The Clockmaker's Daughter

Author: Kate Morton
Genre: Historical Fiction / Mystery
Type: digital e-book
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Atria Books (Simon and Schuster Canada)
First Published: October 9, 2018
First Line: "We came to Birchwood Manor because Edward said that it was haunted."

Book Description from GoodReads: A rich, spellbinding new novel from the author of The Lake Hose -- the story of a love affair and a mysterious murder the cast their shadow across generations, set in England from the 1860's until the present day.

My real name, no one remembers.

The truth about that summer, no one else knows.

In the summer of 1862, a group of young artists led by the passionate and talented Edward Radcliffe descends upon Birchwood Manor on the banks of the Upper Thames. 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?

Told by multiple voices across time, The Clockmaker’s Daughter is a story of murder, mystery, and thievery, of art, love and loss. And flowing through its pages like a river, is the voice of a woman who stands outside time, whose name has been forgotten by history, but who has watched it all unfold: Birdie Bell, the clockmaker’s daughter.

My Rating: 3 stars

My Review: Kate Morton is one of my go-to Historical Fiction authors. When you pick up one of her books, you know you're going to get a well-written story with accurate historical details that pull you into the plot and lives of the characters. After hearing her speak a couple of years ago on her The Lake House tour about how she comes up with her book plots and characters ideas, I became an even bigger fan.

In The Clockmaker's Daughter, Morton once again has beautiful, descriptive prose and you can tell she's done her research on the era. But, unfortunately, this wasn't my favourite Kate Morton book. 

I enjoy books that have two different time frames but in this book, there is an overabundance of jumping back and forth (WWI, WWII, 1850-1860's) making the book feel disjointed. There are also several subplots, different narrators and loads of characters - some of whom don't play a big role but their addition muddles things up when you're trying to keep track of who is who and which time frame you're dealing with.

I loved the premise and the mystery involved but, in the end, it was just an okay read for me. It pains me to give an average rating for this book, but I will always highly recommend Kate Morton for anyone who adores Historical Fiction with wonderfully evocative writing. If you're new to this author, try starting with a few of my favourites: The Forgotten Garden, The Secret Keeper or The Lake House. I eagerly look forward to her next book.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Atria Books for providing me with a complimentary digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.