I’m thrilled to be one of today’s stops on the blog tour for ‘The Forgotten Palace.’
In an underground labyrinth a lost soul wanders, waiting for revenge, waiting for love…
London 1900
Alice Webster has made the worst decision of her life. When her Aunt Agatha offers her the chance to go on a Grand Tour she jumps at the opportunity to get away from the glare of scandal.
Heading off to see the world as the century turns, Alice begins to believe her broken heart can be healed, and a chance encounter on a train bound for Paris changes everything.
When their journey takes them to a Cretan house thick with history, and the world-famous dig at Knossos, stories from the past begin to echo through Alice’s life.
London Present Day
Eloise De’Ath is meant to be a grieving widow. But if people knew the truth about her late husband, they’d understand why she can’t even pretend.
Needing to escape, Eloise heads to Crete and the house her father-in-law Quinn left her, and slowly Quinn’s home begins to reveal its mysteries.
In his office Eloise discovers his life’s work: the study of the Victorian excavation to find the Minotaur’s labyrinth. Fascinated by the diaries of a young woman from the dig, Eloise is drawn into Alice’s tale of lost love and her growing obsession with Ariadne, the princess of the labyrinth.
Three women divided by time but connected by the long-hidden secrets of the past. As their stories join in a golden thread, a terrible injustice might finally be undone…
Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3kbJCiI
Author Bio –
Alexandra Walsh is the bestselling author of dual timeline historical mysteries, previously published by Sapere. Her books range from the fifteenth century to the Victorian era and are inspired by the hidden voices of women that have been lost over the centuries.
Formerly a journalist, writing for national newspapers, magazines and TV, her first book for Boldwood will be published in Spring
2023.
Social Media Links –
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themarquesshousetrilogy
Twitter: https://twitter.com/purplemermaid25
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/purplemermaid25/
Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alexandra-walsh
Review-
This is the first of this author’s work I’ve read but I’ll certainly be keeping an eye out for future releases now!
Written as a dual timeline, this is a sweeping historical mystery which is expertly woven together. Unlike some other novels in this genre, we are able to build up our knowledge of the main characters over successive chapters, rather than flitting from one story to the other and this works particularly well as the reader gains a real sense of what is happening both in the 1900s and the present day.
The cover is particularly striking and sets the scene of the novel perfectly. The author has clearly extensively researched the history of the Minoans in Crete and the archaeological dig to discover the Palace of Knossos, while the linking chapters detailing elements of Greek mythology and the story of Ariadne and the Minotaur gives this an extra special edge over other works of historical fiction.
Victorian society and values are similarly well portrayed as poor Alice has to suffer the indignity of a disastrous love choice before she is whisked away by her sympathetic aunt on a Grand Tour.
I liked the way in which family secrets were such an integral part of the plot in both timelines and felt this golden thread within the narrative was cleverly done to link the lives of Alice and Eloise beyond their interest in history.
A fascinating and evocative read. Highly recommended.
With thanks to the author, Rachel at Random Resources and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to participate in the tour.
Further stops can be found here:
Pickled Thoughts and Pinot 