📖 Book Review ~The Last Daughter by Nicola Cornick

HQ
8 July 2021

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

Ever since her sister disappeared eleven years ago, Serena Warren has been running from a ghost, haunted by what she can’t remember about that night.

When Caitlin’s body is discovered, Serena returns to her grandfather’s house, nestled beside the ruins of Minster Lovell Hall in Oxfordshire, determined to uncover the truth. But in returning to the place of her childhood summers, Serena stands poised at the brink of a startling discovery – one that will tie her family to a centuries-old secret…

Taking readers from the present day to the Wars of the Roses in the 1400s, and with an enthralling mystery at its heart, The Last Daughter is a spellbinding novel about family secrets, perfect for fans of Lucinda Riley, Victoria Hislop and Kate Morton.

📖 My thoughts..

When her sister's body is found Serena Warren returns to the Oxfordshire area where she and Caitlin spent many happy summers at the home of their grandfather. However, Serena has scant memory of what happened eleven years ago on the night Caitlin disappeared and hopes that by returning to the ruins of Minster Lovell Hall she will awaken the memories she has buried for so long.

By linking the story to events long past we move cleverly back to the time when Minster Lovell Hall was the home of Francis Lovell and his wife Anne Fitzhugh, both characters from history who were caught up in the momentous years of the Wars of the Roses when, in the aftermath of Bosworth, the Yorkists sympathisers were hunted and punished by the new king, Henry VII.

There's a wonderful sense of atmosphere throughout the novel which brings to life both the upset and sorrow in the present day as Serena confronts her hidden memories about the disappearance of Caitlin, whilst, with a strong sense of time and place, the last few years of the Plantagenets starts to come vividly to life. By cleverly combining myth, legend, folklore and documented history an intriguing story of what might have happened to the young princes in the tower starts to emerge. I especially enjoyed the inclusion of The Mistletoe Bride into the story which combines a touch of the supernatural with the intriguing sense of history.

The Last Daughter is a fascinating timeslip novel by a talented author who continues to shine in this genre and whose clever stories never fail to entertain.

About the Author

International bestselling author Nicola Cornick writes dual-time historical mysteries that draw on her love for genealogy and local history. She studied History at London and Oxford and worked in academia for a number of years before becoming a full time author.

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Twitter @NicolaCornick

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