the-last-daughter-6Synopsis “A secret hidden in the past. A family bound by a dark legacy… Ever since her sister disappeared eleven years ago, Serena Warren has been running from a ghost, haunted by what she can’t remember about that night. When Caitlin’s body is discovered, Serena returns to her grandfather’s house, nestled beside the ruins of Minster Lovell Hall in Oxfordshire, determined to uncover the truth. But in returning to the place of her childhood summers, Serena stands poised at the brink of a startling discovery – one that will tie her family to a centuries-old secret… Taking readers from the present day to the Wars of the Roses in the 1400s, and with an enthralling mystery at its heart, The Last Daughter is a spellbinding novel about family secrets, perfect for fans of Lucinda Riley, Barbara Erskine and Kate Morton.“

My Review

I really enjoyed this historical fiction novel, which also happens to be my last book for the When Are You Reading? challenge. It didn’t hook me from the start though as I had a few problems with it.

I actually started off listening to the audiobook a few months ago keen to get the challenge finished. Unfortunately I didn’t like the way the narrator was reading it, so switched to the paperback when it was available at the library. 

It’s a dual timeline story set in the 1400s and also the present day. The present day story was absolutely fine, but I had problems with the 1400s story. Last year I listened to an audiobook also set in the 1400s, about the same family, and I kept getting confused about them and thinking about that book. My mind would not switch off about the other book and took my enjoyment of the story away. 

This was actually a clever mystery that I would otherwise have loved if my brain had shut up and let me enjoy it. I loved how it was all tied up at the end and how the mystery of Caitlin’s disappearance was explained.

This hasn’t put me off the author at all, in fact I already have her latest book, The Winter Garden, out from the library.

Definitely recommended if you enjoy dual timeline historical fiction novels.