Having been to the locations mentioned in this book, I was excited to read an alternate reality/history/envisioning of them. The story, however, did not deliver. I found The House at Bishopsgate to be overly long, with far too much content that could easily have been deleted without issue. I also didn't realise this was book 3 in a series so there were moments I didn't really understand the characters motivations.

I enjoyed this without realising it was the third of a series. I did feel intrigued by the past life of Celia and Annetta though so will probably read the other books. It was well written, with good period details, but curiously my copy had rather a lot of errors which one would not expect from this publishing house. In addition to these errors there was a breathtaking error of fact right at the end. Anyhow, I enjoyed the story and would read more from this author.

Review of an advance digital copy from the publisher.

This book was so riveting! I literally couldn't stop reading until I'd finished the whole book!

I really loved the first two books in this series, 'The Aviary Gate' and 'The Pindar Diamond', so I was very happy to get a copy of this novel for review.

The year is 1611 and the story begins effectively at the end; the main protagonists are either old or dead, which wasn't the most inspiring start! The narrative then moves back within the story and picks up at the point where the English merchant, Paul Pindar, is bringing his wife, Celia Lamprey, back to England from Aleppo. She has an interesting and quite shocking history, explored in the earlier novels, and is considered something of a novelty in London, where their house is being restored for their occupation. A mysterious widow accompanies them and starts to cause problems within the dynamics of their marriage, just as Celia is struggling to adjust to life in London.

The historical detail is excellent, as always; Aleppo is beautifully evoked, all the more poignant given its recent history. London, in comparison, is busy and unappealing, but this chimes perfectly with the mood of the novel. However, I sometimes found the intrigue between the characters a little dull and thought that the pace of the book was slow at times.

Overall, I'm glad I have read this in order to finish the story begun by the earlier books, a story which is intriguing and engaging. However, reading it as a stand-alone novel was quite challenging.

After reading this book it was clear that it was the final part of a trilogy that I hadn't started before. This made reading very slow at first as one needs to fill in the back story. The setting was interesting, the pre-Civil War Stuart London was envisaged well and this contrasted with the part of the story set in the Near East. Whilst the writing did meander there were some strong characters and over all I did enjoy this book.

The House at Bishopsgate belongs to wealthy merchant Paul Pindar and it has sat empty for years while Paul and his wife Celia live in Oriental splendour in 17th century Aleppo where he is a representative of a powerful trading company. But now they have returned to introduce Celia to London society in the reign of James 1st but that society, as is so often the way, is more interested in gossip about Celia’s past (she spent years in the harem of a sultan) and Paul’s prized jewel – a huge diamond known as the Sultan’s Blue. But, somehow, they can’t seem to shake off Lady Sydenham, a young widow they escorted home from Antwerp, and who is now settled into their home with them. Add in a secondary plotline about an ex-nun, a missing servant of Paul’s and his rather unsavoury brother Ralph and there is plenty there for any fan of historical fiction. I was reminded of early Philippa Gregory (Wideacre/Earthly Joys era stuff) which can only be a good thing. I was, to be honest, pretty much raised on Jean Plaidy so reckon I know a good historical yarn when I see one. And this one isn’t bad at all.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publishers for a free copy in return for an honest review.

Due to its lack of editing I found this book difficult to read. There were no paragraphs, sentences finished midway and jumped to the next line, and there was an inclusion of the digits 1 and 2 instead of either brackets, or sentences that ought to have been removed.

However, as I got a preview copy, and the poor version was not the fault of the authors writing, I felt that I should persevere and finish the book. Once I got used to the format I found I was actually enjoying this book.
It’s the third in a series, which I didn’t know, and I am looking forward to downloading the first two. You can read this as a stand-alone book, but for me there were so many references to what happened before that it seems wrong no to go back and read them

The tale of intrigue, plotting and greed is set against two love stories. Plus there is an excellent twist at the end which I never saw coming, although I did wonder as there were clues.

I would suggest reading the books in order and would definitely recommend.

I only realised that this novel was the third part of a trilogy after I had finished it, which goes to show that it reads perfectly well as a standalone book. In fact, I’m delighted to discover this because The House at Bishopsgate has left me itching to know more about the characters’ exotic histories. This is the concluding part of a story begun in The Aviary Gate and continued in The Pindar Diamond, neither of which I’ve yet read, but watch this space, as they might make an appearance soon. Hickman’s tale of intrigue, secrets, lost love and scheming ambition makes for an addictive brew.

In this book, we meet Paul and Celia Pindar in Aleppo in 1611, on the eve of returning to their native London after several years spent in the Middle East. Paul, a successful merchant, is eager to see the sumptuous mansion he’s had built on Bishopgate to welcome his wife home. But he also realises that London will be strange to her; for Celia has only recently been freed from the sultan’s harem in Constantinople. There is much in the Pindars’ past that would cause scandal in London, if it were to come out; and more in their present that would fascinate. For Paul Pindar returns not only with a dazzling fortune, but also a wife who knows all the subtle secrets of the Ottoman harem and, perhaps most captivating of all, a magnificent diamond, the Sultan’s Blue.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable mixture of exotic historical fiction and thriller, which will be just right for those who enjoyed The Miniaturist. My chief concern, when reading it, was that Hickman was hinting at all this wonderful backstory without making the most of it, but of course now I realise that she already has written more fully about all of that (The Aviary Gate sounds a bit like The Abduction from the Seraglio). I thought Hickman’s characterisation and descriptive powers were very fine. She evokes the exotic splendour of a rich merchant’s house in the 17th century: the Turkey carpets, jewels, cameos and curiosities from every corner of the world; yet her exquisitely realised settings are inhabited by real people, troubled, complex and full of half-glimpsed histories. This is a clever tale of intertwining lives, each driven by desire – whether that’s for someone or something – and bristling with secrets. Wonderful stuff.

For the full review, please visit my blog at the link given below:
https://theidlewoman.net/2017/01/02/the-house-at-bishopsgate-katie-hickman/

The further I got into this, the more important I thought it that you've read the first two books (The Aviary Gate, The Pindar Diamond) - even though Celia's past history is recounted here, it feels a little cold in the telling and it's best to have experienced it.

In this book, Hickman brings our protagonists back to England in 1611 where not just the ruling monarch but also many other things have changed. The arrival of Annetta harks back to the earlier books but we also meet a new character who is central to this one, to keep the mysteries of the past alive.

Hickman is, as always, good on the background and there's a strong sense of the material presence of 1611 - however the foreground of the story is less enticing - and the two sequels have never quite lived up to the drama and interest of Aviary Gate. If you've met Celia and Paul Pindar before then this closes their story nicely, but if not I would recommend starting with Aviary Gate.