The Keepsake
A thrilling dual-time novel of long-buried family secrets
Published on 12. January 2023
Book
Hardback
384 pages
978-1-4722-7919-4 (ISBN)
Description
A book of treasures. A wealth of secrets.
The Keepsake is a thrilling dual-time novel, with a fascinating, complex woman at its heart, wealth of twists, turns and secrets, and an absolute book club treat, perfect for fans of Lucinda Riley, Rachel Rhys and Hannah Richell.
'Wow! What a spellbindingly beautiful masterpiece of a book! . . . It is without doubt one of my top reads ever! Brilliantly researched, beautifully written . . . I guarantee you will love it and it will leave you changed' RENITA D'SILVA
'I love historical fiction and this added the extra touch of a mystery . . . I would love to read more from Julie Brooks!' ? ? ? ? ? reader review
'[An] interesting and captivating historical mystery and five stars from me' ? ? ? ? ? reader review
'I really enjoyed this story. It had an intriguing plot, excellent research . . . and a double love story to boot' ? ? ? ? reader review
'A totally engrossing dual time line novel that was both well researched and also had great depth with the characters' ? ? ? ? ? reader review
'This book was beautifully written . . . A story which kept me hooked, with mysteries to uncover' ? ? ? ? ? reader review
'A pure DELIGHT' ? ? ? ? ? reader review
..............................................
Saturday: Pot-au-feu for luncheon. Father willed away inheritance. Betrayed by Edward.
1832. The morning after her father's funeral, Prudence Merryfield wakes to the liberating thought that this is the first day of her new life. At thirty-five and unmarried, she is now mistress of her own fate. But a cruel revelation at the reading of her father's will forces Prudence to realise that taking only the most drastic action will set her free.
Present day. Eliza is gifted a family heirloom by her aunt - a Georgian pocket book, belonging to her ancestor, Prudence Merryfield, whose existence reverberates through the lives of generations of Eliza's family, the Ambroses. Intrigued by what she reads inside, Eliza is drawn more and more into the infamous 'Merryfield Mystery'. What happened to Prudence who so bravely dared to defy convention two hundred years ago - then disappeared?
..............................................
Praise for Julie Brooks's The Secrets of Bridgewater Bay:
'A sweeping tale of family secrets, betrayal, jealousy, ambition and forbidden romance . . . Fans of The Thorn Birds and Downton Abbey will love the epic scope of this novel' ALI MERCER
'I thoroughly enjoyed this immersive story which spans both generations and continents. The evocative details and impeccable research make for a delightful reading experience and I can pay it no greater compliment other than to say, I wish I'd written it' KATHRYN HUGHES
'This is an epic dual-time novel which draws the reader in right from the start and keeps you in thrall until the very last page. The writing is superb, the descriptions detailed, lush and evocative' CHRISTINA COURTENAY
'A gripping story full of family secrets: the price of love and loss within two generations . . . convincing and poignant' LEAH FLEMING
'Rich in evocative detail - the complex mystery kept me guessing right up to the last page' MUNA SHEHADI
The Keepsake is a thrilling dual-time novel, with a fascinating, complex woman at its heart, wealth of twists, turns and secrets, and an absolute book club treat, perfect for fans of Lucinda Riley, Rachel Rhys and Hannah Richell.
'Wow! What a spellbindingly beautiful masterpiece of a book! . . . It is without doubt one of my top reads ever! Brilliantly researched, beautifully written . . . I guarantee you will love it and it will leave you changed' RENITA D'SILVA
'I love historical fiction and this added the extra touch of a mystery . . . I would love to read more from Julie Brooks!' ? ? ? ? ? reader review
'[An] interesting and captivating historical mystery and five stars from me' ? ? ? ? ? reader review
'I really enjoyed this story. It had an intriguing plot, excellent research . . . and a double love story to boot' ? ? ? ? reader review
'A totally engrossing dual time line novel that was both well researched and also had great depth with the characters' ? ? ? ? ? reader review
'This book was beautifully written . . . A story which kept me hooked, with mysteries to uncover' ? ? ? ? ? reader review
'A pure DELIGHT' ? ? ? ? ? reader review
..............................................
Saturday: Pot-au-feu for luncheon. Father willed away inheritance. Betrayed by Edward.
1832. The morning after her father's funeral, Prudence Merryfield wakes to the liberating thought that this is the first day of her new life. At thirty-five and unmarried, she is now mistress of her own fate. But a cruel revelation at the reading of her father's will forces Prudence to realise that taking only the most drastic action will set her free.
Present day. Eliza is gifted a family heirloom by her aunt - a Georgian pocket book, belonging to her ancestor, Prudence Merryfield, whose existence reverberates through the lives of generations of Eliza's family, the Ambroses. Intrigued by what she reads inside, Eliza is drawn more and more into the infamous 'Merryfield Mystery'. What happened to Prudence who so bravely dared to defy convention two hundred years ago - then disappeared?
..............................................
Praise for Julie Brooks's The Secrets of Bridgewater Bay:
'A sweeping tale of family secrets, betrayal, jealousy, ambition and forbidden romance . . . Fans of The Thorn Birds and Downton Abbey will love the epic scope of this novel' ALI MERCER
'I thoroughly enjoyed this immersive story which spans both generations and continents. The evocative details and impeccable research make for a delightful reading experience and I can pay it no greater compliment other than to say, I wish I'd written it' KATHRYN HUGHES
'This is an epic dual-time novel which draws the reader in right from the start and keeps you in thrall until the very last page. The writing is superb, the descriptions detailed, lush and evocative' CHRISTINA COURTENAY
'A gripping story full of family secrets: the price of love and loss within two generations . . . convincing and poignant' LEAH FLEMING
'Rich in evocative detail - the complex mystery kept me guessing right up to the last page' MUNA SHEHADI
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Headline Publishing Group
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 236 mm
Width: 163 mm
Thickness: 36 mm
Weight
590 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4722-7919-4 (9781472279194)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Julie Brooks was born in Brisbane, Australia, but has lived most of her life in Melbourne. She taught English and Drama in secondary schools before working as an editor of children's magazines. She has been a full-time author since 1999 and is the author of several young adult novels as well as children's fiction and non-fiction. The Secrets of Bridgewater Bay and The Keepsake are her novels writing as Julie Brooks.
To find out more, visit juliebrooksauthor.com and follow her on Instagram @juliebrooks_books.
To find out more, visit juliebrooksauthor.com and follow her on Instagram @juliebrooks_books.