The Phantom Tree

                                                                                 
                                                                                 

“My name is Mary Seymour and I am the daughter of one queen and the niece of another.”

Browsing antiques shops in Wiltshire, Alison Bannister stumbles across a delicate old portrait – supposedly of Anne Boleyn. Except Alison knows better… The woman is Mary Seymour, the daughter of Katherine Parr who was taken to Wolf Hall in 1557 as an unwanted orphan and presumed dead after going missing as a child.

The painting is more than just a beautiful object from Alison’s past – it holds the key to her future, unlocking the mystery surrounding Mary’s disappearance, and the enigma of Alison’s son.

But Alison’s quest soon takes a dark and foreboding turn, as a meeting place called the Phantom Tree harbours secrets in its shadows

About the author

 Nicola Cornick is a historian and historical romance author. She studied at London University and Ruskin College Oxford and works for the National Trust as a guide at the seventeenth century hunting lodge Ashdown House in Oxfordshire. Her award-winning books are international bestsellers and have been translated into 26 languages.

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My Review

A few years ago I had the pleasure of visiting Sudely Castle and discovered that Katherine Parr had a daughter Mary with her new husband following King Henry's death. When I found out that the child more or less disappeared and nobody knew what happened to her, I thought at the time that it would make a good story. Nicola Cornick has taken that premise and boy has she written a good story! I loved the time slip element and Alison's quest for her son. The past and present are skilfully interwoven, just as the author mingles fact and fiction. it is all credit to the author that time travel seems almost credible as sometimes it can hinder the story rather than helping. I read this book in two sittings and I think I have just discovered a new favourite author. I loved how it all came together in the end even if it did make me cry too, a brilliant book!

5/5