BOOK REVIEW - NICOLA CORNICK, HOUSE OF SHADOWS

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.

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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.  

HOUSE OF SHADOWS BLOG TOUR - INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR NICOLA CORNICK & BOOK GIVEAWAY

First of all Nicola welcome back! It’ s been a while since you visited last time (HERE).  It’s a great pleasure to have you as my guest again. Now, here’ s my first question for you.

Thank you so much! It’s lovely to be here.

Your novel tells the story of three women connected to Ashdown House in Oxfordshire where you volunteer as a guide and local historian. What is it like to work in such an amazing place?

Right from the start, Ashdown enchanted me. There’s something about the place that grabs you and doesn’t let you go. All my fellow volunteers say the same. Perhaps it’s the combination of the sheer beauty of the house and the fascinating story of the family who owned it – a rags to riches story of fortune and passion and scandal. It inspires me every time I step over the threshold and it feels sich a huge privilege to be allowed to work there.

How crucial was your work at Ashdown House in your decision to   write House of Shadows?

Can you briefly introduce the 3 protagonists of your book?

I’ve known for several years that I wanted to write a fictional story inspired by Ashdown and its history so it was absolutely crucial to House of Shadows. The story of Elizabeth Stuart, the Winter Queen, is a usually portrayed as a sad one because she lost her kingdom and was forced into exile, but there is so much more to Elizabeth as a person and I wanted to demonstrate her strength and the way she still campaigned for her children’s future after her husband died. Then there is Lavinia, the 19^th century courtesan whose story is inspired by that of another Craven connection, Harriette Wilson who was the mistress of the 7^th Lord Craven. In the present day, Holly is desperately trying to find her brother, and she is the one who unravels both Elizabeth and Lavinia’s story and sees the destiny that binds them together across the centuries.