The Forgotten Palace by Alexandra Walsh Published by Boldwood Books on April 12th, 2023
Genres: Historical Fiction
Pages: 365
Format: ARC
Source: Boldwood Blog Tours
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In an underground labyrinth a lost soul wanders, waiting for revenge, waiting for love…
London 1900
Alice Webster has made the worst decision of her life. When her Aunt Agatha offers her the chance to go on a Grand Tour she jumps at the opportunity to get away from the glare of scandal. Heading off to see the world as the century turns, Alice begins to believe her broken heart can be healed, and a chance encounter on a train bound for Paris changes everything. When their journey takes them to a Cretan house thick with history, and the world-famous dig at Knossos, stories from the past begin to echo through Alice’s life.
London Present Day
Eloise De’Ath is meant to be a grieving widow. But if people knew the truth about her late husband, they’d understand why she can’t even pretend. Needing to escape, Eloise heads to Crete and the house her father-in-law Quinn left her, and slowly Quinn’s home begins to reveal its mysteries. In his office Eloise discovers his life’s work: the study of the Victorian excavation to find the Minotaur’s labyrinth. Fascinated by the diaries of a young woman from the dig, Eloise is drawn into Alice’s tale of lost love and her growing obsession with Ariadne, the princess of the labyrinth.
Three women divided by time but connected by the long-hidden secrets of the past. As their stories join in a golden thread, a terrible injustice might finally be undone…
I’ve said it before and I’ll probably say it forever – I love dual timeline stories! What I like even more than dual timeline stories, are stories that are based on true historical events.
The Forgotten Palace was a fascinating read set mainly around the island of Crete and the excavations at Knossos. I was intrigued with how cleverly the author could combine fiction and mythology with fictional characters and real-life characters. The story did take a bit of time to development and the earlier parts of the book were filled with historical and mythological facts and tidbits. It did not hinder the story at all – in fact, it added some color and perspective.
Both storylines dealt with strong women who both had a bit of history they needed to escape from. Our 1900 heroine, Alice Webster, desperately needs to get away from an impending scandal with her taking center stage. When her aunt offers her the opportunity to travel to Europe and a chance encounter on route to Paris leads them to a few newly excavated sites in Crete, Alice finds herself in the throes and echoes of the past.
Our present day heroine, Eloise De’Ath is a modern day woman who knows how to keep her head held high and her secrets buried deep. After the passing of her husband, she lefts for Crete to a house her father in law, Quinn left her in his will. Sfragida House. While sorting through Quinn’s paperwork, she discovers that Quinn was busy studying the 1900’s excavations at Knossos and especially the Minotaur’s Labyrinth.
And this is where it became really interesting! Facts, fiction, mythology and mystery all started blending together in perfect harmony. This tale of love, lost and betrayal and the strong women who could rise above their adversaries, forms the background to a brilliant read that we will easily recommend.
Thank you to Boldwood Blog Tours and Netgalley for providing us with a copy of this book and for the opportunity to take part in the tour.
About the Author
Alexandra Walsh is the bestselling author of dual timeline historical mysteries, previously published by Sapere. Her books range from the fifteenth century to the Victorian era and are inspired by the hidden voices of women that have been lost over the centuries. Formerly a journalist, writing for national newspapers, magazines and TV, her first book for Boldwood will be published in Spring 2023.
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I’ve been fascinated by Knossos since my art history class in college. This looks really good – especially since the author was able to successfully merge mythology and fiction.