I have enjoyed Kearsley’s book before but it can be a hit or miss. This one was a miss. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good story, but it was so slow and long.


I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love Susanna Kearsley books and this was no exception. I loved the writing, historical setting, the characters. The book also stands alone on its own, you don't need to read the companion. I enjoyed it very much!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC.

The Vanished Days is a companion and prequel novel to The Winter Sea. I'm a fan of The Winter Sea and I even listened to audiobook to refresh my memory. I don't think it's absolutely necessary to read The Winter Sea before, but I am glad I did. I caught all the little Easter eggs.

There are three timelines but it's easy to keep track of because the chapters are dated. There's an undisclosed present day, the early 1700s (that coincides with The Winter Sea story), and flashbacks to the 1600s.

There are also many characters and I did have to make a list to keep track. I really felt sympathy for some of the characters and suspicious of others. I loved the mystery and it kept me guessing with each turn of the page. I was totally unprepared for the outcome and want to read it again soon to catch all the details I missed.

I also love the historical aspect with the Jacobites and the failed Scottish colony. There are so many little unknown parts of history I learn about from historical fiction.

Even though I have only read two of Kearsley's books, I am an instant fan. I really love her writing style. She does a great job of weaving the timelines and the connections between her books. She does her research and knows how to pull you in and make you care about the characters and their lives while wishing for the bad guys to get what's coming to them.

5 out of 5 Marriage Certificates.

The setting: "...a historical tale of intrigue and revolution in Scotland, where the exile of King James brought plots, machinations, suspicion and untold bravery to light. An investigation of a young widow's secrets... 1707, old enemies from the Highlands to the Borders are finding common ground as they join to protest the new Union with England.... When the young widow of a Darien sailor comes forward to collect her husband's wages, her claim is challenged. One of the men assigned to investigate has only days to decide if she's honest..."

Full disclaimer: this is a prequel/companion novel to The Winter Sea--which I have not read. Nonetheless, it can stand alone. This book "...goes back in time to the 1680s and introduces the reader to the Moray and Graeme families."

I quite enjoyed this book and it exemplified how little I know about Scotland so the history was very interesting/informative.

There is mystery and intrigue which kept the plot [slowly] moving forward. Was Lily married to her husband Jamie Graeme as claimed? Lily's story is told over time--from a young child to widowhood. All this background is quite interesting and enhances the novel.

Politics and religion, family [and pseud0 family] and betrayal are at the heart of this story.

I liked the women in this book the best--Lily [the protagonist] and Barbara--who also had a pivotal role. Sergeant Adam Williamson, the narrator, is a sympathetic character. He has his own story to tell--which is intertwined and provides more historical information on Scotland and Darien/Caledonia [more things I had no knowledge of]! And Archie is despicable.

I loved the writing/style which matched the timeframe of the story and commend the author's effort [which paid off!].

A great description:

"...feigned an interest in the tennis games of conversation..."

Words I looked up: scrutore [correctly guessed the definition] and quairs.

There is a lot of back and forth [timelines and otherwise] in this novel. I was intrigued and wanted to see how it all played out and was not disapointed. There were a few worm turns moments but they not detract/foretell and the story continued to hold my interest.

Recommend.

A fantastic historical blockbuster of a novel. Susanna Kearsley has outdone herself! The depth of research into Scottish history the author has done is easy to be seen. It deserves every one of the five stars I've given it.
Concentration is needed as there is a huge cast of characters and the historical element is immense.
This book is a prequel to The Winter Sea/Sophia's Secret which is still my favourite Kearsley book since I first read it years ago.

It's a dual timeline but the timelines are not too far apart. We begin in 1707 and the back story starts in 1683.

Lily is the main character and I admired her greatly. Her life has never been easy but she just gets on with it.
The story is told through the eyes of Adam who is working, by chance, for the Commission of the Equivalent. This was set up to investigate claims by family who claimed recompense for relatives deaths who died in their duty to their country.
Lily is trying to prove her marriage is genuine but there is added interest in her claim which makes for intrigue.
It's a novel of family, or lack of family, of friendship, loyalty and deep, deep love. The twist at the end was brilliant! I didn't see it coming but thinking back I realise there was a point when it should have clicked with me.
The depiction of Scotland in this era is wonderfully done. I was sucked in from the beginning and held until the last page. I spent quite a bit of time afterwards looking up information on parts of the history related in the novel.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction or just a damn good read.

Thanks to SOURCE books and Netgalley for an early copy of this book to read and review.

I really like the story and the characters were well-developed and I felt their personalities come alive in the pages that i read. I felt that they were real.

This book was very well developed and very well researched however I felt that this book was really long and I sometimes got lost in a lot of the details of the history.However I really did enjoy the story and I recommend the story completely.

My thoughts and opinions and all my reviews are my own and only my own and I want to thank thempublisher and netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review

I was so excited to read the new Susanna Kearsley book. She is one of my favorite authors. The reason I love her books so much is because she intricately weaves the past and present. and gives stories to people in the past the we might not other wise have known about. She also has the special talent of weaving her books together in very creative ways. She did this again with The Vanished Days. This book brings back characters from The Winter Sea and The Firebird and gives us a completely different story. It is related in such a way that the reader always connects the dots.
The Vanished Days does not disappoint. This is the story of Lily and an investigation of her marriage in order to claim funds from the Government after the death of her husband. Her backstory is the premise of the investigation and we get to meet old and new characters against the backdrop of Jacobites in Scotland. The story has deception, danger and a clear depiction of true love. I devoured this book and when the ending came I was shocked and not ready for it to be over. There are twists and turns that kept me engaged and I think this was one of Susanna Kearsley's best books. This book is a standalone but I recommend reading the other two books to really connect the dots. You will not be disappointed.

This book is technically a prequel to The Winter Sea, but you really don't have to have read that book to jump right into this one. It does follow a similar plot of having two timelines, of which normally I am not a fan but Susanna Kearsley manages to do it in a way that I don't mind when it switches back and forth. Probably because the two timelines relate to the overall story and really are just two parts of the same story. Historically this book takes place in Scotland in the late 1600s and early 1700s.

One of the reasons I love Kearsley's books is the amount of research she clearly puts into each novel. The attention to detail is fantastic and truly makes me feel like I am transported to the 17th and 18th centuries. She also creates characters who feel real - they have flaws and are far from perfect - and you can see how the characters evolve throughout the book.

Overall I enjoyed this book as much as The Winter Sea, which I look forward to re-reading again after having read this book.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to give an honest review of this book!

4.5 STARS
The setting for this very fine novel is Edinburgh, Scotland in the Autumn of 1707; a nation very unsettled because of the union with England. The possibility of war is once again looming for Scotland with the Jacobites attacking from France where their exiled king lives. Whatever the people’s political leanings, Edinburgh seems to be a hotbed of intrigue, hidden agendas, and sympathizers for more than one faction with the attendant spies and watchers looking out for enemies. Queen Anne tasked her commissioners in an effect to restore some peace with giving out payments to those who lost family and wages because of the failed Darien expedition eight years ago.

Lily Graeme comes forward to collect her late husband’s wages; however, her claim is challenged and so two men are tasked with proving whether or not she is entitled to the remuneration. Told in the form of a memoir written by one of the men, Sergeant Adam Williamson, Lily’s backstory is slowly revealed by various people she has known throughout her life.

Throughout the narrative, Adam's feelings become clear that he has more than a professional interest in the enigmatic Lily while interviewing her and doing the detective work he is assigned. The pieces slowly come together for Adam and the reader to discern who is friend or foe requiring quite a bit of the personal history showing Lily’s life and hardships. This story has some very cleverly hidden surprises which are revealed when it all comes to fruition.

This is a very complex tale woven in a historical backdrop during one of the many times of strife for the Scottish people bringing to life what the period might have been like. The multiple characters and their narratives with clues added in small portions require the reader to pay close attention to figure out what is going and who to believe. This book of well-researched history coupled with the characters at the heart of the story will please fans of Ms. Kearsley with this prequel novel to THE WINTER SEA.

I always enjoy Kearlsey's books, and this one was no exception. The story telling is just magnificent! With descriptive locations and flawed but real characters, the author weaves a beautiful story. I can tell the history was well researched and the only reason I am not rating this a full 5 stars is because I became lost in the history a few times. Not knowing much about this time period in Scotland, I was confused a few times on exactly what was happening politically in the story. I was still able to enjoy the writing and journey of the characters. And I loved the surprise and had to go back and read a few sections with a different perspective! Well done!

The Vanished Days is advertised as a prequel to Kearsley's The Winter Sea, but while characters like the Graemes and the Morays appear in both stories, I don't think you need to have read the earlier novel to jump into this new story.

Most of Kearsley's novels feature dual timelines: someone in the present uncovering the story from the past. This also contains a dual timeline, but not quite so wide-sweeping. Our narrator is Sergeant Adam Williamson, who is retelling (from a distance) both his 1707 investigation into Lily Aitcheson's marriage claims as well as Lily's life story in the 1680s and 1690s.

Kearsley's historical fiction is impeccably researched (as always), but I also loved how descriptive and evocative her settings are. Her characters are flawed and human, and the political intrigue builds and grows as Adam's investigation progresses. I also appreciated that our leads weren't prominent individuals or nobles, but common working people. There are several twists, which I mainly predicted--although the final twist caught me entirely unawares, and made me reexamine so many of the previous scenes.

In Short: I devoured this book in one day--I read fast, but usually not that quickly! Well researched, gripping historical fiction. Definitely recommended.

Edinburgh - late 1600s and 1707

Scotland is once again in turmoil with the Union with England now signed and in effect. The Scottish Parliament is dissolved, the different Protestant religions are at odds, and rumors are flying that the Stewarts in France are planning another attempt to retake the crown from the present British king. Invited by his former commanding officer, Lieutenant Turnbull, to visit him in Edinburgh, Sergeant Adam Williamson, arrives to find Turnbull away. Although Turnbull's wife has never met him, she graciously invites him to stay until her husband returns. One day, they are visited by Lord Grange, a Lord of the Justiciary, who had hoped to enlist Turnbull in a legal matter. After Mrs. Turnbull introduces Adam, she insists that he would be qualified to assist instead.

The legal matter consists of a widow who has made a claim to collect the wages owed her late husband in the failed, and fatal, Darien expedition. Mr. Gilroy, the clerk sent to assist Adam with the issue, delivers the woman, and all of the documentation regarding the matter. Adam is immediately stunned by the woman, her beauty, as well as her calm insistence that she did, indeed, marry James Graeme before he set sail. The marriage certificate clearly states that she, Lilias Aitcheson, did wed James Graeme, and there were two witnesses, sadly both since deceased. It's obvious that Mrs. Graeme is distressed, as well as concerned at the time it will take to decide this issue. And Adam is wondering why this case, in particular, is so important that Lord Grange brought it up?

Adam's assignment weighs heavy on him as he tries to ferret out the various people who might be able to help. Determined to find answers, he is also emotionally attracted to the widow, something he tries to tamp down. There is more to her story, and he slowly begins to unravel her history, and what has led up to the present situation. But Adam also begins to realize that there is danger lurking as his investigations heats up. The political climate is volatile, and it's difficult to know whom to trust.

THE VANISHED DAYS is a prequel to THE WINTER SEA, and re-introduces readers to the Graeme and Moray families. Adam tells his part of the story in his own words, and we learn of Lily's past, how she came to Edinburgh, and the people in her background who play a role in her future. It's a mystery, a well researched and presented historical tale, and a love story brought to life by the incredible writing of Susanna Kearsley. Hang on to your hats as you cruise to the stunning conclusion. It's not necessary to have read THE WINTER SEA first, but I do recommend it.

The Vanished Days is a prequel to Susanna Kearsley's "The Winter Sea", which was my favorite of all of Kearsley's books (and I've enjoyed a great many of them).

This book continues to demonstrate Ms. Kearsley's attention to detail and research, so this is a very good book for anyone who is interested in knowing more about what was going on in Scotland in the late 1600's-early 1700's. That said, it is also a pretty complicated time politically, and that makes the book a bit challenging to follow at times.

The characters in this book are very nicely developed, and the storyline has some unexpected twists which literally had me gasping in surprise.

Unlike some of her other books like Winter Sea, this book does not include any time travel, but is a more straight-forward historical fiction book.. I kindof missed the time travel aspect of her writing, but I found this book to still be an enjoyable read.

My thanks to #NetGalley and #SusannaKearsley for the free Digital Review Copy. This review reflects my own opinions.

First I have to say I really enjoyed this book. The Scottish history was very interesting. The descriptions of the areas where the story takes place is so vivid, you are there. The protagonist of the story is a man and the author did a wonderful job with his character and his telling of the story. In fact, all the characters are vivid. I actually felt like I was in the story watching from behind. Loved the "surprise" never would of guessed. I highly recommend reading this book. Fast read because you can't stop turning the pages.

The Vanished Days by Susanna Kearsley is a prequel to her The Winter Sea novel. I have not read the first book in this series, but this did read well as a standalone. The Vanished Days is a historical fiction that takes place in Scotland during the 1700’s. There is a lot of history throughout the book, which covers in the early 18th century and back to the late 17th century; with rising chaos & danger between various protests between the Union with England & the Jacobites to bring back their King.

The Vanished Days is somewhat slow for the first half of the book, since there is a lot of information, history, politics, which makes it a difficult review to write; however when we get to spend more time with the heroes of this story, it keeps us glued.

Adam Williamson, our hero, is the narrator of the story, as he is assigned to decide on a case. Lily Aitcheson /Graeme, a young widow, is requesting compensation for her deceased sailor husband's pension, but no one can prove she was married. Adam and another person assigned to the case (Gilroy), meet with Lily to question her about her marriage, and the certificate she has given them. The story then unfolds between Lily as a young girl, who struggled between threats of abuse, and into a family that she spent her later years, as well as the current timeline, trying to prove her marriage was valid.

I really liked Lily, and saw the harshness she suffered to survive a difficult world, and admire her strength. Jaime Graeme was her childhood boyfriend and best friend, who promised that he would always be there for her; but with all the chaos surrounding the families, Lily was moved around to different homes. Many years later, she runs into Jaime, and now upon his death during the wars, she is desperately trying to fight for her rights. Adam quickly finds himself attracted to the sweet and beautiful Lily, and is determined to do everything in his power to help her.

What follows is a slow detailed history of the past and the current times, with Adam trying to prove Lily’s innocence, and Gilroy feeling she is lying. There are many secrets revealed along the way, as well and a wild amazing surprise closer to the end. With that said, I do not want to reveal anything else, as it would be spoilers. The Vanished Days was well written by Susanna Kearsley, with a lot of intrigue, action, suspense, and surprising twists. If you enjoy historical romance with lots of detailed history, you should read The Vanished Days.

📚🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿📚BOOK⚔️REVIEW📚🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿📚

Book: THE VANISHED DAYS
By Susanna Kearsley

Series: Scottish

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark

Release Date: 10/05/2021

Overall Rating : Five Stars but deserves 1000!

Overall Blog Rating: Five Saltire Flags

This book takes place in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. It is a time when there is so much upheaval in Scotland. Between politics, religion and a Union most don’t agree to! King James Stuart being dethroned and fleeing to France. The Jacobite movement started, and as Jacobite is the Latin name for James. Also many Scot’s were not happy about joining the English parliament with “The Treaty of Union by Acts of Union!” Plus so much bigotry and religious issues with Catholicism, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, and it was a total disaster! On top of that there was the unsuccessful Darien scheme backed by Scotland to gain wealth and influence for a new colony Caledonia. This novel centers around the life of Lilias (Lily) Aitcheson-Graeme narrated by Adam Williamson.

Scotland 1683-1707
Adam will never forget the first time he met Lily, it was shortly after “The Treaty of Union by Acts of Union” was passed between Scotland and England parliaments in 1707. This was to form The Great Britain Parliament. Adam was staying at his friend’s home with his pregnant wife Helen, where he had been taken ill. His friend Turnbull was away, so in his friend’s place with another man Lily was being interrogated-to be able to get the proof her marriage was genuine. As her husband Jamie Graeme was a dead sailor, Lily was trying to prove she was his heir and attempting to get his back wages too. This was all due to her as Jamie Graeme’s widow, however the problem was all her witnesses were dead and they never married in a Kirk. It was an Episcopalian ceremony, where this religion seemed to have many prejudices against it and the marriage took place outside a Kirk.

Lily and Jamie’s relationship which began as children, where he was always so kind and protective, but from a noble family. Lily was also warned by her Grandmother that they were of two different classes, where Jamie would always be the Lord and she the servant. In other words, she would never be good enough for the happy go lucky boy Jaime Graeme, who was also her very best friend.

This also details Lily’s relationships with a few different families even though she was an orphan. One was her fathers second wife, another was a family she worked for and third was a woman named Barbara who found her. This is how Lily met her foundling sons where she eventually fell in love with the eldest son named Matthew, though he was a bit of restless spirit and couldn’t stay in on place for long.

This novel also has several different timelines one is current day 1707 and the other time lines start in 1683 to 1699 when Lily was eight years old until she was about twenty-three. It shows her hardships and tragedies that she has struggle through, yet still be true to herself and the ones she loves. It also shows how Adam is immediately smitten with her right from the beginning, even through his research and when he gets to understands her and her true dilemma.

This book weaves true history with a fictional story that is absolute brilliant. It show how the Jacobites are supporter of James II and his descendants in their claim to the British throne after the Revolution of 1688. Drawing most of their support from Catholic clans of the Scottish Highlands. It shows how he is dethroned no matter how hard he tries to get his throne back. Yet this book did sweep me and my Jacobite heart away! It show how politics, religion and union are a big part of this tale too and how the author did such detailed research which will give readers a history lesson too.

This is a prequel, crossover and a type of companion book for Kearsley’s 2017 novel, “The Winter Sea.” It includes so many familiar families that are in the book, The Graeme’s, Moray’s, plus other familiar characters from the book. So for fans of that book this is like a dream come true, which made this reader ecstatically happy! The author did a phenomenal amount of detailed research with true history which is absolutely brilliant. Plus the clever way it is connected and crosses over to “The Winter Sea” novel is absolutely magnificent!As this book is an absolute masterpiece, probably my favorite read of the year. Susanna Kearsley is the master of this genre and definitely my go to author, as she has been a favorite of mine for a very long time. I have read every book she has written and “The Vanished Days” is now my absolute favorite, previously it had been “The Winter Sea.” She has this incredible talent of sweeping the reader off her feet and smack in the center of her story very quickly. As she has written another choice story filled with history and compassion with special understanding of human motivation and love! A book that will definitely stay with you long after you have read it and you will want to read again and again!

It is a book I absolutely love and can’t recommend enough obviously. Also I think it is a novel that can be read as a stand alone book. For readers who haven’t read The Winter Sea, I think this book sets readers up perfectly to read The Winter Sea next. I myself am going to re-read it, as it made me miss the characters from that book too!

Disclaimer: I received this book from Sourcebooks Landmark for a fair and honest review. I voluntarily agreed to read, review, blog and promote through netgalley. All words, ideas and thoughts are my own.

Buy Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Vanished-Days-Scottish-Susanna-Kearsley/dp/1492650161/ref=nodl_

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-vanished-days-2

https://play.google.com/store/books/details?pcampaignid=books_read_action&id=BlcgEAAAQBAJ

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-vanished-days-susanna-kearsley/1138808719

https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-vanished-days/id1556928738

Sergeant Adam Williamson returns from the New World to Scotland shortly after the Act of Union was passed, creating the United Kingdom. Scotland is in political turmoil as Jacobites (Catholics loyal to the Stuart heir in exile, James), Presbyterians, and Episcopalians plot intrigue and rebellion to rise to power. He is pressed by local officials to act on behalf of his former commander to settle a dispute about the legality of the marriage of a young widow who is trying to claim her late soldier husband’s pay. Intrigue abounds as Williamson finds himself drawn to Lily Graeme. The more he learns about her and her background, the more he wants to help and protect her, but Lily is not quite what she appears to be. There are secrets in her past, dangerous secrets. Adam finds himself walking a treacherous path as the investigation draws him into the political schemes of the elite as well as the dark criminal element of early 18th-Century Scotland.

What appears to be a run-of-the-mill historical novel takes a turn toward excellence when Kearsley adds a twist that changes everything and elevates this tale above most.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This was an interesting historical novel, where the main character is deception. Working to find the truth takes courage and lots of in-depth questioning. While an enjoyable read, I found this to be a bit too long.

The Vanished Days by Susanna Kearsley was a difficult read for me. It is set in England in the 1600 and early 1700's. There are lots of conflicts going on in regards to who should be on the throne and amongst the religious factions of the time. It begins with Lily as a child where she is allowed to interact and play with the children from the castle while her grandmother works for them. Lily faces many difficulties as she grows up and moves from place to place to survive. The main focus of the story is to prove whether or not Lily was wed to Jamie Graeme before his death to determine if she is his true heir.
I give this book 4 of 5 stars. I found it very confusing to read as the story went back and forth from Lily's childhood to present day. All the different conflicts and who could be trusted was also confusing to me. The voice telling the story changed in different chapters and left me feeling lost at times. There were a lot of characters to keep up with who came and went from place to place. Many will probably love this book and the ending was very satisfying. For me it was a long journey to get to the end.
I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book continues with the history of the Jacobites, going back to the 1600s and following the story of Lily Aitcheson and her friends, family and key people of the time. It's an interesting look at the early Jacobite struggle and some of the historical personages involved. Kearsley's writing style is third person narrative, which gives a bit of distance from the action, but is still pretty effective.