I'll see you in Paris

Plot-master Gable's affection for Paris and for hidden treasure emerges again in her second absorbing novel, following A Paris Apartment (2014). In this delightfully intricate tale, a lonely woman follows the trail of two mysterious women from the past across nearly a century of tantalizing clues. A grange in Oxfordshire, England, may or may not have been the former residence of Gladys Deacon, Duchess of Marlborough (aka Mrs. Spencer, the crazy old bat who chased intruders with a gun and refused to confirm her identity). An old biography of the duchess leads Annie to the now-derelict grange, while a silver-haired man at a local pub spins an intriguing yarn of love and regret. Who was this duchess? Who was the biographer? Who owns the grange now? Suffice it to say that Annie discovers more than she bargained for in Banbury and Paris. Readers are kept guessing 'til the end in this sweet story of love, mystery, art, literature, and Paris. As complex and moving as Naomi Wood's Mrs. Hemingway (2014) and Liz Trenow's The Forgotten Seamstress (2014).--Baker, Jen Copyright 2016 Booklist

Annie and her mother are preparing to go to England to sell off long-held property; as Annie's mom packs, an old book is discovered. Annie reads the book and becomes engrossed in the world of Gladys Spencer-Churchill, the Duchess of Marlborough, a real-life woman, who was mad, bad, and glorious to know. Several residents of Banbury, the English town where the duchess eventually retreated, help Annie trace the past. Another story underlies the book, involving Pru, the caretaker of the 90-year-old duchess, and Win, a writer attempting a biography of Mrs. Spencer, as the duchess calls herself. Gable (A Paris Apartment) writes an engaging story, and both worlds-Annie's in 2001 and Pru's in 1973-are easy to slide into. Readers will root for both women as they uncover family secrets and discover hidden aspects of themselves. The riddle of the story is easily guessed, but that doesn't distract from the novel's overall charm. VERDICT Readers of Kate Morton and those who enjoy family-centered mysteries will approve highly of this book.-Jennifer Mills, Shorewood-Troy Lib., IL © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

After becoming engaged to a Marine just before he ships off to the Middle East, Annie travels with her mother to England, where a mysterious crumbling estate and an aging aristocrat change her life. Annie meets Eric in a bar and finds herself engaged to him within a month. He's preparing to deploy, and she's packing for a trip to Banbury, England, with her mother, Laurel, who has some oddly secretive business to take care of. Days pass while Laurel is locked in complicated negotiations, so Annie hangs out in a pub, reading a biography of the vibrantly eccentric Duchess of Marlborougha real person worth a Google searchwho had lived in Banbury. Annie and the book catch the attention of Gus, an older gentleman who frequents the pub and knew the Duchess (aka Gladys) years ago, when she lived in the village as a recluse. Gus shares stories of the duchess's last years, and here the author blends fact with a story built around two fictional characters, the biographer and the duchess's paid companion, both of whom helped her outwit family members who were trying to get their hands on her fortune. After Annie realizes the home where the Duchess lived is the same property her mother is trying to sell, some investigation reveals she has a more personal stake in the story than she imagined. Gable (A Paris Apartment, 2014) tells an engaging story of a fascinating, largely forgotten historical figure against the backdrop of two fledgling romances, those of Annie and her fiance, who grow closer through emails, and the biographer and the companion, whose romantic adventures went awry but may still be salvaged decades later. Blending fact and fiction in an entertaining but occasionally confusing way, the author offers a fascinating version of the reclusive years of the larger-than-life duchess. Many aspects of her life are hard to believe, yet it's the fictional story that sometimes stretches the threshold of credibility. Characters try too hard to maintain big secrets that, once revealed, seem unworthy of such effort, especially given how easily some of the big conflicts could be eliminated with simple conversations. A fine tribute to a one-in-a-million character despite a few hard-to-swallow plot devices. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.