London, 1662
There was something the Winter
Queen needed to tell him. She fought for the strength to speak.
‘The crystal mirror is a
danger. It must be destroyed – ‘
He replied instantly. ‘It
will’.
Ashdown, Oxfordshire, present
day
Ben Ansell
is researching his family tree when he disappears. As his sister Holly begins a
desperate search, she finds herself inexplicably drawn to an ornate antique
mirror and to the diary of Lavinia, a 19th
century courtesan who was living at Ashdown House when it burned to the
ground over 200 years ago.
Intrigued, and determined to find
out more about the tragedy at Ashdown, Holly’s only hope is that uncovering the
truth about the past will lead her to Ben.
*******************************
I'm back reviewing and blogging after a while with a book I liked very much: House of Shadows by Nicola Cornick ( Harlequin Mira UK, 2015). It is fast paced, intriguing, well
written and thoroughly researched and it includes all the elements to make it my
“cup of coffee” (yes, I like coffee more than tea): fascinating historical eras,
beautiful English landscapes, gripping plot and, last but
not least, passionate romance.
Three
parallels narrative threads unroll in three different time settings keeping the reader hooked and, little by little, interweaving to form the
tapestry that is the solution of the initial mystery: the sudden, inexplicable
disappearance of Ben Ansell.
Nicola
Cornick’s new time-slip novel champions
three beautifully written heroines: Elizabeth
Stuart, James I’s daughter and queen of Bohemia, the 17th century "Winter
Queen” ; Lavinia Flyte, a 19th-century courtesan who wrote a memoir, and Holly Ansell, a present-day woman in distress to whom is truly easy to relate. Holly is
desperate after her brother disappears
and her long-lasting relationship with Guy wrecks.
The three women are connected one to the other somehow
through a place, Ashdown House,
a Dutch-style country house in Oxfordshire, and two magic objects , an Italian jewelled mirror and the Sistrin
pearl .
A fascinating tale must also have fascinating heroes in order to counterbalance its charming heroines. House of Shadows has a great one, a historical figure who is not so popular but on whom Nicola Cornick has been obsessed since she started volunteering as a guide at Ashdown House: William Craven. After making his acquaintance in House of Shadows, I can truly sympathize with the author’s fascination: he is handsome, brave, loyal, selfless, resourceful and a passionate lover. His love story with the Winter Queen is a life-long, complicated relationship based on his total dedication.
 |
| Ashdown House |
A fascinating tale must also have fascinating heroes in order to counterbalance its charming heroines. House of Shadows has a great one, a historical figure who is not so popular but on whom Nicola Cornick has been obsessed since she started volunteering as a guide at Ashdown House: William Craven. After making his acquaintance in House of Shadows, I can truly sympathize with the author’s fascination: he is handsome, brave, loyal, selfless, resourceful and a passionate lover. His love story with the Winter Queen is a life-long, complicated relationship based on his total dedication.
Nicola Cornick says of him: "It is William Craven’s unswerving loyalty and honour that impresses me the most, I think. At a time when many men changed allegiance depending on the political situation he was utterly steadfast in his devotion to the Stuart cause. I admire that sort of integrity".
To know more about the historical figure
that inspired the character
read Nicola Cornick’s post about William Craven: London Hero
Elizabeth Stuart Queen of Bohemia and William Craven
Also
Lavinia Flyte, who is a courtesan, has
her own romantic entanglement against all odds. Her hero is Robert Verity, a
surveyor officer who promises her a happy free life after her sad years as a
courtesan.
Holly
Ansell, while investigating on her brother’s mysterious disappearance, finds and reads Lavinia's memoir and herself inexplicably attracted at first sight to her own handsome present – day
hero, ex PTSD sufferer, ex-veteran, now rich enterpreneur, Mark .
The shifts in time are perfectly crafted and don't blur but enrich the narrating flow involving the reader more and more page after page until a very satisfying ending. Everything is made clear, the mysteries are solved but I personally was left with great curiosity to know more about the historical figures and Ashdown House. Mission accomplished, Ms Cornick!
A great summer read for fans of time-slip tales and historical fiction. Quoting from the book cover: “for fans of Barbara Erskine and Kate Morton comes an unforgettable novel about the power one lie can have over history”.
The shifts in time are perfectly crafted and don't blur but enrich the narrating flow involving the reader more and more page after page until a very satisfying ending. Everything is made clear, the mysteries are solved but I personally was left with great curiosity to know more about the historical figures and Ashdown House. Mission accomplished, Ms Cornick!
A great summer read for fans of time-slip tales and historical fiction. Quoting from the book cover: “for fans of Barbara Erskine and Kate Morton comes an unforgettable novel about the power one lie can have over history”.
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