My Thoughts on The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple

 

About:

In the search for the truth, the line between fact and fiction is beginning to fall out of focus

It is 1903, and Lily Temple is a beautiful silent-film actress who spins fairy tales and plays frivolous roles in front of the cine-camera. But beneath the costumes and stage makeup is a woman with a quick wit, a murky past, and a tantalizing secret.

Underground investigator to the wealthy, Peter Driscoll has been tasked with locating the legendary Briarwood Teardrop, an exquisite sapphire that has been missing for years--and which Lily happens to be wearing beneath her gown. In order to stay close to her and unravel the mystery, Peter employs the enchanting actress's help on a case.

But as they are investigating together, Peter is also investigating Lily. The closer he gets to the truth, the more danger they face. And the closer he gets to Lily, the clearer it becomes that he needs her even more than she needs him.

My Thoughts:

This was such a unique novel, in that it read like a mystery mixed with a fairytale. Lily Temple is a character that has many, many layers that needs to be pulled back. She is a silent film actress in 1903 and she herself is a mystery. The first meeting we have with her is her wanting to tell her story. And what a story it is. There is so much to unpack in this novel. We have her love interest, Peter Driscoll who is a solicitor that makes a living finding lost things and people. Besides helping Lily find out who she is and what her story is, there is the lost jewel he has been tasked to find along with a lost girl and a lost soldier.

Lily is looking for a storyteller that helped her when she was growing up. She has been running from her life for a very long time. Peter has a special gift in that he can get people to open up to him. He listens and asks the right questions. Through Peter, Lily might just begin to live her life again and maybe even connect her with the True Storyteller. 

I enjoyed all the various book quotes at the beginning of the chapters. I also liked how the importance of story was a relevant theme throughout. How stories teach lessons, show empathy, and help some work through their problems because they can see the situation in a different light. This was a special, magical-like story that I was very caught up in. 

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author:

Joanna Davidson Politano is the award-winning author of Lady Jayne Disappears, A Rumored Fortune, Finding Lady Enderly, The Love Note, A Midnight Dance, and The Lost Melody. She loves tales that capture the colorful, exquisite details in ordinary lives and is eager to hear anyone's story. She lives with her husband and their children in a house in the woods near Lake Michigan. You can find her online at JDPStories.com.