- Paperback: 624 pages
- Publisher: Pan; Main Market edition (26 July 2018)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1509825045
- ISBN-13: 978-1509825042
Synopsis
Keeping secrets is a dangerous game . . .
1995, London.
When Sir James Harrison, one the greatest actors of his generation, passes away at the age of ninety-five he leaves behind not just a heartbroken family but also a secret so shocking, so devastating that it could rock the English establishment to its core . . .
Joanna Haslam is an ambitious young journalist, assigned to cover the legendary actor’s funeral. The great and the good of the celebrity world are there. But Joanna stumbles on something dark beneath the glamour: the mention of a letter James Harrison has left behind, the contents of which others have been desperate to conceal for over seventy years. As she peels back the veil of lies that has shrouded the secret, she realizes that there are other forces attempting to prevent her from discovering the truth. And they’ll stop at nothing to reach the letter before she does.
Review
Even before I got to the first chapter of The Love Letter, Lucinda Riley’s Author’s Note piqued my interest in this book. Originally this book was written in the late 1990’s but was pulled from publication as it was seen to have an inappropriate plot line for that time. This plot line concerned a fictional Royal Family and we all know that the Royals went through a bad time in the late 1990’s. This is Lucida Riley’s first thriller, and set around a letter that contains information that could damage the English Establishment, and contains information that people are prepared to kill for. The is not a particularly fast paced but it has all the ingredients of a brilliant thriller; suspense, twists and turns, tension, murder and conspiracy.
Like Lucinda Riley’s other novels there is a fairly small cast of characters, who are all there for a reason and play an integral part in the plot; she doesn’t have characters who don’t really add anything like some authors do. Journalist Joanna Haslam is junior reporter trying to work her way up the ladder, but did not go looking for the story that fell into her lap at the funeral of celebrated actor Sir James Harrison. What makes Joanna different is that she has a moral code, is loyal to her friends and won’t compromise those friendships even for a story that could advance her career. As she becomes embroiled in the search for the mysterious letter and what it contains she puts herself in danger, and some of those she comes into contact with. Simon has been her best friend since childhood, but he himself has secrets that he can’t disclose and puts his friendship with Joanna under pressure. Their relationship is very natural and comfortable, like brother and sister which makes certain decisions difficult for both characters. Additional characters include MI5 agents, Zoe the granddaughter of the famous Sir James Harrison, her brother Marcus, who drinks too much and goes from one project to another, and Rose the mysterious mourner at Sir James’ funeral who brings Joanna into centre of this state secret. And of course there is the fictional royal family.
It is hard to say too much about this book without giving the plot away, so I’m going to keep to short and sweet. This is a fairly slow burner where we are drip fed pieces of information so that you have to wait until the very end of the book to find out the full story about the letter, the secret it contains and its effect on the characters involved. There is plenty of action and edge of the seat moments that intensify the tension and suspense of this book. Romance, family secrets and drama make this a multi layered read to keep your interest through out he book.
Lucinda Riley never ceases to amaze me in her writing, this is a new genre for her and even though it was written twenty years ago it is still relevant and an all encompassing read. I was totally engrossed in this book and carried it around in the hope of getting a few minutes to read some more. The Love Letter is suspenseful read, with some unforgettable characters, and a plot line that grabs your attention; I genuinely couldn’t put it down. I’m sure this will be another best seller for Lucinda Riley, and hopefully she will write more thrillers.
For those who are fans of Lucinda Riley’s Seven Sister’s series don’t worry The Moon Sister will be out in the Autumn, I am very excited about this. You can follow me on social media or subscribe to my blog via email to keep up to date with my reviews.
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