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hmalagisi's review
3.0
Blanche Wainfleet, a merchant's wife living in England in 1590, has a reputation for finding items that others have deemed lost. Blanche has a gift for finding mementos important to others, from lost handkerchiefs to pets. However, there is one thing that she is searching for that will prove her greatest challenge yet, finding the truth about her sister's murder. Blanche's sister Alison fell in love with a Catholic man and converted to the Catholic faith when there was a war between Catholicism and Protestantism. To uncover the truth, Blanche must infiltrate the Otley family who took Alison in during her final days, but will she discover the truth and come out of the ordeal alive? This is the premise of Kathy Lynn Emerson's latest novel, "The Finder of Lost Things."
I want to thank Kathy Lynn Emerson for sending me a copy of this novel. I am always looking for new authors to follow in Tudor historical fiction, so when I heard about this novel, I decided to give it a chance.
We first meet Blanche Wainfleet as she is imprisoned at Colchester Castle for reading an illegal book about Catholicism. She is thrown into the same cell as Lady Otley and other devout Catholics arrested for illegally hearing mass. This is all part of an elaborate ruse to infiltrate the Otley family and gain their favor to unearth the truth about Alison. When a royal pardon is passed for all women prisoners, Blanche convinces Lady Otley to allow her to take Alison's spot in her household. Blanche realizes that her prison cell is safer than living with this family in the Otley household.
I like how Emerson captured the divide between Catholicism and Protestantism during this time. She shows how Catholic priests and those dedicated to Catholicism were in fear for their lives for practicing their faith. To see how she described priest holes was also very good.
I did have a few issues with this title. There were points where I was not sure if I was reading a Tudor novel or something from the late 16th-early 17th century; I wish she would have added more Tudor elements that would have been familiar to readers. Another aspect that I was not comfortable reading was the element of exorcisms with this story. I know that there were incidents where exorcisms happened during the medieval and Tudor times, but Emerson's description bothered me quite a bit.
Overall, I thought this was a decent novel. I liked the characters, especially the brave and determined Blanche and Kit, her loving husband. I wanted to see more interactions between those two, but maybe she will include this couple in a future novel. If you want a murder mystery novel that shows the Catholic underground during the late reign of Elizabeth I, I would recommend" The Finder of Lost Things" by Kathy Lynn Emerson.
I want to thank Kathy Lynn Emerson for sending me a copy of this novel. I am always looking for new authors to follow in Tudor historical fiction, so when I heard about this novel, I decided to give it a chance.
We first meet Blanche Wainfleet as she is imprisoned at Colchester Castle for reading an illegal book about Catholicism. She is thrown into the same cell as Lady Otley and other devout Catholics arrested for illegally hearing mass. This is all part of an elaborate ruse to infiltrate the Otley family and gain their favor to unearth the truth about Alison. When a royal pardon is passed for all women prisoners, Blanche convinces Lady Otley to allow her to take Alison's spot in her household. Blanche realizes that her prison cell is safer than living with this family in the Otley household.
I like how Emerson captured the divide between Catholicism and Protestantism during this time. She shows how Catholic priests and those dedicated to Catholicism were in fear for their lives for practicing their faith. To see how she described priest holes was also very good.
I did have a few issues with this title. There were points where I was not sure if I was reading a Tudor novel or something from the late 16th-early 17th century; I wish she would have added more Tudor elements that would have been familiar to readers. Another aspect that I was not comfortable reading was the element of exorcisms with this story. I know that there were incidents where exorcisms happened during the medieval and Tudor times, but Emerson's description bothered me quite a bit.
Overall, I thought this was a decent novel. I liked the characters, especially the brave and determined Blanche and Kit, her loving husband. I wanted to see more interactions between those two, but maybe she will include this couple in a future novel. If you want a murder mystery novel that shows the Catholic underground during the late reign of Elizabeth I, I would recommend" The Finder of Lost Things" by Kathy Lynn Emerson.
beckykirk's review
3.0
I was really loving this book till right near the end. Too much… just too much happened at the end, it stretched credibility
jlynnelseauthor's review
4.0
Winter 1590. Blanche Wainfleet is known as a finder of lost things. Utilizing her strong deductive skills, she must now discover who murdered her sister Alison. She’ll do whatever it takes to find out what happened, even send herself to prison to infiltrate a group of Catholics captured during a recent raid at the house of Lady Otley. After the queen pardons all imprisoned women, Blanche is asked to become Lady Otley’s companion, a position left vacant after Alison’s suspicious death. There Blanche poses as a woman interested in converting while attempting to uncover the last days of her sister’s life.
There are many ways to set the historical stage. Emerson has a great sense of vernacular and brings out her characters through period-authentic words and sensibility. The thoughtful sentence construction was a delightful way to welcome me into this time and place. The plot has a good amount of tension, as Blanche is often in dangerous situations trying to unmask a killer. The mystery is multilayered, and unexpected obstacles keep readers guessing until the end. This story is women-led, from Blanche to Lady Otley to the servants and a few others encountered along the way. Conversely, Blanche’s husband and one priest are the only male characters with depth; otherwise, the men feel a bit stereotypical. Overall, an enjoyable period mystery packed with religious tension and danger lurking at every turn.
Review originally posted via the Historical Novel Society at: https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/the-finder-of-lost-things/
There are many ways to set the historical stage. Emerson has a great sense of vernacular and brings out her characters through period-authentic words and sensibility. The thoughtful sentence construction was a delightful way to welcome me into this time and place. The plot has a good amount of tension, as Blanche is often in dangerous situations trying to unmask a killer. The mystery is multilayered, and unexpected obstacles keep readers guessing until the end. This story is women-led, from Blanche to Lady Otley to the servants and a few others encountered along the way. Conversely, Blanche’s husband and one priest are the only male characters with depth; otherwise, the men feel a bit stereotypical. Overall, an enjoyable period mystery packed with religious tension and danger lurking at every turn.
Review originally posted via the Historical Novel Society at: https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/the-finder-of-lost-things/
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