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| Simon and Schuster 2014 |
Jaffa and I were delighted to be given the opportunity to be a guest reviewer on Lindsay's excellent blog
at
Do pop across and read what we thought about
In the winter of 1792, Pierre
Renard, the eponymous silversmith, is found dead in London’s Berkeley Square. With
his throat cut and his pocket watch stolen, his murder could have been the work
of an opportunist pickpocket, but as the story progresses it becomes obvious
that, whilst on the surface, Pierre Renard was a man of means and self
importance, he had more than enough enemies who wished him dead. At the heart
of the story is Mary, the silversmith’s wife, who is completely overshadowed by
her erstwhile husband, and yet by necessity, must play a pivotal role in the
evolution of events. It’s a time of great uncertainty, not just for Mary as she
copes in the aftermath of her husband’s murder but also for the continuation of
Mary’s silversmith business, when a woman alone and defenceless was seen as the
ultimate weakness.
From the beginning, I was drawn
into the dark and dismal world of Georgian London where the patrolling night
watchmen sink their sorrow into the bottom of an ale cup and where the great
and the good of the city divide their time between squandering their wealth and
interfering in other people’s lives. The
Silversmith’s Wife takes the reader on a journey into the complicated world
of Georgian melodrama and into the hub of the silversmith trade in the very
heart of Bond Street, a place where petty jealousies run rife, and where
thwarted passions and long buried hostilities threaten to overshadow
everything.
There is no doubt that the author
has a real skill for storytelling and in The
Silversmith’s Wife, she conveys an introspective story, which whilst
keeping at its heart the mystery surrounding Renard’s untimely death, also
looks at the minutiae of daily life and the sadness which pervades Mary’s role
as the unhappy wife. Reminiscent at times of Michel Faber’s, The Crimson Petal and the White, this story oozes
quiet elegance and a decadent charm, which lingers in the way the story, evolves
at its own pace. I found much to enjoy in the story, the plot kept me guessing,
and I was so sympathetically drawn to Mary’s character, that by the end of the
novel I only wished for her a long and happy life.
I would definitely recommend The Silversmith’s Wife to those readers
who enjoy well written historical fiction.
Thanks to Lindsay and Simon and Schuster for the chance to read this book.
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Thank you so much Josie and Jaffa, proud to feature your review and love your blog. x
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