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The Locksmith's Daughter

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About this listen

What if the key to your heart lies in your enemy's hands?

In a world where no one can be trusted and secrets are currency, one woman stands without fear.

Mallory Bright is the only daughter of London's master locksmith. For her there is no lock too elaborate, no secret too well kept. Sir Francis Walsingham, spymaster and protector of Queen Elizabeth - the last of the Tudor monarchs - and her realm, is quick to realise Mallory's talent and draws her into his world of intrigue, danger and deception. With her by his side, no scheme in England or abroad is safe from discovery, no plot secure.

But Mallory's loyalty wavers when she witnesses the execution of three Jesuit priests, a punishment that doesn't fit their crime. When Mallory discovers the identity of a Catholic spy and a conspiracy that threatens the kingdom, she has to make a choice - between her country and her heart.

Mallory, however, carries her own dark secrets and is about to learn those being kept from her - secrets that could destroy those she loves.

Once Sir Francis' greatest asset, Mallory is fast becoming his worst threat...and everyone knows there's only one way Sir Francis deals with those.

©2016 Karen Brooks (P)2017 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd Crime Fiction England Royalty Fiction Crime Heartfelt Espionage Mystery
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Well, this was a mixed bag. On the plus, the story is interesting, if the lock/key motif is rather overdone when applied to matters of love. The technical and historical bits were good. The performance is rather overwrought and there is a lot of enunciation and sibillance, which I found distracting. As a part-time Australian myself it is possible my hackles just go up that bit too much when I hear that kind of Aussie accent, the one that says appreciate as app-ree-see-ate. Possibly authors just shouldn't read their own work, leave it to professional voice actors. The more turgid parts of the story were openly melodramatic, surprisingly not the multiple rapes and abuses, but all of Mallory Bright's inner turmoils were full of pathos.

After all that, I made it through! Although I will steer clear of the same author as I don't think this is my bag. I like historical fiction but not melodrama.

Damn my womanly weakness!

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Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes, to anyone who likes historic fiction, especially set in the Elizabethan era. There's plenty of detail. I would not recommend it to anyone who does not like romantic fiction, which is what this book ends up becoming.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I'd stopped caring by the end but the Authors note was fab, I even cried a little when she described how much she missed her dead friend.

What aspect of Karen Brooks’s performance might you have changed?

Karen's a good narrator but she has a slight speech impediment that is distracting at times.

Could you see The Locksmith's Daughter being made into a movie or a TV series? Who would the stars be?

Yes, I could imagine something like this on TV, in the melodrama style of Outlander.

Any additional comments?

To me, this book was in two halves, the first half was of independence, redemption and survival. The second halves main story line was a 'will they or won't they' love plot. I know which half I prefer.

Good start but got predictable

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Plenty of twists and turns from start to finish, a delightful listen, worth every second.

loved this

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Very detailed but I found it a bit too long winded. Still a very enjoyable story but found myself skipping irrelevant bits out of frustration of wanting to get on with the story,

Full of detail

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loved the characters, made real by the author and narrator. very descriptive and atmospheric. I was there in the story every step of the way.

such an expressive narrator

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