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!
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.
ReplyDelete