The Juggler's Box by Clio Gray

 The Juggler's Box

 by Clio Gray


The Juggler's Box by Clio Gray was published on 1st December 2023 by Thornborough Press.

My thanks to the author and the publisher for sending me copy to review and to Literally PR for inviting me to take part on the book tour.




Overview

A body is found in a salt hedge with a crate of purloined books. Ruon Peat is on the case. Hela believes she has the means to achieve Hungarian independence, if only she can get her hands on it. No one will be allowed to stand in her way. Greta Finnerty is smuggling a dead English officer through French lines, with urgent news for the Dutch authorities. Three strands pulling deftly drawn characters together from remote Norwegian mountains, ancient Russian battles, Irish and French uprisings, until all three stands become one in the exciting historical adventure that is The Juggler's Box.




My Review

This was , for me, one of those books that took me a while to get into and get my head around what was happening within each of the three plots. Once I had everything in order and what was happening in each country with with which character I was really drawn in.

The different strands all start out seemingly very far apart and then gradually you realise that movement is happening within the storylines that start to shift the parameters and they are starting to pull towards one another.

Parts of this compelling read horrified me, starting right at the beginning with the discovery of a body in the salt hedge. Actually finding out what a salt hedge actually was and then the very distinct possibility as to how the person had died after hiding there does not make for easy reading. For me this set the whole book in a disturbing light though I was compelled to keep reading and finding out what happened in each of the three completely different strands, as each of the individual stories started to develop and draw towards each other.

This is yet another powerful book from Clio Gray and you need to take your time over it. It is not a book to be rushed through even though there is just enough information in each chapter before you move on , or return, to another strand of the story.


About the Author


Clio Gray has won many awards for her writing, including the Harry Bowling First Novel Award. She has been Man Booker Nominated, Long Listed for the Baileys, and Shortlisted for the Cinnamon Prize. Born in Yorkshire, she spent her later childhood in Devon before returning to Yorkshire to go to university, after which she ended up in Scotland. For the past thirty years, she has lived in the Highlands where she intends to remain. Gray eschewed the usual route of marriage, mortgage, and children, and instead spent her working life in libraries, filling her home with books and sharing that home with her dogs. When she gets a few days off you can find her in her campervan scooting around the lesser-known areas of Scotland and the Highlands that haven’t been brought to ruination by the dreadful tourist push called the NC500. The Juggler’s Box is her 15th publication. cliogray.com Perfect for fans of Hilary Mantel, Philippa Gregory, Sarah Waters, and Bernard Cornwell, The Juggler's Box is a riveting historical adventure, full of dangers, triumphs, and a journey like no other. 

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