The Secrets of Morgarten by L.S Mangos

The Secrets of Morgarten

 by L.S Mangos

The Secrets of Morgarten by L.S. Mangos

was published on 6th December 2023 by Mana publishing.

My thanks to Louise for sending me a copy to review and to

 Random Things Tours for inviting me onto the tour.

Synopsis

A young nation in peril. A web of deception. A triangle of forbidden love. The year is 1315. The fledgling nation of Switzerland – the Helvetic Confederation – is under threat from the Habsburgs. In France, the Knights Templar have been disbanded and declared heretics by the king. Magda, a beautiful weaver living near the alpine village of Morgarten, befriends Walter, a messenger who is the son of the legendary Wilhelm Tell. Walter and Magda's budding romance is threatened by the arrival of Sébastien, a French fugitive. What secrets is this foreigner hiding? Can Walter solve the mystery of a murder and a stolen religious artefact before a mighty battle with the Habsburgs ensues? And who will be the victors in their turbulent triangle of love?

My Thoughts

I absolutely loved this brilliant historical read centred around the love triangle of Walter, Sebastien and Magda along with the hostilities that befall the small community in the Alps as they defend their lands.

The narrative of the book is brilliant and it moves at a steady pace between the three main characters as the story progresses allowing you to build up a clear picture of the feelings and emotions of all of them as they learn about each other. 

The setting in the 14th century is an era I do not know a lot about and it also encouraged me to research more into the story of William Tell along with The Knights Templar which gave me more understanding of the background to the different story angles that arose.

There were aspects that I thought were predictable due to the nature of the triangle of forbidden love , however, these were more than compensated for by the  excellent storytelling and variety within the book.

I will be looking out for more books by Louise in the future.

About Louise

Louise Mangos grew up in the UK but has spent more than half her life in Switzerland. Her debut psychological suspense Strangers on a Bridge was a finalist in the Exeter Novel Prize and long listed for the Bath Novel Award. She has published four further psychological suspense novels The Art of Deception, The Beaten Track, Four Fatal Flaws and The Girl in the Doorway. She lives in the foothills of the Alps, a stone’s throw from the site of the Battle of Morgarten, with her Kiwi husband and two sons. When she’s not writing you can find her on the cross-country ski trails or wild swimming in the lake by her home, depending on the season. Louise also writes short fiction which has won prizes and been published in more than twenty print anthologies. She holds a Masters in Crime Writing from the University of East Anglia. Find her on Twitter, Instagram or BlueSky @LouiseMangos and Facebook @LouiseMangosBook