Friday, February 7, 2014

The Splendour Falls by Susanna Kearsley




Emily Braden decides to take a holiday to Chinon France to meet her cousin Henry who is researching the hidden treasure of Isabelle, the infamous King John of England’s Queen.  When Emily arrives, she is unsurprised to find that Henry has not arrived yet as he is notoriously absent minded.

Emily gets to know the people staying at her hotel and in Chinon.  There is the hint of romance with a few different men, and also Emily meets some annoying American tourists.  Emily also learns the romantic legend of another Isabelle in WWI who loved a German soldier and hid a treasure of diamonds when the Germans pulled out of Chinon.  While on the hunt for the two potential treasures, Emily learns some dark secrets and starts to wonder if something sinister has happened to her cousin Henry.

I enjoyed this novel, but it was apparent that it was one of Susanna Kearsley’s earlier novels where she hadn’t quite yet honed her craft.  I didn’t really feel romance between Emily and any of her potential suitors.  The suspense factor also wasn’t as high as it is in Kearsley’s other novels.  It was still an enjoyable story over all, but I think I was expecting something different after reading Kearsley’s other works.  

Book Source:  Review copy from Sourcebooks – Thanks!

1 comment:

  1. I really appreciate your thoughts on this book. Re-releases seem quite popular these days especially once an author hits her stride. I'll think about this reading this book.

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