The first timeline follows the investigation into whether Lily, a young widow of a Scottish soldier, is owed financial compensation after his death while in service to his country. The second timeline shows the reader details of Lily's childhood.
Kearsley, a former museum curator, is known for her love of research and this book is filled with detailed historical facts. But it felt like the storytelling took a back seat to the historical aspect and by including some secondary characters who were based on real people, I feel she may have limited the range of her narrative. I also found the historical details sometimes confusing, and I struggled to keep straight the historical facts and the large character list (of which there were several men named Jamie). The story takes a bit of time to get going, but if readers are patient, Kearsley sets the stage for an ending that will have readers quickly turning the pages until the final twist.
This isn't my favourite book by Susanna Kearsley, but she remains one of my go-to Canadian authors when I'm in the mood for historical fiction. I appreciate her passion for history, and I think this would be a great pick for Scottish history buffs.
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the publisher for my complimentary digital copy given in exchange for my honest review.
My Rating: 3 stars
Author: Susanna Kearsley
Genre: Historical Fiction
Type and Source: eBook from publisher via NetGalley
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
First Published: October 5, 2021
Opening Line: I was a younger man when I first met her.
Book Description from GoodReads: From international bestselling author Susanna Kearsley comes a historical tale of intrigue and revolution in Scotland, where the exile of King James brought plots, machinations, suspicion and untold bravery to light. An investigation of a young widow's secrets by a man who's far from objective, leads to a multi-layered tale of adventure, endurance, romance...and the courage to hope.
In the autumn of 1707, old enemies from the Highlands to the Borders are finding common ground as they join to protest the new Union with England. At the same time, the French are preparing to launch an invasion to bring the young exiled Jacobite king back to Scotland to reclaim his throne, and in Edinburgh the streets are filled with discontent and danger.
Queen Anne's commissioners, seeking to calm the situation, have begun paying out money sent up from London to settle the losses and wages owed to those Scots who took part in the disastrous Darien expedition eight years earlier—an ill-fated venture that left Scotland all but bankrupt.
When the young widow of a Darien sailor comes forward to collect her husband's wages, her claim is challenged. One of the men assigned to investigate has only days to decide if she's honest, or if his own feelings are blinding him to the truth.
The Vanished Days is a prequel and companion novel to The Winter Sea, with action that overlaps some of the action in that book. The Vanished Days goes back in time to the 1680s and introduces the reader to the Moray and Graeme families.
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