4.5 Stars

The Forgotten Maid is the first title in a sweeping and beguiling new series that transcends centuries and countries from master storyteller Jane Cable.

Project manager Anna Pritchard has arrived in the Cornish village of Porthnevek to oversee the construction of a glitzy new glamping site. This new development has incurred the wrath and ire of the local community who do not exactly welcome Anna with open arms. Finding herself ostracized and isolated, Anna decides to volunteer at a nearby National Trust House in Tresslick that had once been the family seat of the aristocratic Daniell clan. The more time Anna spends in Cornwall, the more she finds herself drawn to its splendour and majesty, but the deeper she invests her time and energies into the history of Porthnevek and Tresslick, the more Anna finds herself drawn into a fascinating mystery that will see the past and present collide in the most unexpected and surprising of ways…

Two hundred years earlier in Belgium, French army seamstress Thérèse Rugeul is mourning the loss of her brother who had died during the Battle of Waterloo. Taken to London by war artist Thomas Chalmers, Thérèse becomes his reluctant muse. Thérèse’s is treated with disdain and disrespect by Thomas’ mother who makes her vehement displeasure about this arrangement known. Kindly family relative Elizabeth Daniell proves to be her salvation when she steps in and ask Thérèse to come with her to Cornwall to be her lady’s maid. Thérèse is made to feel like an outsider in Cornwall. The other servants are suspicious of her and knowing very little English does not help her make friends among the staff. But when she discovers that her brother might still be alive, Thérèse finds herself forced to make an impossible choice: brave the dangerous journey back to her homeland or stay behind in England and spend the rest of her life wondering what happened to her brother.

Anna and Thérèse are two women divided by time united by a desperate search to find somewhere to belong and a place to finally call home…

It is impossible not to fall under Jane Cable’s spell in The Forgotten Maid. A vivid, evocative and dramatic tale of love, loss, loyalty and the ties that bind, The Forgotten Maid is an intensely emotional novel that draws readers in from the very beginning and keeps them gripped and engrossed until the very end.

Jane Cable’s characters are beautifully drawn and incredibly real. It is hard not to care for Anna and Thérèse and not to feel every single emotion they go through in their quest for answers, fulfillment and happiness.

Jane Cable’s The Forgotten Maid is a wonderfully written and haunting tale readers won’t forget in a hurry.

I read a lot of dual time stories – when they’re done well, they’re always a personal favourite. And I’m delighted to say that this lovely book entirely lived up to my high expectations – with its strong sense of place, well developed characters, central mystery, historical authenticity, romance and small touches of the supernatural, I found it entirely enthralling and perhaps one of my favourite reads this year.

Anna certainly doesn’t feel the warmth of a Cornish welcome when she arrives in the village of Porthnevek – managing the setting up of a glamping site, she’s used to there being some initial local opposition, but not the hostility and small acts of sabotage that make her life and job increasingly difficult. But she finds a group of people who accept her rather more at The Tinners, drinking her occasional half of bitter while helping one of the locals with his crossword – and finds another solution to the loneliness of her days by volunteering as a part-time guide at the nearby National Trust property of Trelissick, the former home of the Daniell family.

Back in 1815, we first meet Thérèse Ruguel as she searches for the body of her brother following the Battle of Waterloo – discovered on the battlefield, she’s rescued and brought to England by a war artist who adopts her as his muse, but she is then found a position as a ladies’ maid with the prosperous Daniell family, living and working at their home in Truro and at their Trelissick estate. The welcome she receives is a less than warm one too – the other staff are understandably hostile to someone who’s French given the historical background – but she forms a close and trusting relationship with the Daniell family themselves.

What develops is a wonderful story, not told by alternating chapters but in sections, moving between Anna’s life in the present day and Thérèse’s experiences while in service with the Daniells. Both women are exceptionally strong and well-drawn characters – and both storylines are equally well-developed and entirely engaging, with links, echoes and parallels that draw them together. I’ve often found that a dual time story succeeds or fails by whether I’m equally happy to remain in the present day or to plunge into the past: this book has none of those wrenches often experienced elsewhere, moving smoothly between the threads with both storylines wrapped around each other. Both stories are quite superb, with real emotional depth – and the dramatic events that develop in both really kept the pages turning ever faster, the outcomes for both heroines always in the balance.

The book’s sense of place is exceptional – Trelissick itself, and the superbly described Cornish landscape past and present. Despite the opposition to her presence, I could entirely understand why Anna slowly began to see her future in such a wonderful setting – the author’s love for her adopted home county becomes something the reader feels too. And I really loved the book’s historical authenticity, the well-researched detail both social and around the area’s industrial past, the extreme poverty of the former mining communities set against the lives of privilege of others – and the way the author uses that detail to build a world I entirely believed in. I can sometimes be less of a fan of supernatural elements in the books I read, but in this book they’re gentle – and I felt they only enhanced the story, and increased the depth of engagement with the characters.

And I really must mention the book’s characters. While Thérèse and Anna drive the story, there’s also a very strong supporting cast – the kinder individuals who bring warmth to the book, but also the villains (including the unsuspected ones). The romance – sometimes from an unexpected quarter – is excellent too, strong and believable, emotionally satisfying in every way. My only very minor niggle about the story was around Anna’s edge of sadness about events in her past – I did expect it to be developed a little more – but it certainly didn’t impact on my enjoyment.

I really loved every moment of this book – I’m sure the author might have been a tad concerned that her new direction might not be entirely to the taste of every reader, but I can’t imagine anyone failing to love it. Jane Cable is still very firmly ensconced in my favourite authors list, and I recommend this book really highly.

(Review copied to Amazon UK, but link not yet available)

Two centuries apart, two lonely women seek a place to call home…

Cornwall, England, 2015

Nomadic project manager Anna Pritchard has arrived in the village of Porthnevek to oversee the construction of a trendy new glamping site. But with many members of the local community strongly opposed to the development, she quickly finds herself ostracised and isolated.

Seeking to ease her loneliness, Anna begins volunteering at a nearby National Trust house in Trelissick, once owned by the aristocratic Daniell family. In her new role, Anna soon feels her attachment to both Porthnevek and Trelissick deepening. And as she spends more and more time steeped in local history, it seems that the past and the present are beginning to collide…

Belgium, 1815

After losing her brother in the Battle of Waterloo, French army seamstress Thérèse Ruguel is taken to London by war artist Thomas Chalmers, becoming his reluctant muse. But with Thomas’s mother unhappy with the arrangement, Thérèse is soon sent to Cornwall as a lady’s maid to Elizabeth Daniell, a kindly relative of the Chalmers family.

Able to speak only a little English — and with the other servants suspicious of her — Thérèse feels lost and alienated. And when she discovers her brother may still be alive, she must decide whether to continue with her new life in England, or brave the dangerous journey back to her homeland…

What became of Thérèse? Can Anna unearth the ghosts of the past?

And has Anna finally found where she belongs…?

This book promises everything I love in a book. Gorgeous Cornish setting? Check. Dual timeline? Check. Exploring a fascinating period of history? Check. I went into it full of anticipation and I can tell you, the book fulfilled its promise in every respect.

The main protagonist is Anna, a rootless young woman who moves from project site to project site around the country with nowhere to call home and some unspecified trouble in her recent past that she can’t quite shake. When she arrives in Porthnevek, she is drawn to the wild beauty of the place, as well as its rich history, but is shocked at the hostility of the locals. She manages to carve out a little community for herself nevertheless, but becomes intrigued by one historical figure in particular.

Back in the Regency period, another young woman is feeling displaced, this time by war and loss, and is equally foreign and friendless in Cornwall. However, she has a saviour in her kind mistress and begins to settle into a new life, until her past also comes back to haunt her.

The parallels in the lives of Anna and Therese are subtly drawn but compelling, and I was equally entranced by the lives of these very different but connected women, separated by two hundred years of history. I had never really given any thought to what might happen to women affected by war in the 1800s, so Therese’s plight but an interesting and fresh spin on the Regency aspect of the story. We still get to read about all of the fabulous balls and social events that form the backbone of Regency novels, but the focus here in more on what happens below stairs and behind closed doors for women who have even fewer options than the monied classes. It is a sobering lesson in how far feminism has come in 200 years.

The detail of the effects of industrialisation on Cornwall, and the vast differences in benefits for the owners and the workers was also woven into the story beautifully and was enlightening. I personally love a book that I feel is teaching me something I didn’t know whilst I am reading it, and Jane has clearly done a lot of research for this book so it feels historically accurate. At the same time, you are not bombarded with historical fact, the balance the author has achieved is perfect.

This is also true in the division of the story between Anna and Therese. I liked the fact that the story switched between the timeline in chunks, rather than chapter to chapter. It allows the reader to develop and maintain a connection to each woman, rather than flitting between the two constantly, which can sometimes interrupt the establishment of relationship between the reader and the characters. I really felt immersed in each story and time period when I was reading those chapters. This was a book in which I did feel like I completely lost myself, and the read flew by very quickly, always the sign that I am engrossed in the tale the author is telling.

If I had any minor complaints they would be, firstly, that Anna is way too fickle with her affections, despite the fact that Jane was trying to persuade us she was exercising caution, and I wasn’t 100% buying it, particularly the first time. Also, I felt the storyline involving her family was not really committed to fully and should either have been developed more fully, or omitted altogether. These are me looking for things to criticise though, they did not detract in any meaningful way from my enjoyment of this book.

If you enjoy a dual timeline novel, and would be interested in a novel exploring the Regency period with a different spin, this is the book for you. It whisked me away and kept me entertained throughout, and I was left very satisfied with the whole reading experience. That’s a pretty good investment of 99p, if you ask me.

The first book in the Cornish Echoes Mysteries series is atmospheric and written in the dual timelines of 2015/2016 and 1815/16. Anne spends her life managing projects she's in Cornwall to manage a glamping project. Therese is a nineteenth-century French woman taken to England by an artist after Waterloo. When Anne's project becomes problematic, she decides to volunteer at the local country house and dresses up as a maid who worked in the house, Therese.

The story is written in dual timelines, each a different part of the book. Both stories are engaging, and the paranormal inferences give the story a mysterious ethos. Anne is determined to find out what happened to Therese, almost as if she is laying the woman's spirit to rest. The characters are believable, and the historical and locational details create authentic settings.

This is an enjoyable, often poignant read with history, romance and suspense.

This book was archived before I could download it, but I read this book on Kindle Unlimited.

This is the third book, by this author, that I have read and am now convinced that I am a fan. Whilst each book has been different, the haunting style and all engaging story, are common threads. I found myself utterly enchanted, and at times unnerved.
The Forgotten Maid sweeps effortlessly through the dual timelines as Anna – in the present day -seeks to find a place to call home and a purpose to end her wanderings. Thérèse – in Regency times – is grieving for her brother and hoping to be accepted and welcomed into a home.
This is one of those stories which will stay with me. The eerie similarities between the dual timelines was addictive and I found it impossible to put the book down. The descriptions of the local areas transported me to the Cornish Coast. I could almost taste the salt in the air as the waves crashed into the cliffs. There is a passage where the characters are forced to explore an abandoned mine, it was so well written that I honestly felt claustrophobic, my heart was racing.
Anna and Thérèse are both beautifully drawn and I felt wholly invested in their stories. Whilst there was a couple of centuries between them, they both had to deal with personal loss and had to adjust to their new normal. The two timelines ran seamlessly as we switched between the present day and Regency times.
I’ve said this before, but I find an ethereal feel to Jane’s writing. I could sense the ghosts of the past leaving trails from across the years. I would recommend this book without reservation. It is beautifully constructed and left me looking forward to future stories.

I'm not usually a fan of books that jump over generations but I enjoyed this. Therese is from 1815 and she's from France but comes to England and becomes a lady's maid. Anna is building a luxury glamping site and some of the locals aren't happy.

I hadn’t read anything by this author before but as a lover of historical fiction, and in particular dual timeline novels, I thought I’d try it. I was not disappointed. I found the characters believable and interesting and the story heartbreaking. Highly recommended.

A lovely timeslip story going back 200 years with Anna in the presence and Therese in 1815. Great characters and storyline and unusually for this type of book I enjoyed the present day story as much as the historical one. I will look for more books by this author in the future

Gosh, I forgot how much I love dual time-period storylines, and Jane Cable’s The Forgotten Maid has rekindled that love affair. It’s the story of Anna Pritchard, in the present, and Thérèse, in the early nineteenth century, both of whom have little to no family and are looking for somewhere to call home. Both also find themselves in Cornwall, Anna as a project manager opening a new recreation site, and Thérèse as a maid for a prominent family. Each of them find themselves longing for a connection in the world to feel a little less alone. When Anna begins to dig deeper into the history of the area, she learns of Thérèse and begins to wonder who she was, what became of her, and if they maybe have a lot in common even 200 years apart.

There’s so much to love about this book… the wonderfully researched history of Cornwall and the mining industry during the time period, the vivid descriptions of a wild, rugged landscape, and the character development was top notch. There was a little bit of everything here - mystery, history, romance, and a touch of supernatural. All-in-all, a highly enjoyable read!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Sapere, and Jane Cable for the opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Hoping to see this on many “must read” lists this fall!

Captivating!

Jane Cable’s writing is so easy and fluid to read. I loved the setting, especially after reading the notes and finding out that the author lives in Cornwall. She vividly conjures up the landscape and places her characters in it.

The book is set in 1815/6 and 2015/6. Often when I read a timeslip book, I am more in tune with either the past or present story, but with this one I loved both and related to Therese in the past and Anna in the present. Sebastian was my favourite character in the book.

I was enthralled by this novel, reading well into the night to find out how the story unfolded.

A fair story set two centuries apart. Interesting, but some of the terminology was odd to me, and had to keep looking things up. Overall, not a bad story but must admit I started skimming a bit in the middle to find out the ending. If you like Cornwall history you will like this story. Would recommend.

First time I have read book by Jane Cable, it won't be the last. Could not put it down. The forgotten maid is set in the Cornish coast . Anne moves to Cornwell to project manage a new Glamping site. In the spare time she volunteers at a Natinal trust property. She dresses a Therese the French maid. Flitting between 1815 and present day it tells the story of both woman.
So pleased I have had the chance to review this book from Netgally, Exellent read.

The Forgotten Maid is the first book in the Cornish Echoes Dual Timeline Mysteries series by British author, Jane Cable. Anna Pritchard has come to the coastal Cornwall village of Porthnevek as project manager for a valley glamping site that will be dubbed Wheal Dream. There is quite a bit of opposition from locals, mostly nuisance value insidious little protests not quite outside the law, but Anna believes she can handle it.

At the same time she is regularly reminded by vicious texts from her resentful older sister of her perceived failure in duty to her family. Anna spends her down time on walks through the beautiful countryside, with occasional convivial stops at The Tinners pub, where one of the patrons is known as Gun, a man who claims to listen to ghosts.

After meeting the rather dishy Luke Hastings, the volunteer coordinator, Anna decides to volunteer at a local historical homestead, Trelissick, as a room guide, which requires her to dress as a French Regency ladies maid. Should she respond to Luke’s flirtation?

The French maid whom Anna represents was a real person: Thérèse Ruguel was rescued in 1815 after her only living relative, her brother Paul was probably killed at Waterloo. War Artist Thomas Chalmers brought her to London as his muse, but eventually, she joined the Daniell household at Trelissick as Elizabeth Daniell’s maid.

In Porthnevek and on walks through the countryside Thérèse encounters a French-speaking Cornish man who claims to know her village in Brittany, Roscoff. He offers to make inquiries about her brother’s fate. She wonders if she can trust this gentleman when she realises he is a smuggler.

Cable adopts a sedate pace for this dual timeline tale, and the build-up to the climaxes in each story are very much a slow burn. Her characters have depth and appeal, and the touch of paranormal will fascinate. This novel will appeal to readers who enjoy Cornish nineteenth Century history and are familiar with the Cornwall countryside. An enjoyable read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Sapere Books

Do you enjoy a book with a prologue that pulls you in? Then The Forgotten Maid might be the book for you! The prologue sent shivers down my spine!
The Forgotten Maid features a dual time line split between 2015 and 1815. The 2015 story line centers around Anna who has come to this community to build a glamping site. She experiences a lot of push back from the local businesses leading to some harrowing experiences. Anna also does some volunteer work at a historical site. At an reenactment, she plays the part of a French lady’s maid who worked for a British 001bois family. As Anna tries to figure out what happened to Therese, the young French maid, Therese’s plight is revealed to the reader through the 1815 timeline. Both the historical and modern story feature our main characters’ lives and the sometimes frightening aspects of them. I enjoyed this book as it was tense enough to keep me reading yet, at the same time, featured descriptive language that painted a clear picture of the British landscape and of the lives of the characters. I would give this book 4 stars.

An amazing book a good Regency novel with dashes of romance and adventure the characters are amazingly written and created while the book is not as good as other books in thr same category but it's a good introductory text

I enjoy Jane Cable’s dual time books, and was delighted to see the new book. The Forgotten Maid.

The book opens with Anna Pritchard moving to Cornwall to set up a glamping site in a beautiful cliffside town, the only problem, the locals are less than enthusiastic. To take her mind off the drama Anna volunteers at a local National Trust property, Trelissick. While volunterring at Trelissick, Anna is given a role to play for their holiday tours. She is assigned the role of a French maid during the early 19th century. She is surprised to find out that there was an actual French maid named Therese Ruguel that her character is based on. Her curiosity is piqued.

In 1815 we follow the story of Therese, a young woman who followed her brother to the battlefield of Waterloo where he was lost. She is then taken to England by artist Thomas Chalmers, where she reluctantly becomes his muse. Thomas’ mother is unhappy with this situation and arranges for Therese to become the companion and lady’s maid of her relative Elizabeth Daniell, mistress of Trelissick, Therese must decide if she can make a life for herself in Cornwall, or if she should try to return to France where her old life is gone.

This is where the stories merge, Anna in 2015 and Therese in 1815. I really enjoyed both time periods and the way both women took control of their lives, or tried to.

This is a good dual time story, with wonderful descriptions of Cornwall and life in the early 19th century with all the dramas that the Napoleonic Wars created. If you have not given Jane Cable’s books a try, give this one a try, you will not be disappointed.

Thanks to Netgalley, Sapere books and Jane Cable for the chance to read and review this book

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Set in Cornwall where Anna is project managing the setting up of a glamping business which some locals were opposed to. I really enjoyed the twists and turns of the story as it unfolded. I felt so sorry for Therese and the difficult decisions she had to make. I am looking forward to future titles in this series.

Therese Ruguel has lost her brother at Waterloo and now the young Frenchwoman has been taken to London to pose for artist Thomas Chalmers. When Thomas’s mother objects to the arrangement, Therese finds herself foisted off as a lady’s maid to a relative of the Chalmer’s family in Cornwall. She is bitterly unhappy in her new position, speaking little English, and unable to assimilate with the family or other servants. When news arrives that her brother may still be alive, Therese must decide whether to attempt to return to France or stay in Cornwall. Two centuries later, Anna Pritchard is in Cornwall setting up a glamping site, something the locals strongly oppose. As Anna tries to win over the locals, she finds herself falling in love with the region and learns Therese’s story. She identifies with the young woman and wants to know her fate. This lovely novel will appeal to fans of Susanna Kearsley and Barbara Erskine