Three women in three different times, &;places: present day in Cornwall , 1915 London & 1918 in a German prisoner of war camp. Through their stories we eventually find what connects them all.

The Story Collector is a book by Iris Costello set in 3 different years and locations. we have Katerina/Kitty in 1915 living in London, Miriam in 1918 in Germany working in a prisoner of war camp and Edie in the present day escaping her grief by moving down to the picturesque Cornwall.

I enjoyed this story so much, I wanted desperately to know what happens but equally I didn’t want it to end.
I found it to be extremely well written and carefully thought out and executed. It was so easy to connect with and feel something for all the characters. Although I feel we could have had more from Edie as I thought there were gaps and unanswered mysteries surrounding her although this didn’t impact my overall opinion of this book.

I will definitely be recommending this book, and this author to anyone who enjoys losing themselves for days in a good book.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reading copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin General UK/Viking for an eARC of "The Story Collector" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

I read The Secrets of Rochester Place last year and loved its cleverly interwoven tale of dual timelines and mysterious family connections so when I saw The Story Collector was being released with a similar set up I knew I wanted to read it.

This time the historical timeline is the beginning and end of World War One, set in London with Katerina/Kitty in 1915 and Germany with Miriam in 1918. Our present day is set in Cornwall and sees Edie trying to start life again after the death of her husband David and in the process of renovating her cottage discovers a mysterious box that connects the story in some way to our 1915 and 1918 stories.

Long held secrets provide plenty of mystery, drama and trauma for all our characters and as a reader sees us swept along in a rich, warm and tender tale that is truly evocative and beautifully written.

I did find it took me a little while to feel connected to the 1918 storyline and for a major part of the book I was struggling to see the need for this extra part of the story, however as things started to come together I came to appreciate the story and characters more. I think I also struggled a little with it because I wanted more from the Edie storyline in the beginning, however by the tale's close I feel that that author did a lovely job in balancing the stories and giving them their due care and attention, leaving me feeling extremely satisfied with how it all comes together.

This was another thoroughly enjoyable read by Iris Costello and sits well alongside Rochester Place as a heart warming historical fiction/romance that I highly recommend to readers of the genre.

The Story Collector is released on February 29th 2024.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book with no obligation to review.

I enjoyed this book, it is an absorbing read with the stories of 3 women. Each main character is sympathetic and interesting and the setting are quite different - London during the Great War; a German Prisoner of War camp at roughly the same time and the present day. The supporting characters are also well drawn and I didnt get anyone mixed up.

A lot goes on and all of it is quite unusual and interesting. this is a book to get your teeth into, it is never dull or too far fetched and the gradually revealed links between the stories are plausible. I liked the tarot stuff and I would have liked to have heard a little more about Katerina's visions and the Grand Order she was connected to.

I suspect there are one or two anachronisms and to be honest, one or two very convenient coincidences to move and link the plots, for instance after Gillian is injured and needs to get away from London, Sylvia just happens to know someone in Cornwall who has a cottage to rent etc., but you are swept along with the story and don't mind a couple of small annoyances. The ending is satisfying although a harsh critic would say it is all too tidy and pat. I do think we could have done without the very end bit about the gallery and scholarship - that must have been some sum Edie got from the museum if she could afford to set up an ongoing full scholarship for living expenses!

It is a very entertaining page turner.

This is a very different story set in both World War 1 and the present day. The intertwined stories wee both interesting although i felt one part was shoehorned in but I won’t give any spoilers!

Well worth a read.

The premise of this book was super interesting, historical fiction with a bit of eeriness. The Story Collector follows the story of three women:
1. Miriam - linguist in a prisoner of war camp in Germany during WW1
2. Kitty - German baker pretending to be an Englishwomen for her safety in London during WW1
3. Edie - recently widowed painter in Cornwall at present day

The stories of each of these women were fascinating, with the exploration of forbidden love & heartbreak, fear to be oneself and grief.

I loved the way that the stories of these women were written and the mystery surrounding the three and how they eventually link together. I particularly enjoyed Kitty’s POV where you really felt the fear that she did from the xenophobia and hatred she received because she was a German living in London during the war.

However, I did find the addition of tarot card reading and involvement of spirits etc. to be quite unnecessary. It felt like it was purely used to add some creepiness to the present day POV rather than to benefit the plot. I think I would have enjoyed book a lot more if this hadn’t been included.

I also found that most of the other characters didn’t really have much depth or use in the story which makes me question why include them in the first place, like Alexander or even Edie’s sister in law.

There are also a few consistency issues within the story. For example, Edie is just about to confront a character but never got a chance to but later on in the book it states that she did, which was quite confusing. Maybe something that had changed in editing but the reference to it later on in the plot was missed?

I also didn’t enjoy the writing style. I found that small minor tasks were over explained and I’m not the biggest fan of first person present tense.

Overall, I really enjoyed the premise and the mystery surrounding the three women, however felt the execution was quite underwhelming.

Moving, fascinating, compelling: three POVs, three historical moments, three women. Well plotted and compelling, I loved this story
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I am not a great fan of so-called women's fiction but "The Story Collector" was a fine escapist read and is actually three stories told by three women during two time lines: 

1915, London: Kat, who has just had her family's East end bakery destroyed by an angry mob due to her German descent, is fleeing to her former lover Gillian with a new identity as Kitty Dexter. As a  gifted Tarot reader she is a great help to people in distress and a member of a spiritual society. 

1918, Germany: Miriam is a linguists employed for a reasearch project with British prisoners of war, where she finds herself drawn to the gentle, seemingly  mute prisoner X.

Present day Cornwall: Edie, a widow who has moved from London to her family cottage, finds a mysterious box during her renovations. 

This all sounds very cliche and is to some extend but well written with an actual historical background. I thought the ending was a bit predictable but its still a solid escapist read.

I really loved this dual timeline story! Dual timelines are my favourite, especially when they end up becoming woven together. We were actually treated to three different timelines and I can’t decide which one I liked more.

The book is set between World War 1 and the present day. All three women has a lot going on and their story mattered to them and to me. All three character plus any side character were so likeable and I found the book to be empowering. I devoured this story and just kept picking it up to find out more. What’s not to love about three strong female characters surviving in a world where men call the shots. Seeing how each one over comes what life throws at them whilst also holding a place in their heart for love! Brilliant book! Any wait to read more by the author.

This is a wonderful novel featuring three different women in different timelines. Edie, Kat and Miriam's stories are well researched and beautifully told. I really enjoyed reading this book and loved the very skilful way it all pulled together. Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of The Story Collector.

I had trouble getting into this one at first, but i'm not sure it was the fault of the book, I may just not have been in the mood! I'm glad i went back to it, though, as it is an intriguing story, part historical fiction, part mystery/thriller.

It follows the stories of three women: Katarina, Miriam and Edie. Katarina is a young woman, from a German family living in London during the first world war. When attitudes harden towards Germans she is forced out of her family's well-established bakery business. She flees with her friend and lover Gillian, who has links to the suggragette movement.

Miriam is a young German nurse, working in a POW camp in 1918. With the  onset of war she had to give up her university studies but, whilst posted in the camp she is asked to assist with a research project to record and study the voices and dialects of the British soldier prisoners. When she becomes close to one of the prisoners she finds her life in danger!

Edie's story is based in the present time. After the sudden and traumatic death of her husband in their London home she decides to move to her family holiday home in Cornwall, to recover and concentrate on her art. Whilst there she attempts some DIY and finds some unusual items hidden in a hole in the wall...

A fascinating story! I had partially worked out the links between the characters about halfway through the book but there were still surprises.

I enjoyed this story, which appeared to be 3 separate stories in 3 different timelines, but which all came together very cleverly at the end.
In London in 1915 Katrina who is a Tarot card reader and a baker struggles in war torn Britain to keep herself and her friends going, whilst trying to aid the poor and promote women’s rights. However she holds a few secrets which threaten to blow her world apart.
In Germany in 1918 a female German researcher in the camps befriends a silent male British soldier – very dangerous for them both.
In Cornwall, in the present day, Edie finds a box in a wall of the house she is renovating.
Well written, and cleverly woven together, I highly recommend this book.

I found this book very well researched and enjoyed the way it dealt with some lesser known aspects of the First World War. As always with historical fiction, I appreciated having the author’s note to read more about the background. I also found the author’s writing evocative and skilful.
I enjoyed Kitty and Miriam’s stories more than Edie’s. There were parts where I got confused about who was who, and I confess the more occult-related aspects were a bit too sinister for my over-active imagination (I’m probably unusual in that respect, though!).
There were also some aspects which I found unlikely, especially in the way the three threads of the story suddenly came together in the end. I found Ned’s revelations at the end quite implausible.
All in all, a 3.5 star read for me - more to like than to dislike, and it kept my interest, but I didn’t feel as much of an emotional connection to the story or characters as I’d have liked.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Captivating and insightful historical read
This book truly captures the points of view of three seemingly very different female characters from their introductions: A modern day widow moving to a cottage for a fresh start, a German nurse in a prisoner of war camp, and a tarot reader living in Britain at the start of WW1.
The parallels between these three lives start to become apparent as the story progresses and each woman risks their safety to shine a light for humanity and love. I particularly became absorbed by the craftily written cliffhangers that built suspense with each chapter ending and how these events set an atmosphere of unease and peril. The true stories of characters just like these that existed in history brings an often forgotten perspective to the narrative of the war efforts and sacrifices.
A dazzling book for all historical fiction fans

Thank you NetGalley and Viking Books UK for my approval to read and review this book.

Oh my stars, this story is captivating! The story is well written with wonderful characters and so descriptive! It's written over several time periods (1915, present day and 1918) and in different character voices - Edie, Miriam, the soldier and Kitty! I found the book to be unputdownable. The plot of all the time periods are intriguing and all the strands lead to a brilliant ending! I will be recommending this book!

This is my first novel by author Iris Costello, and I really enjoyed it.

In The Story Collector, we meet lots of different and wonderful characters and I enjoyed reading about them.

The story is told from 1915, 1918 and the present day. We meet Katerina, a soldier and Edie. They were great and really well-rounded characters and I think author Iris Costello really paints a picture of how these people were in their current situations and it was brilliant.

Normally I am a reader of thriller/crime but this really intrigued me and I am glad I got a chance to read this novel.

I loved the stories of these individuals and how their lives and experiences all seem to weave together and there was some magic around this novel.

Thanks to netgalley, the author and publisher for allowing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What a wonderful, fantastic book. I had to read it in one sitting because I couldn't bear to put it down! The story jumps between three women in three time zones. Kitty, Miriam and Edie. Their stories are very different and stand well on their own. Gradually small links begin to appear between the women but the full story isn't revealed until right at the very end. Hence the reason I couldn't put the book down. I had to know the ending. Definitely worth 5* and I look forward to reading and further books by this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

A beautiful story about love, family and friendship.

The book has three timelines- Kitty in London 1915, Miriam in Germany 1918, and Edie in modern day Cornwall. We follow the women through their own personal hardships, and the author cleverly weaves their stories together, revealing small facts bit by bit.

I found the book hard to put down, each chapter ended with a snippet of information that made me want to read the next straight away. I really liked how the author had three strong women as her main characters, all of whom had their own struggles to overcome. Well written and a great story, I'll definitely be looking out for more books by this author.

Wow what a beautiful heart rending and heart filling book!! What an interesting and unusual story.
Edie has been through a tragic traumatic experience and is trying to pick up the pieces of her life, as an artist she gets a new commission and goes down to Cornwall to the old family cottage to recover.
In 1914 Katerina is forging her very different life in the east end of London, but when the first world wars break everything changes.
Miriam is a German scholar at university when the war breaks and joins an esteemed academic to study linguistics at the German prisoner of war camps.
Absolutely fascinating at times, showing such interesting different angles of the First World War from the German perspective and from being a woman in the nineteen teens. With a great background of suffrage, hidden secrets, special gifts, Cornwall and London!
Really loved this wonderful book. There is so much food for the soul. Well written well thought out, and highly recommended.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the opportunity to read early.

This is the story of three women, Kitty, Miriam and Edie and we meet each of them in their own storylines. The story moves from London in 1915 to Germany in 1918 and then Edie’s story in the present day.
I loved each of the three characters and was always sorry to leave one POV for the next. At first there are absolutely no connections between the women but Edie gradually begins to find out more about the past and we see links begin to emerge.
I was gripped by this story, especially by Miriam’s story set in the POW camp .towards the end of WWI. The three main characters were portrayed really well but I also enjoyed the secondary characters especially the appearance of Sylvia Pankhurst.
For me, the book was a bit let down by the ending. There just seemed to be too many different links and connections which were revealed very quickly. I also found the motivation for one of the characters in particular not that believable.
Overall this was a good read and I recommend for any lovers of historical fiction especially in the early 20th century.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.