The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton

Firstly, it must be said, I couldn’t help but dive straight into The Clockmaker’s Daughter. Anticipating its release, seeing Kate’s social media posts and regular updates over the past months, I let out a great sigh as if I’d been holding my breath; to finally hold it in my hands.

I was lucky enough to be one of the selected to receive the ARC, advance readers copy, in serialisation form through Pigeonhole and Pan Macmillan. I was also thrilled to be invited to the official UK book release evening with Kate Morton. (Oh, when life gets in the way of our dreams) unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make it *sighs* But, after seeing the photos I’m sure it was a wonderful intimate evening.

Kate Morton has always reigned as one of my favourite authors; her talent for weaving an intricate, multilayered story, over the years has been of great inspiration.

So, grab your coffee, here’s my spoiler-free review… *sips cappuccino*

‘My father called me Birdie; he said I was his little bird. Others knew me as his child, the clockmaker’s daughter. Edward called me his muse, his destiny. I am remembered as a thief, an imposter, a girl who rose above her station, who was not chaste.
My real name, no one remembers.
The truth about that summer, no one else knows.’

From the cover, The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton

The Clockmaker’s Daughter presents us, initially, with two eras.

We start in 1862, Edward Radcliffe, a young passionate painter, invites a group of artist friends to stay at his newly purchased, Birchwood Manor. A long summer ahead of them; one of art, passion, creativity, and long hazy summer evenings by the river. However, their summer is cut short, abruptly, as tragedy strikes. A woman is shot dead, one is missing, his life in tatters, Edward will never be the same again.

In 2017 young London archivist, Elodie Winslow stumbles across a leather satchel, concealing an artist sketchbook and a Victorian photograph of a woman. Flicking through the pages, she finds a sketch of a twin-gabled house. Something about this house and the beautiful young woman, trigger some childhood memories of her deceased mother, and a bedtime story she would tell. Why does this house feel so familiar?

The Clockmakers Daughter takes us off on a wondrous journey, stopping off at certain points in time, all gravitating at one location; a stunning 16th-century house, with stone walls and twin gables, that sits at the bend of the Upper Thames. A house that is steeped in history, sprinkled with mystery and magic. But this house harbours a dark secret.

The Clockmaker’s Daughter has all the hallmarks of a Kate Morton bestseller. A cast of ripe, varied characters, richly painted locations, all wrapped in an intricate plot. This is a murder mystery about love, loss, abandonment, art and creativity, a story of death and survival. It is told to us in multiple voices, all with their own little silken thread, weaving this lavish story tapestry.

Needless to say, I loved it…it’s 6 stars from me.

Are you a Kate Morton fan? Have you read it, I’d love to know your thoughts?