Book Review
The Little Shop of Found Things
Paula Brackston
Book Description:
New York Times bestselling author of The Witch's Daughter Paula
Brackston returns to her trademark blend of magic and romance guaranteed to
enchant in The Little Shop of Found Things, the first book in a new
continuing series.
An antique shop haunted by a ghost.
A silver treasure with an injustice in its story.
An adventure to the past she’ll never forget.
A silver treasure with an injustice in its story.
An adventure to the past she’ll never forget.
Xanthe and her mother Flora leave London
behind for a fresh start, taking over an antique shop in the historic town of
Marlborough. Xanthe has always had an affinity with some of the antiques she
finds. When she touches them, she can sense something of the past they come
from and the stories they hold. When she has an intense connection to a
beautiful silver chatelaine she has to know more.
It is while she’s examining the chatelaine
that she’s transported back to the seventeenth century where it has its
origins. She discovers there is an injustice in its history. The spirit that
inhabits her new home confronts her and charges her with saving her daughter’s
life, threatening to take Flora’s if she fails.
While Xanthe fights to save the girl amid the
turbulent days of 1605, she meets architect Samuel Appleby. He may be the
person who can help her succeed. He may also be the reason she can’t bring
herself to leave.
Release Date: October 16, 2018
Genre: Historical Fiction/Fantasy
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My 5-Star Review:
I must preface this by saying that I have read all of Paula
Brackston’s “witch” books and enjoyed them immensely, so it went without saying
that I would read anything new that she wrote. And I’m very happy that I read
her newest novel, The Little Shop of
Found Things. While this isn’t a novel about witches, it is a story with
magical qualities and interesting characters that made it very hard to put
down.
Xanthe is a special woman who sells antiques with her mother
and has the ability to “feel” certain things about the most special items that
come into her life. Moving to a new town to start their life over again, Xanthe
and her mother, Flora, buy an old antique shop in need of a lot of love and
cleaning. While attending an auction to buy items to fill their new shop,
Xanthe is drawn to one particular item and must have it. That item takes her on
an adventure through time where she must come to the aid of a young girl or
else risk the consequences of a very angry ghost. Sounds intriguing? It is, believe
me.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The characters come to life
and take you on a journey that you will not soon forget. Once again, Ms.
Brackston has created a unique world with interesting characters. It is a story
you will not want to miss.
(I received a copy of this novel from the NetGalley and the publisher
and have given an honest review.)
About the Author:
Paula Brackston lives in a
wild, mountainous part of Wales. She has an MA in Creative Writing from
Lancaster University, and is a Visiting Lecturer for the University of Wales, Newport.
Before becoming a writer, Paula tried her hand at various career paths, with
mixed success. These included working as a groom on a racing yard, a travel
agent, a secretary, an English teacher, and a goat herd. Everyone involved
(particularly the goats) is very relieved that she has now found a job she is
actually able to do properly.
When not hunched over her
keyboard in her tiny office under the stairs, Paula is dragged outside by her
children to play Swedish tennis on the vertiginous slopes which surround them.
She also enjoys being walked by the dog, hacking through weeds in the vegetable
patch, or sitting by the pond with a glass of wine. Most of the inspiration for
her writing comes from stomping about on the mountains being serenaded by skylarks
and buzzards.
In 2007 Paula was shortlisted
in the Creme de la Crime search for new writers. In 2010 her book 'Nutters'
(writing as PJ Davy) was shortlisted for the Mind Book Award. Last year she was
selected by the BBC under their New Welsh Writers scheme.
Don’t miss my review
of Paula Brackston’s novel, The
Witch’s Daughter.
