What do you think?
Rate this book
The Silversmith's Wife
Stunning commercial historical fiction, perfect for fans of Tracy Chevalier The year is 1792 and it's winter in Berkeley Square. As the city sleeps, the night-watchman keeps a cautious eye over the streets, and another eye in the back doors of the great and the good. Then one fateful night he comes across the body of Pierre Renard, the eponymous silversmith, lying dead, his throat cut and his valuables missing. It could be common theft, committed by one of the many villains who stalk the square, but as news of the murder spreads, it soon becomes clear that Renard had more than a few enemies, all with their own secrets to hide. At the centre of this web is Mary, the silversmith's wife. Ostensibly theirs was an excellent pairing, but behind closed doors their relationship was a dark and at times sadistic one and when we meet her, Mary is withdrawn and weak, haunted by her past and near-mad with guilt. Will she attain the redemption she seeks and what, exactly, does she need redemption for…? Rich, intricate and beautifully told, this is a story of murder, love and buried secrets.
'A dense, intricate historical thriller centering around the murder of a silversmith - in the tradition of Iain Pears' An Instance of the Fingerpost and Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall' Sophie Hannah and Janet Todd, judges of the Lucy Cavendish Prize
'A dense, intricate historical thriller centering around the murder of a silversmith - in the tradition of Iain Pears' An Instance of the Fingerpost and Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall' Sophie Hannah and Janet Todd, judges of the Lucy Cavendish Prize
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 14, 2014
29 people are currently reading
674 people want to read
About the author
Sophia Tobin
8 books51 followersSophia Tobin was raised on the Isle of Thanet in Kent. Having graduated from the Open University, she moved to London to study History of Art, then worked for a Bond Street antique dealer for six years, specialising in silver and jewellery. Inspired by her research into a real eighteenth-century silversmith, Tobin began to write The Silversmith’s Wife, which was shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish College Fiction Prize, judged by Sophie Hannah and Professor Janet Todd. It was published by Simon & Schuster in January 2014.
Tobin’s second novel, The Widow’s Confession, will be published in January 2015. She works in a library and lives in London with her husband.
Tobin’s second novel, The Widow’s Confession, will be published in January 2015. She works in a library and lives in London with her husband.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
January 3, 2014
I always do like historical mysteries and this one had me guessing. Because at times it pointed towards someone, and then someone else and then I wondered again. In the end I always suspect everyone.
The book starts with a murder. Pierre Renard, a silvesmith, that was not that liked it seems in the end. He lives behind his wife Mary, she was a wreck of nerves and had not been treated right by him.
At the beginning of every chapter we also get a page from his diary and see what really was going on with him and how much he hated his wife. Yeah, I really did not like hím.
Other Povs are Digby who found the body and investigates who did it. Then there are Mary's sister, the people who worked for Renard, his best friend and new people that comes into the story. Another POV are the Chishesters who commissioned some work from him and they deal with their own issues and his death of course. It all comes together in a fine woven plot.
Good characters, a nice plot and nicely done murder plot. I enjoyed it.
The book starts with a murder. Pierre Renard, a silvesmith, that was not that liked it seems in the end. He lives behind his wife Mary, she was a wreck of nerves and had not been treated right by him.
At the beginning of every chapter we also get a page from his diary and see what really was going on with him and how much he hated his wife. Yeah, I really did not like hím.
Other Povs are Digby who found the body and investigates who did it. Then there are Mary's sister, the people who worked for Renard, his best friend and new people that comes into the story. Another POV are the Chishesters who commissioned some work from him and they deal with their own issues and his death of course. It all comes together in a fine woven plot.
Good characters, a nice plot and nicely done murder plot. I enjoyed it.
April 5, 2014
Mary was the daughter of a silversmith and then, the wife of one too. Her husband, Pierre Renard, is now more of a businessman than an actual smith; it's been a long time since he wielded his tools at the bench. Now he panders to the rich and influential, ingratiates himself with them to secure their business, and farms out the work to others, stamping over their mark with his own before presenting the finished product. Pierre is a man of great pretension and affectation, who considers himself a great man and worthy of much - worthy, in particular, of a perfect wife who will give him the perfect son in his own image.
But Mary was never good enough for Pierre, and eleven years as his wife has made her a ghost of herself. The girl she once was has been shrivelled to nothing under his withering gaze, impatience and high expectations - not to mention the times of actual violence. She lives in terror of him now, a fear that manifests in severe sleepwalking, to the point that the whole house must be locked at night, and all the doors within, too.
On this particular night in 1792, though, she is woken from a doze by a knock on the door. The physician, Dr Taylor, arrives with bad tidings: Pierre is dead, mugged perhaps, his possessions - especially his distinctive pocket watch - gone. Mary is left in a state of shock. So long under Pierre's thumb and shadow, his dictatorial word, she's adrift, lost even. She fears that in her sleepwalking she did something, is to blame. Her forthright and indomitable sister, Mallory, scoffs at this and had no love for Pierre - who had many enemies - but she can see Mary is sinking into a bleak depression.
In his will, Pierre left the whole business to his young apprentice, the nephew of the woman he wanted to marry but wasn't granted permission to. He left a codicil for his wife, stating that she should marry his cousin - thankfully, the cousin is dead, but with Mary's life and future held in the hands of Dr Taylor and the other men who stand as trustees, she soon feels pressure to hear the proposals of other men.
Newly returned to London, Alban Steele has come to help his ailing cousin, Jesse, with his trade. Jesse produces work for Pierre Renard, but as he weakens he needs more help. Alban arrives the same night Pierre's body is discovered, and the news reminds him of the time he saw Mary, before she was married, an image of her that has stuck with him all these years.
Also affected by the death of Pierre is Joanna, a lady's maid for a young newly-wed, Harriet Chichester, who married her for her family's wealth. The Chichesters had commissioned a set of silverware from Renard, and Joanna had also made a request of him: a locket to hold a piece of her beloved's hair. Over the following months, Joanna uncovers a secret that sheds new light on Pierre's death and puts her in a difficult position.
Watching it all from the shadows is the nightwatchman, Digby, a red-haired man who resents the rich and the life he wasn't born to, who nevertheless manages to be where he is needed and who sees much, and understands more.
Set during the reign of Mad King George (George III), The Silversmith's Wife takes place in a London stripped bare of its glamour, riches and beauty. This is a dark, minimalist, almost bleak London, the London of the tradespeople, domestic servants and others who work hard in this slippery world where death is a matter of fact and life. There's no sign of the swelling French Revolution that would have started four years before, or of life beyond the sphere of the characters of this story. You'd easily forget that there was a world beyond Bond Street or the shadows of Berkeley Square. This creates a tense, brooding atmosphere that serves the story well, giving it the sense that you're getting a glimpse into the "real" world of London in the late 18th century.
Tobin's debut novel begins with a murder but, since there was no forensic science available and even post-mortems were avoided, there is no actual investigation into the death. Digby, the watchman, is asked by a gentleman, Maynard, to keep his eyes and ears open, but Digby is under no real obligation to do anything. No one wonders very much over the death, assuming it to be a mugging turned mortally violent. Yet the lingering tension over a death unsolved remains, and is ever-present, adding an unsettling sense of unpredictability to the story. It's as if, even though everyone has pretty much forgotten the matter, the fact that there's a murderer out there - for whatever unknown reason - adds a dark sense of menace to this London. The characters don't pick up on it - for them, that kind of threat and menace is probably a fact of life. But it's enough to keep the reader reading.
Sadly, not much else about this story kept this reader reading. I do love a good historical fiction novel, but this one left me feeling distanced, even a bit alienated, and lacking in sympathy. It's a slow read and not a whole lot happens, yet it's also long. It's rich with historical detail, but such details seem like too much padding. For a debut novel, it's competent, and Tobin has much potential, but her actual writing lacked fluidity and an organic naturalness that makes for a smooth, effortless immersion in another world. Her narrative voice does a good job of feeling historical - it has a syntax and diction that echoes contemporary novels, making it feel less modern and more genuine. But it's not quite polished, hasn't yet hit its stride, and reads too sluggishly.
Combine a slow, uneventful plot with dour, unlikeable characters and a sluggish writing style, and you get a story that loses its lively promise under the weight of historical accuracy. It was an interesting story, but not a very enjoyable or captivating one. I wasn't engrossed, only mildly curious. And after the slow, heavy-footed hobble to the finish, the climax was decidedly anti-climactic, serving only to vindicate (mildly) and answer the question that got us reading in the first place: who killed Pierre and why?
My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book.
But Mary was never good enough for Pierre, and eleven years as his wife has made her a ghost of herself. The girl she once was has been shrivelled to nothing under his withering gaze, impatience and high expectations - not to mention the times of actual violence. She lives in terror of him now, a fear that manifests in severe sleepwalking, to the point that the whole house must be locked at night, and all the doors within, too.
On this particular night in 1792, though, she is woken from a doze by a knock on the door. The physician, Dr Taylor, arrives with bad tidings: Pierre is dead, mugged perhaps, his possessions - especially his distinctive pocket watch - gone. Mary is left in a state of shock. So long under Pierre's thumb and shadow, his dictatorial word, she's adrift, lost even. She fears that in her sleepwalking she did something, is to blame. Her forthright and indomitable sister, Mallory, scoffs at this and had no love for Pierre - who had many enemies - but she can see Mary is sinking into a bleak depression.
In his will, Pierre left the whole business to his young apprentice, the nephew of the woman he wanted to marry but wasn't granted permission to. He left a codicil for his wife, stating that she should marry his cousin - thankfully, the cousin is dead, but with Mary's life and future held in the hands of Dr Taylor and the other men who stand as trustees, she soon feels pressure to hear the proposals of other men.
Newly returned to London, Alban Steele has come to help his ailing cousin, Jesse, with his trade. Jesse produces work for Pierre Renard, but as he weakens he needs more help. Alban arrives the same night Pierre's body is discovered, and the news reminds him of the time he saw Mary, before she was married, an image of her that has stuck with him all these years.
Also affected by the death of Pierre is Joanna, a lady's maid for a young newly-wed, Harriet Chichester, who married her for her family's wealth. The Chichesters had commissioned a set of silverware from Renard, and Joanna had also made a request of him: a locket to hold a piece of her beloved's hair. Over the following months, Joanna uncovers a secret that sheds new light on Pierre's death and puts her in a difficult position.
Watching it all from the shadows is the nightwatchman, Digby, a red-haired man who resents the rich and the life he wasn't born to, who nevertheless manages to be where he is needed and who sees much, and understands more.
Set during the reign of Mad King George (George III), The Silversmith's Wife takes place in a London stripped bare of its glamour, riches and beauty. This is a dark, minimalist, almost bleak London, the London of the tradespeople, domestic servants and others who work hard in this slippery world where death is a matter of fact and life. There's no sign of the swelling French Revolution that would have started four years before, or of life beyond the sphere of the characters of this story. You'd easily forget that there was a world beyond Bond Street or the shadows of Berkeley Square. This creates a tense, brooding atmosphere that serves the story well, giving it the sense that you're getting a glimpse into the "real" world of London in the late 18th century.
Tobin's debut novel begins with a murder but, since there was no forensic science available and even post-mortems were avoided, there is no actual investigation into the death. Digby, the watchman, is asked by a gentleman, Maynard, to keep his eyes and ears open, but Digby is under no real obligation to do anything. No one wonders very much over the death, assuming it to be a mugging turned mortally violent. Yet the lingering tension over a death unsolved remains, and is ever-present, adding an unsettling sense of unpredictability to the story. It's as if, even though everyone has pretty much forgotten the matter, the fact that there's a murderer out there - for whatever unknown reason - adds a dark sense of menace to this London. The characters don't pick up on it - for them, that kind of threat and menace is probably a fact of life. But it's enough to keep the reader reading.
Sadly, not much else about this story kept this reader reading. I do love a good historical fiction novel, but this one left me feeling distanced, even a bit alienated, and lacking in sympathy. It's a slow read and not a whole lot happens, yet it's also long. It's rich with historical detail, but such details seem like too much padding. For a debut novel, it's competent, and Tobin has much potential, but her actual writing lacked fluidity and an organic naturalness that makes for a smooth, effortless immersion in another world. Her narrative voice does a good job of feeling historical - it has a syntax and diction that echoes contemporary novels, making it feel less modern and more genuine. But it's not quite polished, hasn't yet hit its stride, and reads too sluggishly.
Combine a slow, uneventful plot with dour, unlikeable characters and a sluggish writing style, and you get a story that loses its lively promise under the weight of historical accuracy. It was an interesting story, but not a very enjoyable or captivating one. I wasn't engrossed, only mildly curious. And after the slow, heavy-footed hobble to the finish, the climax was decidedly anti-climactic, serving only to vindicate (mildly) and answer the question that got us reading in the first place: who killed Pierre and why?
My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book.
July 5, 2022
This was something of a disappointment. It took me a long time to read, perhaps because the mystery element was so slight. Pierre Renard was clearly very unpleasant, so I found myself not really caring who had killed him, since it seemed things were so much better without him. Well written with strong characters, though. It could have been incredible, however.
November 11, 2019
The Silversmith's Wife is a very slow-moving story of the shocking murder of a silversmith and the impact it has on the lives of the people around him.
This is a book full of people with secrets. It touches on different people and their thoughts but never shows us their whole, much is kept hidden, often the people in the story don't understand themselves their own thoughts and actions. It makes it a murky story to read but I find it a much more accurate portrayal of the human character than those books where everyone seems to have a defined purpose and clear cut opinions on everyone and everything. It just makes for more difficult reading.
I call it a murky story because not only the characters do odd things and their motivations are often unclear, what they do is often unclear too. A lot of the big events seem to happen off-page and are alluded to or described very loosely for us to fill in the details ourselves.
Where it succeeds is in creating an oppressive, heavy atmosphere and a world that is brought to life with very detailed characters and lots of historical details. Everyone in the book seems trapped, miserable, held captive by the rules of society in lives that they don't really want.
There are a lot of characters in the story, some drop in and out and I found it hard to remember who they were. Despite this wide cast of characters, it makes me feel like there are only 10 people in the whole of London and they all know each other and everyone is either a silversmith or the child or partner of one.
I don't mind slow-moving stories but for me, this one is just too dreary and has too many miserable characters in it with murky motivations for me to really like it. Though saying that, I read it very quickly. Towards the end, it picks up the pace a bit and it leads us nicely to the revelation of who really did kill the silversmith.
The diary entries from Pierre Renard, the murdered man, at the start of each chapter were really what kept me reading. In each one, we find out more of the secrets of his life and find out more about how cruel and self-obsessed he really was. Without them, I feel I would have become bored very quickly because the story is so slow-moving and seems to follow people around a lot without much really happening. Mary, the Silversmith's Wife is an especially dull person. Though it's part of the story that she has become that way through Pierre's treatment of her, it still makes her very difficult to read. The excerpts from Pierre's diary show the other side - he was not a nice man and through these excerpts I found myself finding the sympathy towards his wife that the story needs.
Read this one if you like slow-moving and dark stories full of historical detail but if you're looking for an exciting murder story, then this probably isn't one for you.
This is a book full of people with secrets. It touches on different people and their thoughts but never shows us their whole, much is kept hidden, often the people in the story don't understand themselves their own thoughts and actions. It makes it a murky story to read but I find it a much more accurate portrayal of the human character than those books where everyone seems to have a defined purpose and clear cut opinions on everyone and everything. It just makes for more difficult reading.
I call it a murky story because not only the characters do odd things and their motivations are often unclear, what they do is often unclear too. A lot of the big events seem to happen off-page and are alluded to or described very loosely for us to fill in the details ourselves.
Where it succeeds is in creating an oppressive, heavy atmosphere and a world that is brought to life with very detailed characters and lots of historical details. Everyone in the book seems trapped, miserable, held captive by the rules of society in lives that they don't really want.
There are a lot of characters in the story, some drop in and out and I found it hard to remember who they were. Despite this wide cast of characters, it makes me feel like there are only 10 people in the whole of London and they all know each other and everyone is either a silversmith or the child or partner of one.
I don't mind slow-moving stories but for me, this one is just too dreary and has too many miserable characters in it with murky motivations for me to really like it. Though saying that, I read it very quickly. Towards the end, it picks up the pace a bit and it leads us nicely to the revelation of who really did kill the silversmith.
The diary entries from Pierre Renard, the murdered man, at the start of each chapter were really what kept me reading. In each one, we find out more of the secrets of his life and find out more about how cruel and self-obsessed he really was. Without them, I feel I would have become bored very quickly because the story is so slow-moving and seems to follow people around a lot without much really happening. Mary, the Silversmith's Wife is an especially dull person. Though it's part of the story that she has become that way through Pierre's treatment of her, it still makes her very difficult to read. The excerpts from Pierre's diary show the other side - he was not a nice man and through these excerpts I found myself finding the sympathy towards his wife that the story needs.
Read this one if you like slow-moving and dark stories full of historical detail but if you're looking for an exciting murder story, then this probably isn't one for you.
June 5, 2020
I will admit I went into this book with a bias against it, my friend had said it wasn't for her.
I will also admit that my preconceptions were wrong. I liked this book. It is one of those stories best gone through slowly, observing the small details, the intricacies of the characters' lives and the insights they give into your own.
After finishing the book, the first thought I had was that I would not have appreciated it as much as I do now had I read it a few years ago. Right now I'm just weirded out that my taste in books has changed so much. EXISTENTIAL CRISIS TIME.
I will also admit that my preconceptions were wrong. I liked this book. It is one of those stories best gone through slowly, observing the small details, the intricacies of the characters' lives and the insights they give into your own.
After finishing the book, the first thought I had was that I would not have appreciated it as much as I do now had I read it a few years ago. Right now I'm just weirded out that my taste in books has changed so much. EXISTENTIAL CRISIS TIME.
January 1, 2016
This book caught my eye in a local second hand bookshop and on a whim I decided to buy it and go into reading it completely blind.
I really liked this book, I enjoyed the plot and the characters, the mystery and the setting. Everything unravelled perfectly and I'm so glad I picked this one up.
I might even have to read her next book, which by the preview in the back of this one looks like it follows on from the next generation in this book.
4/5 stars and what a great start to 2016.
I really liked this book, I enjoyed the plot and the characters, the mystery and the setting. Everything unravelled perfectly and I'm so glad I picked this one up.
I might even have to read her next book, which by the preview in the back of this one looks like it follows on from the next generation in this book.
4/5 stars and what a great start to 2016.
November 20, 2022
This book started so promisingly, but seemed to lose its way. The real mystery was why such a drawn out story, then galloped to an ending where our protagonist was suddenly with child, secretly married, enduring labour and eloping to the countryside. What of the Trustees? What of Maynard? What of Mr Chichester’s philandering with boys? As for Joanna’s missing locket of hair, of which much was pointlessly made. Why did it even feature? Characters (and objects!) made infrequent appearances, such as that I had to remind myself who they were and how they were connected. Having now finished the book, I can’t even say they were red herrings. It all became a bit of a damp squib and I became eager to finish it only to realise the mystery I’d long suspected. Ah well. The writing style I enjoyed at least.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2018
Pierre Renard is a silversmith of some renown in London in 1792. Until someone slits his throat. The list of suspects is long - turns out Renard was pretty horrible.
I started reading this book AGES ago and got bored with it. It's not a bad book but it's not really my taste anymore and is a reason why you shouldn't judge a book based on its cover. I thought it looked interesting and the search for Renard's killer was, but the characters themselves did nothing for me. The central characters were a bit insipid and the more interesting characters were not in the story enough.
I started reading this book AGES ago and got bored with it. It's not a bad book but it's not really my taste anymore and is a reason why you shouldn't judge a book based on its cover. I thought it looked interesting and the search for Renard's killer was, but the characters themselves did nothing for me. The central characters were a bit insipid and the more interesting characters were not in the story enough.
August 27, 2015
I’m beginning to remember why I don’t read as much Crime/Mystery as I watch, I find it very hard to separate the good crime novels from the bad at first glance. Does anyone have any mystery/crime recommendations to help me avoid this?
I was quite looking forward to this one. The blurb looked interesting, it had a lovely cover and the writing style at the beginning was very promising. In fact, that was my main highlight of the book. The blurb describes the novel as being ‘beautifully told’ and this is one thing I agree with – the prose style is wonderful and demonstrates a clear love for language. I also really enjoyed the sections describing the silversmiths’ world – it is clearly a well researched book that is rich in period detail.
All these things should add up to a good book, so imagine my disappointment when – for the next few chapters – I got bounced about from POV to POV without ever really getting to see any of the action. When things finally started to pull together the sudden narrowing of the world – and everyone’s improbable links with Mallory of all people – began to feel more like Seven Degrees of Kevin Bacon than any sort of mysterious denouement.
There is, of course, another problem in having the murdered character being so unlikeable that you’re glad he’s dead. There’s little impetus for us to care who killed him and as a result the story falls flat. Perhaps if more had been made of Mary fears that she had murdered Pierre unknowingly, then I would have been eager to see it disproved. However I have to say that the killer, when they are ultimately revealed, is actually a good twist and I was glad to find some purpose in Pierre’s diary extracts. Until then they had felt like another unnecessary POV. So I suppose the solution is actually interesting and what I really object to is the manner in which we get there.
The book jacket also touts this as a page turner – something it most definitely is not. The writing style is lovely, yes, but it certainly doesn’t lend itself to this label. As to the actual mystery itself, it proves far from gripping and far from the central point of the story. The plot moved so slowly and in such a meandering manner that it lacked any forward momentum. It feels like Tobin has tried to cram too many stories into too small a space which was a shame as individually some of the strands would have proved intriguing. The result of this is that the plot’s spread too thinly and the characterisations are lacking. Nobody really feels developed – apart from perhaps Johanna and Harriet – and some people just feel altogether unnecessary (ahem Digby ahem).
The time skips resulting from so many differing POV’s were far from helpful in this and resulted in a lot of it being told in stilted summarised flashbacks rather than shown. As already hinted, I could have done without Digby altogether. I understood the need for someone to be investigating the events but his sections were by far the most boring. I kept reading through them though as I was hoping he’d make some progress, but he never really seemed to until right at the end. He could easily have just been the POV for the prologue and then have another character fulfil his purpose, indeed in many aspects other characters do – and are better at it!
All in all I found this to be something of an odd fish. Well written whilst simultaneously being badly constructed. A lot of unrealised potential.
I was quite looking forward to this one. The blurb looked interesting, it had a lovely cover and the writing style at the beginning was very promising. In fact, that was my main highlight of the book. The blurb describes the novel as being ‘beautifully told’ and this is one thing I agree with – the prose style is wonderful and demonstrates a clear love for language. I also really enjoyed the sections describing the silversmiths’ world – it is clearly a well researched book that is rich in period detail.
All these things should add up to a good book, so imagine my disappointment when – for the next few chapters – I got bounced about from POV to POV without ever really getting to see any of the action. When things finally started to pull together the sudden narrowing of the world – and everyone’s improbable links with Mallory of all people – began to feel more like Seven Degrees of Kevin Bacon than any sort of mysterious denouement.
There is, of course, another problem in having the murdered character being so unlikeable that you’re glad he’s dead. There’s little impetus for us to care who killed him and as a result the story falls flat. Perhaps if more had been made of Mary fears that she had murdered Pierre unknowingly, then I would have been eager to see it disproved. However I have to say that the killer, when they are ultimately revealed, is actually a good twist and I was glad to find some purpose in Pierre’s diary extracts. Until then they had felt like another unnecessary POV. So I suppose the solution is actually interesting and what I really object to is the manner in which we get there.
The book jacket also touts this as a page turner – something it most definitely is not. The writing style is lovely, yes, but it certainly doesn’t lend itself to this label. As to the actual mystery itself, it proves far from gripping and far from the central point of the story. The plot moved so slowly and in such a meandering manner that it lacked any forward momentum. It feels like Tobin has tried to cram too many stories into too small a space which was a shame as individually some of the strands would have proved intriguing. The result of this is that the plot’s spread too thinly and the characterisations are lacking. Nobody really feels developed – apart from perhaps Johanna and Harriet – and some people just feel altogether unnecessary (ahem Digby ahem).
The time skips resulting from so many differing POV’s were far from helpful in this and resulted in a lot of it being told in stilted summarised flashbacks rather than shown. As already hinted, I could have done without Digby altogether. I understood the need for someone to be investigating the events but his sections were by far the most boring. I kept reading through them though as I was hoping he’d make some progress, but he never really seemed to until right at the end. He could easily have just been the POV for the prologue and then have another character fulfil his purpose, indeed in many aspects other characters do – and are better at it!
All in all I found this to be something of an odd fish. Well written whilst simultaneously being badly constructed. A lot of unrealised potential.
April 13, 2014
With this debut novel we are transported back to 18th century London, and in particular to Berkeley Square and Bond Street. This is a dangerous place requiring the presence of a night watchman to protect its people and property. One night Edward Digby, the night watchman on duty finds the slain body of Pierre Renard, a well-known and a highly regarded silversmith.
Despite cultivating a superior persona, Renard was not a popular man and he was not mourned by many. In private he was a cruel sadistic bully and in business, a fraud. His wife Mary suffered the most at his hands, his diary notes at the beginning of each chapter make clear his disappointment of her and his wish to be free of his marriage.
Without the benefit of modern day forensic examination, there is not much of an investigation into his death. The local doctor is also the coroner and only a cursory inquest is held. What then follows is a cleverly constructed story encompassing the many people who were in some way involved with Renard, either through business or his personal life.
This is a very richly detailed and atmospheric story. It has clearly been well researched and the historical detail is fascinating. The characters are superbly drawn, from the widow Mary, who is a shell of her former self after her unhappy marriage to Renard; the night watchman Digby, a man who is not without flaws; a young newlywed upper class couple whose marriage is not all it seems and the silversmiths and engravers who work in poor conditions to produce such beautiful silverware. There were one or two characters who particularly stood out for me – Mary’s sister Mallory, a no-nonsense widow and businesswomen and Alban Steele, an old acquaintance of Mary’s who comes to London to help his ailing cousin with his silverwork.
This is very much a slow burner of a story which proceeds throughout at a sedate pace. I’ve always loved history and thoroughly enjoyed the historical detail and vivid descriptions. Little by little the life and secrets of the silversmith Renard, are revealed and suspicion is cast upon those closest to him and those who had the most to gain from his death. Do we ever find out who killed him – you will have to read the book to find out!
Despite cultivating a superior persona, Renard was not a popular man and he was not mourned by many. In private he was a cruel sadistic bully and in business, a fraud. His wife Mary suffered the most at his hands, his diary notes at the beginning of each chapter make clear his disappointment of her and his wish to be free of his marriage.
Without the benefit of modern day forensic examination, there is not much of an investigation into his death. The local doctor is also the coroner and only a cursory inquest is held. What then follows is a cleverly constructed story encompassing the many people who were in some way involved with Renard, either through business or his personal life.
This is a very richly detailed and atmospheric story. It has clearly been well researched and the historical detail is fascinating. The characters are superbly drawn, from the widow Mary, who is a shell of her former self after her unhappy marriage to Renard; the night watchman Digby, a man who is not without flaws; a young newlywed upper class couple whose marriage is not all it seems and the silversmiths and engravers who work in poor conditions to produce such beautiful silverware. There were one or two characters who particularly stood out for me – Mary’s sister Mallory, a no-nonsense widow and businesswomen and Alban Steele, an old acquaintance of Mary’s who comes to London to help his ailing cousin with his silverwork.
This is very much a slow burner of a story which proceeds throughout at a sedate pace. I’ve always loved history and thoroughly enjoyed the historical detail and vivid descriptions. Little by little the life and secrets of the silversmith Renard, are revealed and suspicion is cast upon those closest to him and those who had the most to gain from his death. Do we ever find out who killed him – you will have to read the book to find out!
July 19, 2018
* Copy courtesy of The Reading Room *
Set in 1792, The Silversmith's Wife takes place in London's Berkeley Square and is Sophia Tobin's first novel.
Pierre Renard is an ambitious silversmith found by the night watchman with his throat slashed and his belongings stolen, much to the shock of his wife Mary.
I was immediately drawn to The Silversmith's Wife with its gorgeous cover and the hope of finding out more about the night watchmen of London during this era. When I read At Day's Close: Night in Times Past I was enthralled by the 'night watch' whose job it was to patrol the streets, apprehend criminals or thieves, watch for signs of fire and call out the time.
The night watchman in The Silversmith's Wife was a dark and intriguing character, but I was just begging him to call out the time or an 'All's Well' but sadly he never did.
However, what I did find was a story centred around Mary and a few central characters in what I would call a character based (rather than action based) whodunnit. It was interesting (and frustrating) to read how Mrs Renard was treated - both as a wife and a widow - and the several characters who had motive to kill the pompous Pierre Renard.
The Silversmith's Wife captured the life and times of London in the 1790s very well although I would have loved more detail on the art of making and producing the pieces of silver described in the novel.
Readers are not left hanging in this whodunnit with a timely confession at the end that I didn't see coming. An enjoyable read.
Set in 1792, The Silversmith's Wife takes place in London's Berkeley Square and is Sophia Tobin's first novel.
Pierre Renard is an ambitious silversmith found by the night watchman with his throat slashed and his belongings stolen, much to the shock of his wife Mary.
I was immediately drawn to The Silversmith's Wife with its gorgeous cover and the hope of finding out more about the night watchmen of London during this era. When I read At Day's Close: Night in Times Past I was enthralled by the 'night watch' whose job it was to patrol the streets, apprehend criminals or thieves, watch for signs of fire and call out the time.
The night watchman in The Silversmith's Wife was a dark and intriguing character, but I was just begging him to call out the time or an 'All's Well' but sadly he never did.
However, what I did find was a story centred around Mary and a few central characters in what I would call a character based (rather than action based) whodunnit. It was interesting (and frustrating) to read how Mrs Renard was treated - both as a wife and a widow - and the several characters who had motive to kill the pompous Pierre Renard.
The Silversmith's Wife captured the life and times of London in the 1790s very well although I would have loved more detail on the art of making and producing the pieces of silver described in the novel.
Readers are not left hanging in this whodunnit with a timely confession at the end that I didn't see coming. An enjoyable read.
May 16, 2015
Historical fiction set in 1792 London. Centered around the murder of a silversmith, the character-centred story delves deeper and deeper into the characters, motives and relationships of the people surrounding the dead man while slowly unravelling the mystery of who killed him and why. Atmospheric but a little too slow and meandering for my taste - I found my attention wandering a lot after the first few chapters.
February 23, 2014
I really enjoyed this story. It was a book I couldn't put down - and I haven't read one of those in a while. I enjoyed the characters - their depth and darkness. It was story full of intrigue, secrets and grit relevant to the era it was based on.
July 13, 2017
A good, easy read, I finished this in a day. The plot fits together well, the characters are well drawn, nothing jars in the historical detail. It's not much of a mystery but it kept my attention.
July 4, 2017
I enjoyed the story and setting but it ended surprisingly abruptly for me.
April 1, 2018
I gave it a three star because it is not easy to write a novel no matter how bad. The book started out good. I love the old English setting and language And the way each new chapter began with Perre Ranard diary.
What I didn’t like about this book was I couldn’t identify with any character NON. Mary Ranard was portrayed as a very weak woman who can’t think for her self I didn’t like it at all thank God her sister was there for her. I wished her sister played a more interesting role in the book maybe she would have been my favorite.
I love Alban Steele when he was introduced but he failed me too. He acted like he didn’t really want Mary through his actions his brother had to push him and mary hand to ask to accompany him to see his brother Jesse Steele family before he made any move.
Another character I loved was Joanna Dunning I wished she eventually made something for herself. I wish her character found out who killed Perre Ranard. She deserved a more significant role.
In conclusion, this book is not really a story of murder, yes there was love if you can call it that and buried secrets but there was no active investigation into who killed Perre Ranard. This book is interesting although the characters were disappointing. If you looking for a murder Mystery infused with love and secrets this is not the book.
the book was more about shallow characters limited expressions. As you read you want the characters to do more but they didn’t they just disappointed. But you will be defiantly surprised by who killed him. I kept reading because I wanted to know who killed him.
would I recommend this book after all? yes.
What I didn’t like about this book was I couldn’t identify with any character NON. Mary Ranard was portrayed as a very weak woman who can’t think for her self I didn’t like it at all thank God her sister was there for her. I wished her sister played a more interesting role in the book maybe she would have been my favorite.
I love Alban Steele when he was introduced but he failed me too. He acted like he didn’t really want Mary through his actions his brother had to push him and mary hand to ask to accompany him to see his brother Jesse Steele family before he made any move.
Another character I loved was Joanna Dunning I wished she eventually made something for herself. I wish her character found out who killed Perre Ranard. She deserved a more significant role.
In conclusion, this book is not really a story of murder, yes there was love if you can call it that and buried secrets but there was no active investigation into who killed Perre Ranard. This book is interesting although the characters were disappointing. If you looking for a murder Mystery infused with love and secrets this is not the book.
the book was more about shallow characters limited expressions. As you read you want the characters to do more but they didn’t they just disappointed. But you will be defiantly surprised by who killed him. I kept reading because I wanted to know who killed him.
would I recommend this book after all? yes.
September 12, 2017
This is a debut novel set in 18th century London, and in particular in Berkeley Square and Bond Street. It is a "who-dun-it" without a central detective figure, and concerns the death of a silversmith. Whilst the plot is intriguing, I found it difficult to get too involved, partly because of the weaknesses of the three central characters, who I found fairly boring. The key problem to this book is a lack of pace, there is too much description of the lives of the two main female protagonists and no-one with whom it is easy to empathise.
November 29, 2020
This is probably closer to a 3.5 than a 4 star rating for me. I liked the historical fiction and the tension between the characters (for one reason or another depending on the situation) and I liked the mystery of the murder. That being said I'm disappointed that some of my questions went unanswered. I did like the ending and I feel like the characters had quite a bit to give, but I wish they had been developed more than they were. This was an interesting debut novel that I am glad that I read.
September 12, 2025
A debut novel…..
A boring “ who was the merderer”
A lot of characters to keep tabs on as they all had reason to kill Pierre, an arrogant little shit of a man.
A character index would have been a good idea.
Nobody stood out as a really nice,lovable character,
I felt like I was reading a badly written play script,
Jumping from act to act.
To be honest it was pretty bad. But I finished it so it.
wasn’t a 1 star rating,
Would I read it again…. Absolutely not
Would I reccomend it….absolutely not
A ⭐️⭐️ rating
A boring “ who was the merderer”
A lot of characters to keep tabs on as they all had reason to kill Pierre, an arrogant little shit of a man.
A character index would have been a good idea.
Nobody stood out as a really nice,lovable character,
I felt like I was reading a badly written play script,
Jumping from act to act.
To be honest it was pretty bad. But I finished it so it.
wasn’t a 1 star rating,
Would I read it again…. Absolutely not
Would I reccomend it….absolutely not
A ⭐️⭐️ rating
July 11, 2020
I was going to give this the benefit of the doubt, but really - the plot was confused, the characters worked in odd ways, and it seemed like the author was trying to put about 3 main storylines into one book and not quite developing any of them fully while at the same time feeling quite long. Ok for a casual read, well researched and the silversmithing world was a nice background which I would have liked to learn more about. 2.5 stars.
May 24, 2018
3.5 and for a debut I'd give her more. It was a clever and clear piece of writing with a heroine I couldn't really warm to. It got the historical touches right, the plotting right and the atmosphere spot on. A confident beginning to a writing career I hope - it was good.
Toast
PS Please remember - I READ BOOKS!
Toast
PS Please remember - I READ BOOKS!
August 27, 2018
Underwhelming. Could not get into any of the characters, least of all the eponymous Mary. I did finish it, but really for the sake of finishing it rather than because I wanted to know any outcome. I kept waiting for something interesting to be revealed, but in the end it was a bit of an anticlimax.
January 31, 2019
I don't usually read historical novels so that might one reason for such a low rating. I like the format of the book in that the main character although dead was heard through his journal. However, I found the subject matter almost as depressing as Brexit. Not a happy soul in site. Well written I suppose but oh dear so dreary.
January 12, 2018
This novel was not as interesting and exciting as I'd hoped it would be. At the end of the book the mystery is solved, but in a rather amateurish way. Still, I could not put the book down and some of the characters were interesting. Despite a few disappointing moments I enjoyed it well enough.
June 30, 2018
Didn't find it the page turner that others did. Also felt it didn't need to be as long. Wasn't a shock about the killer either. Some of the back stories weren't that relevant and didn't add anything to the overall piece.
May 14, 2020
When silversmith Pierre Renard is found murdered, his secrets begin to be revealed, as do those of the people around him.
I loved the slow reveal, this was a well told story with a range of interesting and complex characters, all connected by a thread of silver.
I loved the slow reveal, this was a well told story with a range of interesting and complex characters, all connected by a thread of silver.
June 10, 2024
I nearly gave up. This was quite disappointing. It was slow moving and then seemed to inexplicably leap forwards towards the end. It should have been better than it was. I think its main problem was a distinct lack of detective and direction.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2025
I can't really say if I've enjoyed this book or not. I didn't mind the story, the writing was good but I didn't connect with any of the characters. It was ok, but let's say I didn't find myself wanting to keep reading well into the night.
January 22, 2018
I thought this was a murder mystery. It wasn't, really. It was more of a character study. I might have enjoyed it more if I had known what to expect.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews