Review ~ The Thief's Daughter by Victoria Cornwall

Choc Lit
2017

What's it all about..

Eighteenth-century Cornwall is crippled by debt and poverty, while the gibbet casts a shadow of fear over the land. Yet, when night falls, free traders swarm onto the beaches and smuggling prospers.

Terrified by a thief-taker’s warning as a child, Jenna has resolved to be good. When her brother, Silas, asks for her help to pay his creditors, Jenna feels unable to refuse and finds herself entering the dangerous world of the smuggling trade.

Jack Penhale hunts down the smuggling gangs in revenge for his father’s death. Drawn to Jenna at a hiring fayre, they discover their lives are entangled. But as Jenna struggles to decide where her allegiances lie, the worlds of justice and crime collide, leading to danger and heartache for all concerned

What did I think about it..

There's something about a story set in eighteenth-century Cornwall that continues to appeal to me. I think it harks back to the days, when as a teenager, I devoured the Cornish family sagas by Susan Howatch and of course, the Poldark novels by Winston Graham. So, to have the opportunity to support a debut author, with a similar story set in Cornwall appealed to me right from the start.

Multi layered and exciting The Thief's Daughter is one of those sweeping Cornish sagas that immediately whisks you back in time to a bygone age when deadly feuds existed and where danger lurked on every corner. Smugglers, thieves and vagabonds conceal their secrets in hidden coves and the wild and rugged scenery combine to bring alive the jagged Cornish landscape of two hundred years ago.

The author has done a great job of telling creative historical fiction. I really enjoyed getting to know Jenna, the eponymous thief’s daughter, and also watching how her relationship with the charismatic, Jack Penhale, played out in the wider scheme of the story. The history feels authentic and there is a good sense of atmosphere which conjures the wild beauty of Cornwall, so that it becomes easy to place yourself there in the eighteenth century. The characterisation is strong and nicely developed, and the plot ,at the centre of the story, is both exciting and believable.

All in all, a good debut from a talented new writer. 

Best Read With..a calorie -laden Cornish cream tea, heavy on the jam and cream

About the Author

Victoria Cornwall grew up on a farm in Cornwall. She can trace her Cornish roots as far back as the 18th century and it is this background and heritage which is the inspiration for her Cornish based novels.

Find on Twitter @VickieCornwall

Goodreads

 My thanks to the author for sharing her story with me

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