress is very striking and I just had to find out what lay in store for her.  It may not be one of my usual genres, but I absolutely loved it.

Cassandra Hazeldon is such a wonderful character.  1815 may be an age when women are seen but not heard, however, Cassandra knows her own mind and she's not going to do anything she doesn't want to do.  That includes marrying a friend of her uncle and losing her fortune to an odious old man.

Of course Cassandra is rescued by a dashing young man who melts her insides and proves to be a swoonworthy love interest.  Hal is lovely and puts his family commitments above his own happiness, but Cassandra is weakening his resolve and he's proving powerless to resist.  What I like about Hal is his insecurities and it's nice to see this from a male viewpoint for a change.  

Well I do declare, Ms Orchard, I am blushing like a schoolgirl.  Never has the touch of a palm felt so erotic and caused me to exclaim: 'Is it me or is it hot in here?'.  Read this one with a fan handy; it's a real scorcher and may cause uncontrollable blushing.

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

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The Fortunes of Olivia Richmond - Louise Davidson

After a terrible tragedy, governess Julia Pearlie finds herself with no job, home, or references. When she’s offered a position as companion to Miss Olivia Richmond, her luck appears to be turning. But Mistcoate House is full of secrets.

Olivia has a sinister reputation. The locals call her the Mistcoate Witch, thanks to her tarot readings, and her insistence that she can speak to the dead. Her father, Dr Richmond, believes this to be girlish fantasy and is looking to Julia to put a stop to it. 

Determined to prove herself and shake off her own murky history, Julia sets to work trying to help Olivia become a proper young lady. However, as she becomes a fixture at Mistcoate, it is soon clear that there may be more to Olivia’s stories than Dr Richmond would have Julia believe – not least because somehow, Olivia seems to know something of the darkness that Julia desperately hoped she had left behind.

As the danger grows, and the winter chill wraps around the dark woods surrounding Mistcoate, Julia will have to fight to uncover the truth, escape her past – and save herself.

Original and engrossing, this chilling Victorian Gothic ghost story is an outstanding piece of storytelling, perfect for fans of Sarah Perry, Erin Morgenstern and Jessie Burton.

 

What did I think?

The haunting cover of The Fortunes of Olivia Richmond gives the reader some idea as to how dark it is inside and this spinetingling historical gothic novel is a great book to read over the spooky season.

Julia Pearlie comes from a wealthy family but as a woman she is left penniless when her brother inherits the family's wealth.  Forced to take a job as a governess, Julia now works for people who should have been her peers.  Of course the reader can't help but wonder how good Julia is at her job with a transcript from a drowning inquest at the start of the book and this is a sad story that literally haunts her.

Mistcoate House has its very own witch in the form of Olivia Richmond and Julia has been offered the position as Olivia's companion.  I felt so sorry for Olivia, living with a father who cares naught for her, a grandfather with dementia and a housekeeper who seems far too close to her employer for my liking.  It's like a bubbling cauldron of intrigue and it had me completely riveted.

Set in the late 19th century, it explores the Victorian obsession with the occult and how the body works.  Dr Richmond isn't beyond using his own daughter for experimentation to secure funding, after all she's only a girl.  Olivia is a talented tarot card reader and she seems to know more about Julia's past than she ought to, including the identity of the ghostly boy who lingers around Julia.

Spooky, creepy and mesmerising, The Fortunes of Olivia Richmond is a wonderful piece of historical fiction with a dark, gothic edge.  Perfect reading for Halloween.

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

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: The Key in the Lock - Beth Underdown

 

'I still dream, every night, of Polneath on fire...'

By day, Ivy Boscawen mourns the loss of her son Tim in the Great War. But by night she mourns another boy - one whose death decades ago haunts her still.

For Ivy is sure that there is more to what happened all those years ago: the fire at the Great House, and the terrible events that came after. A truth she must uncover, if she is ever to be free.

From the award-winning author of The Witchfinder's Sister comes a captivating story of burning secrets and buried shame, and of the loyalty and love that rises from the ashes.

What did I think?

I've had my eyes peeled for her next novel since reading Beth Underdown's stunning debut, The Witchfinder's Sister, so I was delighted to be given an advance copy of The Key in the Lock to read and review for the blog tour.

The very first line ('I still dream, every night, of Polneath on fire...') sets the dark, haunting scene and blows air on the smouldering ember that Ivy has buried for 30 years.  With a dual timeline the tragic events of 1888 are slowly revealed as Ivy grieves for her son in 1918.  Ivy is haunted by the deaths of two boys taken too soon and it reawakens her need to find out what really happened in 1888.

Part gothic mystery and part tragic love story, The Key in the Lock is a beautifully written slow-burner that smoulders with the tension of long buried secrets.  The writing is so evocative that it draws you into the story and I could almost feel curls of smoke gently caressing my skin as I found myself fully immersed in Ivy's story.  It's a book to be savoured rather than devoured and it's the perfect book to read by the fire on a cold winter's night.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: The Red Monarch (The Brontë Mysteries Book 3) - Bella Ellis

The Brontë sisters' first poetry collection has just been published, potentially marking an end to their careers as amateur detectors, when Anne receives a letter from her former pupil Lydia Robinson.

Lydia has eloped with a young actor, Harry Roxby, and following her disinheritance, the couple been living in poverty in London. Harry has become embroiled with a criminal gang and is in terrible danger after allegedly losing something very valuable that he was meant to deliver to their leader. The desperate and heavily pregnant Lydia has a week to return what her husband supposedly stole, or he will be killed. She knows there are few people who she can turn to in this time of need, but the sisters agree to help Lydia, beginning a race against time to save Harry's life.

In doing so, our intrepid sisters come face to face with a terrifying adversary whom even the toughest of the slum-dwellers are afraid of . . . The Red Monarch.

 

What did I think?

I am completely addicted to The Brontë Mysteries series so I have been so looking forward to book 3, The Red Monarch, and it does not disappoint.  Bella Ellis has created such a wonderful portrayal of the Brontë sisters that it feels as if their very essence is woven into the pages.  It's just brilliant and I loved every single page.

With their brother Branwell suffering from a broken heart and the three sisters awaiting the first review of their poetry collection, a distraction is most welcome.  So when Anne receives a plea for help from a former pupil in London, the sisters put on their detector hats once more.  London is indeed a very different place to Yorkshire but the Brontës are fearless and always look out for each other, so I had no doubt that whatever was awaiting them in London would be no match for them.

Filled with danger and so very atmospheric, The Red Monarch isn't just a step back in time it's like stepping in the Brontë sisters' shoes. Bella Ellis' writing is sublime; it's so authentic that I often forgot I wasn't reading one of the Brontë sisters' classic works.  It's such a wonderful book in a wonderful series and I really can't recommend it highly enough.

I received an ARC from the publisher to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: The Diabolical Bones (The Brontë Mysteries) - Bella Ellis

 

It's Christmas 1845 and Haworth is in the grip of a freezing winter.

Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë are rather losing interest in detecting until they hear of a shocking discovery: the bones of a child have been found interred within the walls of a local house, Top Withens Hall, home to the scandalous and brutish Bradshaw family.

When the sisters set off to find out more, they are confronted with an increasingly complex and sinister case, which leads them into the dark world of orphanages, and onto the trail of other lost, and likely murdered children. After another local boy goes missing, Charlotte, Emily and Anne vow to find him before it's too late.

But in order to do so, they must face their most despicable and wicked adversary yet - one that would not hesitate to cause them the gravest of harm . . .

What did I think?

After admiring the absolutely gorgeous cover, I squealed with delight when seeing one of my favourite things printed on the endpapers: a map!  It's not just for decoration either; I found it really useful to refer back to the map as the story progresses to put into perspective how far the Brontës must travel (mainly on foot) to get to their various destinations.  I have to share a photo of the endpapers as they are so fabulous.

Although I have read The Vanished Bride, the first book in The Brontë Mysteries series, you can definitely read The Diabolical Bones as a standalone because other than the continuation of the characters' lives, it's a completely separate mystery.  With a poignant undertone, the story begins in 1852 with Charlotte, the last remaining Brontë sibling, reminiscing about a mysterious case in Christmas 1845 that she and her siblings investigated.

It is a freezing December night when the bones of a young child are discovered hidden in a chimney breast in Top Withens Hall.  Rather fortuitous for our nosy spinsters, their brother Branwell is friends with the owner's son which allows them to gain access to the house.  The owner is reluctant to let the sisters see the bones as he wants to bury them on his land but this doesn't deter the sisters as they are determined to identify the child.  When another child goes missing, it seems like something sinister is afoot in Yorkshire.

What an absolutely brilliant mystery!  I'm not going to say anything about the plot for fear of inadvertently spoiling it for others, other than to say it was very well done indeed.  Neither fast nor slow paced, I found the pacing to be just perfect to allow me to be fully consumed by the life of the Brontës.  

The sisters are just reaching out to publishers with their poetry and Bella Ellis includes two wonderful poems by Emily and Anne at the beginning and end of The Diabolical Bones.  At a time when women were to be seen and not heard, we can see how difficult it was to be a woman in the 19th century, always having to rely on men to gain access to places or giving the illusion that they are working for men.  The sisters do have Branwell for this, but he's pickled in gin most of the time!  As I was reading I could see the germination of ideas for their novels as the locations are described so exquisitely that you can't help but wonder if a certain place was the inspiration for Thornfield Hall, Wuthering Heights or Wildfell Hall.  This is something that Bella Ellis explores further in her Author's Note but it really does come through in the wonderful prose.

I simply adored The Diabolical Bones.  The history of the Brontë family interwoven with a fabulous mystery results in a compelling, exquisite and fascinating novel.  An absolute treasure of a novel, I can't recommend it highly enough and I didn't hesitate for a second before awarding the full five stars.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for sending me a beautiful hardback to read and review; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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The Vanished Bride (The Brontë Mysteries) - Bella Ellis

 

Yorkshire, 1845. Dark rumours are spreading across the moors. Everything indicates that Mrs Elizabeth Chester of Chester Grange has been brutally murdered in her home - but nobody can find her body.

As the dark murmurs reach Emily, Anne and Charlotte Brontë, the sisters are horrified, yet intrigued. Before they know it, the siblings become embroiled in the quest to find the vanished bride, sparking their imaginations but placing their lives at great peril . . .

What did I think?

This is one book where you can be forgiven for judging a book by its cover; it's just so perfect and I have to say that with the gold foiling and the Brontë silhouettes, this has to be one of the most beautiful book jackets I have ever seen.  I bought the hardback that even looks beautiful without the jacket, with gold foiling on a rich purple cloth cover.  The appearance fits the content of the book perfectly and I loved every single thing about The Vanished Bride.

Like many readers, I have read a novel written by each of the Brontë sisters: Charlotte's Jane Eyre, Emily's Wuthering Heights and Anne's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.  Other than knowing that they lived in Haworth, Yorkshire and their father was the local vicar, I know very little about the Brontës but thanks to Bella Ellis I fell like I know them a lot better now.  Using well researched facts, I love the way that Bella Ellis has brought the sisters to life and created characters that are entirely believable.  It's also rather poignant to read Charlotte's prologue set in 1851 when she is the last remaining Brontë sibling, but Bella Ellis rolls back the clock to 1845 to make The Vanished Bride an absolutely wonderful tribute to the Brontës.

Having the Brontë sisters as main characters takes the book from brilliant to out of this world.  The sisters turn into amateur detectives when a young bride disappears from Chester Grange and Charlotte sees a way to wangle her way into the house via an old friend of hers who is the children's nanny.  It's a fine line between inquisitiveness and nosiness and it wouldn't be the first time that the sisters were referred to as 'nosy spinsters' which I found quite amusing.

I was so charmed and consumed by the Brontë sisters that the mystery of 'The Vanished Bride' herself seemed almost secondary to me.  It's a jolly good mystery and hugely entertaining in its own right and I loved the way that the sisters used their imaginative brains to carry out their detecting.  It's set in mid-19th century so it's very much a man's world but that doesn't stop the Brontës.  

I absolutely loved The Vanished Bride and Bella Ellis's admiration of the Brontë sisters shines through from start to finish.  It's such a delightful, clever, charming and compelling novel filled with Brontë intellect and finesse.  Highly recommended.

My rating:

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A lovely cup of Earl Grey tea is the perfect accompaniment to The Vanished Bride and Leafy Bean Company have created an amazing blend with their Duke of Earl Grey tea.  I received a box of teabags to review and I have to say that it is the best Earl Grey blend I have ever tasted.  You can read my full review of the tea HERE but do visit Leafy Bean Company by clicking HERE to see their fabulous range of black, green, rooibos and herbal teas.

BLOG TOUR: People of Abandoned Character - Clare Whitfield

He is my husband.

To honour and obey.

Until murder do us part.

London, 1888: Susannah rushes into marriage to a young and wealthy surgeon. After a passionate honeymoon, she returns home with her new husband wrapped around her little finger. But then everything changes. His behaviour becomes increasingly volatile and violent. He stays out all night, returning home bloodied and full of secrets.

Lonely and frustrated, Susannah starts following the gruesome reports of a spate of murders in Whitechapel. But as the killings continue, her mind takes her down the darkest path imaginable. Every time her husband stays out late, another victim is found dead.

Is it coincidence? Or is he the man they call Jack the Ripper?

What did I think?

As one of England's most famous murderers, Jack the Ripper still continues to fascinate us over 130 years later.  His identity remains unknown and Clare Whitfield has chosen to base her amazing debut novel around this, with Susannah Lancaster suspecting that her husband is the Whitechapel murderer.  I have to say that I absolutely adored this book; I raced through it faster than I have ever read historical fiction, devouring every single perfectly crafted word.

Susannah Chapman, a nurse at The London Hospital, is the envy of her peers when she marries dashing Dr. Thomas Lancaster, who is 5 years her junior.  Forced to give up her job as a nurse now that she is married, she finds herself lady of the house with servants and a creepy housekeeper, Mrs. Wiggs.  The creepy, sneaky character of Mrs. Wiggs really creeped me out, it felt like she had eyes and ears everywhere watching Susannah's every move.

Thomas soon loses interest in Susannah and often doesn't come home at night, leaving Susannah bemused and lonely.  When a murderer starts terrorising Whitechapel, Susannah becomes obsessed with reading as much as she can about it in the press but she soon notices that each murder coincides with Thomas's disappearances.  To add authenticity to the story, Clare Whitfield has included a small piece on each victim and even recreated newspaper excerpts - I absolutely loved this touch, especially the use of the term 'outraged corpse' which brought very vivid (and slightly amusing, if I'm honest) images to mind.  I presume Clare has written the excerpts, although they are so authentic they may very well be real.

Clare Whitfield has very ingeniously turned the Jack the Ripper story on its head and created an astounding piece of cross-genre fiction; it's certainly historical fiction but it's also mystery, thriller, crime and contemporary fiction, thereby appealing to a wide range of readers.  Clare's accomplished writing weaves a rich tapestry that recreates all of the sounds, smells and sights of Victorian London; a London whose streets may be the dark and dangerous hunting ground of a murderer yet remain filled with revelry and debauchery.

Chilling, compelling and intensely atmospheric, People of Abandoned Character is an absolute masterpiece; there are many strands to this wonderful story and I loved every single one of them.  Clare Whitfield's exceptional debut definitely scoops all the stars; an unreserved 5 star read and very highly recommended.

My rating:

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About the author:

Clare Whitfield is a UK-based writer living in a suburb where the main cultural landmark is a home store/Starbucks combo. Clare nurtures an obsession with female characters that are as much villain as hero, and enjoys lurking in the blurry landscape between perception and reality. She is the wife of a tattoo artist, mother of a small benign dictator and relies on her dog for emotional stability. Previously Clare has been a dancer, copywriter, amateur fire breather, buyer and a mediocre weightlifter. People of Abandoned Character is her first novel. 

Follow Clare on Twitter @whitfield_riley and Instagram @clarerileywhitfield.

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BLOG TOUR: The Canary Keeper - Clare Carson

A must-read historical epic, weaving suspense, adventure and romance into an exhilarating thriller. The Canary Keeper is imbued with mythology and storytelling, as well as an atmospheric and encompassing portrait of 1850s Britain.

In the grey mist of the early morning a body is dumped on the shore of the Thames by a boatman in a metal canoe. The city is soon alive with talk of the savage Esquimaux stalking Victorian London and an eye witness who claims the killer had an accomplice: a tall woman dressed in widow’s weeds.

Branna ‘Birdie’ Quinn had no good reason to be by the river that morning, but she did not kill the man. She’d seen him first the day before, desperate to give her a message she refused to hear. But now the Filth will see her hang for this murder.

To save her life, Birdie must trace the dead man’s footsteps. Back onto the ship that carried him to his death, back to cold isles of Orkney that sheltered him, and up to the far north, a harsh and lawless land which holds more answers than she looks to find.

What did I think?

I have previously come across Clare Carson as a mystery and thriller writer of the Sam Coyle trilogy set in Orkney so I was very excited to hear that she had written an historical fiction novel.  We return to Orkney, albeit figuratively, in The Canary Keeper but through Clare Carson's vivid and atmospheric writing it does almost feel as if you are there and I half expected the cold sea wind to whip up my hair whilst I was reading.

The book starts in London with a prologue that sets out events in Birdie's childhood that will go on to change the course of her life.  We then meet Birdie 14 years later as Widow Quinn when she discovers the body of Orkneyman Tobias Skaill on the shore of the Thames which makes her the prime suspect in his murder.  The only way to clear her name is to discover more about Tobias' past so, on the run from the police, Birdie bravely sets sail for Orkney.

As I already knew from her previous writing, Clare Carson can evoke a keen sense of place in her novels but she goes one better in The Canary Keeper; not only transporting her reader to a different place but also to a different time.  I experienced the whole book in three dimensions and had vivid scenes in my mind comprising sights, sounds and smells of the era.

Birdie is such a strong female character in a time when men ruled the world.  When her father died, Birdie was taken under the wing of a benefactor who made sure she had a good education and was given a job as a bookkeeper in a shipping company; all very unusual for a woman of the 19th Century.  Now a young widow, I loved reading about Birdie's burgeoning relationship with policeman, Solly, and loved how she named her creepy parrot after him.  Although slightly unfair to the parrot, I say 'creepy' because all the parrot can say at first is 'skin for a skin' which gave me the chills.

There is so much going on in this book that it really does have everything; crime, thriller, romance, family secrets as well as historical interest.  Clare Carson actually based the book on real historical records but, in adding some amazingly strong female characters, she weaves an intricate and intelligent story filled with treachery and danger.  I was completely riveted from start to finish and loved everything about it.  I do hope Clare Carson writes more historical fiction as The Canary Keeper is nothing short of exceptional.

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

My rating:

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About the author:

Clare Carson grew up in the suburbs of London. She studied anthropology at university, and lived for a while in villages in Tanzania and Zimbabwe doing ethnographic research. She has worked as an adviser on human rights and international development for nearly twenty years and has written three novels, all published by Head of Zeus. She lives by the sea in Sussex with her partner, two daughters and a couple of very large cats. 

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Alchemy: turning silver to gold - Chris James

The Sequel to "Alchemy: a story of perfect murder" - available for Pre-Order at Amazon. Launch date: 14 December 2015.

After finding Jacob Silver's body missing from his grave at Pentonville Prison, Lizzie Weston battles to prove he is immortal - and clear his name.

Detective Inspector George Neville searches for Jacob's missing remains and learns that Nicolas Flamel is not only alive but cooking another brew - and leaving dead bodies wherever he goes.

Portraits and heads in jars, exhibits from Jacob Silver's "trial of the century" cause havoc as Jacob's murdered victims seek revenge.

Sir Robert Weston is honoured by Queen Victoria for services to medicine - after stealing with Jacob's discoveries.

But where is Jacob Silver?

A new trial, the sensation of the next century, reveals all.

What did I think?

Alchemy: turning silver to gold takes us on another trip to Victorian London, following the sensational hanging of Jacob Silver.  This definitely needs to be read in conjunction with Alchemy: a story of perfect murder as it won’t make much sense as a stand-a-lone novel and it follows on directly from the first book.

Where the first Alchemy book was about the quest for immortality, this second book in the series examines whether immortality has actually been achieved, thanks to the elixir that Jacob gave to his friend Lizzie Weston.  Lizzie emerges unscathed from some life-threatening events and she begins to believe she is immortal, all the while you feel that all of these strange happenings are being orchestrated by the legendary Nicolas Flamel.

Although Jacob doesn't appear until halfway through the book, Lizzie is a main character who had me enthralled.  She has an air of the supernatural about her, having miraculously survived consumption and an explosion, and I felt she almost glowed from within the pages of this book.

I did really enjoy this but not as much as the first book as some parts were a bit too fantastical for my liking; I was okay with the chattering evil decapitated heads in jars but Lizzie's effect on them was a bit puzzling.  Perhaps it will become clearer in the third book, for which I can't wait, thanks to the amazing cliffhanger at the end of this book.  Chris James has certainly mastered the art of making the reader eager for more!  As with the first book, I thought the spectacle of the trial was described brilliantly; the writing is so vivid that I felt I could have been sat in the public gallery myself.

As with the first book, there are some famous faces making an appearance in the story and this all adds to the authentic flavour of the book.  Chris James has managed to completely immerse the reader in the Victorian era, although I did question whether the ‘f’ word was in use back then.  I can see this being a series of books I will re-read over the years, they are very entertaining and I'm such a greedy reader as I'm already looking forward to the next one.

I received this e-book from Booklover Catlady publicity in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

Alchemy: a story of perfect murder - Chris James

How far would YOU go to bring back a lost love?

Alchemy is a chilling psychological tale of mystery, murder and suspense and reveals an extraordinary decade in the life of a talented, sweet young and innocent genius, as he transforms into a monster. The author, well used to murder and the macabre, was a criminal trial lead detective in the British police.

In Victorian London, England, close to the end of the 19th century, a young artist unravels what he believes to be the formula for immortality and raising the dead, prescribed in an ancient tome: Alchemy

Just when he cracks the secret code for the final components of his elixir, his mistress and inspiration, dies. His life is devastated, his mind fragile, destroyed by drugs. He knows he has the power to revive her. But obtaining the last ingredients means resorting to murder, taking innocent lives.

He just has to decide whose.

His only surviving model, our narrator, infatuated with this painter of her portrait, attends the trial of the century, where she finally learns someone got away with murder. 

Based on a true story? Why not decide for yourself?

What did I think?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book – it’s a dark gothic tale with a twist and is an absolutely stunning debut from Chris James.  It’s a veritable who’s who of the Victorian era with many famous faces making an appearance, including the grand old lady herself.

Jacob is such a tortured character and being an artist as well as an alchemist, it is little wonder that we are encouraged to question his sanity.  Jacob is standing trial for murder and the circus of the courtroom is described wonderfully.  In between chapters of the trial, we find out about Jacob’s life and I soon found myself questioning whether some things were real or imagined.

Whilst reading, I felt fully immersed in the late 19^th century and could feel Jacob’s sanity slipping away as his painting became darker and he became more addicted to his potions.  Was he living alone, or with the people with whom he claimed to be living?  My mind was a-whirl as the story progressed and as the end of the trial approached, I could see only one outcome…but what an ending!  There’s an amazing revelation and cliff-hanger at the end, ensuring that the reader will be hot-footing it over to Amazon to pick up Alchemy: turning Silver into Gold as soon as it is released.

It’s such an atmospheric, dark and brilliant book; I was reminded of Jekyll and Hyde, The Picture of Dorian Gray and even Harry Potter, ultimately causing my mind to run into overdrive as it pushed my eyes to read faster.  I really can’t wait to read book 2.

I received this e-book from Booklover Catlady publicity in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

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