The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey

The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey

Serena Burdick

Publication date: November 1, 2022 by Park Row

Genre: Historical Mystery

Rating: 4 🍷🍷🍷🍷

Summary: What if you could write a new ending for yourself?

England, 1898. When Evelyn first married the famous novelist William Aubrey, she was dazzled by his brilliance. But their newlywed bliss is brief when William is gripped by writer’s block, and he becomes jealous of Evelyn’s writing talent. When he commits the ultimate betrayal—stealing a draft of her novel and passing it off as his own—Evelyn decides to write her way out of their unhappy marriage.

California, 2006. Abigail always wondered about her father, his identity forever lost when her mother unexpectedly died. Or so Abigail thought, until she stumbled upon his photo and a message that her great-great-grandmother was the author Evelyn Aubrey, leading Abigail on a journey to England in search for answers. There, she learns of Evelyn’s shocking disappearance and how London society believed she was murdered. But from what she uncovers about Evelyn, Abigail believes her brilliant great-great-grandmother had another plot up her sleeve.

Rich in atmosphere and emotion, The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey tells the story of literary secrets, a family curse and the lengths women will go to take charge of their future.  

My Thoughts:  This is a super satisfying fast paced read. Each of the two timelines are so well written that they could stand alone. Evelyn evolved from having it all together to enduring a crumbling marriage, a death, and the ultimate betrayal. Abigail experienced the opposite. An unknown father, a dead mother, and the inability to commit to anything made her uncentered. In her quest to discover who her father was Abigail uncovered more family secrets than she bargained for. Both Evelyn and Abigail had to choose to take gigantic leaps of faith in order to achieve the ending they desired. 

I received a copy of this title via NetGalley.