The Forgotten Tower by Lulu Taylor
Genre: Contemporary fiction, Historical fiction, Dual timeline, Gothic
Read: 10th December 2023
Published: 28th November 2023
★★★★ 4 stars
DESCRIPTION:
The Forgotten Tower is an absorbing gothic tale about a castle full of dark secrets and buried history, from Sunday Times top ten bestselling author Lulu Taylor.
Georgie never wanted to be a chatelaine, but beautiful Wakefield Castle is her husband Casper’s legacy and he is determined to restore its fortunes. Until now Georgie has hidden her troubled past, and she fears that their new surroundings will bring her deepest fears to the surface. The discovery of an inherited recipe book with notes in many hands leads her to suspect that the castle hides secrets at least as troubling as her own . . .
In 1939, the five Wakefield children are still recovering from their family tragedy: the disappearance of their parents and a new life with their kind but remote elderly relatives. When war is declared, the family prepares to make sacrifices and open the castle doors to newcomers, including cases of fossils from the Natural History Museum and their curator, Arthur Humphries, and the Foster brothers, a pair of evacuees. But while the castle offers a refuge, it is also a place to hide things: sorrow, secrets and even people . . .
In the present, Georgie is entranced by the two towers that form part of the castle walls. One is hidden behind a fence and clearly forgotten. The other becomes her project, a place for her own escape. As the castle begins to offer up its secrets, Georgie realises that, in order to be truly free, she must confront what she most dreads.
MY THOUGHTS:
Behind closed doors...secrets unfold...
This is my second novel by Lulu Taylor and I thoroughly enjoy her style. A contemporary dual timeline story weaving together the past and the present to create a mesmerising gothic tale that is compelling and enthralling.
Georgie Wakefield's husband Caspar has just inherited his great uncle's crumbling estate Wakefield Castle and while it is her worst nightmare to move into the decrepit ruins, the will stated great uncle Archie's wishes in that they restore it to its former glory. Georgie has spent her life living behind the scenes and is more than happy to do so, so instilled in Wakefield Castle she finds a rhythm there and is pleasantly surprised that she actually enjoys it. In the attics, she comes across an ancient recipe book which she must decipher and adapt to modern cuisine and with it comes a mystery that she finds herself embroiled in.
It's 1939 and the country is on the brink of war. For those living at Wakefield Castle must find a new normal. Five siblings 18 year old Imogen, 16 year old twins Miranda and Rosalind along with their younger brothers Toby and Archie live in the castle with their grandfather and his sister great aunt Constance after the tragedy which claimed their parents'. When war is declared, the natural history museum sends one of its curators, Mr Arthur Humphries, to Wakefield together with some precious artefacts and fossils for safekeeping for the duration of the war. And then aunt Constance takes in a couple of evacuees from London, brothers Tom and Robbie Foster. The castle begins to come alive again with the laughter of children. But danger lies ahead as well as a secret being kept from them in the West Tower.
There was so much going on in this book I feel there might have been just a little too much. Georgie's childhood trauma, Pippa's marriage difficulties, Lady Viktoria, the famous TV chef Georgie creates recipes for along with the past timeline of a gothic mystery and a family trapped in the castle during the war. I enjoyed it, but I think there was just a little too much being crammed in. Having said that, the pace was rather slow around the middle, but it picked up again and was finished off nicely with a satisfactory epilogue. BUT...my biggest gripe is I still don't understand why the tower was fenced off and out of bounds for eighty years. And why it was left the way it was. That was never explained. And what happened to the poisoned jam? Even though it was given away, nothing happened.
Despite this, it is still a compelling read that really pulls you back in time. If you love dual timelines, then you will love this book. There is plenty of intrigue and secrets to keep you engaged.
I would like to thank #LuluTaylor, #Netgalley and #PanMacmillan for an ARC of #TheForgottenTower in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Lulu says of her books: ‘I’ve always adored stories of the rich and reckless at play, everything from The Great Gatsby to the brilliant blockbuster novels of the 80s. It’s fantastic escapism, and I’ve always loved creating my own stories of adventure, romance and luxury. My heroines are often very privileged and blessed with great looks and good health – but that doesn’t mean their lives are simple – far from it. They go through plenty of drama and suffering before everything is finally resolved.'
Lulu now lives in West Dorset near the Somerset border, with her husband and two children.
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