Reviews for The art of a lie : a novel
Library Journal
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It's not easy for a widow to run a business by herself in Georgian London, and Hannah Cole is barely making ends meet at her confectionary shop after the violent death of her husband, Jonas. When a handsome stranger who was friends with Jonas stops by the shop to bring the widow a little money and a recipe for a promising new delicacy called "iced cream," Hannah dares to imagine a new and brighter future for both her business and herself. Her hopes only grow when she learns of a large amount of money her husband kept in a secret bank account. Standing between Hannah and that money, however, is dogged magistrate (and celebrated author) Henry Fielding, who is certain that someone knows more than they're saying about Jonas's demise. VERDICT Shepherd-Robinson (The Square of Sevens) again immerses readers in Georgian England in a delightfully constructed tale of love and deceit that nudges the audience to constantly reassess assumptions about the engaging characters. This well-researched and fast-paced read skillfully blends mystery and historical fiction, adding suspenseful twists and turns to a genuinely emotionally affecting storyline and a fascinating look behind the scenes of an 18th-century confectionary shop.—Mara Bandy Fass
Publishers Weekly
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Shepherd-Robinson’s bewitching latest historical (after The Square of Sevens) artfully folds real-life figures into its plot. In 1749 London, confectioner Hannah Cole flouts convention by running her shop, Punchbowl and Pineapple, instead of continuing to mourn her murdered husband, Jonas. With her inheritance delayed due to bizarre discrepancies in Jonas’s accounting, she must earn a living somehow. None other than famed novelist and magistrate Henry Fielding is investigating Jonas’s murder, and upon learning that the dead man was an unsavory rogue and a cruel husband, he starts to suspect that Hannah killed him. Hannah’s only ally is the new-to-town William Devereaux, who vows to help her and gives her the exotic idea to serve an Italian delicacy called ice cream. While Hannah tests recipes and delights patrons in Piccadilly with this new treat, William negotiates with Fielding on her behalf. Gradually, though, Hannah begins to question William’s motives. Shepherd-Robinson’s prose is superb, bursting with poetic description and immersive period detail, and she sustains suspense without resorting to cheap tricks. Readers will race through this. Agent: Jennifer Weltz, Jean V. Naggar Literary. (Aug.)
