Synopsis
A lost child: On the eve of the First World War, a little girl is found abandoned on a ship to Australia. A mysterious woman called the Authoress had promised to look after her - but has disappeared without a trace. A terrible secret: On the night of her twenty-first birthday, Nell Andrews learns a secret that will change her life forever. Decades later, she embarks upon a search for the truth that leads her to the windswept Cornish coast and the strange and beautiful Blackhurst Manor, once owned by the aristocratic Mountrachet family. A mysterious inheritance: On Nell's death, her granddaughter, Cassandra, comes into an unexpected inheritance. Cliff Cottage and its forgotten garden are notorious amongst the Cornish locals for the secrets they hold - secrets about the doomed Mountrachet family and their ward Eliza Makepeace, a writer of dark Victorian fairytales. It is here that Cassandra will finally uncover the truth about the family, and solve the century-old mystery of a little girl lost.

I loved The House At Riverton, and Kate Morton’s new book has all the right ingredients for me.

The book is set over three timeframes. The first is 1900-1913 - Eliza Makepeace escapes a life of poverty in London when she is claimed by her mother’s aristocratic family, the Mountrachets, and taken to Cornwall. Here she meets her cousin Rose and a strong friendship is formed, which is severely tested years later when Rose marries and longs to have a child.

In 1975 Nell arrives in Cornwall from Australia to try to find out the truth about who she really is, and 30 years later her granddaughter Cassandra turns her back on her own tragedy to retrace Nell’s steps and search for her inheritance.

I got really engrossed in this multi-layered story and couldn’t wait to find out the truth about Nell’s birth. It did have one or two flaws - the language is a bit flowery at times and I found the character of Rose extremely irritating - but it’s very atmospheric, with great cast of supporting characters .

Interesting snippet from Kate Morton’s website: apparently she was inspired by a similar event in her own family history. On the eve of her 21^st birthday, Kate’s grandmother found out that she wasn’t who she thought she was, just as Nell does in the book.

I hope she’s inspired to write another book very soon.

This one trolley-jumped in Asda tonight Denise - thanks for whetting my appetite still further! 

I'm reading this at the moment and am really liking it.  I love the way it jumps between the strands of the story and drip-feeds the mystery to us.

 Really enjoyed this one - I got engrossed in each section and didn't want to leave the character. The mystery was a little predictable towards the end, but enjoyably written anyway.

 I havent got a copy yet - but am looking forward to reading this.  Great review (as always) Denise - thanks x

I have this on my bookshelves ...just waiting for the right time to read it, I seem to have had a garden themed month so far.

great review Denise ..thanks

On my w.list...

I've just accepted a swap for this and am really looking forward to reading it!

I thought this was on the whole better than The House At Riverton. I thought it was more original although I still knew the ending before I was half way through. I would agree with an above poster who critisised the writing style somewhat as it did seem straight out of a creative writing class. But overall I really enjoyed it.

I really fancy reading this one, I loved The House at Riverton. I'll might have to borrow yours Mel!

I really enjoyed this, even more than The House at Riverton, even though I had to concentrate to keep track of characters and time frames (post natal brain 5 yrs on!!). A very satisfying read, she really is a great storyteller.

heathera:

I really fancy reading this one, I loved The House at Riverton. I'll might have to borrow yours Mel!

No worries love, I'm probably going to read it next so you can have it after me x

 I was totally entralled by this all the way through.  I enjoyed The House At Riverton but thought this one was much better.  I loved the way the story was told over different eras and the fact you were kept in suspense at the end of each section.

 

Just realised that I forgot to add my thoughts here after finishing this at the weekend - so here goes!

I too enjoyed this much more than The House at Riverton (enjoyed that too, but this is far better!)  I felt Ms Morton's style had developed enormously between the two books so this is less cliched, the characters far better developed, and she handles the different time layers of this book very skilfully to hold the reader's interest throughout.  I agree that you can easily guess from halfway through who Nell's mother really was - there are plenty of clues given, after all - but for me, there was far more to the book than this little piece of "knowledge".  Now, like Denise, I'm hoping for even greater things from Ms Morton's third book, whenever that is, as I love her comfortable style and the multi-layered history she works into her books.

Am about to finish Kate Morton's Forgotten Garde, which I thought was superb!