Wow. The Clockmaker's Daughter is one of the best books I've read in recent memory. It has taken a day or two for the whirlwind of the story world to settle enough for me to write a review. If you cherish mystery, history, art, romance, fairy tales, ghost stories, English gardens, and manor houses--or the Kate Morton Standard, keep reading! I will keep my review vague as not to spoil anything!

(I will first thank Netgalley and Atria books for the honor of receiving an e-ARC. It was truly a dream come true and I can't believe I was able to receive a long-awaited book from one of my favorite authors! Also, many heart filled thanks to Kate Morton for writing such a gem!)

This book has many strong and engaging female main characters. Elodie--a young archivist from 2017, her mother Lauren--a famous cellist, Lily Millington--a Victorian artist's model, Ada--a young boarding school girl, Lucy--the sister of the famous painter who Lily loved, Juliet--a young journalist seeking refuge from The Blitz...

I will admit, I had to make a diagram of all the characters and relationships, but it in no way diminished my enjoyment of the story. Actually, I rather liked piecing the puzzle together!

As you can see, there are many characters and people who flit in and out of the book through time. This is not to say it's a time-slip or time-travel novel, because it's not! However, the women in this book--and men--are drawn to Beechwood House because it has a mysterious fairy-tale legend and enigmatic energy that keeps them returning.

At its most basic, Elodie discovers a leather satchel belonging to a pre-Raphaelite artist named Edward Radcliffe. Inside is a portrait of a beautiful woman and a sketchbook which reveals a sketch of a home Elodie has remembered from a bedtime story her mother once told. Over the course of the novel, Elodie and the woman in the photograph, also known as Birdie, tell the story to reveal the dark mysteries of Beechwood, including a murder and a theft of a rare diamond in the summer of 1862.

I don't know what else I can say about the story without giving it away, but I do recommend you give this book a try. Many other reviews have expressed their disappointment, but I feel this is one of the most masterful Morton works to date. She really has expanded her style to include fresh personification, fascinating short story-like anecdotes, and of course, her signature shocking twists and layering of time.

Read this book as soon as you can get your hands on it--and enjoy!

Kate Morton has the most beautiful , evocative writing style. I love to read her prose.
This latest work, however, left something to be desired. Was it the moving back and forth in time ?
Was it the many, many characters and connections ? Whatever, the story was not one I loved like her
past books.
Please write again, in your previous style, Ms. Morton

Gosh, where to begin? Kate Morton's books, for me, are a slow burn. This was the case on this one too. I'm always interested in the story and want to keep reading but never quite DYING to turn the next page. But the payoff is where she gets me, every time! She's so good at taking all the pieces of her story and weaving them together in unexpected and brilliant ways. This book felt like it had way more moving parts than usual, and I loved seeing how they all came together. I loved all the eras she incorporated and the glimpses of different characters at different stages of their lives. And the one main character whose POV is throughout the entire story works SO well as the narrator. I especially loved how her tie to the house really makes the house come alive and feel like a character as well. I think Morton's fans will be just as engaged in her latest book as I was!

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Kate Morton is one of my favorite authors. As usual, the action switches between the current day and the past, though this novel has more timelines than the other two books of hers I've read. The narrator is wonderfully unusual. I was gasping as the puzzle pieces all fit together. I really can't say too much without revealing the plot. I did think the ending was a little rushed, but looked forward to going home and getting back to this book every night. Kate Morton fans won't be disappointed.

Magical. Absolutely magical.

Kate Morton's books are always wonderful reads, but she has surpassed herself with The Clockmaker's Daughter.

While the setting itself is captivating, a mystical house set in an ancient wood, what captures your imagination are the interwoven lives of the characters. The tapestry Kate Morton has woven is rich indeed.

I so hated to see this wonderful tale end! I wasn't ready to leave the lovely house by the river.

I loved the juxtaposition of the modern story and the older story. I felt the addition of the ghost was a good vehicle to move the story line along. I loved the book.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC.
What a wonderful read this book is. Kate Morton has done it again!
The main protagonist is Birchwood Manor, an ancient house that has cast a spell on the many characters in this book. The time span is from WWI to 2017 and is written almost like short stories which come together at the stunning ending...I did not see that coming! One of the main voices is from a ghost, the actual Clockmaker's Daughter, who has been at the Manor for over 100 years. She can see and hear all the visitors, but very few are aware of her. All they know is that the Manor is a haven, a place they feel is safe and 'home'.
As usual, the writing is luminous, lush and able to transport the reader into different worlds you want to wrap yourself into. I love all of Kate Morton's books, pure literary escape that makes me want to cry when I get to the end, knowing it will take more than a year till the next one comes out!

I didn't complete this book when I realized the huge part the supernatural (ghosts) have in it. Not my kind of reading. Also didn't appreciate the main character (of the early part, anyway) finding herself falling into a marriage with no intentionality. It was too easy to see the plot being set up for a romance elsewhere.

As someone who loved Kate Morton's The Secret Keeper, I was eager to get my hands on the galley of her newest book. When I began it, I was startled to find that one of the main points of view was that of a ghost. I usually don't like ghost stories, but I persevered, and I was glad I did. This is a story that is told across the ages, from victorian times to present-day. The the story lines wove together in ways that were surprising, and must have taken quite a bit of forethought from the author. The ending was satisfying, but at the same time left partially open to the reader's interpretation. While the Secret Keeper is still my favorite from Kate Morton, I liked this one as well.

I hadn't read Kate Morton before The Clockmaker's Daughter, and now I want to read all of her books. Let me amend that -- I want to crawl into the world of all of her books and live there. Wonderful settings and excellent mystery!

If you haven’t read anything by Kate Morton, do it now! She is a fantastic author and I have thoroughly enjoyed every book she’s written. Her newest is The Clockmaker’s Daughter, due out this fall.

When I see an author I like, I don’t usually even bothering looking at the plot because I know I will devour the book no matter what the subject. As I have mentioned before, a new book by an author whose work I enjoy gets me ridiculously excited. I am a true book addict, book lover, a fan of reading, avid reader!

Here’s what you need to know:

In the summer of 1862, a group of young artists led by the passionate and talented Edward Radcliffe descends upon Birchwood Manor on the banks of the Upper Thames. Their plan: to spend a secluded summer month in a haze of inspiration and creativity. But by the time their stay is over, one woman has been shot dead while another has disappeared; a priceless heirloom is missing; and Edward Radcliffe’s life is in ruins.

Over one hundred and fifty years later, Elodie Winslow, a young archivist in London, uncovers a leather satchel containing two seemingly unrelated items: a sepia photograph of an arresting-looking woman in Victorian clothing, and an artist’s sketchbook containing the drawing of a twin-gabled house on the bend of a river.

Why does Birchwood Manor feel so familiar to Elodie? And who is the beautiful woman in the photograph? Will she ever give up her secrets?

Told by multiple voices across time, The Clockmaker’s Daughter is a story of murder, mystery, and thievery, of art, love, and loss. And flowing through its pages like a river, is the voice of a woman who stands outside time, whose name has been forgotten by history, but who has watched it all unfold: Birdie Bell, the clockmaker’s daughter.

A dual timeline is always fun, I often write this way myself, bringing the past and present together. I look forward to this novel and plan on clearing my calendar to read all day on Sunday!

It is a really good story told from the perspective of present day and 1860s England. The two stories are intertwined and the characterizations are very good. I could not put this down.

Typical Kate Morton her reader's will continue to enjoy. Romance, mystery, and people across time is a combination that works for Morton. While this book is not unique from her others, readers will enjoy the setting and mesh of characters. Perfect for readers who want more than straight romance or a straight mystery and do not want foul language or graphic scenes.

Told from the perspective of various narrators, this book tells two interesting stories from two different eras of time. The stories blend together quite well and create a satisfying read.

Another great book from Morton! We will be ordering and hand selling to all customers just like all her other books. Highly recommend!

Due out in October, this hits all the Morton sweet spots: mouldering Victorian mansion, a story that shifts back and forth in time, secrets and lies, a mystery that unspools with gorgeous prose and unforgettable characters. Add to that formula a brooding, brilliant artist (in the 1860's) and a young archivist about to enter into an ill-advised marriage and you have the perfect summer read for historical fiction fans. Highly recommended.

Kate Morton does it again! An intricately written and gloriously plotted story rich with character and emotion. Her best to date!

Writing: 3.5 Plot: 3.5 Characters: 4

Richly detailed historical fiction with a convoluted plot pulled from a set of narratives scattered across time but centered on place: Birchwood Manor — a 400 year old house immersed in myth and mystery. Murder, mayhem, stolen heirlooms, and old artifacts form the center of the story, but they exist in a sea of love, loss, and a range of historical settings including Queen Elizabeth and the Catholic persecution of 1586, the (fictional) Magenta Brotherhood artist group of the mid 1800s, the establishment of a school for young women in the late 1800s, London and environs in WWII, and modern day archival work. It’s engrossing but complicated — I found that documenting a timeline as I read was extremely helpful.

The writing is good but a little long winded for my taste. On the other hand, if you love historical dramas you may enjoy the longer opportunity to immerse yourself in the 500 pages of intriguing characters and historically accurate details. Did I mention that one of the narrators is clearly a (compelling) spirit that has been bound to the house for over a century?

“Read, remember, think.” These three words capture the very basic premise of Kate Morton’s newest story, and are especially important to two of our protagonists - Elodie the archivist and Lucy the Reader/Teacher/Collector/Thinker. The reading, remembering, and thinking these two do throughout this enchanting story are the Yin to the Yang of Birdie, the Clockmaker’s Daughter who narrates much of the story.

Morton is especially adept at time slip stories that feature multiple voices which, in less capable hands, can muddle the story. Here she tells the story of a fateful summer month in 1862 which touched multiple lives over the next 150 years, eventually coming to light at the hands of a 21st century archivist enchanted by a photo of an enigmatic beauty and a sketch of a house that she knows from a childhood story. That archivist, Elodie, is one of several narrators. Others include Birdie, the titular “Clockmaker’s Daughter” who truly is the heart of the story; Lucy, witness to the tragic events of 1862; Juliet, a journalist and young mother widowed during World War II; Leonard, a soldier haunted by war who first gives voice to Birdie; and Ada, a fiery young girl who will not give in to bullying. Morton swirls all of these voices together into a whirlpool of laughter, love, deception, and betrayal all centering on the house, Birchwood Manor.

It is Birchwood Manor that gathers the multiple story strands, beginning with the fateful summer of 1862 when artist Edward Radcliffe assembled a group of artists known as The Magenta Brotherhood to spend a glorious month creating art at the remote manor house. In attendance is Radcliffe’s muse and model, with whom he intends to run away to America and marry. Over the course of a few hours, all their plans unravel, leaving one woman dead and another disappeared. The events of that day carry forward through generations, until Elodie discovers the photo of Birdie/Lily and Edward’s sketchbook, leading her to unravel the story.

Morton has a knack for bringing her characters to life, developing them in such a way that the reader laughs, cries, sighs, and grumbles through the story, feeling the feelings as deeply as the characters themselves. All of Morton’s books contains characters and stories like that, and she succeeds again here, building a story that you will remember for a long time.

My only complaint Here, and it’s a small one, happens midway through, when we get to a jarring, climactic scene with Ada which is never fully resolved or explained, at least not to my satisfaction. Despite this one issue, I found The Clockmaker’s Daughter to be just as lovely as Morton’s earlier work and highly recommend it.

https://itsallaboutthebook.org/2018/05/28/the-clockmakers-daughter-by-kate-morton/

"People value shiny stones and lucky charms, but they forget that the most powerful talismans of all are the stories that we tell to ourselves and to others."

Kate Morton returns with a deep, dark tale spanning 150 years. Multiple voices reveal this intriguing, layered novel, best enjoyed in large sections. The complicated plot line hides, diverts and distracts...true Morton fans will hang on for the ride, and will be rewarded with an ending you didn't see coming!