[REVIEW] The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton @MantleBooks

If you haven’t heard of Kate Morton then what you need to do is: Open a new tab in your browser -> type in: goodreads.com -> in the search box type: Kate Morton -> voilla you can now investigate every book of hers and see which one you like the best and pick it up ASAP. I’m sure most people have heard of Kate Morton but this is written to save a life in case someone hasn’t. You can imagine my delight when I got an early copy of The Clockmaker’s Daughter, the newest book from Kate Morton.

‘They remain, as they age, the people that they were when they were young, only frailer and sadder.’

The Clockmaker’s Daughter has a great synopsis on its Goodreads page so I am going to copy it here:

‘In the summer of 1862, a group of young artists led by the passionate and talented Edward Radcliffe descends upon Birchwood Manor in rural Oxfordshire. Their plan: to spend a secluded summer month in a haze of inspiration and creativity. But by the time their stay is over, one woman has been shot dead while another has disappeared; a priceless heirloom is missing; and Edward Radcliffe’s life is in ruins.

Over one hundred and fifty years later, Elodie Winslow, a young archivist in London, uncovers a leather satchel containing two seemingly unrelated items: a sepia photograph of an arresting-looking woman in Victorian clothing, and an artist’s sketchbook containing the drawing of a twin-gabled house on the bend of a river.

Why does Birchwood Manor feel so familiar to Elodie? And who is the beautiful woman in the photograph? Will she ever give up her secrets?’

I honestly couldn’t write a better synopsis because I would spoil the book and reveal too much – with reading only the synopsis above I believe that the reader will get enough information before they dive into The Clockmaker’s Daughter.

‘All human beings crave connection, even the introverts, it is too frightening for them to think themselves alone.’

Kate Morton is someone whose books are an excellent escape into a world filled with mystery and wonderful settings. I loved reading about the Birchwood Manor and Morton has managed to capture this place in a magical way which made you picture it vividly. The story is told from multiple perspectives – we have Elodie, Birdie, Juliet, Tip, Lucy etc. – which give the reader a complete picture on all happenings in the book. The writing is what you can expect – lyrical, gorgeous – from Kate Morton. I have noticed that Morton is a great psychologist when it comes to human nature as well as perception. The way Morton writes makes you want to read more and get lost in the world her imagination has created.  The characters in this novel were wonderfully crafted and I especially liked Lucy and well as Lily (Birdie). Although I’ve enjoyed this book it a lot, this isn’t her best one – you still feel that satisfaction of going back into her world and getting lost in it but the story, for me, didn’t have a ‘wow’ factor. I have expected more of the magic that she puts in it but sadly I didn’t feel it with The Clockmaker’s Daughter. The first one-hundred pages were very slow and I couldn’t wait to get past them because I knew it would pick up. I believe that other Kate Morton fans will relate with me about these issues but who knows I might be the only one.. If anyone is on the edge about reading this book just know that after I read half of the book I couldn’t put it down and read more than three-hundred pages in a day.

‘..And so she avoided love. That is, she avoided the complication of locking hearts with another human being.’

The Clockmaker’s Daughter is nothing short of a great summer read which will transport you to a beautiful world of mystery, art, love and into the amazing place called Birchwood Manor.

The Clockmaker’s Daughter will be out on September 20th 2018 published by Mantle.

I would like to thank the publisher Mantle Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions written here are my own and weren’t influenced by anything.

My rating: 

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Kate Morton was born in South Australia, grew up in the mountains of south-east Queensland and now lives with her family in London and Australia. She has degrees in dramatic art and English literature, and harboured dreams of joining the Royal Shakespeare Company until she realised that it was words she loved more than performing. Kate still feels a pang of longing each time she goes to the theatre and the house lights dim…

Find her on: Website,  Instagram, Facebook and GoodReads.