I'm constantly in awe at the way Susanna Kearsley seamlessly interweaves timelines and storylines, culminating in the most perfect twist endings that tie the narrative arcs together. The Vanished Days had me hooked from the first page to the last!

Goodreads:
Another great historical fiction from Kearsley. I didn't like it as much as the Winter Sea, but it does cover a slightly different time period.

Summary: Told in two timelines that interweave the troubled weeks in Edinburgh in 1707 with the tales of a woman who lived through the Killing Times, a revolution, and Scotland's loss of a colony in the Americas, this is a story of intrigue, adventure, endurance, romance...and the courage to hope.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

Susanna Kearsley is a go-to author for me, but sadly The Vanished Days did not quite live up to my expectations.

The Vanished Days loosely connects to the wonderful book The Winter Sea — the timelines of the two books overlap, and some key players from The Winter Sea either appear in The Vanished Days or get a substantial mention. There’s even a quick appearance by the descendant of characters from another of the author’s books, Mariana (which I also loved).

The Vanished Days is narrated by Adam Williamson, a young sergeant temporarily staying at the home of his former captain. The action is centered in Edinburgh in 1707, when Adam is asked to stand in for his friend in carrying out an official inquiry into a woman claiming to be the widow of a man lost during the ill-fated Scottish colonization attempt at Darien (in Central America).

The woman’s name is Lily, and she claims to have been secretly married to a man named Jamie Graeme, descendent of a prestigious, well-known family with suspected Jacobite ties. Lily produces a marriage certificate, but the witnesses to the document are deceased and there are no friends or family members who would have known about the marriage. As Adam begins to investigate, we learn more about Lily’s history through scenes going back to the 1680s, as Lily shares the sad story of her childhood and beyond.

Woven throughout the story as well are political machinations and highly dangerous scheming related to the Jacobite cause, which all contribute to Lily’s current situation — the unraveling of which proves to be much more complicated and potentially dangerous than seemed likely when the investigation first began.

While there are many episodes and elements that I enjoyed about the story, an overall sense of disconnect and overabundance of details made this a confusing read. I had a hard time keeping the historical elements straight, not to mention the lengthy and intricate descriptions of Edinburgh’s neighborhoods and streets and landmarks.

Clearly, the author has done a tremendous amount of research for this book, and her mastery of the time and place is clear. Unfortunately, the piling on of detail doesn’t necessarily make for engaging reading. I never felt that I had a terrific grasp of the characters’ inner lives, and this became especially problematic toward the end of the book, when certain revelations that should have had bigger impacts just left me shrugging. If I’d been more invested or felt like I had a better sense of these characters’ motivations and connections, I suspect I might have been blown away.

Still, there are set-pieces and elements of the story that are more successful than others. A big section of Lily’s younger years has a Dickensian feel to it, as she falls in with a found family composed of a petty criminal and the orphans he adopts to further his criminal pursuits. I liked a lot about this, but still struggled to feel that the overall book represented a cohesive whole.

I do love Susanna Kearsley’s books — I wonder if part of my disconnect with this one has to do with the timeline of the setting. In pretty much every other book of hers that I’ve read, there’s been a dual timeline, with a contemporary story interwoven with a historical one. In The Vanished Days, there are once again two timelines, but both are historical and within a relatively short span from one another. Perhaps because of this, I didn’t feel as strong a connection to the material, maybe because I lacked a more accessible entry point.

I don’t regret reading The Vanished Days by any means — but by comparison, I’ve re-read many of the author’s earlier books, and I can’t see myself returning to this one.

What is there not to love about a new Susanna Kearsley book! Her stories are always fabulously written, well researched and captivating. When you open the pages of one of Susanna’s books, you enter into a new world, one that guarantees rich historical detail combined with fabulous drama. Her fans are excited as The Vanished Days is the prequel/companion to The Winter Sea (a book I read many years ago but still a firm favourite of mine). Needless to say, I was quite excited to read Susanna’s latest!

‘There had been so many moments in my life when my survival had depended on my trusting to my instincts that I’d gained a great respect for them’

The Vanished Days is set in Scotland during the late 1600's-early 1700's. Kearsley includes a dual timeline plot, however, this time around it is much closer - only 10-25 years apart. Therefore, it appears more of a companion to Winter Sea as it has a shared character and a similar time period. This can definitely be read as a stand-alone, yet how wonderful would it have been to read all three in this series together (The Winter Sea and its sequel, The Firebird).

“In life, you understand, we always say things that we later would take back - a careless insult, or a sharp word thrown in anger. We are none of us immune.”

As always Susanna has done a fabulous amount of research, and that definitely shows through her in-depth and vivid descriptions that bring history to life in her stories. It is probably for this reason that the book does start off somewhat slow, but persevere, once you get past a certain point it will be a race to the end. Wow! What a twist.

“That comes from Plato. His Symposium, in which he claims that every person has one - that we all were made originally whole, then sliced in half like flatfish, so we now must search the world for the one person who completes us.”

Susanna Kearsley is one of my favorite authors and I will always read anything and everything she writes. If you’ve never read one of her books and you are a fan of historical fiction, you simply must do yourself a favour. I jealousy envy you reading this Slains series sequentially - stories beautifully researched and written with characters that will touch your heart and stay with you long after the last chapter ends.

“You’re the first man I have loved,” she said, her voice not much above a whisper, and it was as though she knew I needed those words then. “The first man and the last man. You will always be enough for me.”



This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Susanna Kearsley is always a great story teller and this book is no exception although different to the previous ones I have read. Good historical story from a different era to ones I normally read, which made it more enjoyable, plenty of great characters in addition to the main one and obviously very well researched from the historical point of view. Definitely recommend for fans of historical fiction

As the story opens, Lilly, as his widow, is seeking the wages of Jaimie Graeme who died at sea, claiming she married him in secret. Sergeant Williamson is investigating Lilly's claims; he is also the book's narrator. It's through his eyes, as he seeks to determine the validity of Lilly's claims by meeting with all the people who came in contact with her, that the story unfolds.

The book is well-written book and impecabbly researched. The historical details add a depth and authenticity to the story. Lilly, as well as many of the secondary characters, are well-rounded and interesting. I loved the ending; the unexpected plot twist finally gives Lilly her well-deserved Happy Ever After

The Vanished Days is a wonderful historical romance to read. I loved reading every single page and was a great way to stay up late at night. Five stars.

Ms. Kearsley is one of my favorite authors and I always look forward to her books. This story, however, was a departure from her previous titles but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Telling the story from a male perspective was refreshing and there was a bit of a twist at the end. Fans of the author won't be disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book for my honest opinions. I haven't read the other books in Kearsley's series, but as I understand it, you don't really need to have read the other novels to understand this one. The book is set during the Scottish Jacobite Rebellion and the exile of the British king. I think it will appeal to Kearsley's fans, but I thought the book moved at a rather slow pace. By the time I got to the end, I was just ready to move on to something else. But I suspect fans of Diana Gabaldon will eat really enjoy the Scottish story.

Adam Williamson, the storyteller, tells a tale that moves back and forth from as early as 1683 but always returning to 1707. He is tasked with investigating Lily's claime of being a widow of a sailor of the African Company. Do these two have feelings for each other?
This is Scotland in turmoil of religious and political beliefs.
The author writes with 'ye, ken' minnie' so one feels like one is hearing the Scottish speech. Very comfortable.

Unfortunately, this was a miss for me and I couldn't help but DNF at the 13% mark (Gosh I feel bad for admitting that.)

It was way too slow, the time leaps were slightly confusing and I wasn't tempted or enticed to continue reading.

Thank you to Susanna Kearsley, Sourcebook Landmark, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Thank you to #netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this novel for an honest review. I was looking forward to this book as it is a prequel to The Winter Sea. I found it very slow for a long while but persevered. It became more interesting but not as good as The Winter Sea. Perhaps prequels aren't for me.

5 stars. The Vanished Days by Susanna Kearsley was the first book I read by this author but it definitely will not be the last. I absolutely loved this book. I could compare it to Outlander, another favorite of mine, only due to the fact that this book also explores the Jacobites in Scotland in the early 1700s. I love this period of time; it is one of my favorite historical time periods. This story is also set in Edinburgh which is one of my very favorite cities.
James Graeme has set sail on the Darien expedition, the failed attempt of Scotland to establish a colony in Panama. He is lost at sea and his widow, Lily, has come to claim compensation for his death from the Commissioners of the Equivalent. But first, Lily will need to prove that she and James were actually married.
Investigating her claims is Sergeant Adam Williamson, who becomes personally involved when he begins to develop feelings for her.
This story is full of twists and turns. The reader is never really sure what is fact, and what is fiction. The road that Ms. Kearsley leads you down is long and winding and the ending will take your breath away.
If I had one complaint in this book, it is that the politics is just as long and winding as the story and I tended to get a little bored with that part.
Thank you to #Netgalley and #Sourcebooks for the advanced e-copy of #TheVanishedDays. This is the 3rd book in the Scottish/Slains series but I didn’t feel that I was missing anything by reading this one out of order. I do look forward to reading the first in the series, though, and this one was so good that I may re-read it when I finish the first two.

Island

As an eighteenth century Scottish reenactor I was initially drawn to this story to discover more about the actions which lead up to the various Jacobite uprisings in Scotland. Having previously read Susanna Kearsley's, "Bellewether", I knew that I was in for a treat and an amazing story.

The story toggles between "current day" Edinburgh of 1707 and the 1680s for the background of this rich tale. The Acts of Union have dissolved the Scottish Parliament and created a united nation with England. To assuage the Scots, a fund called, "The Equivalent" was created to offset financial losses as well as those losses of human lives relative to the Darien settlement. The fund was managed by the commissioners. Widows whose husbands died in military service related to the Darien settlement could apply for recompense. One such applicant was Lily Aitcheson whose marriage had not been properly recorded beyond the provision of a marriage certificate. The investigation of the claim, which under normal circumstances would be handled by the commissioners, was passed off to Lieutenant Turnbull with the assistance of a Mr. Gilroy. In Turnbull's absence, the investigation was temporarily handed off to Sergeant Adam Williamson who had served under Turnbull. The investigation commences and the reader accompanies Williamson and Gilroy as they seek to prove or disprove Ms. Aitcheson's claim.

The story displays the many differences and social stigmas related to class. Social activities cavalierly practiced by one class are scorned when observed in the other. The sins of the parents are burdens of their offspring. Rising out of those stigmas is a precious and much coveted gift to be protected at all costs.

Kearsley's prose is exquisitely rendered. The settings are visually rich and atmospheric. Her historical research is Herculean and meticulous. This was an immersive book, rich with historic detail and beautifully executed. Well done Ms. Kearsley!

I am grateful to Susanna Kearsley and publisher SourceBooks for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.


Publisher: ‎ Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication date: ‎ October 5, 2021
No. of pages: 484
ISBN: 9781492650164

This is book 3 of the Scottish series. It again covers dual time periods. I found it to be a slow read, although the
history covered was interesting. Recommend to read all parts in order to get the most from this series.

As most of Susanna Kearsley’s novels, The Vanished Days unfolds over two parallel timelines: “the past”, sixteen years (1683-1699) of convulsive English and Scottish history serve as backdrop for the main characters’ coming of age; and “the present“ (three weeks, between late September to mid October, 1707), when there is an inquiry, on behalf of the Commissioners of the Equivalent, to assert the legitimacy of widow Lilias “Lily” Aitcheson’s claim that she married James “Jamie” Graeme before he sailed for Caledonia and lost his life.

The marriage itself was unusual; it was never recorded at the Kirk. It took place in secret, in front of a Presbyterian minister who was banned from officiating mass due to the shifting religious climate. The witnesses were long dead, as was the minister. It’s up to law clerk Richard Gilroy and Sergeant Adam Williamson, the narrator, acting in lieu of a friend in whose house he was temporarily lodged, to find acquaintances that may have known both married parties.

The years between 1683 and 1707 were convulsive. Upon the death of the Episcopalian King Charles II in 1683, his Catholic brother King James II acceded the throne, which brought anarchy due to religious and political differences. Two major insurrections were quelled, a third succeeded in deposing him—sending him to exile with his wife and baby son— this one led by his daughter Mary’s husband, Dutch Protestant William, Prince of Orange, who led an invading army to overthrow King James II. With William king, the Highlanders in Scotland planned invasion after invasion to restore the exiled James to the throne. Never wavering but never succeeding either.

Upon King William’s death, Queen Mary’s sister, Anne, acceded the throne. Her spies kept the Jacobites in check, who now wanted to put the late King James’ rightful heir, King James III (or VIII of Scotland), Anne’s half-brother, on the throne. As a concession to the rebels, Queen Anne created the Equivalent, which was money that the living heirs of the dead Scots who had served at Darien could claim as settlement.

Jamie Graeme’s marriage to Lily Aitcheson meant that, if it could be proven, she was his sole heir and she could collect the settlement for his participation in the Darien expedition—Scotland’s failed attempt at becoming an empire. If Lily’s claim was proved fraudulent, she could face death—as an example. The fact that Lily could be related to the Graemes, and was well acquainted with their cousins, the Morays, had huge implications because it was rumored that both families had tight links to the Jacobite court in Saint Germain. For that reason, some very important people were invested in the outcome of this inquiry, Queen Anne’s spies among them.

A prequel to the marvelous The Winter Sea and its brilliant follow up The Firebird, and with tangential ties to Bellewether, which was, perhaps unfairly, my least favorite among the three, The Vanished Days follows Kearsley’s genre bending tradition, for it is equal parts political maneuvering, history lesson, detective work, and love story. There is substantially more history in this novel than in most of her other works combined, perhaps at risk of overtaking the characters’ journeys, but I feel that it gave complexity to what an otherwise might have been an ordinary story. Sometimes that’s a risk that must be taken; the reward comes with striking the right balance.

I started this year reading the first two installments of The Burning Chambers series, written by Kate Mosse, namely The Burning Chambers and The City of Tears, which are novelized accounts of the Wars of Religions in France. I feel The Vanished Days is an excellent companion to Mosse’s series, especially because the religious intolerance of the era had implications across the continent.

Disclaimer: I received a free e-galley from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Susanna Kearsley scores another winner!!
I love everything she has ever written and her latest joins that pile.
Historical dual timelines - no one does it better that Ms. Kearsley.
I can’t wait for her next book!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for my honest review.

DNF @ 20%

I’m bored. The narrative keeps flashing back and forth too quickly to create a connection with the characters. And the protagonist keeps breaking the fourth wall to explain why he’s explaining things in a certain way. I was intrigued to read something set primarily in the early 1700s, but the writing style seems to be attempting to mimic the writing style of the time in a way that is too close to capture and maintain interest but too far off to be authentic. With too many clumsy attempts at foreshadowing and minimal progression, I can’t see it going anywhere I’d be interested in sticking around to see.

This book is the prequel to The Winter Sea and boy is it a commitment. I enjoyed this book well enough.

There is a lot going on and I will say that I was lost in the story much of the time. There is a LOT of Scottish history and it felt like quicksand at times. BUT, if you are a fan of Susanna Kearsley, then this is the book for you.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this advanced readers copy. This book released October 5, 2021.