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The Taxidermist's Daughter: A Richard and Judy bestseller
Sussex, 1912. In a churchyard, villagers gather on the night when the ghosts of those who will die in the coming year are thought to be seen. Here, where the estuary leads out to the sea, superstitions still hold sway.
Standing alone is the taxidermist's daughter. At 17, Constantia Gifford lives with her father in a decaying it is all that is left of Gifford's once world-famous museum of taxidermy. The stuffed animals that used to grace every parlour are out of fashion, leaving Gifford a disgraced and bitter man.
The bell begins to toll and all eyes are fixed on the church. No one sees the gloved hand pick up a flint. As the last notes fade into the dark, a woman lies dead.
While the village braces itself against rising waters and the highest tide of the season, Connie struggles to discover who is responsible, but finds herself under suspicion. Is Constantia who she seems - is she the victim of circumstances or are more sinister forces at work? And what is the secret that lies at the heart of Gifford House, hidden among the bell jars of her father's workshop?
Told over one summer, THE TAXIDERMIST'S DAUGHTER is the haunting new novel from the bestselling author of LABYRINTH, SEPULCHRE, CITADEL and THE WINTER GHOSTS.
Read by Clare Corbett
(p) 2014 Orion Publishing Group
Standing alone is the taxidermist's daughter. At 17, Constantia Gifford lives with her father in a decaying it is all that is left of Gifford's once world-famous museum of taxidermy. The stuffed animals that used to grace every parlour are out of fashion, leaving Gifford a disgraced and bitter man.
The bell begins to toll and all eyes are fixed on the church. No one sees the gloved hand pick up a flint. As the last notes fade into the dark, a woman lies dead.
While the village braces itself against rising waters and the highest tide of the season, Connie struggles to discover who is responsible, but finds herself under suspicion. Is Constantia who she seems - is she the victim of circumstances or are more sinister forces at work? And what is the secret that lies at the heart of Gifford House, hidden among the bell jars of her father's workshop?
Told over one summer, THE TAXIDERMIST'S DAUGHTER is the haunting new novel from the bestselling author of LABYRINTH, SEPULCHRE, CITADEL and THE WINTER GHOSTS.
Read by Clare Corbett
(p) 2014 Orion Publishing Group
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First published September 11, 2014
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About the author
Kate Mosse
91 books3,346 followersKate Mosse is an international bestselling author with sales of more than five million copies in 42 languages. Her fiction includes the novels Labyrinth (2005), Sepulchre (2007), The Winter Ghosts (2009), and Citadel (2012), as well as an acclaimed collection of short stories, The Mistletoe Bride & Other Haunting Tales (2013). Kate’s new novel, The Taxidermist’s Daughter is out now.
Kate is the Co-Founder and Chair of the Board of the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction (previously the Orange Prize) and in June 2013, was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to literature. She lives in Sussex.
Kate is the Co-Founder and Chair of the Board of the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction (previously the Orange Prize) and in June 2013, was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to literature. She lives in Sussex.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,438 reviews
May 14, 2016
Constantia (Connie) was twelve years old when she had a terrible accident, falling down the stairs and hitting her head on the marble tiles. She doesn't remember the accident nor anything in her life that happened before that, has just been told she almost died. Now 22 and unmarried she lives with her father, a once renowned Taxidermist in Fishbourne Marshes, in a dilapidated mansion called Blackthorn House. It is 1912, in Sussex and a young woman's body is found dead. This will set long thought buried events into motion, because what Connie saw, which caused her to fall has cast reverberations down through the years and now come to fruition.
So incredibly atmospheric, the marshes, the birds, yes jackdaws, rooks, crows, magpies, which all have several meanings. Loved the character of Connie, the small glimpses into her forgotten memory that come to light. Loved the young boy, who tries to help. So many great characters which help lighten the pervasive darkness of the story. Who is the dead girl? And what do the returning memories of Connie, signify. How dangerous is her remembering? The details of the art of a taxidermist comes into play, both as quotes and the practice itself.This is the second book in as many weeks I have read featuring birds. I loved the plural of hummingbirds being called a charm, but my new favorite may just be the storytelling of rooks.
So incredibly atmospheric, the marshes, the birds, yes jackdaws, rooks, crows, magpies, which all have several meanings. Loved the character of Connie, the small glimpses into her forgotten memory that come to light. Loved the young boy, who tries to help. So many great characters which help lighten the pervasive darkness of the story. Who is the dead girl? And what do the returning memories of Connie, signify. How dangerous is her remembering? The details of the art of a taxidermist comes into play, both as quotes and the practice itself.This is the second book in as many weeks I have read featuring birds. I loved the plural of hummingbirds being called a charm, but my new favorite may just be the storytelling of rooks.
November 23, 2016
"Όταν μεσάνυχτα τα καμπαναριά χτυπούν
Εκεί, μπροστά στην εκκλησία
Οι δύστυχες ψυχές περνούν…"
Αυτό ειναι το σημείο αναφοράς και η αρχή της ιστορίας.
Μια ιστορία καθηλωτική. Απίστευτα καλογραμμένη και συναρπαστικά αγωνιώδης και μυστηριακή ως το τέλος.
Κι όμως τα στοιχεία εξ αρχής ειναι προφανέστατα. Η συγγραφέας δεν αφήνει κανένα κλειδί για το τέλος. Ξεκλειδώνει σπονδυλωτά και ξεκάθαρα απο νωρίς ολες τις πόρτες των μυστηρίων.
Αυτό ειναι που με γοήτευσε περισσότερο σε τούτο το βιβλίο. Αφού τα έχω καταλάβει σχεδόν όλα και περιμένω την επιβεβαίωση ή την ανατροπή,πως κλιμακώνει την ένταση σταδιακά και πως την ανακατεύει με προλήψεις,μύθους,παλίρροιες, βαλτότοπους, φόνους,και απίστευτες περιγραφές ταρίχευσης, ανατριχιαστικές και αηδιαστικές,είναι πράγματικά αξιοθαύμαστο.
«Η ταρίχευση είναι μία τέχνη. Πάνω απ όλα, έχει να κάνει με την ομορφιά. Με την διατήρηση της ομορφιάς, την απεικόνιση της ομορφιάς, τον τρόπο που θα βρει κάποιος για να αιχμαλωτίσει την ουσία ενός πουλιού ή ζώου»- όπως ισχυρίζεται ο επαγγελματίας βαλσαμωτης και σε εγκλωβίζει ως το τέλος.
Βρισκόμαστε στην Αγγλία το 1912, σε μια μικρή επαρχία βουτηγμένη στους βάλτους που πλημμυρίζουν απειλητικά μετά απο κάθε νεροποντή.
Η Κόνι είναι η κόρη του ταριχευτή. Ζουν μαζί σε μια αγροικία και παλεύουν και οι δυο με τους δαίμονες του παρελθόντος χωρίς να μπορούν απο φόβο και αγάπη να μοιραστούν και να απαλύνουν τις πληγές τους.
Ο ταριχευτής είναι πλέον κατεστραμμένος οικονομικά, ψυχικά και σωματικά και προσπαθεί με το αλκοόλ να βρει τη λήθη στις ενοχές του.
Η Κόνι έχει αφαιρετικές κρίσεις και πλήρη έλλειψη μνήμης των πρώτων δώδεκα ετών της ζωής της που προήλθε μετά απο ένα ατυχημα,μια μοιραία και μακάβρια νύχτα.
Όταν ανακαλύπτει το πτώμα μιας γυναίκας στο ρέμα δίπλα στο σπιτι τους έιναι σχεδόν βέβαιη απο την αιτία θανάτου πως ο δολοφόνος είναι ο αλκοολικός πατέρας της.
Όμως...απο δω και έπειτα ξεκινάει μια σειρά φόνων με σκοτεινό και σοκαριστικό τελετουργικό τρόπο που μας υποδεικνύει πως ο δράστης είναι ευφυής και γνώστης συγκεκριμένης τεχνικής καλλιτεχνικής σφαγής.
Δέρμα,αίμα,κόκκαλο.
«Ο πανικός άρχισε να επιστρέφει, ο φόβος πυροδότησε την επιθυμία του να ελευθερωθεί. Παλεύοντας ξανά με τα δεσμά του. Ούτε δέρμα ούτε κορδέλα, αλλά κάτι κοφτερό. Σύρμα; Κάθε φορά που κουνιόταν, μια λεπτή φλούδα δέρματος κοβόταν… Τώρα με τρόμο συνειδητοποίησε ότι δεν τον εμπόδιζαν οι πληγές του να ανοίξει τα μάτια, τα βλέφαρα του ήταν ραμμένα…»
Παλιά κρυμμένα μυστικά, γκρίζο και μουντό τοπίο,απειλητική και λυτρωτική βροχή,ψυχολογική ένταση,άριστα δομημένοι χαρακτηρες,νεκροταφεία και εκκλησίες με υποσχέσεις συνάντησης με το θάνατο.
Καλή ανάγνωση.
Εκεί, μπροστά στην εκκλησία
Οι δύστυχες ψυχές περνούν…"
Αυτό ειναι το σημείο αναφοράς και η αρχή της ιστορίας.
Μια ιστορία καθηλωτική. Απίστευτα καλογραμμένη και συναρπαστικά αγωνιώδης και μυστηριακή ως το τέλος.
Κι όμως τα στοιχεία εξ αρχής ειναι προφανέστατα. Η συγγραφέας δεν αφήνει κανένα κλειδί για το τέλος. Ξεκλειδώνει σπονδυλωτά και ξεκάθαρα απο νωρίς ολες τις πόρτες των μυστηρίων.
Αυτό ειναι που με γοήτευσε περισσότερο σε τούτο το βιβλίο. Αφού τα έχω καταλάβει σχεδόν όλα και περιμένω την επιβεβαίωση ή την ανατροπή,πως κλιμακώνει την ένταση σταδιακά και πως την ανακατεύει με προλήψεις,μύθους,παλίρροιες, βαλτότοπους, φόνους,και απίστευτες περιγραφές ταρίχευσης, ανατριχιαστικές και αηδιαστικές,είναι πράγματικά αξιοθαύμαστο.
«Η ταρίχευση είναι μία τέχνη. Πάνω απ όλα, έχει να κάνει με την ομορφιά. Με την διατήρηση της ομορφιάς, την απεικόνιση της ομορφιάς, τον τρόπο που θα βρει κάποιος για να αιχμαλωτίσει την ουσία ενός πουλιού ή ζώου»- όπως ισχυρίζεται ο επαγγελματίας βαλσαμωτης και σε εγκλωβίζει ως το τέλος.
Βρισκόμαστε στην Αγγλία το 1912, σε μια μικρή επαρχία βουτηγμένη στους βάλτους που πλημμυρίζουν απειλητικά μετά απο κάθε νεροποντή.
Η Κόνι είναι η κόρη του ταριχευτή. Ζουν μαζί σε μια αγροικία και παλεύουν και οι δυο με τους δαίμονες του παρελθόντος χωρίς να μπορούν απο φόβο και αγάπη να μοιραστούν και να απαλύνουν τις πληγές τους.
Ο ταριχευτής είναι πλέον κατεστραμμένος οικονομικά, ψυχικά και σωματικά και προσπαθεί με το αλκοόλ να βρει τη λήθη στις ενοχές του.
Η Κόνι έχει αφαιρετικές κρίσεις και πλήρη έλλειψη μνήμης των πρώτων δώδεκα ετών της ζωής της που προήλθε μετά απο ένα ατυχημα,μια μοιραία και μακάβρια νύχτα.
Όταν ανακαλύπτει το πτώμα μιας γυναίκας στο ρέμα δίπλα στο σπιτι τους έιναι σχεδόν βέβαιη απο την αιτία θανάτου πως ο δολοφόνος είναι ο αλκοολικός πατέρας της.
Όμως...απο δω και έπειτα ξεκινάει μια σειρά φόνων με σκοτεινό και σοκαριστικό τελετουργικό τρόπο που μας υποδεικνύει πως ο δράστης είναι ευφυής και γνώστης συγκεκριμένης τεχνικής καλλιτεχνικής σφαγής.
Δέρμα,αίμα,κόκκαλο.
«Ο πανικός άρχισε να επιστρέφει, ο φόβος πυροδότησε την επιθυμία του να ελευθερωθεί. Παλεύοντας ξανά με τα δεσμά του. Ούτε δέρμα ούτε κορδέλα, αλλά κάτι κοφτερό. Σύρμα; Κάθε φορά που κουνιόταν, μια λεπτή φλούδα δέρματος κοβόταν… Τώρα με τρόμο συνειδητοποίησε ότι δεν τον εμπόδιζαν οι πληγές του να ανοίξει τα μάτια, τα βλέφαρα του ήταν ραμμένα…»
Παλιά κρυμμένα μυστικά, γκρίζο και μουντό τοπίο,απειλητική και λυτρωτική βροχή,ψυχολογική ένταση,άριστα δομημένοι χαρακτηρες,νεκροταφεία και εκκλησίες με υποσχέσεις συνάντησης με το θάνατο.
Καλή ανάγνωση.
February 23, 2022
(Review originally published on my blog, September 2014)
I really don't like having to give negative reviews. They can be quite fun to write, but that doesn't make up for the time wasted reading a disappointing book, especially if, like me, you have a constantly expanding to-read list of several hundred potentially better others. Unfortunately, The Taxidermist's Daughter turned out to be another addition to 2014's growing batch of much-anticipated, but ultimately mediocre, new novels. (Funnily enough, The Independent's review of this book compares it to three other books from this year which I would categorise in exactly the same way.)
Connie Gifford is the titular taxidermist's daughter, though it would be more accurate to say she is the taxidermist. Her father has long been an incapable drunk, and Connie, having learnt his trade, secretly keeps the family business going. Not that there's much call for it: in the early twentieth century, taxidermy has fallen out of fashion, and with her father's 'world famous' museum gone, Connie struggles to make ends meet. She also struggles with her own condition: an accident when she was twelve wiped her memory, and she is only now beginning to remember flashes of her 'vanished years'. There's also the mystery of a murdered woman, found in the river next to the Giffords' house, and the links this crime may have to Something Terrible a group of local men (including, possibly, Connie's father) did ten years ago.
Connie is okay, but she is never truly established as a character who actually has any real personality, beyond a passion for taxidermy and, vaguely, a caring nature. The male characters, meanwhile, are so numerous and so utterly indistinct from one another that I couldn't tell them apart at all. Mosse has set the story in the West Sussex village of Fishbourne, apparently a place of personal significance to her, and it is evoked well, full of a Daphne du Maurier-esque stormy darkness despite the fact that the story takes place in spring. The most atmospheric scenes are set in a rain-lashed cottage; these sections, though very effective, are frustratingly few.
The Taxidermist's Daughter is very like Diane Setterfield's Bellman & Black: the gothic gloom (it's 1912, but everything feels very Victorian), the use of bird motifs, but most of all, the dull, turgid story lumbering towards a largely uninteresting conclusion. And, like Bellman & Black, I'm giving the book a medium rating because it was simply okay: by no means terrible, simply underwhelming and forgettable. While it all started promisingly, and did start to pick up again after I was halfway through, too much of it was simply tedious. I didn't care what the men of Fishbourne had done ten years earlier - partly because the characters were uninteresting, partly because I knew from the start it would be something deliberately 'shocking' but also unbelievable as something these people would really take part in. (Spoiler: it was.) Interviews with the author suggest the theme of taxidermy stems from a childhood fascination with the art, but it often feels as if it has been chosen simply because it's suitably gruesome and archaic.
I've read one book from Mosse's Languedoc trilogy (Sepulchre), found it average, and haven't bothered with any of the others in that series. However, I really enjoyed her ghost story The Winter Ghosts, and last year she published a collection, The Mistletoe Bride & Other Haunting Tales, which, while forgettable in terms of content, created a number of wonderfully atmospheric, wintery settings I can still remember quite vividly. I'd quite like to read it again for that reason alone. With all its gothic trappings, I hoped The Taxidermist's Daughter might be more of an ethereal ghost story than drab historical fiction, but sadly not. Competently written, with some intriguing scenes, it never quite gets off the ground, and in the end it is no more than the sum of its parts.
I really don't like having to give negative reviews. They can be quite fun to write, but that doesn't make up for the time wasted reading a disappointing book, especially if, like me, you have a constantly expanding to-read list of several hundred potentially better others. Unfortunately, The Taxidermist's Daughter turned out to be another addition to 2014's growing batch of much-anticipated, but ultimately mediocre, new novels. (Funnily enough, The Independent's review of this book compares it to three other books from this year which I would categorise in exactly the same way.)
Connie Gifford is the titular taxidermist's daughter, though it would be more accurate to say she is the taxidermist. Her father has long been an incapable drunk, and Connie, having learnt his trade, secretly keeps the family business going. Not that there's much call for it: in the early twentieth century, taxidermy has fallen out of fashion, and with her father's 'world famous' museum gone, Connie struggles to make ends meet. She also struggles with her own condition: an accident when she was twelve wiped her memory, and she is only now beginning to remember flashes of her 'vanished years'. There's also the mystery of a murdered woman, found in the river next to the Giffords' house, and the links this crime may have to Something Terrible a group of local men (including, possibly, Connie's father) did ten years ago.
Connie is okay, but she is never truly established as a character who actually has any real personality, beyond a passion for taxidermy and, vaguely, a caring nature. The male characters, meanwhile, are so numerous and so utterly indistinct from one another that I couldn't tell them apart at all. Mosse has set the story in the West Sussex village of Fishbourne, apparently a place of personal significance to her, and it is evoked well, full of a Daphne du Maurier-esque stormy darkness despite the fact that the story takes place in spring. The most atmospheric scenes are set in a rain-lashed cottage; these sections, though very effective, are frustratingly few.
The Taxidermist's Daughter is very like Diane Setterfield's Bellman & Black: the gothic gloom (it's 1912, but everything feels very Victorian), the use of bird motifs, but most of all, the dull, turgid story lumbering towards a largely uninteresting conclusion. And, like Bellman & Black, I'm giving the book a medium rating because it was simply okay: by no means terrible, simply underwhelming and forgettable. While it all started promisingly, and did start to pick up again after I was halfway through, too much of it was simply tedious. I didn't care what the men of Fishbourne had done ten years earlier - partly because the characters were uninteresting, partly because I knew from the start it would be something deliberately 'shocking' but also unbelievable as something these people would really take part in. (Spoiler: it was.) Interviews with the author suggest the theme of taxidermy stems from a childhood fascination with the art, but it often feels as if it has been chosen simply because it's suitably gruesome and archaic.
I've read one book from Mosse's Languedoc trilogy (Sepulchre), found it average, and haven't bothered with any of the others in that series. However, I really enjoyed her ghost story The Winter Ghosts, and last year she published a collection, The Mistletoe Bride & Other Haunting Tales, which, while forgettable in terms of content, created a number of wonderfully atmospheric, wintery settings I can still remember quite vividly. I'd quite like to read it again for that reason alone. With all its gothic trappings, I hoped The Taxidermist's Daughter might be more of an ethereal ghost story than drab historical fiction, but sadly not. Competently written, with some intriguing scenes, it never quite gets off the ground, and in the end it is no more than the sum of its parts.
February 11, 2016
Dear book,
I sorta liked you but didn't. You gave me gardening feels, like I enjoyed but won't do you again in the next five years or so. I don't know I'm a bit conflicted, perhaps I'll write a more coherent review soon, but for now let me give you an
I sorta liked you but didn't. You gave me gardening feels, like I enjoyed but won't do you again in the next five years or so. I don't know I'm a bit conflicted, perhaps I'll write a more coherent review soon, but for now let me give you an
June 23, 2015
I've been waiting for Kate to write an out-and-out Gothic thriller for years. This is it; dark, clever but also immensely readable, giving the lie to the critics' belief that intelligent fiction can't also be fun. And it's a love letter to the Fens, described here with a sure and delicate touch, in sound, scent and colour...
October 27, 2017
Spooky and chilling, The Taxidermist's Daughter is a terrific Gothic novel, just right for this Halloween.
March 9, 2016
There are some books that are just magical and this is one of them. The author has done a magnificent job in creating a gothic novel with a strong sense of place and wonderful story telling. This book is so different from anything else I have read by this author and it is just spell binding.
I was nervous about picking up a book that features taxidermy but it is done in such an interesting way that it posed no problems for me. I never came around to the concept that dead stuffed birds can be a thing of beauty and a piece of art but I do appreciate the people who do. I did not know they had taxidermy museums and displayed them in decorative fashion in their houses but you learn something every day.
The story is captivating and involves a horrible mystery that happened ten years. Connie, the taxidermist's daughter, was injured in a fall at the age of 12 and has no memory of times before that. As sinister men gather by her house and a dead body is found, it becomes imperative that she try to remember. As she struggles with her father to help her refresh her mind, he turns to alcohol to avoid the discussion.
The story weaves and tangles and it becomes more clear that the mystery is so much worse than what Connie could ever managed. As the drenching rains come down, things move fast to a very startling conclusion that I could not see coming. Yet there is a light touch at the very end that makes me smile.
It is so readable that I almost wept in despair when it was over. I just didn't want to let go and say good-bye to these characters. Now that's a sign of a good book.
I was nervous about picking up a book that features taxidermy but it is done in such an interesting way that it posed no problems for me. I never came around to the concept that dead stuffed birds can be a thing of beauty and a piece of art but I do appreciate the people who do. I did not know they had taxidermy museums and displayed them in decorative fashion in their houses but you learn something every day.
The story is captivating and involves a horrible mystery that happened ten years. Connie, the taxidermist's daughter, was injured in a fall at the age of 12 and has no memory of times before that. As sinister men gather by her house and a dead body is found, it becomes imperative that she try to remember. As she struggles with her father to help her refresh her mind, he turns to alcohol to avoid the discussion.
The story weaves and tangles and it becomes more clear that the mystery is so much worse than what Connie could ever managed. As the drenching rains come down, things move fast to a very startling conclusion that I could not see coming. Yet there is a light touch at the very end that makes me smile.
It is so readable that I almost wept in despair when it was over. I just didn't want to let go and say good-bye to these characters. Now that's a sign of a good book.
November 3, 2016
Jackdaws, magpies, crows, and more, I love birds from the Corvidae family, and they were the perfect Gothic inspiration for Kate Mosse's gruesome historical novel, THE TAXIDERMIST'S DAUGHTER. This dark mystery centers around Connie, the daughter of a taxidermist - she, too, is one - and her quest to solve the mystery of a young woman's murder. The story hooked me right away with its Poe-esque atmosphere. Chilling! The mystery itself was puzzling, twisty, and complex. Taxidermy give me the creeps, as did this book, so really it was a fitting backdrop to the story. Nice blend of murder mystery and old fashioned Gothic.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
October 19, 2017
"Who'll dig his grave? I, said the Owl, with my pick and my shovel, I'll dig his grave.''
It’s the night before St. Mark’s day, 1912: on this dark night the people of Fishbourne come together in the church-yard to watch the souls of the future dead. On this night they will see who will die during this upcoming year. On this night, a young woman is murdered.
Is her death an accidental slip of a knife? Or a dark omen for what’s yet to come, to let the people of the town know that their days are numbered?
Because in The Taxidermist’s Daughter, the line between the dead and the living is thin. Connie and her father are taxidermists: they preserve the bodies of birds by stuffing them and displaying them in a lifelike state. Once they were famous, but after disaster stuck and their name ruined - and Connie’s past literally erased - the Gifford family now practice their trade in silence and shame. However, with the discovery of the dead woman a haunting past is dug up that will not only shake the Gifford’s to their core, but many other families as well.
”This is not a story of revenge, though it will be seen as that. Dismissed as that. But no, not revenge.
This is a story of justice.”
Set amidst the misty Marshlands of Sussex, this gothic historical thriller is an atmospheric pearl. Kate Mosse’s descriptions of the landscape are vivid and true: the harsh winter storms, the rising water of the lake, the sense of doom slowly creeping under our characters’ skin…St. Mark’s night foretells that the lives of some people will come to an end, and this end comes with a vengeance.
Although I had the mystery figured out halfway, that didn’t take away any of my reading-pleasure and feeling of fright (which shows how gifted this author is!). The story of the murder and its history is slowly revealed, but still the build-up to the macabre finale was so well done that I got literal chills.
I did have some trouble with the many side-characters and the insta-love, but after reading only thrillers and creepy novels with dry writing and little scenery-descriptions, this book was like a breath of fresh ear. I loved following Connie and her friend Harry on their search for answers, and Kate Mosse’s dark mystery was twisty and complex until the end.
I want to thank my dear friend Amalia for recommending this to me, and I will certainly recommend this book to others looking for a misty and creepy mystery to read during the cold winter-days.
It’s the night before St. Mark’s day, 1912: on this dark night the people of Fishbourne come together in the church-yard to watch the souls of the future dead. On this night they will see who will die during this upcoming year. On this night, a young woman is murdered.
Is her death an accidental slip of a knife? Or a dark omen for what’s yet to come, to let the people of the town know that their days are numbered?
Because in The Taxidermist’s Daughter, the line between the dead and the living is thin. Connie and her father are taxidermists: they preserve the bodies of birds by stuffing them and displaying them in a lifelike state. Once they were famous, but after disaster stuck and their name ruined - and Connie’s past literally erased - the Gifford family now practice their trade in silence and shame. However, with the discovery of the dead woman a haunting past is dug up that will not only shake the Gifford’s to their core, but many other families as well.
”This is not a story of revenge, though it will be seen as that. Dismissed as that. But no, not revenge.
This is a story of justice.”
Set amidst the misty Marshlands of Sussex, this gothic historical thriller is an atmospheric pearl. Kate Mosse’s descriptions of the landscape are vivid and true: the harsh winter storms, the rising water of the lake, the sense of doom slowly creeping under our characters’ skin…St. Mark’s night foretells that the lives of some people will come to an end, and this end comes with a vengeance.
Although I had the mystery figured out halfway, that didn’t take away any of my reading-pleasure and feeling of fright (which shows how gifted this author is!). The story of the murder and its history is slowly revealed, but still the build-up to the macabre finale was so well done that I got literal chills.
I did have some trouble with the many side-characters and the insta-love, but after reading only thrillers and creepy novels with dry writing and little scenery-descriptions, this book was like a breath of fresh ear. I loved following Connie and her friend Harry on their search for answers, and Kate Mosse’s dark mystery was twisty and complex until the end.
I want to thank my dear friend Amalia for recommending this to me, and I will certainly recommend this book to others looking for a misty and creepy mystery to read during the cold winter-days.
June 3, 2019
Blackthorns are everywhere. They are haunting me.
‘TAXIDERMY: OR, THE ART OF COLLECTING, PREPARING, AND MOURNING OBJECTS OF NATURAL HISTORY’ I liked the Taxidermy facts that were thrown in there. Lit shit.
I bought this shit because it was cheap. I didn’t really know what it was about. Only knew it was a gothic thriller/mystery. Kinda hoped they would taxidermy humans and not animals *I blame the movie Taxidermia for this* but we can’t always get what we want. I think I love this. The thing is I forgot to keep notes and it took me a month to finish this because I’m hella busy and lazy.I kinda wanna give this 5stars but It took so long to finish this that I don’t remember if I love it or not. I suuuck.
‘TAXIDERMY: OR, THE ART OF COLLECTING, PREPARING, AND MOURNING OBJECTS OF NATURAL HISTORY’ I liked the Taxidermy facts that were thrown in there. Lit shit.
I bought this shit because it was cheap. I didn’t really know what it was about. Only knew it was a gothic thriller/mystery. Kinda hoped they would taxidermy humans and not animals *I blame the movie Taxidermia for this* but we can’t always get what we want. I think I love this. The thing is I forgot to keep notes and it took me a month to finish this because I’m hella busy and lazy.I kinda wanna give this 5stars but It took so long to finish this that I don’t remember if I love it or not. I suuuck.
October 26, 2024
The Taxidermist’s Daughter by Kate Mosse is a historical thriller set in 1912 Sussex. The story revolves around Connie Gifford, a young woman living with her father beside a marsh. Her father, a once-renowned taxidermist, has since fallen into illness, leaving Connie to care for him while dealing with her own fragmented memories following an accident years ago. A murder, sets off a chain of events that brings about secrets and painful truths. Themes of revenge, loss, and the impact of memory are woven throughout the novel.
Vivid historical detail of the 1912s along with a murder in the eery marshland is the perfect Halloween themed setting. The novel was sloe and at times felt life the novel that would never end.
Vivid historical detail of the 1912s along with a murder in the eery marshland is the perfect Halloween themed setting. The novel was sloe and at times felt life the novel that would never end.
January 4, 2017
Στον περίβολο της εκκλησίας ειναι όλοι συγκεντρωμένοι για να δουν αν θα επαληθευθεί μια αρχαία δοξασία. Ανάμεσα τους και η Κόνι. Η Κόνι ζει με τον πατέρα της στους βαλτότοπους κι εκείνος της έχει μάθει την τέχνη του ταριχευτή πουλιών, την τέχνη του. Συνειδητά όμως, της έχει αποκρύψει λεπτομέρειες του παρελθόντος της. Η ανακάλυψη μιας νεκρής γυναίκας στους βάλτους, πυροδοτεί μια αλληλουχία εξαφανίσεων/φόνων που συνδέονται με κάποιον τροπο με τον πατέρα της και την ιδιότητα του.
Η ιστορία ειναι καλά δομημένη, χωρίς πολλές ανατροπές κι εκπλήξεις. Η ατμοσφαιρικότητα του βιβλίου, το μουντό τοπίο των βάλτων και ο τρόπος γραφής, κρατά το ενδιαφέρον του αναγνώστη αμείωτο.
Καλή ανάγνωση!!
Η ιστορία ειναι καλά δομημένη, χωρίς πολλές ανατροπές κι εκπλήξεις. Η ατμοσφαιρικότητα του βιβλίου, το μουντό τοπίο των βάλτων και ο τρόπος γραφής, κρατά το ενδιαφέρον του αναγνώστη αμείωτο.
Καλή ανάγνωση!!
December 7, 2016
A gothic tale set in Sussex, England with dark and sinister settings and characters. It is a story of revenge for past wrongs by powerful men. Connie, the main character, had a severe head injury when she was twelve so she does not have many memories of her childhood. Her father is a man who drinks to forget things in his past who was once well known as a stuffer of birds. Connie is the one who does most of the work on running the household and the taxidermy business. As Connie pieces together her past, she begins to question what is going on around her more and more. She gains allies from the community who help her solve the mysteries of her past and the murders that are happening around her.
This book is different from all of the previous books that I have read by this author. It is a departure from her previous style and showed how broad her writing ability is,
This book is different from all of the previous books that I have read by this author. It is a departure from her previous style and showed how broad her writing ability is,
October 27, 2021
A good old gothic murder mystery, a bit daft but beautifully written. The descriptions of the Sussex marshes, rain, mist and my much loved gothic gloom were so well described I felt I was there. It's a bit far fetched in the mystery department, lots of to-ing and fro-ing through mud, some likeable characters and some moustache twirling dastardly villains, set in 1912 but to me it felt more Victorian. A mixed bag but I enjoyed it, 4 stars.
June 28, 2019
Okay, so I have extremely mixed views about this book. It started off SO well, so incredibly atmospheric and with a wonderfully gothic undertone that had me gripped. The writing was spellbinding, and the story itself was really something that appealed to me - then something happened. I'm not sure what, but the story seemed to go off on another tangent that veered away from the tightly compressed story of before and went on and on without much consistancy. I think the story could've been at least a 100 pages less and still been a bit too long; it just didn't seem to work anymore. When the final dramatic scene happened, I was more confused than anything else and was just hoping it would end. So a bit of a disappointment all round really. I have got 'the Mistletoe Bride' to read by Kate Mosse on my TBR pile however, so I will see if her short stories are any better.
September 18, 2014
I have been a fan of Kate Mosse for many years. Her novel Labyrinth sat unread on my shelf for a long time before I took the plunge and read it. I had avoided that huge tome for so long, it's historical fiction and I really didn't think that it would be my thing. I was completely hooked and everything else was left unattended whilst I feverishly read it. I was equally transfixed by the next two in the series; Sepulchre and Citadel. More recently, I read her collection of short stories; The Mistletoe Bride, and although very different to the Langeudoc trilogy, it is a fabulous collection of stories.
The Taxidermist's Daughter opens on the Eve of St Mark, 1912 in a churchyard in the small village of Fishbourne in Sussex. It is the night when, according to local superstition, the ghosts of those who will die in the next year will walk. Connie is the Taxidermist's Daughter and has followed her father to the graveyard, she hides as she watches a group of men, some local, some strangers, gather as the church bell rings.
Connie and her father lead a lonely life in Blackthorn House. Her father, the taxidermist is a strange man, prone to drink and difficult to live alongside. Connie has mastered his art and continues to stuff birds and animals whilst battling with half-memories from her 'lost time'. Connie had an accident when she was twelve-years-old, when her father ran the successful museum of taxidermy ‘Gifford’s World Famous House of Avian Curiosities’. Connie cannot recall anything of her life before the accident, and her father is loathe to speak about it. The museum is no more, except for the few items that they brought with them when they moved to Fishbourne.
When the body of a woman is discovered in the river, Connie is convinced that she was murdered. However, the death certificate is signed, blamed on suicide and no more is spoken about the unfortunate woman. For Connie, this is just the beginning and as the tides rise, the wind blows and the rain falls, she becomes embroiled in a mystery that spans many years.
As Kate Mosse made the region of Carcassonne one of the major characters of the Langeudoc trilogy, she has done the same with this bleak landscape of West Sussex. The author's knowledge and love for the area shines through in her outstanding and wonderfully crafted words. The tiny village of Fishbourne, with its varied and colourful characters is vividly portrayed. The art of taxidermy becomes a fascinating aspect of the story, detailed and quirky explanations of Connie's work, helped along by quotes from 'Taxidermy: Or, The Art of Collecting, Preparing, and Mounting Objects of Natural History' by Mrs R Lee.
Whilst not as long as some of Kate Mosse's previous novels, The Taxidermist's Daughter is a complex and utterly compelling read. The pace of the story increases rapidly as the story unfolds and the character of Connie has been perfectly created. She is vibrant, intelligent and constantly curious.
This is a gothic, psychological thriller that is just perfectly written. The mystery of Connie's accident, combined with the recent murder of a young woman are intricately interwoven, producing a story that is both stunning and surprising in turns.
The Taxidermist's Daughter opens on the Eve of St Mark, 1912 in a churchyard in the small village of Fishbourne in Sussex. It is the night when, according to local superstition, the ghosts of those who will die in the next year will walk. Connie is the Taxidermist's Daughter and has followed her father to the graveyard, she hides as she watches a group of men, some local, some strangers, gather as the church bell rings.
Connie and her father lead a lonely life in Blackthorn House. Her father, the taxidermist is a strange man, prone to drink and difficult to live alongside. Connie has mastered his art and continues to stuff birds and animals whilst battling with half-memories from her 'lost time'. Connie had an accident when she was twelve-years-old, when her father ran the successful museum of taxidermy ‘Gifford’s World Famous House of Avian Curiosities’. Connie cannot recall anything of her life before the accident, and her father is loathe to speak about it. The museum is no more, except for the few items that they brought with them when they moved to Fishbourne.
When the body of a woman is discovered in the river, Connie is convinced that she was murdered. However, the death certificate is signed, blamed on suicide and no more is spoken about the unfortunate woman. For Connie, this is just the beginning and as the tides rise, the wind blows and the rain falls, she becomes embroiled in a mystery that spans many years.
As Kate Mosse made the region of Carcassonne one of the major characters of the Langeudoc trilogy, she has done the same with this bleak landscape of West Sussex. The author's knowledge and love for the area shines through in her outstanding and wonderfully crafted words. The tiny village of Fishbourne, with its varied and colourful characters is vividly portrayed. The art of taxidermy becomes a fascinating aspect of the story, detailed and quirky explanations of Connie's work, helped along by quotes from 'Taxidermy: Or, The Art of Collecting, Preparing, and Mounting Objects of Natural History' by Mrs R Lee.
Whilst not as long as some of Kate Mosse's previous novels, The Taxidermist's Daughter is a complex and utterly compelling read. The pace of the story increases rapidly as the story unfolds and the character of Connie has been perfectly created. She is vibrant, intelligent and constantly curious.
This is a gothic, psychological thriller that is just perfectly written. The mystery of Connie's accident, combined with the recent murder of a young woman are intricately interwoven, producing a story that is both stunning and surprising in turns.
August 1, 2017
Μία πολύ καλογραμμένη γοτθική ιστορία φόνων! Αυτό το βιβλίο πραγματικά το καταευχαριστήθηκα . Δεν σας κρύβω ο΄τι αρχικά ήμουν έτοιμος να το παρατήσω.Ευτυχώς όμως μετά την παρότρυνση μίας πολλή καλής μου φίλης(Αμαλία για σένα μιλάω!)το συνέχισα! Λάτρεψα το πρωταγωνιστικό δίδυμο (Κόνι-Χάρι) . Το μόνο που μου έλειψε από την πλοκή ήταν ο αιφνιδιασμός των αποκαλύψεων καθώς η συγγραφέας τις είχε ήδη προοικονομήσει! Αυτό βέβαια δεν μου χάλασε την αναγνωστική απόλαυση που μου παρείχε!
November 18, 2014
I was seduced by the blurb and found it very appealing on purchase but upon reading, not for me!
Too many other good books to read!
Too many other good books to read!
December 1, 2016
This is a carefully and beautifully constructed murder mystery set in 1912 in England.
I immersed myself in the atmosphere and pervading angst created by the landscape, the weather and the characters.
The story is fairly straightforward with a little mystery but the beauty of the book is in the feel of it.
You will need to suspend disbelief a little but it's easy to let that go if you let mood take you.
I immersed myself in the atmosphere and pervading angst created by the landscape, the weather and the characters.
The story is fairly straightforward with a little mystery but the beauty of the book is in the feel of it.
You will need to suspend disbelief a little but it's easy to let that go if you let mood take you.
July 8, 2016
"Η κόρη του ταριχευτή" έχει όλο το 'πακέτο' που καθηλώνει έναν αναγνώστη που ψάχνει το συγκεκριμένο είδος βιβλίου: γοτθική ατμόσφαιρα,άρωμα μιας άλλης εποχής,ατμοσφαιρικό περιβάλλον,κρυμμένα μυστικά και μια δολοφονία σαν κερασάκι στην τούρτα (αν και ο φόνος είναι ο τελευταίος που απασχολεί τους ήρωές μας.)
Αυτό που ΔΕΝ έχει είναι οι ανατροπές και οι εκπλήξεις. Από τα πρώτα κιόλας κεφάλαια είναι ξεκάθαρο το πράγμα. Η συγγραφέας...χαρίζει τα στοιχεία το ένα μετά το άλλο! Είναι πανεύκολο να υποψιαστεί κανείς τι έγινε πριν από 10 χρόνια,ποιο είναι το έγκλημα και το μυστικό που κρύβουν οι ήρωες. Είναι πανεύκολο να μαντέψεις ποιος θέλει να πάρει εκδίκηση κι από ποιους - τους αναφέρει,εξάλλου,όσο προχωράει η ιστορία- και γιατί. Ακόμα και τον τρόπο που σκοπεύει να τους εκδικηθεί μαντεύει κανείς. Ακόμα και το εξελισσόμενο ειδύλλιο ανάμεσα στην Κόνι και τον Χάρι. Ειλικρινά, περισσότερο απρόβλεπτος είναι ο καιρός του επόμενου μισάωρου παρά οι εξελίξεις σ' αυτό το βιβλίο! :P
Μπορεί να αναρωτηθεί κάποιος "μα τότε,γιατί 4 αστεράκια;!"
Γιατί είναι απίστευτα καλογραμμένο. Γιατί δεν ξέρω αν η συγγραφέας επίτηδες έκανε τόσο ολοφάνερα τα χαρτιά της ευθύς εξαρχής (αν δεν σκόπευε να το κάνει και της βγήκε,κακό δικό της και μείον για τη δουλειά της) αλλά όπως και να 'χει,κρατάει το ενδιαφέρον του αναγνώστη της. Γιατί η πλοκή ρέει αβίαστα,και παρόλο που απουσιάζουν οι δραματικές εξάρσεις και οι εκπλήξεις,δε θέλεις να το αφήσεις από τα χέρια σου. Γιατί το στόρυ είναι απλό,αλλά με πολύ ωραίο 'περιτύλιγμα',που κυριολεκτικά το σώζει. Η ατμόσφαιρα είναι το κάτι άλλο - προηγούμενος αιώνας, μικρό χωριό, πλημμυρισμένα βαλτοτόπια, μουντίλα και ομίχλη και καταιγίδες, μυστήριο... Το ιδανικό σκηνικό για να στηρίξει ακόμα και μια ουσιαστικά 'αδύναμη' από άποψη ανατροπής υπόθεση. Όσο να 'ναι,θέλει κι αυτό το ταλέντο του!
** Περισσότερα για το βιβλίο, εδώ: http://www.bookcity.gr/reviews/22315-...
Αυτό που ΔΕΝ έχει είναι οι ανατροπές και οι εκπλήξεις. Από τα πρώτα κιόλας κεφάλαια είναι ξεκάθαρο το πράγμα. Η συγγραφέας...χαρίζει τα στοιχεία το ένα μετά το άλλο! Είναι πανεύκολο να υποψιαστεί κανείς τι έγινε πριν από 10 χρόνια,ποιο είναι το έγκλημα και το μυστικό που κρύβουν οι ήρωες. Είναι πανεύκολο να μαντέψεις ποιος θέλει να πάρει εκδίκηση κι από ποιους - τους αναφέρει,εξάλλου,όσο προχωράει η ιστορία- και γιατί. Ακόμα και τον τρόπο που σκοπεύει να τους εκδικηθεί μαντεύει κανείς. Ακόμα και το εξελισσόμενο ειδύλλιο ανάμεσα στην Κόνι και τον Χάρι. Ειλικρινά, περισσότερο απρόβλεπτος είναι ο καιρός του επόμενου μισάωρου παρά οι εξελίξεις σ' αυτό το βιβλίο! :P
Μπορεί να αναρωτηθεί κάποιος "μα τότε,γιατί 4 αστεράκια;!"
Γιατί είναι απίστευτα καλογραμμένο. Γιατί δεν ξέρω αν η συγγραφέας επίτηδες έκανε τόσο ολοφάνερα τα χαρτιά της ευθύς εξαρχής (αν δεν σκόπευε να το κάνει και της βγήκε,κακό δικό της και μείον για τη δουλειά της) αλλά όπως και να 'χει,κρατάει το ενδιαφέρον του αναγνώστη της. Γιατί η πλοκή ρέει αβίαστα,και παρόλο που απουσιάζουν οι δραματικές εξάρσεις και οι εκπλήξεις,δε θέλεις να το αφήσεις από τα χέρια σου. Γιατί το στόρυ είναι απλό,αλλά με πολύ ωραίο 'περιτύλιγμα',που κυριολεκτικά το σώζει. Η ατμόσφαιρα είναι το κάτι άλλο - προηγούμενος αιώνας, μικρό χωριό, πλημμυρισμένα βαλτοτόπια, μουντίλα και ομίχλη και καταιγίδες, μυστήριο... Το ιδανικό σκηνικό για να στηρίξει ακόμα και μια ουσιαστικά 'αδύναμη' από άποψη ανατροπής υπόθεση. Όσο να 'ναι,θέλει κι αυτό το ταλέντο του!
** Περισσότερα για το βιβλίο, εδώ: http://www.bookcity.gr/reviews/22315-...
December 3, 2014
I absolutely adored the Langeudoc trilogy but was bitterly disappointed with The Winter Ghosts so I pre-ordered this with a degree of trepidation hoping that Kate had returned to her brilliant best; I had no need to worry and she has.
The book is, as all her others are, beautifully written and wonderfully descriptive and very atmospheric. It's a brilliant Gothic psychological thriller with Connie, a wonderful and strong character, at the heart of the story. Connie has no memory of events leading up to before she was twelve years of age, having had a terrible fall which left her incapacitated for a year with serious head injuries. She lives with her alcoholic father, Gifford, a now failed taxidermist, who is haunted by events which took,place ten years previously. Connie has taken over her father's work and loves it and the birds she works with.
Slowly her memory returns of the events leading up to her accident and she sets out to find out all she can about her late beloved Governess, Cassie. Along the way she meets the handsome Harry, son of the missing Dr Woolston and Harry starts searching for him.
I just loved the wonderful feel to this book and couldn't put it down until I had turned the final page. The sense of menace is never far away and the pace just gets faster and faster until, during a terrible storm (where I could literally envisage the flooding of the marshes and feel the torrential rain) the final piece of the jigsaw is put in place and Connie's memories come back to her.
All in all a brilliant read. I lost two days of my life engrossed in this so will now return to trying to catch up on some chores!
Highly recommended.
The book is, as all her others are, beautifully written and wonderfully descriptive and very atmospheric. It's a brilliant Gothic psychological thriller with Connie, a wonderful and strong character, at the heart of the story. Connie has no memory of events leading up to before she was twelve years of age, having had a terrible fall which left her incapacitated for a year with serious head injuries. She lives with her alcoholic father, Gifford, a now failed taxidermist, who is haunted by events which took,place ten years previously. Connie has taken over her father's work and loves it and the birds she works with.
Slowly her memory returns of the events leading up to her accident and she sets out to find out all she can about her late beloved Governess, Cassie. Along the way she meets the handsome Harry, son of the missing Dr Woolston and Harry starts searching for him.
I just loved the wonderful feel to this book and couldn't put it down until I had turned the final page. The sense of menace is never far away and the pace just gets faster and faster until, during a terrible storm (where I could literally envisage the flooding of the marshes and feel the torrential rain) the final piece of the jigsaw is put in place and Connie's memories come back to her.
All in all a brilliant read. I lost two days of my life engrossed in this so will now return to trying to catch up on some chores!
Highly recommended.
March 18, 2020
I only picked this up for two reasons, both sentimental. Firstly, because Kate Mosse did a fantastic job as an advocate for the wonderful Emily Brontë in the Queens of English Literature Debate and secondly, because I recently found out she is a local author and the story itself is also set in my native Sussex.
However, I can only describe this as a specimen of rather drab historical fiction full of Gothic gloom, tied together by a mildly interesting plot. The ambience is stunning and I appreciated all the witty references to Fishbourne Roman Palace, as yet undiscovered in 1912, but The Taxidermist’s Daughter felt otherwise aimless. The art of taxidermy seems to only have been picked as the central theme of the novel simply because it was a suitably archaic and gruesome occupation that would complement the overall tone. The characters themselves were also relatively dull and stale. Connie, the “unforgettable heroine” one critic raves, was never really established as a character. She doesn’t have any real personality or substance beyond a strong stomach and ability to skin birds… and a vaguely caring disposition, I suppose. The cast of male characters were numerous and utterly indistinguishable. Although the maid and the local rascal were prone to stereotype, I did like them much more than the lead characters.
The central mystery was bloodless and less than compelling, despite revolving around one particularly harrowing event. Although I thought it was structured skillfully, it was ultimately rather predictable and anticlimactic. The cast were so indistinguishable, it was difficult to attach names and backstories to characters and their actions so I was left trying desperately to remember the role they had each played by the time the mystery was revealed.
Overall, this was underwhelming. The mystery was too fractured for my taste and the novel never seemed to achieve anything. For me, the happy-ending-epilogue just made it even weaker. Beautifully written, but my total lack of emotional investment killed it slightly.
However, I can only describe this as a specimen of rather drab historical fiction full of Gothic gloom, tied together by a mildly interesting plot. The ambience is stunning and I appreciated all the witty references to Fishbourne Roman Palace, as yet undiscovered in 1912, but The Taxidermist’s Daughter felt otherwise aimless. The art of taxidermy seems to only have been picked as the central theme of the novel simply because it was a suitably archaic and gruesome occupation that would complement the overall tone. The characters themselves were also relatively dull and stale. Connie, the “unforgettable heroine” one critic raves, was never really established as a character. She doesn’t have any real personality or substance beyond a strong stomach and ability to skin birds… and a vaguely caring disposition, I suppose. The cast of male characters were numerous and utterly indistinguishable. Although the maid and the local rascal were prone to stereotype, I did like them much more than the lead characters.
The central mystery was bloodless and less than compelling, despite revolving around one particularly harrowing event. Although I thought it was structured skillfully, it was ultimately rather predictable and anticlimactic. The cast were so indistinguishable, it was difficult to attach names and backstories to characters and their actions so I was left trying desperately to remember the role they had each played by the time the mystery was revealed.
Overall, this was underwhelming. The mystery was too fractured for my taste and the novel never seemed to achieve anything. For me, the happy-ending-epilogue just made it even weaker. Beautifully written, but my total lack of emotional investment killed it slightly.
November 6, 2018
Kate Mosse did a great job creating a chilling setting in The Taxidermist's Daughter. The nighttime gathering at the graveyard. The numerous hiding places in the marshes. The isolation caused by flooding during heavy rains. These all lent themselves to creating a spooky atmosphere just as well as any violins or string in a Hitchcock thriller.
Mosse was gifted in her ability to paint a picture, especially with the details she used to describe the setting and the birds. I am squeamish when it comes to her detailed descriptions of the minutiae of taxidermy and would just have soon as skipped over all of the uncomfortable descriptions.
When it came to plot and characters, however, the predictability was somewhat of a letdown. Connie's love interest, the unknown member of the Cordivae Club, and the motive behind the disappearance of of the club members were ascertained well in advance of the finale reveal.
My biggest disappointment with the book is that it involved a rape. I wish books had disclaimers about these types of events. Many readers have had traumatic events like this happen to them or people close to them. Using rape as a plot device is one that I'm really tired of stumbling upon in fiction books. I read fiction to be entertained, not to be reminded about the worst humanity has to offer. I would have avoided this book altogether if I had known this information beforehand. If it hadn't been for the rape and the foreseeability of the book, I probably would have rated this book higher.
Mosse was gifted in her ability to paint a picture, especially with the details she used to describe the setting and the birds. I am squeamish when it comes to her detailed descriptions of the minutiae of taxidermy and would just have soon as skipped over all of the uncomfortable descriptions.
When it came to plot and characters, however, the predictability was somewhat of a letdown. Connie's love interest, the unknown member of the Cordivae Club, and the motive behind the disappearance of of the club members were ascertained well in advance of the finale reveal.
My biggest disappointment with the book is that it involved a rape. I wish books had disclaimers about these types of events. Many readers have had traumatic events like this happen to them or people close to them. Using rape as a plot device is one that I'm really tired of stumbling upon in fiction books. I read fiction to be entertained, not to be reminded about the worst humanity has to offer. I would have avoided this book altogether if I had known this information beforehand. If it hadn't been for the rape and the foreseeability of the book, I probably would have rated this book higher.
October 29, 2015
A really nicely paced and very well written gothic thriller from Kate Mosse. I have read the rest of Mosse's work and was suprised to find this book was very different. Both the story and style marks something quite new.
The story , set in Edwardian England,centres around Connie and her gradual remembering of her life before a childhood accident while the past is catching up on quite nastily on most of the other characters around her. Taxidermy plays a big role in the plot without being boring, and a cordivae bird theme runs from start to finish of the book.
Despite the dark story and themes there is still a bit of fun to the book. Its a very enjoyable read , the characters are well drawn and I found myself really liking several of them. The ending is actually quite playful and finishes the whole package off nicely.
Mosse has shown a nice bit of versatility here and this book is an easy recomendation . Well worth trying even for those who didn't love the Langue'doc books.
The story , set in Edwardian England,centres around Connie and her gradual remembering of her life before a childhood accident while the past is catching up on quite nastily on most of the other characters around her. Taxidermy plays a big role in the plot without being boring, and a cordivae bird theme runs from start to finish of the book.
Despite the dark story and themes there is still a bit of fun to the book. Its a very enjoyable read , the characters are well drawn and I found myself really liking several of them. The ending is actually quite playful and finishes the whole package off nicely.
Mosse has shown a nice bit of versatility here and this book is an easy recomendation . Well worth trying even for those who didn't love the Langue'doc books.
February 18, 2017
This dark gothic book, by Kate Mosse, is not for everyone especially the squeamish! Kate Mosse is the author of the Languedoc Trilogy which I loved. Her newest book was up to par and I was throughly entertained and even captivated by her storytelling. Set in England in 1912, the story features a strong and bright woman, who must take over her father's failing taxidermist business. If you get the chance, I also suggest reading her 2005 book "Labyrinth," an archaeological mystery novel, set both in the Middle Ages and present-day France.
October 4, 2024
Στα πλαίσια της δουλειάς μου, πάρα πολλά ξενόγλωσσα κείμενα περνάνε από τα χέρια μου. Άλλα απ' αυτά είναι εξαιρετικά αξιόλογα, άλλα, πάλι, μετά βίας καταφέρνω να τα ολοκληρώσω, θεωρώντας στο τέλος πως σπατάλησα πολύτιμες ώρες από τη ζωή μου. "Η κόρη του ταριχευτή", ένα βιβλίο που με είχε γοητεύει από τον τίτλο του και μόνο, και που ευτυχώς αποδείχτηκε κατά την διάρκεια της ανάγνωσής του πως ανήκει στην πρώτη κατηγορία, κυκλοφόρησε πριν από λίγο καιρό από τις εκδόσεις Μεταίχμιο. Η κυκλοφορία αυτή με χαροποίησε όσο λίγες το τελευταίο διάστημα αφού, συνδυαστικά με κάποιες άλλες κυκλοφορίες των εκδόσεων την ίδια περίοδο, δόθηκε νέα πνοή στο εφηβικό μυθιστόρημα, που την τελευταία διετία ακολουθεί συνεχώς μια φθίνουσα πορεία, ενώ υπάρχουν πάρα πολύ καλά βιβλία εκεί έξω που περιμένουν να βρουν εκδοτική στέγη κι αναγνωστικό κοινό.
Βρισκόμαστε, λοιπόν, στο Σάσεξ του 1912, όπου η δεισιδαιμονίες εξακολουθούν να έχουν τον πρώτο λόγο και να κυριεύουν τους πάντες, σε ένα μικρό παραλιακό χωριό, οι κάτοικοι του οποίου συγκεντρώνονται τη νύχτα στο νεκροταφείο προκειμένου να δουν τα φαντάσματα όσων θα πεθάνουν μέσα στον επόμενο χρόνο. Η Κόνι Γκίφορντ, κόρη του ταριχευτή του χωριού, ζει μαζί με τον πατέρα της σε ένα σπίτι που σαπίζει και που παλιά αποτελούσε μέρος του άλλοτε ένδοξου μουσείου ταρίχευσης της οικογένειας. Η καμπάνα του χωριού αρχίζει να χτυπά και τα βλέμματα όλων στρέφονται στην εκκλησία. Κανείς δεν κοιτά γύρω του και κανείς δεν βλέπει ένα γαντοφορεμένο χέρι να σηκώνει έναν πυριτόλιθο. Μόνο όταν οι τελευταίοι χτύποι της καμπάνας σβήνουν, συνειδητοποιούν τι έχει συμβεί, με μια γυναίκα να κείτεται νεκρή στο έδαφος. Κι ενώ όλο το χωριό προετοιμάζεται για την άνοδο των υδάτων και της μεγαλύτερης παλίρροιας της περιόδου, η Κόνι είναι αποφασισμένη να ανακαλύψει τι συνέβη και ποιος οφείλεται γι' αυτό, έχοντας μια υποψία που όλο και μεγαλώνει μέσα της. Η Κόνι είναι αυτή που δείχνει ή όχι; Είναι το θύμα των περιστάσεων ή κάτι σκοτεινό υπάρχει γύρω από τη δουλειά της; Και ποιο είναι το μεγάλο μυστικό που κρύβεται στην καρδιά του σπιτιού των Γκίφορντ, ανάμεσα στα βάζα και τα εργαλεία του πατέρα της;
Η Mosse έχει δημιουργήσει ένα ιδιαίτερο, ξεχωριστό μυθιστόρημα, ο πυρήνας του οποίου θα λέγαμε πως είναι ιστορικός. Παρ' όλα ταύτα, και παρά το γεγονός ότι καταφέρνει να αποτυπώσει πάρα πολύ καλά και με ιδιαίτερα ρεαλιστικό και γλαφυρό, αλλά διόλου κουραστικό ή φλύαρο, τρόπο την δεκαετία εκείνη, αλλά και τον αιώνα συνολικά, έχει διατηρήσει τις ισορροπίες, αποφεύγοντας εύστοχα το να δημιουργήσει ένα κείμενο γεμάτο από ανούσιες, δασκαλίστικες πληροφορίες που στο κάτω-κάτω δεν μας πολυενδιαφέρουν, ή αν θέλαμε να μάθουμε γι' αυτές θα το κάναμε μέσω άλλου είδους βιβλίου και όχι ενός μυθιστορήματος. Όταν η Ιστορία παντρεύεται με τη μυθιστορία, πρέπει η δεύτερη να υπερτερεί, χωρίς να αλλοιώνει την πρώτη, αλλά και χωρίς η πρώτη να καπιταλεύεται τη δεύτερη, πράγμα που στην προκειμένη περίπτωση συμβαίνει στον απόλυτο βαθμό.
Εν συνεχεία, πρέπει ν' αναφέρουμε το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο ανήκει στην κατηγορία της γοτθικής λογοτεχνίας, ένα είδος που προσωπικά λατρεύω και που κάθε αναγνώστης που έχει εντρυφήσει κάποια στιγμή στην κλασσική λογοτεχνία, δεν μπορεί να μένει ασυγκίνητος μπροστά του. Γιατί ακριβώς αυτό είναι που διακρίνει το συγκεκριμένο μυθιστόρημα. Το γεγονός πως διακατέχεται από μία κλασσικότητα που συναντάς κατεξοχήν σε παλιά, αγαπημένα έργα. Δεν λέω πως είναι ισάξιο μαζί τους, αλλά σίγουρα έχει κάτι από τον αέρα τους και αυτό είναι ένα στοιχείο που είναι δύσκολο να μην εκτιμήσεις. Παράλληλα, και δεδομένου ότι μιλάμε για ένα θρίλερ μυστηρίου, πρέπει να αναγνωρίσουμε πως η πλοκή είναι στρωτή και καλοδουλεμένη. Δεν θα έλεγα πως η ιστορία έχει κενά, και κυλάει αρμονικά. Και παρά την προβλεψιμότητα που το διακρίνει, συνολικά, καταφέρνει να μην σε αφήσει να βαρεθείς, διαβάζοντας με ενδιαφέρον από την αρχή μέχρι το τέλος.
Εν κατακλείδι, πρόκειται για ένα εξαιρετικά καλογραμμένο μυθιστόρημα, από μια συγγραφέα που στο μέλλον έχει να μας προσφέρει πολλές, ακόμα μεγαλύτερες συγκινήσεις, και είμαι βέβαιη γι' αυτό. Ο τρόπος γραφής της έχει κάτι παλαιικό, αλλά σε καμία περίπτωση παλιομοδίτικο. Κι ενώ με την τεχνική αυτή θα μπορούσε εύκολα να γίνει μονότονο, αντίθετα, του προσφέρει χρώμα, δημιουργεί μια ατμόσφαιρα ξεχωριστή και ιδιαίτερη, από εκείνες που στις μέρες μας συναντάς σπάνια σε λογοτεχνικά αναγνώσματα και που εύχεσαι να συνέβαινε συχνότερα. Ωραίοι χαρακτήρες, ωραία πλοκή και αφηγηματική προσέγγιση αυτής, σε ένα βιβλίο που αν και εξαιρετικό γλαφυρό στις περιγραφές του και όχι ιδιαίτερα ανατρεπτικό, καταφέρνει να σε μαγνητίσει και να σε ταξιδέψει στα σκοτεινά μονοπάτια της ανθρώπινης συνείδησης, αλλά και στην κληρονομία που σημαδεύει το πεπρωμένο σου.
Βρισκόμαστε, λοιπόν, στο Σάσεξ του 1912, όπου η δεισιδαιμονίες εξακολουθούν να έχουν τον πρώτο λόγο και να κυριεύουν τους πάντες, σε ένα μικρό παραλιακό χωριό, οι κάτοικοι του οποίου συγκεντρώνονται τη νύχτα στο νεκροταφείο προκειμένου να δουν τα φαντάσματα όσων θα πεθάνουν μέσα στον επόμενο χρόνο. Η Κόνι Γκίφορντ, κόρη του ταριχευτή του χωριού, ζει μαζί με τον πατέρα της σε ένα σπίτι που σαπίζει και που παλιά αποτελούσε μέρος του άλλοτε ένδοξου μουσείου ταρίχευσης της οικογένειας. Η καμπάνα του χωριού αρχίζει να χτυπά και τα βλέμματα όλων στρέφονται στην εκκλησία. Κανείς δεν κοιτά γύρω του και κανείς δεν βλέπει ένα γαντοφορεμένο χέρι να σηκώνει έναν πυριτόλιθο. Μόνο όταν οι τελευταίοι χτύποι της καμπάνας σβήνουν, συνειδητοποιούν τι έχει συμβεί, με μια γυναίκα να κείτεται νεκρή στο έδαφος. Κι ενώ όλο το χωριό προετοιμάζεται για την άνοδο των υδάτων και της μεγαλύτερης παλίρροιας της περιόδου, η Κόνι είναι αποφασισμένη να ανακαλύψει τι συνέβη και ποιος οφείλεται γι' αυτό, έχοντας μια υποψία που όλο και μεγαλώνει μέσα της. Η Κόνι είναι αυτή που δείχνει ή όχι; Είναι το θύμα των περιστάσεων ή κάτι σκοτεινό υπάρχει γύρω από τη δουλειά της; Και ποιο είναι το μεγάλο μυστικό που κρύβεται στην καρδιά του σπιτιού των Γκίφορντ, ανάμεσα στα βάζα και τα εργαλεία του πατέρα της;
Η Mosse έχει δημιουργήσει ένα ιδιαίτερο, ξεχωριστό μυθιστόρημα, ο πυρήνας του οποίου θα λέγαμε πως είναι ιστορικός. Παρ' όλα ταύτα, και παρά το γεγονός ότι καταφέρνει να αποτυπώσει πάρα πολύ καλά και με ιδιαίτερα ρεαλιστικό και γλαφυρό, αλλά διόλου κουραστικό ή φλύαρο, τρόπο την δεκαετία εκείνη, αλλά και τον αιώνα συνολικά, έχει διατηρήσει τις ισορροπίες, αποφεύγοντας εύστοχα το να δημιουργήσει ένα κείμενο γεμάτο από ανούσιες, δασκαλίστικες πληροφορίες που στο κάτω-κάτω δεν μας πολυενδιαφέρουν, ή αν θέλαμε να μάθουμε γι' αυτές θα το κάναμε μέσω άλλου είδους βιβλίου και όχι ενός μυθιστορήματος. Όταν η Ιστορία παντρεύεται με τη μυθιστορία, πρέπει η δεύτερη να υπερτερεί, χωρίς να αλλοιώνει την πρώτη, αλλά και χωρίς η πρώτη να καπιταλεύεται τη δεύτερη, πράγμα που στην προκειμένη περίπτωση συμβαίνει στον απόλυτο βαθμό.
Εν συνεχεία, πρέπει ν' αναφέρουμε το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο ανήκει στην κατηγορία της γοτθικής λογοτεχνίας, ένα είδος που προσωπικά λατρεύω και που κάθε αναγνώστης που έχει εντρυφήσει κάποια στιγμή στην κλασσική λογοτεχνία, δεν μπορεί να μένει ασυγκίνητος μπροστά του. Γιατί ακριβώς αυτό είναι που διακρίνει το συγκεκριμένο μυθιστόρημα. Το γεγονός πως διακατέχεται από μία κλασσικότητα που συναντάς κατεξοχήν σε παλιά, αγαπημένα έργα. Δεν λέω πως είναι ισάξιο μαζί τους, αλλά σίγουρα έχει κάτι από τον αέρα τους και αυτό είναι ένα στοιχείο που είναι δύσκολο να μην εκτιμήσεις. Παράλληλα, και δεδομένου ότι μιλάμε για ένα θρίλερ μυστηρίου, πρέπει να αναγνωρίσουμε πως η πλοκή είναι στρωτή και καλοδουλεμένη. Δεν θα έλεγα πως η ιστορία έχει κενά, και κυλάει αρμονικά. Και παρά την προβλεψιμότητα που το διακρίνει, συνολικά, καταφέρνει να μην σε αφήσει να βαρεθείς, διαβάζοντας με ενδιαφέρον από την αρχή μέχρι το τέλος.
Εν κατακλείδι, πρόκειται για ένα εξαιρετικά καλογραμμένο μυθιστόρημα, από μια συγγραφέα που στο μέλλον έχει να μας προσφέρει πολλές, ακόμα μεγαλύτερες συγκινήσεις, και είμαι βέβαιη γι' αυτό. Ο τρόπος γραφής της έχει κάτι παλαιικό, αλλά σε καμία περίπτωση παλιομοδίτικο. Κι ενώ με την τεχνική αυτή θα μπορούσε εύκολα να γίνει μονότονο, αντίθετα, του προσφέρει χρώμα, δημιουργεί μια ατμόσφαιρα ξεχωριστή και ιδιαίτερη, από εκείνες που στις μέρες μας συναντάς σπάνια σε λογοτεχνικά αναγνώσματα και που εύχεσαι να συνέβαινε συχνότερα. Ωραίοι χαρακτήρες, ωραία πλοκή και αφηγηματική προσέγγιση αυτής, σε ένα βιβλίο που αν και εξαιρετικό γλαφυρό στις περιγραφές του και όχι ιδιαίτερα ανατρεπτικό, καταφέρνει να σε μαγνητίσει και να σε ταξιδέψει στα σκοτεινά μονοπάτια της ανθρώπινης συνείδησης, αλλά και στην κληρονομία που σημαδεύει το πεπρωμένο σου.
March 29, 2016
Blackthorn House was a place you didn't want to visit.
Blackthorn House had the odd Gifford family living there.
Blackthorn House had secrets.
Connie Gifford and her father lived at Blackthorn House and were well known for their taxidermy, but no one ever came around any more for visits or taxidermy.
What had happened to make them outcasts? Was it because of their business? Was it because Connie had had an accident many years ago and sort of became a recluse? Was it because her father was quite odd and always would disappear? Or was it that Gifford and a select few had a secret?
There was something going on in the town that had people watching the Blackthorn House and holding secret meetings that resulted in the men of the town going missing, hiding, and worrying.
As the book continues, we keep hearing about something that happened ten years ago that frightened the men in the town because of their involvement.
THE TAXIDERMIST'S DAUGHTER had odd, mysterious characters and a dark undercurrent. Some parts of the book are not for the faint of heart...pretty gruesome.
It took a while to get interested, but the story line was well crafted and became good after a woman's body was found and the secrets kept for ten years began to be revealed.
The writing was very descriptive, and you could see the characters as they represented that time period no matter what their social class was.
I can’t say it was a favorite, but it did keep me interested by keeping me wondering what the secrets were. 3.5/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation in return for an honest review.
Blackthorn House had the odd Gifford family living there.
Blackthorn House had secrets.
Connie Gifford and her father lived at Blackthorn House and were well known for their taxidermy, but no one ever came around any more for visits or taxidermy.
What had happened to make them outcasts? Was it because of their business? Was it because Connie had had an accident many years ago and sort of became a recluse? Was it because her father was quite odd and always would disappear? Or was it that Gifford and a select few had a secret?
There was something going on in the town that had people watching the Blackthorn House and holding secret meetings that resulted in the men of the town going missing, hiding, and worrying.
As the book continues, we keep hearing about something that happened ten years ago that frightened the men in the town because of their involvement.
THE TAXIDERMIST'S DAUGHTER had odd, mysterious characters and a dark undercurrent. Some parts of the book are not for the faint of heart...pretty gruesome.
It took a while to get interested, but the story line was well crafted and became good after a woman's body was found and the secrets kept for ten years began to be revealed.
The writing was very descriptive, and you could see the characters as they represented that time period no matter what their social class was.
I can’t say it was a favorite, but it did keep me interested by keeping me wondering what the secrets were. 3.5/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation in return for an honest review.
August 26, 2016
Πολύ καλογραμμένο βιβλίο με αγωνία και μυστήριο έως το τέλος. Πολύ ωραία ανάπτυξη της ιστορίας.
April 26, 2020
A perfect page-turner with engaging characters and atmospheric settings. Very enjoyable!
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