This masterfully crafted tale is one of Susanna Kearsley's best. Full of unexpected plot twists, this lyrically written novel is set against the atmospheric backdrop of Jacobite Scotland. With impeccable attention to detail, Kearsley is one of the best at bringing to life history within the pages of a novel. This perfect blend of history, mystery and romance will have readers enthralled long after the last page has been read.

I received a complimentary copy from the author/publisher and Netgalley. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Other than reading the Outlander series which is set slightly later than this book, I don’t know that much about this time in Scotland’s history. Set during the Jacobite rebellion with flashbacks to the late 17th Century you get a good feeling of what it was like to live during this troubled time when the change in monarchy also meant a change in accepted religions. You also learned a lot about what it meant to be female during this times and were made glad that you live now versus then. Narrated through the investigator, Adam Williamson’s eyes, we learn of Lily’s life from childhood to adult and as we do we serve as judge and jury in deciding if we believe in her story.

During the flashbacks we learned about Lily’s life. Her mother died when she was very young and her father sent her to his mother to be raised in the country where she met her childhood best friend Jamie. Although they were from different levels of society her country upbringing allowed her a closeness with his family that she wouldn’t have had in a city environment. When she moved to Edinburgh and her father dies she is raised by her Stepmother but circumstances force her into becoming a maid to help bring in money. As she grows older her circumstances change again but she still stays on that lower rung of Scottish society and it was really interesting to read, especially in how she viewed herself at these different times of her life. Did it help Adam Williamson determine the truth? You’ll have to read this one to find out. I will say I became very engrossed with her story.

When I read a historical mystery I like a nice methodical pace and The Vanished Days was a slow moving book. Despite the author stating this is book 3 in the series, the characters are not interconnected and this can be read as a standalone novel. If you are like me and really like historical mysteries with a hint of romance I think you’ll really enjoy this novel. The characters were believable, had emotional depth, and I got invested in their story very quickly. This was a good book!

❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review and it was honest!

I've learned that when I pick up one of Susanna Kearsley's books, I should expect an immersive experience, and this book certainly met those expectations in it's depictions of 17th/18th century Scotland. Besides the settings, the characters were well developed too, as was the story. The story moved me and at times brought me to tears. It also kept me in suspense with it's twists and turns through a game of cat and mouse. I also appreciated the author's extensive notes at the end.

I recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction or who just wants to be transported to another time and place.

Thank you to NetGalley for the early read.

4 Take Me Back in Time stars

This one fulfilled my Scottish historical fiction spot! I was completely transported to days filled with royalty, intrigue and plotting, romance, the Jacobite rebellion, power and politics, and hidden identities.

Author Susanna Kearsley cast her spell on me and for the hours I spent reading this one I was engrossed in the story, the characters, and the adventure. I especially liked the story of Lily, a young woman who has been raised in a multitude of households, manipulated and yet she remains a strong woman. Forced into a life of serving others, she’s now claiming the small payment due to her husband now lost at sea.

There’s an inquiry though to disprove her claim of marriage and we discover her whole story in the course of the proceedings. My heart went out to Lily and I so rooted for her happiness and fulfillment. Would she ultimately be successful and get the money? There’s much at stake in this one.

If you are looking for an escapist historical read, this one fits the bill! Meticulously researched and the reader is firmly placed in this time.

The Vanished Days by Susanna Kearsley is historical fiction set in both Edinburgh and Leith, Scotland. The time periods vary from the late 1600s to the early 1700s, which both included the famous and oft-chronicled Jacobite uprisings. It’s a story of a young woman and the various (mostly non-biological) families she’s a part of during her youth.

During those times, young girls often began working in service to another family at quite a young age. Such is the case for Lily Aitcheson. Early on, her grandmother cares for her, and they live near a wealthy estate in rural Scotland. But as her grandmother gets older, she moves to Edinburgh when her father remarries. In doing so, she’s ripped away from her childhood playmates. These young people, related to the owner of the nearby estate, still figure in the rest of her story.

And yet, Lily’s basically on her own before she’s even got two digits in her age. She’s in service to a few families, some more loving than others. Told in hindsight, the whole story happens because she’s part of a governmental inquiry into her marital status. This commission determines whether people are truly entitled to even the smallest inheritances left by deceased men.

Most of Lily’s story is told by Sergeant Adam Williamson, lately of the colonies. He pieces together the story by talking to people who knew Lily, some long ago and others more recently. And while he does talk with her, he mostly seeks evidence beyond her assertions. It’s a sideways story about her life.

My conclusions
This particular storytelling method—mostly from second-hand knowledge—is frustrating. I often thought, “Well, is this new narrator reliable or lying?” And that’s the struggle our main narrator, Sergeant Williamson, faces as well. It’s his job to judge the evidence and, in fact, Lily herself.

In the midst of all the information about Lily, The Vanished Days conveys the complicated history of Scotland and England. The Scots fight for independence. The English dominate. And the Jacobites try again to bring King James and his descendants back to rule Scotland. The complex political story captivates authors and readers in many forms.

Unfortunately, I found long passages of Kearsley’s writing uncomfortably dry. I drifted through those sections and perked up again when focus returned to Lily and her crew of unique compatriots.

And hidden amongst all of this is a story of uncommon families and love. In this vanished society, some families treated their servants as family. Others used and abused them. And sometimes the line between those two states became hopelessly blurred. Kearsley makes a strong commentary on families of origin versus families of convenience, whether chosen or not.

Where Lily finds lasting love is among the other young people in her life. Whether she knew them in the days with her grandmother or in her city life, these friends never forget her. Nor does she fully forsake them, even when she must leave. This theme warmed my heart and kept me going through the historical complexities.

I always think of Kearsley as writing with a slightly magical component. In this case, that element is missing and I regret that. However, if you like straight historical fiction and the world of Jacobite revolts, then give The Vanished Days a try.

Acknowledgments
Many thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and the author for a digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for this honest review. The publication date is October 5, 2021.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

📖 Q: who’s one of your favorite Scottish heroes or heroines?

I’m still thinking about Susannah Kearsley’s The Vanished Days. Seemingly heavily researched but effortlessly romantic this historical fiction with romantic elements book kept my attention.

Set up as an old man’s recollection of earlier events—augmented with notes from an investigation he & a colleague conducted—the book focuses on the life of Lily Aitcheson & a mystery surrounding whether she was in fact married to a sailor who was part of the African Company & whether she’s entitled to any inheritance as a result of his passing.

The recollections explore as early as 1707, when religious & political loyalties divide & troubles with monarchs influence what religion someone might be forced to follow. When the possibility of Jacobite uprisings could either inspire hope or dread.

Those conflicts & loyalties could sometimes be hard for me to remember and/or grasp, but maybe that’s part of the point.

With a great twist, a fantastic setting, & a remarkable mystery told by a keen storyteller, The Vanished Days is lovely and effective historical fiction + only-kissing-on-the-page romance.

4.5 ⭐️. Out tomorrow!


CW: sexual abuse of child; main character’s father shot by town guard.


[ID: a white woman wearing a navy floral dress holds an ebook with the cover while she’s standing against a roll-top desk. The wall behind her is greenish-gray.]

The Vanished Days is set between 2 timelines, 1707 and 1684. Lily makes a claim of marriage to a deceased soldier looking for her pay, but without proof of her marriage, Adam needs to investigate if he claim could be real.

Set against the backdrop of the Jacobite rebellion, this is perfect for the Outlander fans of the world! I was engrossed in this story…then I got to the end, was shocked, and wanted to read the whole thing again!!

This is one of those rare wonderful authors you find on Net Galley and read everything they write. Susanna Kearsley is masterful at historical fiction . Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley. My review opinions are my own.

This book is the prequel to The Winter Sea. This is a sweeping historical drama set in Scotland during the 1700's. We are introduced. to Lily and Adam. It is their story as they navigate a new world of politics. Politics and religion are at the forefront of their world with the new Union of Scotland with England causing upheaval. This is the fascinating story of the Jacobites and religious restrictions of the time, of forging new alliances and new politics. It is fascinating and I enjoyed this book from beginning to end.
A wonderful book I highly recommend.

It's 1707 and Scotland is suffering unrest during the Jacobite rebellion.  Lily Graeme comes forward to claim her husband's wages after his death in service of his country.  The problem is in proving they were married at all. Adam Williamson is one of the men on the committee to decide on the validity of her claim, but he finds himself less than impartial because he's very attracted to her.  The story jumps back and forth throughout Lily's life,  with a lot of historical and political information of the times. I loved Lily's story,  but I got a bit lost in the complicated history. Overall probably 3.5 stars for me rounded up to 4.
I received an advance reader copy of this book through NetGalley. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

I ended up enjoying this history-laden historical fiction with a twist.

The first half of the book is filled with Scottish history, a plethora of characters and two timelines. Because of this the first half of the book was a bit of a confusing slog for me. However, about halfway through there is a plot twist to this story that I was not expecting at all! This propelled me forward to finish the book as quickly as I could so I could figure it all out in the end.

It is clear that a lot of research went into this story and I learned a lot of elements of Scottish history that I did not know about. Mainly, that Scotland tried to found a colony in the Americas called New Caledonia, Darien, near the Isthmus of Panama.

The second half of this book grabbed and held my attention with the plot twist woven into rich historical detail.

I received an advanced copy from Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 rounded up

Canadian author Susanna Kearsley is known for her in-depth research and vivid descriptions that bring history to life in stories that have two timelines - usually one modern and the other historical. In this latest book, a companion/prequel to her much loved book The Winter Sea, Kearsley changes things up a bit by setting both of her timelines in 18th century Scotland.

The first timeline follows the investigation into whether Lily, a young widow of a Scottish soldier, is owed financial compensation after his death while in service to his country. The second timeline shows the reader details of Lily's childhood.

Kearsley, a former museum curator, is known for her love of research and this book is filled with detailed historical facts. But it felt like the storytelling took a back seat to the historical aspect and by including some secondary characters who were based on real people, I feel she may have limited the range of her narrative. I also found the historical details sometimes confusing, and I struggled to keep straight the historical facts and the large character list (of which there were several men named Jamie). The story takes a bit of time to get going, but if readers are patient, Kearsley sets the stage for an ending that will have readers quickly turning the pages until the final twist.

This isn't my favourite book by Susanna Kearsley, but she remains one of my go-to Canadian authors when I'm in the mood for historical fiction. I appreciate her passion for history, and I think this would be a great pick for Scottish history buffs.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the publisher for my complimentary digital copy given in exchange for my honest review.

It's been a while since I've read any Susanna Kearsley novels but was intruiged when I saw this was a prequel to The Winters Sea.
The main character in this is Adam Williamson and he is called upon to investigate the marriage of Lily Aitcheson to Jamie Graeme. The story takes place late 17th century/early 18th century
The level of historical information that Susanna gives in her books is astounding and she has a brilliant way of incorporating real characters in her tales of fictional characters
Many thanks to Netgalley and publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

It helps immensely, I think, to have a good grip on the important personalities and religious conflicts in Scotland in the late 1600s and early 1700s while reading this well researched novel about a woman trying to prove she is a widow and therefore entitled to the wages of her dead husband. Adam has been tapped to find out the truth about Lily, who claims to have been married to Jamie Graeme. He tells the story in the "present" while it takes a third person perspective when it moves back in time to Lily's history. She was born on the Graeme estate - from a tenant family. Her life was idyllic until it wasn't- it really wasn't- and she struggled to adulthood through abuse, assault, poverty and the rest. Adam picks her life apart in bits as he interviews those connected with her, starting with the witnesses to her wedding. There's a fair amount of drama and then...a twist. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. I learned quite a bit about Scotland during this time frame but the novel can be dense in spots because of the detail. I know others were swept away into the story but I kept finding myself hauled back somehow. That said, it's an excellent read for fans of historical fiction.

Set during the time of the Jacobite revolution, the book centres around Lily, the widow of a Darien sailor, who on attempting to claim her husband’s wages, finds herself in the middle of a political upheaval. Told through the eyes of Adam Williamson, he is investigating claims by family members, requesting recompense for their loss, in the line of duty.
Whilst a complicated story with Scottish history, threaded throughout, this book is a fascinating story. I always find it a thrill to uncover a piece of history, whilst reading of the relationships playing out at the time. The plight of Lily and those who suffered for their involvement in a war, that led to considerable loss, highlighted her strength and resolve.
This book held my attention and the rich detail given showed the considerable research, required for this intriguing story. Well worth the read.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I have so many mixed feelings after reading this book. I want to go back and read it from the beginning again, but it wouldn’t be the same. This is a twisty novel about secrets, and tangled histories, crime and politics and war and love. It's Susanna Kearsley as usual with extra suspense, mystery, and dark and windy closes.

Sergeant Adam Williamson is our narrator. He's just gotten back to Scotland to visit his former commanding officer. While he's visiting, a request comes in from official channels asking his commanding officer (who's not there at the time) to assist with an investigation into a woman who claims she was widowed and deserves her late husband's pension. Adam agrees to take up the investigation in place of his friend, and so he ends up taking us down twisty roads of personal history related to the widow in question but that go as far as international politics.

It's unusual that I don't see plot twists coming, but I didn't have my finger fully on this one until after the denouement. If you like Kearsley's works, or just mysterious historical fiction set in Scotland, try this one.

eARC via NetGalley.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

This was unfortunately not to my taste and I didn't enoy it. I couldn't come to grip with the language, it felt off for me, I realize it's one of those books it's me, and not the book :)

Included as a top pick in bimonthly October New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached)

Content Notes: [familial death (by the government, war, illness, etc); sexual grooming of child; attempted rape of child; imprisonment/indenture of child; attempted prostitution of child (hide spoiler)]

4.5 stars

I burst into tears like ten times and stayed up until 5 am, which is how you know Susanna Kearsley wrote a good one. She's one of the best writers of historical fiction right now and a skilled spellcaster of black magic (why else would I care about the Jacobites so much?! Damn those Stewarts!). SUCH a treat for folks who love the Moray/Graeme-connected books. They aren't the protagonists, but the periphery is a delight all the same.

I... have no idea how to review THE VANISHED DAYS? I don't even know if I SHOULD review until I've reread a couple times. A brilliant execution of (mild spoiler about plot structure, not content) [ unreliable narrator, which means that my reread will be VASTLY different than my first read. I bet it's a totally different book since I missed most of the clues initially (in my defense, I read from 11 pm to 5 am. Not my most clear-headed time of the day. (hide spoiler)]. I don't even know what to say about the plot other than it's best to go in without knowing anything. I provided content notes above, if needed. One of the scenes took me aback wrt the darkness, but it was not gratuitous. THE VANISHED DAYS is darker than the other connected books, but it still left me happy in the end. SK puts her characters through the wringer, but I promise the ending is optimistic.

THE VANISHED DAYS is a prequel to The Winter Sea and intersects with many familiar characters (seriously: so many. I was screaming incoherently despite the novel being chill with on-page introductions). The Morays! The Graemes! Captain Gordon! Others I won't name because you will scream! I'm glad the arc had a family tree because I really needed it (why are they all named Anna and James?? Okay, I do know that it's based on a real-life family tree, lolsob). I was also the embodiment of that Leo-pointing-at-TV gif when a secondary character said the words "The Vanished Days" late into the book.

I liked how both MCs were "commoners," for lack of a better word. The connected books haven't always been about aristocrats, but the MCs were still extremely privileged in society (the Moray/Graeme families are blood relations to lairds and grew up in a safe household). This is not true of Lily and [redacted], who have been unsafe/uncomfortable from childhood to present circumstances.

It's interesting how... undevoted some of the characters are to the Jacobite cause. Maybe they're sympathetic, but they're also not passionately fighting for it. [Redacted] says that it's pointless to take a side in politics/religion because the tides always change. Other characters frequently (and tiredly) say that there's always an invasion (in the context of how it ruins their lives/opportunities to travel). None of them are zealots to a cause or "true king" -- they're just ordinary people who get caught up in the political battles of rich aristocrats. It made me realize that the Morays/Graemes arduously fought for the cause because they could afford it. I have other thorny thoughts on the Jacobites and privilege (specifically how it was interesting to view the Moray/Graeme family from an outsider/across-class-lines POV), but they're spoilery. 🤐

I could go on and on, but I won't (my fingers are tired from typing, lol). Such a great read from Kearsley and 100% worth the sleepless night. Fingers crossed for a book featuring Maggie and other spoilery names mentioned at the end. I hope THE VANISHED DAYS works for other SK fans (please talk to me once you've read it!). I have SO MANY thoughts -- on Jacobites, on prostitution, on the Darien scheme. My brain is a swirling chaotic mass and I can't unload on anyone right now, alas.

Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The history was a bit complicated to me at times. Discovery Lily's tale was intriguing, but the overall pace of the book was a bit slow for me. However, I enjoyed the surprise ending.

Susanna Kearsley has such a gift for story telling that easily transports the reader to another place and time. I will admit there is a lengthy cast of characters and a very detailed historical element that required my full attention and concentration to keep things straight, but the mystery component and twist and turns I’m not accustomed to seeing in historical fiction captivated my attention and had me turning the pages well into the wee hours of the morning. This was my first Susanna Kearsley novel but it won’t be my last. Thoroughly enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley (@netgalley) and the publisher, Sourcebooks Landmark (@sourcebookslandmark), for the opportunity to read this digital ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

Settle in for an epic journey of the heart!

"There is properly no history; only biography." — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Emerson must have been thinking of a book like this one, which brilliantly combines factual events, historical figures, and an exquisite fictional narrative into one of the most absorbing, enthralling romances I've ever read. The author's end notes themselves are a breathtaking historical lesson, adding such dimension to her characters - both fictional and based on real people.

Adam is telling the story of how he and Lily came together, and even when he's telling her side of the story you can feel his respect for the truth and the love he has for her. The surprise twist was a stroke of genius, a masterful secret barely hinted at until it was revealed at the perfect time. The HEA was sublime, perfectly sweet and satisfying for these two.

If you're not a fan of history and just want a romance that gets straight to the point, this isn't the book for you. Adam and Lily's story must be told alongside all the political intrigue of their day because without it, there is no story. This is a book you want to take your time with, rereading the beautiful prose and going back and forth to check what you've just read against what you read a few pages ago. It's the first book I've read by this author, and now all I can think of is grabbing all her other books and carving out the time to meticulously pour over each one like I did with this one.

I spent far too much time researching the internet for more background information on the people and events referenced throughout. This is not a book you just read and move on from; this will give you a book hangover that will stay with you for days as you process everything you've learned along the way. It's everything a book should be, and I cannot recommend it strongly enough. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.