Cover Image: The Clockmaker's Daughter

The Clockmaker's Daughter

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Member Reviews

I have read all the books written by this best-selling Australian writer and she has yet to disappoint me. Once again, she has created a story full of historical tidbits, gothic ghosts, and page-turning mystery. The nexus of this story is a house, Birchwood Manor, built on the bend of the river, protected by a Fairie Queen and an ancient promise. Through this house marches a plethora of complex characters: the Magenta brotherhood, fans of the Romantic Age, lovers of beautiful women, painting, and intrigue; Elodie, the daughter of a famous cellist, an archivist due to marry soon but who is pulled into the mystery surrounding the manor; James, a detective looking for a diamond, with heartbreak in his past; Leonard, a former WWI soldier suffering from PTSD, whose research adds to the mystery surrounding a murder; Lucy, the young girl who defies convention and is obsessed with the science of the world; Tip, a young boy whose family escapes the London Blitz; and most important, Birdie, the clockmaker's daughter whose life and stories binds them all together. Be forewarned: this author always writes very long books, but they are un-put-downable.

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I was so excited to receive this book because Kate Morton is one of my favorite authors. I love all of her novels and this one doesn't disappoint.

The Clockmaker's Daughter is a beautifully written historical mystery. The main character of the book is Birchwood Manor which has cast a spell on the many characters in this book. Morton does a wonderful job of interweaving them all together.

The book is magical! I hated it to end. The novel is fabulous! I definitely recommend it. A must read! The only problem is that I will have to wait some time for the next Kate Morton novel!

Thank you so much NetGalley and the publisher for giving me this haunting, beautiful novel in return for an honest review.

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link to go live later in September

It took me a month to read this book. July 17th I was enthralled with the amazing lyrical first sentences and I was so excited to begin another adventure from Kate Morton's mind! The writing style is definitely something to be envious of, but this actual story was so long and slow going that I was so relieved when I was done with it. I definitely could have lived without this cobweb of forgettable characters and not to mention the fact that the house was a character, too...



In a nutshell as I understood it is that a few artists meet at the spooky house and something crazy happens and the artist's lives are never the same and now the current generation tries to unravel what happened. Schoolgirls, siblings, parents, and lovers lives all intermingle into this story of a house and a rare blue stone.


My status updates on Goodreads while reading this reminded my of how I kept falling asleep while reading it. I think if the main character Elodie was an actual main character instead of disappearing from the plot for chapters on end it may have helped with the transitional periods but I don't know. Somehow it was all supposed to come together but it never did for me and it seemed that the author was so tired of the story that she finally just ended it, the end. Definitely a novel you're going to really get, or really hate.



I adored The Lake House and The Forgotten Garden, so all hope is not lost as I still have some others from Morton's backlist to read.

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If you look up book hangover in the dictionary, it should say The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton. This book was so very beautifully written. It spans from the 1800's until 2017. The Birchwood Manor is the thread that ties all the characters and all the years together. This book has it all love, loss, murder, and mystery. The characters are amazing and I enjoyed all the characters and their stories. The descriptions of Birchwood Manor and the grounds were so descriptive I felt like I was there. It was a beautifully written book and I would recommend it highly. I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Atria Books. All opinions are my own.

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My real name, no one remembers.
The truth about that summer, no one else knows.


The summer of 1862, Edward Radcliffe convinces a rather bohemian group of artists to spend a month at the secluded Birchwood Manor. Supposedly they will be spending the time focusing on just their art. Being inspired, finding their muse.

But things don't go well and by the end there is nothing but murder, theft, and ruined lives.

Fast forward to 150 years later and young Elodie Winslow, an archivist in London finds an old leather satchel containing a picture of a woman and a sketch of a house on the river. 

It feels familiar to her but she isn't sure why. So we follow the story. Many characters and many voices but Birdie's voice carried me through this mystery. Those first two sentences hooked me and I had to find out why she couldn't leave the house. 

There is something so fluid and easy about Morton's writing. The way her words evoke such feeling and emotion. This is the third book I've read of hers and for me her style is a perfect fit for me.

I hope you enjoy it as well.
Netgalley/October 09, 2018 by Atria Books

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Clockmaker’s Daughter

My thanks to #NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review. Kate Morton never disappoints. The Clockmaker’s Daughter is a multi-layered tale with characters that span 150 years. This hauntingly (literally!) beautiful love story centers around the clockmaker’s daughter, a beautiful house on the bank of the Thames, and a necklace. There are several plot twists and turns that took me, a long-time Morton fan, by surprise. Highly recommended for the Morton fan and newbie alike.

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Elodie is an archivist who embarks on a quest to find the provenance of some historical artifacts that have crossed her desk. Birchwood Manor is a strange house with a storied history. There are also lots of pieces that help to create the whole story: a satchel, a clock, a jetty, a boat, photos, paintings, a necklace and more. It is a grand treasure hunt of a novel. Oh and there might be a spirit present—Do you believe in ghosts?
~>~>~>~>~>~>
If you are planning to read this book you should plan to settle in for a long, well-paced read. I got a little confused until I figured out the frame for this story. Then all the pieces started to build the total picture. It did help me to take some notes so I could remember which characters lived in each time period.

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I usually love Kate Morton books. This one fell a little short for me. Possibly because it alternated between time periods in larger chunks rather than in shorter ones. I really can't quite put a finger on it.
Overall, the book was well written, as always, and came to a satisfying conclusion.
Quite honestly, I preferred the more current time period than the past.
I did appreciate the opportunity to have an advance copy of The Clockmaker's Daughter and look forward to more Kate Morton titles in the future.

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I've waited a while before giving my review in the hopes that I would change my mind about how I feel about The Clockmaker's Daughter. Honestly, I have loved all of Kate Morton's books. The atmosphere and characters immediately draw me in to the story. When I read The Forgotten Garden, I couldn't put it down. I've read all of her books except for The Lake House...somehow I missed that one.

So, I say all that to say that if The Clockmaker's Daughter is the first Kate Morton book you read, don't let it deter you from reading her other books. I "liked" The Clockmaker's Daughter, but it just didn't feel as if I were reading a Kate Morton book. I think it had so many characters that I couldn't get attached to any of them. I wanted to, and I tried to! It just didn't happen. If there had been fewer storylines to follow, I think I really could have loved this book. There are pieces of the plot that I would love to just toss aside and add more character development to the characters at Birchwood Manor.

If you haven't read Kate Morton's books, don't start with this one. I just think you'll be disappointed.

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Kate Morton does it again! Yet another novel that combines the perfect measurements of mystery, love, tension, and ultimately, loss...all intertwined beautifully and keeping the reader guessing until the very end. Spanning 150 years and going back and forth over generations, The Clockmaker's Daughter slowly reveals the truth about one summer in 1862 that no one will ever know...except the clockmaker's daughter.

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I was so excited to get a review copy of the new Kate Morton novel from NetGalley, and it did not disappoint! Do not want to post spoilers, so I will just say I highly recommended for anyone who loves a great mystery, ghost story, and/or historical fiction.

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Stories within stories are told in this intricately woven tale of love and loss, light and shade. Told from multiple perspectives over more than 150 years. Beautiful, wondrous, satisfying.

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I could not put this book down! It's a wonderful, mysterious story that spans generations. Little by little the story unfolds, starting with a murder and a disappearance, and then leading us through the lives of those affected and connected in both known and unknown ways. Kate Morton's writing is lyrical, her descriptions vivid. I highly recommend this story; it's one of the best I've read.

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In true Kate Morton fashion, this is a mystery that spans generations but the key difference is that there are so many narrators you might need to keep a pen and paper handy. An artist's retreat to an English manor house in 1862 which began as a lark ended in tragedy with a woman dead, a love affair gone awry, a priceless pendant missing and an artist who was never quite the same again.
Fast forward through all the various owners of the manor and family members and we come to Elodie who is trying to understand her mother and also solve a puzzle which involves the contents of the artist's valise both of which will bring her to the doorstep of Birchwood Manor. We also have a quiet but persistent ghost who must now spend her time trying to guide the inhabitants of the manor. I always enjoy Kate Morton's unique combination of an interesting property, characters that draw you in and a lasting mystery that begs to be solved. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

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A house inhabited by many different people over the years. A missing diamond pendant. A school for young ladies with a particularly unhappy student. A man sent on a mission. A mother with 3 children. A soldier broken by the war. People holding on to secrets. Kate Morton weaves these themes together in her new book.

The story travels between different time periods. We are invited into a house and see it filled with people, love, and laughter. The house holds a special meaning and purpose for each of its inhabitants and visitors, and it is the place that binds together all of the key characters in The Clockmaker’s Daughter.

Elodie is a beautiful soul. She is very precise in almost every aspect of her life. I loved that she takes her tea very seriously and times the steeping process! Elodie is an archivist, working with documents and artifacts from the past. She’s engaged but is often reluctant to get on with the wedding planning.

Edward is an up-and-coming artist, and he’s in love with his muse. Edward is passionate about his work, even more so when “friends” meddle with things that are important to him. His younger sister Lucy is his world, and their relationship was one of my favorite storylines in the book.

Although different chapters are narrated in different voices, there is one particularly passionate voice running through the book. This character has a strong connection to the house and all of its inhabitants. But who is she? How is she connected to everybody else?

Elodie finds a mysterious box under her desk in the office. The box holds a satchel from the 1860s…and a secret. Morton writes about the box’s opening from the point of view of the satchel. This was such an interesting choice, and it made the whole discovery so much more magical and poignant. Morton is adept at creating these little moments in her stories.

The little details are just one of the things that Morton does so well. Even the minor characters are complete. For example, take Eloise’s landlady, Mrs. Berry. She is loving and wise and full of wisdom about life and love. Mrs. Berry can’t see well enough to distinguish between the different suits on cards, but she knows her garden inside out. She is so real! Some books would have Mrs. Berry as a throwaway character, but she serves a true purpose in The Clockmaker’s Daughter. This sense of magic reappeared for me when Morton described the clockmaker’s workshop. Her writing made me feel as if I were there in the room, seeing all the tools and experiencing the sounds and smells for myself.

I read this book in 3 sittings, the last of which was 3½ hours long and took me way past my bedtime! Thank goodness my husband was still awake when I finished The Clockmaker’s Daughter because I had to talk to someone about it. Even though he hadn’t read the book, I still needed to share it with him. This is, without a doubt, a book that I will read again. I’m just torn as to whether to read it again right now or wait a while to rediscover it!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Atria Books through NetGalley.

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This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. From the beginning, it enthralled me. I've read several of Kate Morton's books, and when I was thrilled to gain an electronic copy from Net Galley. She has such a beautiful way with words. I felt myself highlighting parts that resonated with me, and making notes for the connections I made with the text or how they made me feel. That, in my opinion, is a talented author.

The Clockmaker's Daughter is a multi-generational tale told partly in first person, partly in third person. It is the story of a unique, ancient house, and the entwined stories of the people who inhabited it during a 150 year span of events. We first meet the ghost, and the intrigue begins. Who is she, and how did she get to the house to begin with? The story line goes back and forth from the realms of history to the modern world, and the author weaves a tightly woven tale of each character. The storytelling reminds me of the pendulum of a clock; it arcs back and forth until it winds down to a the end. This is such a great book - thank you Kate Morton, for writing it, and thank you Net Galley for allowing me the opportunity to read it.

I read this book in every spare moment of my time, and still, I was not ready for the story to be over.

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For centuries, Birchwood Manor has sat at a bend in the Thames, offering a safe haven for those living inside its walls. More than 150 years after a tragic event took place at the house-- in which then-owner Edward Radcliffe’s fiancee was murdered and his priceless family heirloom stolen--a London archivist unearths some of Radcliffe’s belongings, including a sketchbook of a house and a framed photograph of a beautiful woman. Determined to figure out who the woman is and why the house feels so familiar to her, Elodie embarks on a search to uncover Radcliffe’s story and what happened on that fateful night in 1862; her journey is also one of self-discovery, as she realizes some truths about her own life in the process. As always, Morton manages to expertly weave together several characters’ points of view and their stories, which take place during different, culminating in a great “aha!” moment in the end. Reading a Morton masterpiece is always a satisfying literary experience and The Clockemaker’s Daugher is no exception!

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This was a beautiful story that seamlessly wove together multiple stories and characters. I really enjoyed the narrator and it kept me guessing to the end. Because there were so many people and timelines introduced, I didn’t get really attached to anyone in the book. However, I think fans of Morton’s other stories are really going to enjoy this book!

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Morton is a master at beautiful, descriptive, vast, and sweeping passages. Her craft and ability to intertwine several different eras in time seamlessly into one cohesive, albeit complex, plot is unmatched. I really enjoyed The Clockmaker's Daughter although it is not my favorite of Morton's books. I did think that at times it was bloated and there were several characters I felt unnecessary. In fact, there were too many characters in this in my opinion as many of them had their plotlines unceremoniously dropped or were forgotten all together. Even so, I felt enriched just by reading this. Her descriptions in particular really engross you in the story. It's almost impossible to read one of Morton's books without being thoroughly spellbound. I definitely recommend The Clockmaker's Daughter to anyone in need of an escape from real life and even a change of pace from the typical murder mysteries. It's a wholly unique experience but nonetheless, compelling.

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If you are looking for a quick and breezy read you can finish in a day then forget about, The Clockmaker's Daughter is not for you. But if you want a book that gets under your skin-really consumes all your senses-then September cannot come fast enough. The Clockmaker's Daughter is a grand story that travels across several centuries and multi generations with the grace and strength of an eagle, and carries you along on its wings. Starting in 1862 at Birchwood Manor, an isolated estate on the banks of the Thames river that is the heart of the story - to present day London and a female archivist who stumbles across a photograph of a beguiling young woman that appears to be from the Victorian era-The Clockmaker's Daughter demands your attention from the first page. The plot can be hard to follow-it crisscrosses between alternating times and characters that don't seem to be related-and Kate Morton has a command of the English language few can match (don't feel bad if you need to keep a dictionary with you while reading). Filled with star crossed lovers, orphaned children, petty thieves, gifted artists, and a voice that reaches from beyond the grave to roam the mysterious Birchwood Manor-the story is a giant clock with pieces that don't seem to fit but ultimately connect to create a brilliant timepiece. The Clockmaker's Daughter is lengthy but worth every minute you spend in its sphere. Kate Morton has a resume of best sellers-The Forgotten Garden, The House at Riverton, and The Lake House-come September she will add The Clockmaker's Daughter to the list.

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