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MY THOUGHTS: The Love Letter took a bit more for me to become fully immersed in than is normal for this author. At first I thought the storyline very similar to The Angel Tree, which I had just finished. But then the story took a turn that I wasn't expecting, and everything changed. Meanwhile, Marwood and Cat meet once or twice a month to listen to music or go to a play or go for a walk in finer weather. It is an alliance of mutual assistance rather than affection as she prefers to keep her independence. After the end of last outing, they don’t make plans for the next time, as they usual would. That unsettles Marwood a bit. “She could forgive his unfortunate liking for low comedy, but not the way he had ogled the orange girl in front of her very eyes. (…) His boorish behaviour towards Mr Fanshawe and his guest had been almost equally bad.” Later, he extends his olive branch by writing her a letter with a plan to see a new play. She curtly expresses her refusal without any explanation. And now, it gnaws at him when he sees Cat with someone he is after. This is the latest in Andrew Taylor’s ‘Ashes of London’ series which is set in the years immediately following the Great Fire. As ever, the books are strong on atmosphere and place and follow the adventures of James Marwood who is clerk to Joseph Williamson and Lord Arlington, the Secretary of State, and the recently widowed architect Cat Hakesby. Marwood and Cat’s relationship is as spiky as ever but, as ever, it is their friendship that is key to much in this book, and series. The Love Letter is a sweeping novel that encompasses secrets, murder, treachery, love, lies, and questions of identity and loyalty spread over two timelines - the period immediately before and after George VI coming to the throne, and 1995 when actor Sir James Harrison dies without fulfilling a promise he had made many years earlier.
The Love Letter is mysterious from the very beginning, when Joanna meets the old lady. Little does she know that she will be involved with keeping a very dangerous secret that happened many moons ago. Things start to get very interesting when the reporter gets close to the actor’s family. Each of these individuals keeps their own little secrets too, and everyone keeps playing games to their own liking. It was interesting to see Lucinda Riley take on quite a different format with The Love Letter. There is much more of an emphasis on action, thrills, adventure, espionage and deceit. It marks a different direction for Lucinda Riley and I enjoyed it very much. Who would have thought that the contents of a letter written seventy years ago would be so explosive! Lucinda Riley lets us know. And the ending? Well, it was tied up neatly, but for me it was just a touch too unbelievable ! The Royal Secret starts quietly, and builds up on a slow burn. Bodies turn up in odd places, and disappear again, and plenty of people seem to have their fingers in the mess. And I’m not just talking about the appalling ordure of the Smithfield area of London (meat market) in the 1670s, either. There are some great themes covered in The Love Letter from espionage, to intrigue, history, drama and romance. There are links to the monarchy, media and MI5, along with ties to the entertainment world. The Love Letter will be sure to capture the hearts and minds of many readers due to the broad themes. I believe it will particularly appeal to fans of the royal family. Joanna Haslam is an ambitious young journalist assigned to cover the legendary actor's funeral. The great and the good of the celebrity world are there.
Joanna is a journalist with a demanding job and fresh out of a failed relationship when she is assigned to cover the funeral for a famous actor. While at the funeral she meets an elderly woman who sends her a letter which begins a series of events that could absolutely ruin the Royal family. Joanna's investigating is fraught with danger as she gets closer to finding the truth. A secret that the Royal family will do anything to hide. In this suspenseful and heart-pounding novel from New York Times bestselling author Lucinda Riley, an ambitious young journalist unravels a dangerous mystery that threatens to devastate the British monarchy. Meanwhile, Cat Lovett's architecture business is going from strength to strength and she's been handed a commission to design a poultry house for the woman the King loves most in the world - but is she being used as a royal pawn? A new novel from British author Andrew Taylor is always reason to rejoice. He has not only written some of the best mysteries and thrillers of the past few decades, but his output has also included one of the finest historical mystery series with recurring titles in the James Marwood and Cat Hakesby series. THE ROYAL SECRET is the latest release in that stellar series, and it does not fail to deliver on the high standards set by its’ predecessors. A 2.5 ). Taylor continues to bring the 17th century to life through his vivid detail and historical research, successfully bringing together factual and fictional characters. The last 2 books in this series have failed to grab me though and, as I began to suspect in ‘The last Protector’, the formula that worked so well now feels it has lost its edge and become rather tired.
Setting is always Riley’s strength. In all of her novels the setting has a strong presence. The Love Letter is situated mainly in London in 1995. This is a time and place I know very well and I thought Riley nailed it. A sense of nostalgia washed over me as I read this novel. I really enjoyed the historical moments that were delicately woven through this set piece. OST: So far, we only have 1 OST for the 5 episodes. They haven’t released the full version yet but N.Flying’s OST I’ll Find You is such a bop. KBS please released it soon.
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I have to say that I have some questions about certain things that characters say towards the end. maybe I didn't truly understand their meaning but otherwise the plot hung together well and I could clearly see the trail of death and motives from start to finish. Rewatch Value 9.5 PLOT: There are many comments saying that this drama is boring or lame. But it is not. It’s funny, and fast pacing. As it was said or mentioned before, the drama plot will not focus more on solving corruption but will revolves around the life of Sung Yi-Gyeom as Royal Secret Agent (and a romance maybe). This drama is unique, refreshing and not your typical sageuk drama that has Prince or King as the Main lead. It’s getting more exciting as the story progress.
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