This is book two in the series of the Tales of Fenest, I haven't read the first one, I would like to though to get the back story. It is written in an intriguing manner, with storytellers yarning their tales, within tales, within tales. Stories are a key part of Fenest and it's administration and elections. It all adds up to a very interesting way of learning about a place, within the story.
The key character is Detective Cora Gorderheim, whose sister disappeared under awful circumstances when Cora was a young lady. Cora still suffers from an injury from that time and thinking that she keeps seeing her long lost sister is making her injury worse.
She is on the case of several murders linked to the elections in Fenest. Her Chief Inspector has placed limits on where she may go when trying to interview the Chambers (kind of like councillors but seemingly more powerful). She has a name, she just needs to find out who the person is. So she goes to the archives and once she actually finds the place manages to get inside. There she finds a vast underground place and has to call on others to help her locate what she is looking for.
Alongside this activity, Cora is attending each realms' story telling to see what leads she can get to help with her case. The story telling is part of the voting process for the governance of the region and competition is fierce between the 'tellers. So much so that murder has taken place!
A thoroughly good book, which I found really realistic and I was able to place myself right there in the story. I would have liked to have read the first book first, but it didn't impede the reading of this the second book in the least.
"Ruth had ruined everything when she stole their parents’ papers and gave the pennysheets the story of the Gorderheims embezzling Commission funds. Ruth had never even bothered to come back and witness the damage."
I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. NetGalley does not allow for paid reviews.
4/5 Stars (What this means...
five-stars-applied-carefully)
Get your copy:
Read it on a Kindle for an improved experience:
Official description:
Detective Cora Gorderheim has found the man who strangled the Wayward storyteller. But he was just a small part of a much bigger tale. Someone powerful ordered a murder on Cora's patch. That someone still lurks in the shadows. But as she continues her investigations, Cora is warned not to pry into the great and the good of Fenest.
Too stubborn to know better, Cora keeps digging and begins to piece together a conspiracy that reaches from the gutter dwellers of the Union of Realms right to the top: the Chambers.
As the Audience hear the Torn and Perlish tales, Cora realises she must return to her own story, to its very beginning, if she's going to have any say in its end.
Widow's Welcome, the first book in the Tales of Fenest trilogy, is available now.
Save on your mobile [click on the image for more information or the link if no image is visible]:
I'm on giffgaff and want to share the love. Order a SIM and you'll get £5 extra credit when you activate with £10 or more.
https://www.giffgaff.com/orders/affiliate/julieshort?ggSMS=app
I buy my glasses online now, I was dubious at first. Now I'll keep on buying them from Glasses Direct, it you do too, you can get a discount off your first order over £49:
https://glassesdirect.mention-me.com/m/ol/vm1jh-0d9e9eda68
Get £20 off on accessories when you buy a OnePlus smartphone on oneplus.net [click on the image for more information or the link if no image is visible]:
https://oneplus.net/uk/invite#5SUGBN733ZPFCXY
Get 0.5GB extra storage space when you sign up to One Drive via this link
https://onedrive.live.com?invref=9e1dff9dd20d43ff&invscr=90
