It’s 1789 and the Revolution is brewing in Paris. Living in Marseilles, Sofie and Lara Thibault love to draw and work with their father. Their life is hard, especially with rent rises and the cost of food increasing at a frightening rate. When their beloved father is killed, the sisters are offered employment at the Oberst factory in Paris. Here they manufacture wallpaper that every noble family seeks to hang. It’s a mysterious place and the presence of the late Madame Justine Oberst who died in peculiar and suspicious circumstances is ominously felt.
Meanwhile at the Palace of Versailles, Hortense du Pommier lives a life of luxury. Hortense’s parents are desperately seeking a husband for her. When the inferior match is made with young Josef Oberst, Hortense struggles living at the factory. There is a lack of niceties and Josef’s obsessive attraction to Lara begins to take its toll. The worlds of aristocratic Hortense and the increasingly politically aware Sofie collide. It’s a tinderbox ready to explode.
The novel begins as a historical tale of poverty and love but slowly creeps into a dark mystery with supernatural and Gothic undercurrents. The later half of the book is highly charged with danger and betrayal from the Revolution but there is also another thread that kept me intrigued.
The first half of this book is a bit slow and, overall, that lets the novel down a little. However, I really enjoyed the second half and found it gripping. It also has a great twist at the end.
Reviewed by Nicola Skinstad
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ABOUT THE AUTHORI’m a writer living amongst the rugged hills of North Wales UK, whose debut novel THE WOMAN IN THE WALLPAPER – a dark mystery set against the blood and turmoil of the French Revolution – was released in 2025.
After studying English Literature at Durham University, I began my career in the TV industry in London, reading scripts for ITV’s drama department and writing factual programme content and comedy material for the BBC, Channel 4 and others. Married to a professional TV and stage magician, I also spent well over a decade working amongst the UK magic scene, gathering up its most intimate secrets.
Several years ago I moved away from the capital, relocating two hundred miles north to an 18th century farmhouse overlooking an ancient Welsh valley brimming with legends dating back millennia. It is here that I started writing creatively in earnest, as well as beginning the process of rewilding the sixteen acre plot around my home.
Passionate about writing original stories that will entertain readers, I’m currently drafting my second novel, as well as continuing to write and produce the unique interactive podcast THE MAGICIAN’S WIFE with my husband, professional magician Barry Jones. Equally as passionate about giving something back with my writing, I support a range of good causes through my work.
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