An engaging dual timeline story set mainly in Dorking in 1940/41 World War Two, and 2008/9. The point of view during the war is that of Nita who wanted independence from her parents. She takes a position at The Bugle. The story tells how she coped with life at that time. Nita’s great niece Beth visits her at the end of Nita’s life in 2008, and unravels the past. At the same time Beth’s own life is unravelling.
It’s a story of secrets and loss, and the solidarity of women, of friendship and trust (or at times lack thereof). Was there really a German spy?

This haunting dual time story gives us a wonderful insight into the lives of two strong female characters and although separated by time, their shared story will resonate as family secrets are gradually revealed. Both Nita Bineham in the 1940s, and Beth Bineham, in 2008, have more in common than they realise and as the family bonds get pulled ever tighter, so a secret is revealed which began with Nita during the war years.

Beth has always had a strong bond with Melham Manor, the place her great-aunt called home, and after Nita’s death, Beth becomes thoroughly invested in discovering more about this enigmatic older woman and in doing so realises the significance of Melham Manor and Beth’s modern day emotional connection to it. Told in alternate timelines we follow Nita’s story as she begins to discover her independence during the war years when she worked as a journalist for the local newspaper and also Beth’s story as she too must learn to rationalise some significant changes in her personal life.

The story flows seamlessly with neither timeframe seeking to outshine the other, I was equally as comfortable walking alongside Beth as, using the clues Nita left behind, she tries to makes sense of some long buried family secrets. I thought Nita’s story was particularly well done and I enjoyed being immersed in her life and the restrictions that her wealthy family placed upon her. Beautifully told, with a sharp eye for historical detail, and with a strong emphasis on the problems that families create The Storyteller’s Daughter is an emotional story which kept my attention from start to finish.

The Storyteller’s Daughter is a dual time novel set in 2008 and the early 1940’s during WWII.

in 2008 Beth is sent by her family to the deathbed of her eccentirc great aunt at the family home, Melham Manor. Beth’s lfe is at a crossroads, her husband wants a divorce and she has been suspended from the family business for making some inappropriate public remarks. Before her Aunt Nita passes away she advises her there is a box of secrets in the attic. Beth is asked to clear out the manor and finds the box and it’s secrets. While working on clearing the manor and her issues, Beth finds out more about her family and the secrets they hid.

In 1940 after WWII is declared, Nita Bineham, the daughter of a wealthy landowner is given the job of junior dogsbody and journalist at the local paper. While working for the paper there a rumors of a German spy in their midst and Nita is determined to flush them out, but doing so may cause the biggest tragedy of her life.

This was an interesting story of wartime secrets and family drama. I enjoyed both time periods equally.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher Boldwood Books and the author for the chance to read and review this ARC.

What a wonderful read!

Told in dual timelines, this is a novel about Nita, in the 1940's and Beth, in 2008. Focusing alternatively on each character, it really took no time at all for me to be fully invested. As I immersed myself in each woman's life, I would forget about the other until the next chapter when it was all change. Beautifully written, with the split between the characters absolutely spot-on, I just loved everything about this one and found myself thinking about it even when I didn't have my kindle in my hand. A truly fabulous novel which I couldn't give anything less than five sparkling stars and my highest recommendation.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

This is my first Victoria Scott book and I can’t wait to read more! This book had so many twists it was a real page turner. I loved this Historical Fiction written in dual timeline of 1940 and 2008.The story of 21 year old Nita during the 1940s, in the middle of a World War trying to navigate a life that strays from tradition. Nita does not want the traditional lifestyle of staying home as her mother has she wants to be out in the world. That opportunity comes as a secretary for a local newspaper where she uncovers a mystery in her community. This mystery impacts her entire future.
Beth visits her Great Aunt Nita on her deathbed where she tells her of a mysterious box in the attic. The box leads Beth to the secrets of her Great Aunt Nita and a better understanding of her Aunt and her property.

I really enjoyed this story, there was an equal amount of action in the past (1940s) and in the latter time.(2008) The story’s main focus is around Melham Hall, the village and the family who lived there. Beth is the main character in the latter years and Nita, the daughter of the house in the former time. Beth is having a troubled time herself with her family. There is a mystery linked to the 1940s regarding a German spy. I loved how everything came together towards the end and seeing the connections revealed. This was a lovely story, a little sad at times but a very satisfying ending. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was such an engaging dual timeline story, anchored by the family estate at Melham Manor – with such a strong sense of place that it almost becomes another character in the story.

In 2008, Beth arrives there as her great aunt is dying – she was a key figure in her childhood, with many happy (but hazy) memories, but later shunned by the family. Tasked with wrapping up her estate, the manor becomes Beth’s sanctuary as she escapes the issues in her own life – a disintegrating marriage and an error at her work in the family’s business that’s led to her suspension. But before she dies, her great aunt tells her about a box left for her in the attic – and that leads her on a quest to uncover deeply hidden secrets of the past, while making decisions about where her own future lies.

In 1940, Nita – her life very much controlled by her parents, wanting her to make a suitable marriage – eagerly grabs the opportunity to work at the local paper, owned by a friend of her father, as a volunteer. At first, she’s frustrated to be treated as a dogsbody, struggling to fit in with her wealthy and privileged background – but her growing closeness with one of the reporters sets her on the trail of a Nazi spy operating in the area, and ultimately changes the whole direction of her life.

The story is told from the viewpoints of both main female characters – both sympathetic and very well developed, encountering similar issues in their lives around family relationships and challenges in being able to follow their chosen paths in life despite the very different times they live in. The supporting cast is very well drawn too – the male-dominated newsroom in Nita’s time, the current editor of the paper that Beth finds herself working with, the women they both encounter in their lives when they most need them. And there are other elements to the story I particularly enjoyed – the cryptic clues, a few supernatural touches (not overdone – just intriguing), and the exploration of Wiccan beliefs and the connection with the natural world that ran through both stories.

Nita’s story was particularly compelling and emotional, but the stories were so well balanced, the shifts seamless and easy to follow – I was never wrenched from one timeline when unwilling to follow. And it’s all so beautifully told – excellent storytelling, perfectly paced, well handled emotional touches, a very intriguing mystery, and a book I thoroughly enjoyed. Very much recommended.

Victoria Scott’s dual-timeline narrative weaves together the past and present as Beth, a journalist seeks solace in her family's dilapidated manor house.

After a disastrous career and marital setback, Beth is drawn into a gradually unravelling mystery surrounding her great-aunt Nita, a young woman living in the same house during World War II.

I liked the contrast between the world of the 1940’s newspaper office and what it became in 2008, and how the two women respond to very different challenges.

Beth delves into Nita's past through old newspaper articles and personal belongings, she uncovers a web of secrets, lies, and danger. The historical backdrop of WWII adds a depth and intrigue, with sometimes disturbing details of the era.

The plot twists are engaging as we explore of family secrets and their impact on generations. The Storyteller's Daughter is a poignant reminder that the past is never truly buried and how the choices we make can have far-reaching consequences.

A great dual time line novel. Sympathetic characters and a good coming of age story in a way. I was rooting for both main characters.

1940: When twenty-one-year-old Nita Bineham is offered the chance of independence, away from the high walls of her family’s Surrey estate, she grasps it with both hands. But her new role at a local newspaper coincides with the emergence of a sinister rumour in their quiet village: that there is a traitor in their midst. Nita is determined to prove herself by uncovering the truth, but is she prepared for revelations that could change her life forever?

2008: Following the death of her great aunt, Beth flees London for the privacy of rural Surrey. Within the confines of her family’s dilapidated manor house, she hides from the dual wreckage of her career and her marriage. But when her aunt’s dying words lead her to a stack of old newspaper articles, Beth finds herself drawn into a decades old mystery: about a long-buried secret, and an enemy dangerously close to home.

First of all, the cover was enough for me to pick this one up. So perfect! The stories from both timelines were interesting and compelling, and I loved the interwoven themes of marriage and family relationships. Well-written, with just enough mystery to keep me engaged all the way to the end. 4.5 ⭐

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

I really enjoyed this dual time line story.

We meet Beth, visiting her dying great aunt who her family has had nothing to do with since she was a little girl. We follow Beth’s story as she comes to terms with big changes in her life, while also trying to find out about her great aunts life. Along side this, we get to discover Nita’s life and how she ended up where she did, and how this joins with Beth’s story.
The first half of the book greatly introduces us to the characters, the family, their situations, the house in which Nita has spent her life. There is great character development and a real feeling of getting inside this story. It pulls you in and gets you hooked. The second half really pulls you in more as you discover secrets kept across the decades. I love how friendships and relationships develop through the story, the hope of friendship even after relationships fail.
All in all a lovely story to loose yourself in. It includes tales of witches, tales from the war, but also how important it is to take time to get to know someone, even someone within your family, rather than assuming what they are going through. 4.5 stars

Victoria Scott, in The Storyteller’s Daughter, uses the time old tragedy of a family divided through inflexibility and social standing which is in so many ways, timeless, to weave a captivating story over the dual timeline of 1940 and 2008.
Nita Bineham was bought up to be a woman of standing, breeding and a society hostess, all of which she hated. Given a chance to work at the local newspaper, The Bugle, she grasps the opportunity, even though she discovers she is to be a receptionist, not a budding journalist; a desire she holds dear.
Only days after she commences her new job, there are serious rumours there is a German spy living somewhere in the vicinity of Melham Village. An opportunity occurs where she can help Joe, the junior reporter, cover the story. She decides and is determined that she will help him find this person, no matter what.
2008 sees her niece Beth arriving in Melham on the eve of Nita’s passing. The family home is bitterly cold, the place in need of considerable maintenance and the guilt Beth is carrying relating to so much of her disaster of a life, is crippling.
Her Aunts final words to her, along with the closing of her Estate and the House, into which she has been coerced by her parents, gives her the chance to remain in a place she loved as a child for a few more days, and put her everyday life on hold.
As she searches through the attic for a particular box of papers she begins to realise there was far more to her beloved Aunt than a somewhat eccentric, reclusive woman. Secrets which were buried deep, are being bought into the light of a new world and those secrets, will change her and her families lives forever.
Many layers, along with carefully developed characters, make up this riveting and entertaining story as the past moves steadily into the future, bringing with it long overdue endings and beginnings.

The Storyteller's daughter is the perfect book to curl up to read on a cold winter night. This book is atypical in that it crosses a few different genres. Readers who enjoy historical fiction with a touch of romance, mystery, and mysticism will be enthralled. This book is reflective and mesmerizing at the same time. I certainly look forward to reading more stories by Victoria Scott. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Beautifully written multi generational story. Love the writing style and the plot, both. Story of Nita Bineham in 1940s and Beth in 2008, it alternates between both points of view in two timelines. Captured me from the start. It's a tale of love, sacrifices, and families. As the past secrets unravels the deep connections are revealed. Lovely book with lots of emotions and memories. Recommended. Thanks a lot to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.

Will a long buried secret change her life...?

1940: Nestled in the Surrey countryside beyond a row of trees lining the drive lay Melham Manor. A vast estate spanning hundreds of acres and a sprawling manor house that has been home to the Binehams for over two hundred years. Twenty one year old Nita Bineham is resisting her mother's attempts to marry her off, grabbing the chance to work at a local newspaper The Bugle. Her mother naturally is horrified as "Bineham women do not work". Her father is just happy to have out from under his feet. Of course the journalists she is working with think of her as a glorified secretary, but for the first time in her life, Nita feels as if she is doing something worthwhile. And soon she is on the hunt for a Nazi spy as reports come in about some unrest in the village. But the deeper she digs, what will she uncover?

2008: With the news that her great aunt Nita is on her deathbed, Beth Bineham dashes to Surrey to visit before she passes away. Beth had always adored her aunt Nita until her parents stopped her visits as a child and she never visited again. Until now. She manages to see her aunt Nita one last time before she passes away. In the wake of Nita's death Beth navigates her own personal crisis, she escapes to Melham Manor away from the wreckage that is her life. Along with her dog Stanley (a Staffordshire bull terrier whom I was thrilled to see portrayed in the loyal loving way that staffies naturally are) and her two children, Raphie and Ella, Beth hides away in the Surrey countryside taking up a part time journalist job at the very paper her aunt Nita had once worked. Her aunt made mention of a box in the attic with many secrets so Beth made that her mission to unravel.

I was drawn to this story by the premise and the fact that it was dual timeline, a genre I love. However, I was sadly disappointed to find it riddled with wicca (which I don't mind mentioned but this book was steeped in it) that wasn't alluded to. I don't have anything against wiccans but I am not interested in books about it. And the title made no sense until the last 15% of the book. It really had so much potential but I found I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped and was disappointed as such.

I would like to thank #VictoriaScott, #Netgalley and #BoldwoodBooks for an ARC of #TheStoryellersDaughter in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

This is a brand new novel for 2025 by new Author Victoria Scott. This is a book surrounded by secrets for decades and is full of twist and turns . It’s set in the 1940’s and 2008 and I thoroughly enjoyed the read.. I will definitely look for more by this author

Thank you to @rachelsrandomresources for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy a dual timeline book, and this was no exception to that. Beth goes to see her great aunt on her death bed and feels just at home as she always did at Melham Manor. Things aren’t going too well for her in London - she’s been suspended from her job and her husband wants a divorce.

The older sections are following Nita, Beth’s aunt, during the war when she starts work at the local paper and sets about trying to uncover who the traitor in the village is. There’s a lot of break ins and hostility against certain people in the village, and she is determined to uncover the truth.

Lots of family heartache and secrets in both timelines, and some good friends made too. A really well written book that captured me from page 1 to the end.

Dual time lines and compelling characters in both settings.
2028. Beth is at Melham Manor, which belongs to her great- aunt Nita Bineham, the house is a run down and dilapidated property, but one that Beth has fond childhood memories of. She is there because Nita is dying and has asked to see her. Nita tells Beth that there is a box in the attic that holds secrets.
Beth has just found out that her husband, David, wants a divorce.
1940. Nita missed out on finishing school- thanks to Mr Hitler. Mother says that Bineham Girls don’t go out to work, they are expected to marry well and produce children. When a friend of her father’s offers her work , unpaid of course, at his local newspaper, The Bugle, due to so many young men being called up for the war, Nita is delighted. She can have a crack at independence and her own money, but she finds out she is only a glorified tea maker and receptionist, Nita would rather be a reporter.
Nita and Joe, a fellow reporter, both become aware of rumours that a Nazi spy is working in their area, they decide to investigate in depth. This thrilling hunt has repercussions across these two time zones.
The story of the Bineham family is one of lost loves and betrayal. Families can be such a trial as both Nita and Beth find out. Life is just as exhausting in modern times as it was during war time England. Nita and Beth are both enterprising and determined women, they vow to make the best of life, even when there is disappointment and grief at every corner.
There is Romance, emotional experiences and otherworldly events that are neatly and surprisingly resolved in a most satisfying way.
I found this to be a very exciting and reflective story, sometimes we don’t know what to believe. Times have changed for women in so many ways, but we still bear the weight of heavy expectations even in these modern times.
This would make a good Book Club read, I have recommended this to my local groups. A five star read.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Boldwood Books, for my advance ARC, freely given in return for my honest review.
I will leave this review to Goodreads and Amazon UK, upon publication.

This is my first Victoria Scott novel. It drew me in right from the start. Similar to Louise Douglas' style of writing, who is a huge favourite of mine.

Two women, separated by decades, uncover a dangerous family secret hidden within a Surrey village’s history. One seeks escape in 1940, the other independence in 2008, but both are drawn into a mystery that will change their lives forever.

This is a gripping story with magical elements. Nita’s story didn’t go in the direction I expected—but since this is women’s fiction and not a spy thriller, I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.