Thanks to @netgalley and @bookmarked (Sourcebooks) for the ARC!

Y’all probably have noticed by now that we don’t read a lot of historicals. Just not our bag. I am 100% obsessed with Jamie Fraser, though, so go figure. Our friend, Nikki LOVES Susanna Kearsley though and during our pandemic book club, we read Bellewether.

Kearsley is a master at what I call the double helix story timeline. Both Bellewether and The Vanished Days (and from what I’ve heard, most of her novels) have two interlaced timelines that reflect back and forth on each other. Then, in addition to all that, most of her books interlink characters, events, locations. It’s just an incredible feat! And this book has A TWIST ENDING. In the afterward of The Vanished Days, she talks about how she was thinking this was going to be a very different book, but her research and the story guided it somewhere else. So: double helix timelines, multiple overlapping characters, surprise ending, AND SHE PANTS’ IT. Just incredible. (Pantsing: is a term for a way of writing that is the opposite of planning/plotting.)

I also do want to point out that this is probably more Historical Fiction, with a large dash of Romance, rather than Historical Romance.

The Vanished Days is about Lily a young girl growing up in Scotland at the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th century as told by Seargeant Williamson, a man who was tasked with finding out if Lily was lying about her marriage. Not only do you learn about the saga of King James, William of Orange, and the battle between Christian religions in Scotland, but you also get to learn a little bit about their failed colonization of the Darien Gap, aka the Panama Canal.

If you are a sucker for Scots, history, or incredibly structured stories, this is a recommended read! - Ford

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks for access to this arc.


Unlike many of her other books the dual timeline of “The Vanished Days” is separated by less than a decade rather than by hundreds of years. Despite the fact that I will undoubtedly read more books with this more widely spaced sort of timeline, I must admit to being tired of so many recently written historical fiction books that make use of this device, usually with the modern heroine seeking to uncover some long held secret from the past. Ennui has crept in for me. When I realized that this book would not feature that, I rejoiced.

I loved the historical details and “feel” of the book. It has a leisurely pace which allows the story to slowly build in intensity. Readers need to set aside the time to savor this and be prepared to settle down and just let it happen. One thing I will let out of the bag for animal lovers is that the cat gets taken care of. Don’t worry about Lily’s cat. There is also just enough Scots dialect and period dialect to add verisimilitude without driving me batty. It doesna take lang for faux brogue to fash me (and fash can mean more than just worried). One thing that I did begin to notice an excess of was total strangers being able to “read” Lily’s face and immediately divine her exact thoughts thus being able to give her solace and consolation – usually.

But I was glued to my seat reading to discover what’s going to happen next. There are details which I noticed hadn’t been supplied.

It turns out there is a reason for that and I was glad I didn’t flip ahead to the end and have that spoiled for me. Patience is a virtue. I will admit that there are some characters I didn’t like – with good reason – and others who frustrated and angered me at times with what they did. But we were all young and stupid once, the characters who frustrated me matured and in the end, I could pretty much forgive them.

I’m not going to go into many details of the plot beyond reiterating that this is a book to sip and savor rather than chug down like a glass of ice cold water after you’ve spent all day mowing grass in the hot sun. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, important plot details that you will discover are deliciously slipped in without fanfare and which will only become clear later on. If this didn’t take a spreadsheet of monumental proportions to keep straight while the book was being written, I’ll be astonished.

The book can be read without reading any of the others in the “Slains” series or “Bellewether” though if those have been read, it’s fun to see returning characters in roles of varying sizes. To end, I will quote a line that one character, who has many secrets to hold, tells another – “All men do leave pieces out when they tell tales, it is no crime.” B+

This had all the elements of excellent story telling. Strong characters, history, family sagas and their personal
histories, a story encompassing several generations and community and country. What was there not to like.

The period of 1707 but going back to the late 17th century covering the Jacobite revolution, the return of James III.
We have a young woman coming forward to claim her entitlement of a widow of a man who went on the ill fated Darien
expedition. To assess her claim two men have to check out all the facts but one of them is suspicious of what is put
forward, the other falls headlong in love with her.

The story starts from there, alternately going back in time to previous times of Lily's birth, and then her young
years coming into a family which protected her and then when her only protection was gone, literally threw her to
the wolves. The hardships encountered by Lily till her present predicament are very well outlined and told by this
author whose research into the turbulent history of Scotland at the time was meticulous.

A must for readers who like history, who like a story well told. I've liked very much everyone of Susanna Kearsley's books
one of the few authors whose books I have kept back in my declutter as I do so like to go back to them every once in a
while.

Ehh. I really wish that I had rethought getting this as an ARC. Kearsley has been hit or miss for me for years now and this one was a miss. I just found myself bored by the entire storyline and didn't really ever care that much about Lilly. Kearsley does her research though and you can tell by the amount of detail we get in this historical novel set in Scotland in the late 1600s/1700s. One thing to note is this is a prequel to [book:The Winter Sea|10074752].

"The Vanished Days" follows Lily in 1707 (present day) who is widowed. She comes forward asking for payment for her husband who was in service to Scotland as part of the Darien expedition. For those who don't know the whole Darien thing was an attempt to gain money by establishing a colony on the Isthmus of Panama. It did not go well. Many historians pointed out that this led to the weakening of Scotland with regards to the Act of Union. That Act led to England and Scotland becoming one kingdom. Lily's claim though is challenged and this book follows the investigator who is looking into her claims. Due to that, we jump back and forth through periods of her life (childhood (late 1680s and on) and adult (1700s).

Not too much to say about Lily the way the story is told was a weird choice. We have Adam who is investigating Lily's claim and sometimes he talks to her, but most of it is him talking to others about her. I don't now the narrative was a choice. I think as another reader said the historical aspects are what makes this book interesting. The characters do not. It didn't help that Kearsley has real life people in this and that for some weird reason always takes me out of a historical fiction novel. After a while it just felt like there were too many people and the main plot got lost after a while.

I thought the flow was way too slow. The historical parts which are the best parts of this, also read as dry and uninteresting after a while.

The setting of the book takes place in Edinburgh and Leith, Scotland. As I said above, the time period is late 1600s to early 1700s and of course we get into the Jacobite uprisings.

The worst part of books like this is also the best part: you get more in the series. I've been listening to What You Missed In History class (podcast) and several have covered this time period. Fascinating and very indepth. The author transports you right into the thick of it. Recommended.

Having absolutely loved The Winter Sea I was so looking forward to this read. At first the dialect used to help the reader further engage in the setting, Scotland in the 1700’s became annoying to me. I quickly became engaged with Adam, but found his immediate attraction to Lily disconcerting. He is assigned the job of investigating Lily in order to determine if she can inherit wages her dead husband earned. The story is told from Adam’s perspective as he traces Lily’s life back to her childhood. Lily’s life, troubling to be sure, is related but I found myself struggling to connect with her. There were so many characters to keep track of and I frequently found myself rereading to better follow the storyline. I again did not feel connections to any of the many varied characters.
Historical fiction is my favorite genre and I love when I learn about a time and place I know little about. Kearsley’s writing definitely brought Scotland to life for me. I remain intrigued by the Darien expedition and will definitely google that to learn more about it.
A highlight for me was the About the Characters section. To know that so many of the characters actually existed truly amazed me.
Many many thanks to Susanna Kearsley, Simon and Schuster, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read this book. Three and a half stars.

Susanna Kearsley is an #autobuyauthor for me, so of course I was excited to read her upcoming release (10/5/21), The Vanished Days. Thank you @bookmarked and @netgalley for the #advancedcopy.

Thoughts: To be honest, I don’t think the synopsis gives a full look at what this book is about. Basically, Lily says she was married to a guy, they’re trying to figure out if she is lying. The story is told in a dual timeline, with the present and then chapters that tell Lily’s story. Everything meshes together with a big twisty bit at the end.

And to be TOTALLY honest, this would have been a 3 star book except that twist bumped it up to 3.5-4 stars for me. I normally love Kearsley’s writing, but this one seemed confusing and a bit hard to follow at times in the middle. I did enjoy it overall, though, and can not wait for whatever she writes next! I will say, most of her books have some sort of magical realism or ghostly tidbit to them and this didn’t - maybe that’s why it felt different?

This was a delightful book exploring the early 1700’s Scotland time period concerning several common families on the edges of the Jacobite revolution but really focusing on the lives of those families and not the royalty and who was in power. The romance woven into this story was convoluted but I found the ending thoroughly satisfying. This was quite well done and I would read more stories featuring these people. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for this copy of #thevanisheddays to read and review.

Susanna Kearsley is one of my favorite historical fiction authors, and I was looking forward to reading her new book. I probably wouldn't have picked up The Vanished Days just based on the synopsis, but I knew Susanna would 't disappoint me because her writing is so engrossing. The Vanished Days has everything I love in a historical fiction book: interesting historical events, fascinating and compelling characters (real and fictional), a little bit of mystery, and a little bit of romance. The Vanished Days is a prequel to The Winter Sea, which I've read and loved years ago, and after reading The Vanished Days, I want to reread The Winter Sea. I highly recommend The Vanished Days to historical fiction and Outlander fans.

I felt the story had a very slow start and was a little hard to follow the laws and political workings of that particular time period.

The Vanished Days
by Susanna Kearsley
Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2021
Simon and Schuester

A sweeping love story set against the Jacobite revolution from much-loved, million-copy bestselling author Susanna Kearsley

There are many who believe they know what happened, but they do not know the whole of it. The rumors spread, and grow, and take their hold, and so to end them I have been persuaded now to take my pen in hand and tell the story as it should be told…
The story started slow, but I developed a quick attachment to Lilly & her story is what kept me plowing through. I struggled a bit trying to follow the laws & political workings of this time period. I loved the "twist" at the end that I did not see coming. Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuester for the ARC. Great book!
5star

This novel drew my attention immediately when I saw the Scottish connection. It kept my attention with lovely story-telling blended with historical knowledge. Ms. Kearsley painted a vivid picture of life during the late 1600's into early 1700's. The value of women was so little and it's heartbreaking to think about. In addition, the brutality of the time was difficult to imagine.

The Vanished Days not only provides a rich historical account of the time period, it also gives the reader an engrossing love story that spans years. Even though there is a lovely romance, this book also provides a story that reflects the love of family and friends. It shows dedication and respect that could be provided by one person even though the next person could be callous and cruel. It seems it was often difficult to know who you could trust.

The main character, Lily had lived a difficult life. She'd been loved and supported by some and failed by many. Her ability to trust others had been altered by life's experiences. Yet, she forges on through life and strives to protect those she loves. I had an incredible amount of respect for this character and everything she had lived through. The many people who she knew and loved along the way all helped to shape her into the person she became - - a loyal woman who prioritized her family and still held hope for a better tomorrow.

I enjoyed the entire book - - and my experience was improved even more towards the end when the author added in a clever twist. Wonderful story telling.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

This is such a beautifully, captivating story. Kearsley writes such vivid stories that transport you to a different time. I was hooked from the very beginning. And I’m definitely going to read it again because I feel like there were so many details that I missed; I just couldn’t put it down the first time. There is so much emotion and vibrant detail in this story so take your time if you can. The ending is perfection and makes the experienced heartache worthwhile.

Read if you like: Outlander, Scottish history!
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I loved how this book bounced back and forth between 1707 and the events leading up to this dates. We follow the story of Lily, whose life gets interrupted after a traumatic event and she is forced to flee her home.
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The book looks at the time after the English civil war, as well as the exiled young Jacobite king and the preparation for his invasion! I loved the history and the time period. I was fully immersed in this story!
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CW: execution, imprisonment, adultery, sexual assault and harassment, death of a loved one, violence, war, colonialism.

Susanna Kearsley is one of my favorite authors and I’ve been looking forward to this ever since I found out it would be a prequel to the Slains series, now renamed as the Scottish series. In this historical novel, Adam is called in to investigate a marriage claim brought forth by Lily. They’re drawn to each other and this both spurs on and impedes Adam’s tangled investigation as he seeks to learn who Lily is. I didn’t know anything about the failed Darien expedition and it was interesting to learn about it through the lens of its failure, especially alongside the Jacobite quest. It’s difficult to say much more about the story because the enjoyment lies in the way the story unfolds.

Kearsley’s books typically feature dual timelines and tend to have a light paranormal element. The Vanished Days is a departure on both fronts, with nary a paranormal element. With its two settings of 1707 and flashbacks to 1683, I suppose this is technically a dual timeline novel. However, Kearsley usually has a more contemporary POV anchoring the story and then flashes back to the historical timeline with a different character’s POV. That is my preference as I’m much more of a contemporary reader. I was more invested in the 1707 storyline, where the action of solving the mystery unfolded. Whenever we’d flash back to Lily’s earlier life, I was less interested in reading, in part because it starts with her POV as a child and then the many hard things that befell her.

If I was more of a historical fiction reader, this one likely would have worked from the start. Because I’m not, it was trickier for me to get lost in the story. I enjoyed what I was reading but it didn’t completely grip me until I got to the last 100 pages. Then I couldn’t read fast enough because things started to come together and we left most of the past storyline behind. Up to that point, I wasn’t really sure where the story was heading. Once everything turned, I was impressed, to say the least. Now that I know why it was structured the way it was, I suspect I will enjoy this even more the second time around and my rating will go up higher. I don’t want to spoil one bit of what unfolds because it’s worth hanging in there but I also want to go back and see what I missed the first time. Even though this isn’t one of my favorite Kearsleys, it was richly researched and still thoroughly enjoyable.

Fans of the Slains books will find a slew of familiar names. I read The Winter Sea five years ago and The Firebird four years ago so most of the time, I wasn’t sure if I was recognizing a character or not. The Author’s Note at the end is thorough and well worth reading through for confirmation. Now I want to re-read both while the details are fresh in my mind.

Turmoil in Scotland in the early 18th Century

In 1707, Scotland was in turmoil. The country was joined in an uneasy union with England. It was a time of religious strife with Protestants and Catholics at war with each other. France was also a player planning to send the Stuart heir back to Scotland to reclaim his kingdom.

In an attempt to sooth the Scots, Queen Anne provided funds to compensate the Scots for their part in the disastrous Darien scheme. Lily Aitcheson has had a difficult life. Her early upbringing was a series of different family where abuse was often present. During this time, she met Jaime Graeme, her best friend. He was killed during the Darien scheme and now she is trying to claim his compensation. The problem is that she cannot prove she was married to Jaime.

Adam Williamson and his friend Gilroy have been assigned to question her about her marriage and determine whether she is entitled to the compensation. The story revolves around the questioning with flashbacks to the late 17th century where we learn about Lily’s early life. Clearly, Adam is fascinated by Lily, but he also has his duty.

The story is primarily told by Adam so the book details his early life as well as Lily’s. I thought both characters were well developed. The author did a good job of showing the tension between them. The book is rather slow with lots of detail about the political situation, but there are twists that keep the story interesting. It’s hard to guess the ending.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

This story started very slowly for me and I had a hard time caring about the characters. Since Lieutenant Turnbull is out of town, Adam Williamson has agreed to step in for him. As such, he is tasked with determining whether or not Lily and James Graeme were actually married. If yes, then she is entitled to money owed to Mr. Graeme. If not, then she isn’t entitled to any money. Since the marriage was not properly recorded, they need to find proof elsewhere.

I have been a fan of Susanna Kearsley since I read The Shadowy Horses years ago (still my favorite). I was excited to receive a copy of The Vanished Days. This book was a bit of a change from her usual novels as there were no supernatural/time-slip plots. This book is strictly historical fiction, but still an excellent read,

The novel follows the investigation by Sergeant Adam Williamson into the claim for a widow’s pension by Lily Aitcheson Graeme. Lily claims to be the widow of Jamie Graeme but has no proof to supply the men investigating her claim. The novel is set in two time periods, the investigation takes place in 1707.. The story then transports the reader back to 1683 and follows Lily growing up, and how she came to claim the pension. Lily grew up with an idyllic childhood in the country with Jamie as her best friend, but then was transplanted to Edinburgh to live with her father and stepmother, where her life became much less idyllic. The late 1600’s to mid 1700’s were a turbulent time for Scotland amidst the unsuccessful Jacobite rebellions. Living as a woman in that time without the protection of a man or family was also hard. This book covers those times well.

I would recommend the book for lovers of historical fiction, especially Scottish history based around the Jacobite rebellion. Though I did miss the time slip element of Susanna’s other books. I felt this was a good book that segues well with her other books on the Jacobites and Scottish history.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher Sourcebooks Landmark and especially the author Susanna Kearsley for the chance to read and review this book.

𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯!

I love books set in Scotland so for me this was a must read and what a fascinating, thrilling and unique story. It starts a little slow, but it pulls you in bit by bit and by the it was impossible to put down. And that ending, just wow!

Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for this gifted copy.

𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦: 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘍𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘈𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘍𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘚𝘤𝘰𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. The Vanished Days by Susanna Kearsley is a prequel and companion novel to The Winter Sea and some of the action overlaps that book. Susanna Kearsley has an amazing talent of taking the history that probably put you to sleep in class and breathing life into it and making it compelling and fascinating… edge of your seat reading. This story features Lilias Aitcheson Graeme, a widow whose husband died while on the Darien Expedition and Sergeant Adam Williamson, who has been charged with verifying the validity of her claim to her husband's wages from that failed expedition. Secret plots and machinations abound and a twist that will have you mentally retracing the story with a bit of wonder when all is revealed. I enjoyed this book immensely and highly reccomend reading it. Content Warning: Violence, child abuse, parental deaths, a character who is a prostitute, and a secondary character who is a pedophile. Steam Level: Kissing Only on page. Publishing Date: October 5, 2021. #TheVanishedDays #SusannaKearsley #HistoricalFiction #HistoricalFictionReader #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #HistoricalRomance #HistoricalRomanceReader #SourcebooksLandmark #Sourcebooks #NetGalley