The Taxidermist’s Daughter by Kate Mosse

Blurb

In a remote village near the English coast, residents gather in a misty churchyard. More than a decade into the twentieth century, superstition still holds sway: It is St. Mark’s Eve, the night when the shimmering ghosts of those fated to die in the coming year are said to materialise and amble through the church doors.

Alone in the crowd is Constantia Gifford, the taxidermist’s daughter. Twenty-two and unmarried, she lives with her father on the fringes of town, in a decaying mansion cluttered with the remains of his once world-famous museum of taxidermy. No one speaks of why the museum was shuttered or how the Giffords fell so low. Connie herself has no recollection—a childhood accident has erased all memory of her earlier days. Even those who might have answers remain silent. The locals shun Blackthorn House, and the strange spinster who practices her father’s macabre art.

As the last peal of the midnight bell fades to silence, a woman is found dead—a stranger Connie noticed near the church. In the coming days, snippets of long lost memories will begin to tease through Connie’s mind, offering her glimpses of her vanished years. Who is the victim, and why has her death affected Connie so deeply? Why is she watched by a mysterious figure who has suddenly appeared on the marsh nearby? Is her father trying to protect her with his silence—or someone else? The answers are tied to a dark secret that lies at the heart of Blackthorn House, hidden among the bell jars of her father’s workshop—a mystery that draws Connie closer to danger . . . closer to madness . . . closer to the startling truth.

Review

Another Mosse book that I simply could not put down! I am slowly working my way through all of Kate Mosse’s books and as soon as she releases another one I immediately buy it. 

I found this book a real classic gothic novel which was rather disturbing in places. I have never been a massive fan of taxidermy because why do we have to kill and stuff things when they are much more beautiful alive and happily living their lives? The description of the bird being prepped for stuffing was not a pleasant part to read and I will be honest I skipped past that part. 

I really enjoyed how this story built up. Constantia known as Connie had an accident when she was 12 years old and lost her memory but now ten years later things start coming back. As well as all this Connie also has the feeling she is being watched by a mysterious woman. 

As well as Connie trying to work out what is going on and how it is connected with her past there is also Harry. Harry is trying to find his father and this leads to him meeting Connie. Connie and Harry work together to try and work out what is going on and who the murderer is. I really liked Harry as he was a true gentleman who would go out of his way to help people even strangers. 

About half way through the book I did work out what was going on but that didn’t put me off from reading the rest of the book. 

There are some fabulous characters within this book and I loved how Mosse gives us such character details. I couldn’t put this book down and I give it a full 5 out of 5 Dragons. 

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About the author

Kate Mosse is an international bestselling author with sales of more than five million copies in 42 languages. Her fiction includes the novels Labyrinth (2005), Sepulchre (2007), The Winter Ghosts (2009), and Citadel (2012), as well as an acclaimed collection of short stories, The Mistletoe Bride & Other Haunting Tales (2013). Kate’s new novel, The Taxidermist’s Daughter is out now.

Kate is the Co-Founder and Chair of the Board of the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction (previously the Orange Prize) and in June 2013, was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to literature. She lives in Sussex.

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