This month we read Bristol House by author Beverly Swerling.  Despite the fact that there were no discussion questions available we managed to have a good conversation about the book.  I believe everyone really enjoyed the book and while we might have had bits and pieces that we didn’t like, it didn’t stop us from finishing the book.

Synopsis

In the tradition of Kate Mosse, a swiftly-paced mystery that stretches from modern London to Tudor England

In modern-day London, architectural historian and recovering alcoholic Annie Kendall hopes to turn her life around and restart her career by locating several long-missing pieces of ancient Judaica. Geoff Harris, an investigative reporter, is soon drawn into her quest, both by romantic interest and suspicions about the head of the Shalom Foundation, the organization sponsoring her work. He’s also a dead ringer for the ghost of a monk Annie believes she has seen at the flat she is subletting in Bristol House.

In 1535, Tudor London is a very different city, one in which monks are being executed by Henry VIII and Jews are banished. In this treacherous environment of religious persecution, Dom Justin, a Carthusian monk, and a goldsmith known as the Jew of Holborn must navigate a shadowy world of intrigue involving Thomas Cromwell, Jewish treasure, and sexual secrets. Their struggles shed light on the mysteries Annie and Geoff aim to puzzle out—at their own peril.

This riveting dual-period narrative seamlessly blends a haunting supernatural thriller with vivid historical fiction. Beverly Swerling, widely acclaimed for her City of Dreams series, delivers a bewitching and epic story of a historian and a monk, half a millennium apart, whose destinies are on a collision course.

Review

I thought this was an interesting book from a historical and a conspiracy theory type angle. And talk about mixing the past with the present and several types of religion! Some things were not as expected and of course some were. It was a good mix of mystery, romance, history and religious education.  I think the mysticism wasn’t expected but added to the depth of the book.

I gave it 4 paws up!