“…Sweeping and intimate, warm and gripping. I loved it!” —Louise Penny, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Chief Inspector Gamache novels
A single twist of fate puts a servant girl to work in Queen Victoria’s royal kitchen, setting off a suspenseful, historical mystery by the New York Times bestselling author of The Tuscan Child and The Victory Garden.
Isabella Waverly only means to comfort the woman felled on a London street. In her final dying moments, she thrusts a letter into Bella’s hand. It’s an offer of employment in the kitchens of Buckingham Palace, and everything the budding young chef desperately wants: an escape from the constrictions of her life as a lowly servant. In the stranger’s stead, Bella can spread her wings.
Arriving as Helen Barton from Yorkshire, she pursues her passion for creating culinary delights, served to the delighted Queen Victoria herself. Best of all, she’s been chosen to accompany the queen to Nice. What fortune! Until the threat of blackmail shadows Bella to the Riviera, and a member of the queen’s retinue falls ill and dies.
Having prepared the royal guest’s last meal, Bella is suspected of the poisonous crime. An investigation is sure to follow. Her charade will be over. And her new life will come crashing down—if it doesn’t send her to the gallows.
Rewrite The Stars. This is a solid book, particularly in the "historical fiction where the lead character believes they can change their destiny" type. Brings to life some real-world trivia points that I hadn't known, which is always a nice little surprise, and even taught me a bit of geography I didn't know in the process - which is even more rare and thus even more awesome when it happens. The story itself will be familiar to anyone who has seen A Knight's Tale (the movie) or read Gone With the Wind or any other numerous stories of its type over the years, but the execution here is excellent and the story is well paced and well told. Very much recommended.
Reading updates
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16 March, 2020:
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16 March, 2020:
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