It’s an absolute honour today to be sharing my review for Mrs P’s Book of Secrets by Lorna Gray as part of the #30DaysofBookBlogs and I’ve loved reading about all the fabulous bloggers so far and if you’ve missed any you can check out Lorna’s social media and have a catch up.
About the book
The Cotswolds, Christmastime 1946
A young widow leaves behind the tragedy of her wartime life, and returns home to her ageing aunt and uncle. For Lucy – known as Mrs P – and the people who raised her, the books that line the walls of the family publishing business bring comfort and the promise of new beginnings.
But the kind and reserved new editor at the Kershaw and Kathay Book Press is a former prisoner of war, and he has his own shadows to bear. And when the old secrets of a little girl’s abandonment are uncovered within the pages of Robert Underhills’s latest project, Lucy must work quickly if she is to understand the truth behind his frequent trips away.
For a ghost dwells in the record of an orphan girl’s last days. And even as Lucy dares to risk her heart, the grief of her own past seems to be whispering a warning of fresh loss…
Mrs P’s Book of Secrets will be published in the US as The Book Ghost.
Mrs P’s Book of Secrets is available to purchase in ebook now – Amazon UK | The Book Ghost – Amazon.com
Paperback to be released March 2020
My thoughts
I don’t read historical fiction as often as I would probably like and it’s been a while since I have read one so I was really looking forward to reading Mrs P’s Book of Secrets.
Set in the aftermath of WWII we meet Lucy Peuse, a young widow. Lucy or Mrs P as she is known by some has come to stay with her Aunt and Uncle who own the publishing company Kershaw and Kathay and Lucy works as secretary alongside Robert Underhill, editor.
Now this isn’t a fast paced story, it’s more of a story that builds up slowly as you turn the pages and it certainly draws you right in, absorbing you in the words and the world that was 1946 and it’s very easy to get lost in.
It’s clear that there has been a lot of research done for this story and I loved reading about the workings of a publishing company back in those days, it’s quite fascinating how the process worked.
I really enjoyed reading about Lucy and Robert, both characters had such sadness in their lives and it was lovely to watch them grow and I hoped that they would overcome their loss and grief. It was hard reading at times, but I always had the feeling of hope while I was reading.
Mrs P’s Book of Secrets is very atmospheric and absorbing. It’s a story that I found needed all my attention, it’s not a story you could dip in and out of and to be quite honest I probably couldn’t have even if I’d wanted it that way. It did take me a few chapters to really get into the story, I found I really had to give it my all but I was rewarded with beautiful writing and a feeling of warmth at the end. It’s a story of loss, love, hope and family but there’s a mystery within the pages, I won’t say anymore.
If you’re a historical fiction fan then I highly recommend you give Mrs P’s Book of Secrets a read, it’s quite captivating, beautifully written with such attention to detail it’s so easy to get swept back in time.
About the author
Lorna Gray was born in 1980 in Bedfordshire. Her relationship with the glorious countryside of the Cotswolds began many years ago when she first moved to Cirencester. She has been exploring the area through her love of history, adventure and romance ever since.
This is Lorna’s fourth post-WWII mystery. Her three previous novels are In the Shadow of Winter (2015), The War Widow (2018) and The Antique Dealer’s Daughter (2018). She lives in the Cotswolds with her husband.
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