LoveReading Says
LoveReading Says
A romantic lush Victorian gothic novel, complex in scope and concept but glorious in execution. Alice, whose mother died not long after she was born, has been raised in India, so when her father decides it’s time to return to Britain, it’s a huge upheaval. She’s left in the care of her aunt, Mercy, who unbeknownst to her father dabbles in the occult. At Mercy’s home in Windsor she’s forced to take part in sham séances, till she starts to have strange visions of her own and meets the charismatic and enigmatic Lucian Tilsbury who is obsessed with the Koh-i-Noor diamond and reminds Alice of all that she loved of India. Tilsbury wants to steal the diamond from Queen Victoria who is desperately mourning Prince Albert’s death. Then Alice’s aunt is called to Windsor Castle to conduct a séance and Alice finds herself in the presence of the diamond itself...
Sarah Broadhurst
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The Goddess and the Thief Synopsis
Uprooted from her home in India, Alice is raised by her aunt, a spiritualist medium in Windsor. When the mysterious Mr Tilsbury enters their lives, Alice is drawn into a plot to steal the priceless Koh-i-Noor diamond, claimed by the British Empire at the end of the Anglo-Sikh wars. Said to be both blessed and cursed, the sacred Indian stone exerts its power over all who encounter it: a handsome deposed maharajah determined to claim his rightful throne, a man hell-bent on discovering the secrets of eternity, and a widowed queen who hopes the jewel can draw her husband's spirit back. In the midst of all this madness, Alice must discover a way to regain control of her life and fate...
About This Edition
ISBN: |
9781409146209 |
Publication date: |
20th November 2014 |
Author: |
Essie Fox |
Publisher: |
Orion (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd ) an imprint of Orion Publishing Co |
Format: |
Paperback |
Pagination: |
336 pages |
Primary Genre |
Historical Fiction
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Other Genres: |
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Recommendations: |
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Press Reviews
Essie Fox Press Reviews
Praise for Essie Fox:
'delights in the underworld and exotica of Victorian Britain...Memorable and unusual' Sunday Times on ELIJAH'S MERMAID
'An obvious comparison is with early Sarah Waters...Intriguing' The Guardian on ELIJAH'S MERMAID
'As seductive as a siren's song...Intoxicating...Recommended to all fans of Sarah Waters.' Heat on ELIJAH'S MERMAID
'The author captures the essence of Victorian life in this richly textured novel...hugely enjoyable. If you love all things Victorian, you will love this Historical Novel' Society
'Dark secrets, hidden pasts and childhood mysteries are the focus in this sensual melodrama...an entertaining slice of Victoriana, rich in historical detail' Marie Claire
Author
About Essie Fox
Before taking up writing Essie Fox worked as an illustrator – designing greetings cards and wrap, and decorative ceramics. She is the creator of The Virtual Victorian www.virtualvictorian.blogspot.com a wonderful guide through the Victorian world. Her debut novel The Somnambulist was selected as a Channel 4 Book Club choice in January 2012 and was shortlisted in the New Writer of the Year category of the 2012 NATIONAL BOOK AWARDS. Essie Fox divides her time between Windsor and Bow in the East End of London.
Click here to read a Q&A with Essie Fox about Elijah's Mermaid.
Author photo © Graham Keuteniu
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