Portobello Book Blog

I’m sharing some brief thoughts about a book I recently listened to as an audiobook through my Audible subscription. The Love Letter is told from the points of view of several characters with the main character being Joanna Haslam, an investigative journalist. She is covering the funeral of renowned actor Sir James Harrison when an old lady sitting near her takes ill and Joanna sees her safely home. Later she receives a rather mysterious letter from the old lady and her journalistic radar kicks in, starting off a whirlwind adventure as she investigates what has happened both now and in the past.

This was a brilliant, fast paced story which had a bit of everything!  With the title being The Love Letter there was, as you might expect, romance but there was also intrigue, danger, mystery, secrets, scandal and so many shocks and surprises that kept me guessing right up to the end. The story took many directions I really did not expect and included the secret service, an acting dynasty, royalty and investigations that put some of the characters in terrifying situations. It was real heart-in-the-mouth stuff at times.

If this was a physical book I would say that it was a true page turner which I couldn’t put down. I’m not sure what the equivalent is for an audiobook but I certainly was listening to it every opportunity I got. The narration by Camilla Rockley was excellent and really added to my enjoyment. I enjoyed the book so much that as soon as I was finished I bought another Lucinda Riley audiobook, the first in The Seven Sisters series. If you like fast paced fiction with lots of twists, then I highly recommend The Love Letter.

The Love Letter was published by Pan Macmillan and is available now in all formats. You will find buying links for various book retailers at the publishers’ website here: The Love Letter

From the back of the book

Keeping secrets is a dangerous game . . .

1995, London.

When Sir James Harrison, one the greatest actors of his generation, passes away at the age of ninety-five he leaves behind not just a heartbroken family but also a secret so shocking, so devastating that it could rock the English establishment to its core . . .

Joanna Haslam is an ambitious young journalist, assigned to cover the legendary actor’s funeral. The great and the good of the celebrity world are there. But Joanna stumbles on something dark beneath the glamour: the mention of a letter James Harrison has left behind, the contents of which others have been desperate to conceal for over seventy years. As she peels back the veil of lies that has shrouded the secret, she realizes that there are other forces attempting to prevent her from discovering the truth. And they’ll stop at nothing to reach the letter before she does.

The Love Letter is a thrilling novel full of secrets, lies and unforgettable twists, from the internationally bestselling author, Lucinda Riley.

About the author

Lucinda Riley was born in Ireland, and after an early career as an actress in film, theatre and television, wrote her first book aged twenty-four. Her books have been translated into over thirty five languages and sold twenty million copies worldwide. She is a Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller.

Lucinda is currently writing The Seven Sisters series, which tells the story of adopted sisters and is based allegorically on the mythology of the famous star constellation. The first five books, The Seven Sisters, The Storm Sister, The Shadow Sister, The Pearl Sister and The Moon Sister have all been No.1 bestsellers across the world, and the rights to a multi-season TV series have already been optioned by a Hollywood production company.