Review: The Golden Thread

Title: The Golden Thread

Author: Tea Cooper

Publisher: 30th October 2024 by Harlequin Australia, HQ & MIRA

Pages: 352 pages

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

When eighteen-year-old Constance Montague wakes one Wednesday she expects the day to unfold like any other. Breakfast with her grandmother Nell and her mother Faith, a meeting in Maitland with the ladies of the Benevolent Society, perhaps a gentle stroll along the banks of the Hunter River. But this Wednesday is different. Nell has vanished.

Concerned, Connie determines to track Nell down and follows a lead to Old Government House in Parramatta, now a boarding house. There, to her astonishment she finds her grandmother holding court.

When Nell introduces her (under a false name!) to a varied cast of colourful guests, including a frail but observant old lady, a travelling salesmen, a bearded lothario, a clever articled clerk, a lively seamstress and an enigmatic housekeeper who is connected with Nell's past, Connie begins to realise that her grandmother is not who she seems. Nell is looking for something and following a thread stitched long ago, a thread that leads from some missing gold, to a golden dress and the attic of Government House and as the story unravels so do the secrets of the past, secrets that surface into the present to threaten not just Nell, but Connie too.

My Thoughts

Tea Cooper always presents outstanding Australian historical fiction and her latest, The Golden Thread, is no exception. I have enjoyed all of Tea’s previous works as they have proven to be consistently engaging and masterfully crafted tales of mystery and intrigue. 

The Golden Thread once again entertains readers with strong female leads. I just adored Nell and how she works together with her granddaughter to unfold the mystery. There is a golden yellow dress, created in the mid-eighteenth century in London (now abandoned in an attic) that is the inspiration for this story. Tea is so clever at taking a piece of history and forming a fictional tale around it. So be sure to read her notes at the end of the book in which she tells the story of the ‘golden’ dress, explaining not only its history but also the provenance regarding pieces from history that feature in this book.

This is a clever story that will have you working to organise all the plot puzzle pieces that have been masterfully crafted by Tea. I was captivated by not only the determination of the two women, but also a strong cast of secondary characters. Congratulations Tea on once again producing a masterfully crafted tale of mystery and intrigue that will see the reader journeying side by side with Nell and Connie as they both respectively work to uncover the truth.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: The Starlets

Title:The Starlets

Author: Lee Kelly & Jennifer Thorne

Publisher: 12th November 2024 by Harper Muse

Pages: 384 pages

Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Historical Fiction | Mystery & Thrillers

Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

Real life is turning out to be stranger than a script for the silver screen.

Vivienne Rhodes thinks she’s finally landed her break playing Helen in Apex Pictures’ big-budget Troy epic, A Thousand Ships, an anticipated blockbuster meant to resurrect the failing studio. Naturally, she’s devastated when she arrives on the remote Italian island of Tavalli and finds herself cast as Cassandra—while her nemesis, the fiancée-stealing Lottie Lawrence, America’s supposed “sweetheart,” is headlining instead.

The tension on set, though, turns deadly when the ladies discover that members of the crew are using the production as a front for something decidedly illegal—and that they are willing to kill to keep their dealings under wraps. When the two women find themselves on the run and holding key evidence, Vivienne and Lottie frantically agree to work together to deliver the proof to Interpol, hoping to protect both their lives and their careers.

Staying one step ahead of corrupt cops and looming mobsters, the arch rivals flee across the seas. Their journey leads them into Monaco’s casinos, Grace Kelly’s palace, on a road trip through the Alps—even onto another film set, before a final showdown on Tavalli, where the lives of the entire cast and crew hang in the balance. Vivienne and Lottie finally have the chance to be real heroines—to save the day, the film, maybe even each other—but only if they can first figure out how to share the spotlight.

My Thoughts

A story set in the 1950s involving glamorous movie stars would be enough to entice me. However, when you also include movie worthy baddies versus goodies pursuit throughout Europe - from Mediterranean islands, to Monaco, to the Alps - then all is set for a romping read. 

The Starlets is a fun, fast paced story in the style of an old Hollywood movie where two female leads go from enemies to friends in order to solve the mystery.  An old fashioned movie set with a good murder mystery thrown in is a sure fire winner in my view. The authors so cleverly achieved a balance between old Hollywood celebrity drama, to daring Mafia pursuits, to old fashioned comedy! They certainly captured the ‘feel’ from this era. It reads like a movie playing out in your mind's eye. 

This is more than a historical fiction story. It is a classic adventure story  of two women coming together as the drama unfolds. The Starlets is  glamour, action and suspense all rolled into one. If this is your vibe then get ready for a fun and entertaining read. 

‘Movies are the closest thing we have to magic. Every problem, complication, disaster solved in an hour and a half. Every hero deserving of love and redemption.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

 

Review: The Secret Christmas Bookshop

Title:The Secret Christmas Bookshop 

Author: Cressida McLaughlin

Publisher: 24th October 2024 by HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction

Pages: 380 pages

Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Romance

Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

In a beautiful seaside village, where enormous blue skies and golden sand dunes stretch into forever, somebody is opening an unexpected gift…

When an anonymous parcel turns up at the shop where Sophie works, she’s surprised to find a beautifully bound classic novel, one that eerily seems to chime with her own story.

Enigmatic Harry lives in a crumbling manor house, spending solitary days patching up leaks in the roof. The subject of unwelcome gossip in the village since his return from London, he prefers to keep to himself.

As Christmas draws near and the gifting season arrives, Sophie attempts to get to the bottom of her mysterious parcel. Finding herself being drawn into Harry’s orbit, they are both about to learn that good stories can take on a life of their own …

My Thoughts

I enjoyed books from  Cressida’s Cornish Cream Tea series so it was inevitable that I would jump at the chance to read another of hers that contains a bookshop during the  Christmas period! This is a light and enjoyable read with a little romance and mystery set in a quaint English village. 

‘I’m seizing the moment,’ Harry said. ‘Not waiting for things to be perfect, but making the most of right now. Someone taught me that recently.’

There is a wonderful cast of characters from this small village that come together to prepare for Christmas. It is fun, however, Cressida delves a little deeper into themes of finding a home and the importance of family and community. I love how the gifted copy of Jane Eyre that Sophie mysteriously receives and reads, reflects both Jane and Sophie’s story with the latter drawing inspiration from this classic. 

‘I’m going to take chances and be braver. I’m going to live, rather than exist.’

So make yourself a nice cuppa and settle in for all the festive community feels! This is a tale about finding out where you belong in a beautiful village by the sea.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

 

Review:I Was Anastasia

Title: I Was Anastasia 

Author: Ariel Lawhon

Publisher: 2nd October 2024 by Simon & Schuster Australia

Pages: 430 pages

Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Historical Fiction | Russia

Rating: 4.5 cups

Synopsis:

From the bestselling author of  The Frozen River  comes an enthralling historical mystery that unravels the extraordinary twists and turns in Anna Anderson’s fifty-year battle to be recognised as Anastasia Romanov. Is she the Russian grand duchess or the thief of another woman’s legacy?

Countless others have rendered their verdict. Now it is your turn.

Russia, 1918: Under direct orders from Vladimir Lenin, Bolshevik secret police herd Anastasia Romanov, along with the entire imperial family, into a damp basement in Siberia, where they face a merciless firing squad. None survive. At least that is what the executioners have always claimed.

Germany, 1920: A young woman bearing an uncanny resemblance to Anastasia Romanov is pulled shivering and senseless from a canal. Refusing to explain her presence in the freezing water or even acknowledge her rescuers, Anna Anderson is taken to the hospital where an examination reveals that her body is riddled with countless horrific scars. When she finally does speak, this frightened, mysterious young woman claims to be the Russian grand duchess. As rumours begin to circulate that the youngest Romanov daughter survived the massacre, old enemies and new threats awaken.

I Was Anastasia unravels the thrilling mystery around Anna Anderson in a tale that is every bit as moving and momentous as it is harrowing and twisted.

My Thoughts

I first came across Ariel with her book, Flight of Dreams (about the Hindenburg disaster) in 2016 - it was brilliant. From that book on it has been wonder after wonder including last year’s huge success, The Frozen River. It is therefore needless to say, I was filled with anticipation about her latest to be finally released in Australia, I Was Anastasia. 

‘Am I truly Anastasia Romanov? A beloved daughter. A revered icon. A Russian grand duchess. Or am I an impostor? A fraud. A liar. The thief of another woman’s legacy.’

I have a fascination for the Romanov family, as Ariel states herself, ‘The Romanovs are not the only royal family to come to a tragic end, yet their story endures as few have. What do you think contributes to the timeless fascination - that of Anastasia in particular?  It was indeed an ambitious undertaking to tell a story of such famed repute and the way she delivers it is complex but I think, very rewarding. Yes the multiple timelines - Anastasia herself and Anna Anderson (see blurb) - are interwoven throughout. Make no mistake, they do jump around all over the place being nonlinear. Even Ariel admits the structure is very challenging and different but it was selected so as to enhance and bring out the absolute best in this tale. 

‘The recognized, legal, and surviving family of Tsar Nicholas the Second believe that you are a fraud.’

No matter how much or how little you know of the story of Anastasia Romanov, Ariel’s book brings these rich and highly engaging stories (yes, more than one!) to their most appealing. The detail and specifics that she delivers to her readers is nothing short of spectacular. Be sure to take time to truly sink into Ariel’s, ‘Author Notes’ at the conclusion. I Was Anastasia  is a definite stand out book for me and I highly recommend it as it ticks so many boxes. It is complex yet clear in regaling readers about an intriguing mystery from history. If a tale rich in research of time, place, people and mystery sounds inviting, then do yourself a favour and read it. 

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.