Kearsley sets this novel in the desperate times of late 17th and early 18th century Scotland, when Presbyterians, Episcopalians and Catholics are at odds with each other and their views on who is the rightful king. Plots and counter plots abound and the common folk are often left to suffer the consequences. And so it is here when a widowed woman, Lily, steps forward to claim the wages owed to her husband who has died during the fatal Darien expedition. But, to Sergeant Williamson, the man asked to step in and examine the case, all is not as it seems and there is every reason to question the marriage and the reason for the claim.
Kearsley writes with meticulous detail on manner, events and every aspect of the time, so that a vivid picture is drawn, though at times it is overburdened with the detail and becomes a history lesson, but the second half finally settles into a tale full of twists and connections until the very end. Worth reading.

“It’s a shame that we cannot reclaim those vanished days, and try to live them better”

A perfect read for Outlander fans, I can’t believe I’ve never read any Kearsley before now, I can’t wait to read more!

I have a particular love for Scottish History and Scottish Historical fiction and this book was the perfect find for the later, a vast character focused novel based in the early 18th century. Turbulent lives for our characters with a backdrop of one of the most turbulent times in recent Scottish history. Meticulously researched and incredibly detailed, definitely not a type of writing that’s for everyone but I loved it.

With the chapters alternating between the present investigation and Lily’s childhood, we really got to know our characters and start building the plot along with the author. I particularly enjoyed the Scots dialect interwoven in the writing, something I wish I found more of in novels.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster UK for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this! The Vanished Days by Susanna Kearsley simply swept me away, and wouldn't let me go until the very last page. It's beautifully written as I expected, and is full of vivid detail and very well researched Scottish history. The story is extremely well-plotted, with many twists and turns to keep the readers' interest, and is steeped in the intrigue and unrest amidst the time of the Jacobite Rebellion, with a sense of danger throughout. Love, passion, politics and power pervade the pages of this book, and as the tension builds I found myself completely immersed in this wonderful story of deception, secrets, and love. A sweeping story that I found to be utterly compelling. Highly recommended.

So we have Sergeant Adam Williamson called in to help verify a wedding certificate between Lily and Jamie - a couple who grew up together in late seventeenth century Scotland. We go back into Lily’s complicated history and become embroiled in Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Jacobites, various kings, queens, dukes and earls of the time and what could have been a rather lovely simple tale became a tangle I found impossible to unravel! Too much unnecessary detail and padding sadly spoilt this promising story for me.

Another fine entry into the Slains series.

It's Autumn, 1707, and the Jacobite revolution is still being felt. Former enemies across Scotland are finding common ground as they band together to protest the new Union with England, At the same time the French are preparing to return the exiled Jacobite king back to Scotland to reclaim his throne. Queen Anne’s commissioners have begun settling the wages owed to those Scots who took part in the Darien expedition years before.

In Edinburgh, when former soldier Adam Williamson is assigned the task of assessing whether a widow, Lily's, claim on her husband's share of money are valid, he enters a world of conspiracy, political allegiances and dalliances. As his investigation continues, he suspects his task is connected to some conspiracy, much bigger and dangerous..

What follows is a wonderful story, blended seamlessly with historical fact against a turbulent time in Scotland's history. The prose is heavy at times, but the story moves along nicely enough, with all the twists and red herrings readers enjoy, and the characters are nicely drawn, and easy to invest in. As seems the case nowadays, the story is told across two timelines, a format I dislike, but accept it's now the norm. Flashbacks fill in the story as we progress through the book, and we move to a surprising climax.

As you'd expect from Susanna Kearsley, the research and historical facts are spot on, and many Scots readers will likely see echoes of Scotland today.

For fans of Diana Gabaldon, Elizabeth Chadwick and Phillip Gregory. Definitely recommended.

When I started this I didn't realise it was the third in the series but loving everything Scottish and about the Jacobites I wax quickly drawn into Lily's story . Fabulous characters and story line but now I have to start at the beginning.

Brilliantly portrays Edinburgh across two timelines during the turmoil of the early Jacobite era.I read this novel at every opportunity.
Clever plot with an unexpected twist at the end,immersing the reader into the sordiness and danger of the time particularly for women and children.
Excellent characterisation researched thoroughly and explained at the end of the book in a unique enjoyable way.
Loved it !

I found this a hit and miss, after a slow start, it did pick up slightly but towards the end started to drift off for me. Just because it’s not the book for me doesn’t mean that other readers wouldn’t enjoy it.

This is a well-crafted novel with a wealth of historical research behind it. There are lots of threads to unpick and surprises to be revealed. For me, it is not my favorite genre and I found it to be confusing and over complicated - probably because it did not grab me, so I read it quickly with little attention. I didn't think the characters came to life as their stories were told in bits and only the narrator reveals his feelings. I appreciate that fans of Highlander would love this.

As usual in my reviews, I will not rehash the plot (plenty of reviews like that already).

I understand that this is part of a series of books, but it worked just fine as a standalone even though I had not read the earlier titles.

This was an enjoyable read. The book evokes a strong feeling of history so that you feel immersed in the times and places where the book is set. The author is clearly knowledgeable about the history, lives and times of the people of Scotland during this period - it is meticulously researched, and apparently features real characters from this time, which adds to the already authentic feel of the book.

There is an excellent twist in the book - I thought I had guessed it, but was wrong, so full marks for that!

I now want to read the rest of the series, and look forward to any future episodes!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

The Vanished Days is the third book by Susannah Kearsley in her Slains/Scottish series and, as a huge fan of the first two (and her books in general), I was really excited to dive back into this world.

Set across two timelines – 1685 and 1707 – this story reintroduces us to characters met in the previous books, including the Moray and Graeme families of Inchbrackie.

I just love the way the author breathes life into real historical figures, hooking the reader from the start and allowing you to connect with an array of engaging characters – particularly the narrator (Sergeant Adam Williamson) who talks directly to the reader throughout making you feel as if you’re being told the story directly by a confidante.

Vanished Days was beautifully researched providing a perfect mix of real-life history, intrigue and romance, with a cracking twist that I really did not see coming!

As with The Winter Sea and Firebird before it, I couldn’t put this book down and really hope that the author continues writing in the Scottish/Jacobite universe in future!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.

I am a latecomer to this author, but what a delightful find she is.

Her books are meticulously researched and I really have enjoyed the way she creates a vibrant and credible reality which respects historical authenticity whilst still making it accessible to modern day sensibilities.
The events during this period of Scotland joining the Union, and the feelings engendered by it resonate even more strongly today and it is so good to see a competent coverage of the entire context such as SK provides in this and the previous books.

Although this can be read as a standalone, I am glad I read the others. A really enjoyable and entertaining story and great insight into an important piece of history.

Discontent, unrest, and danger flooded the streets of Edinburgh and the Highlands in 1707. There is a split over unions, a French invasion, and a battle to help a Jacobite King restore his throne.
In order to keep the peace, Queen Anne's commissioners are giving the Scots money for damages they suffered eight years earlier.
Lily, the widow of a Darien sailor, arrives to get her husband's salary. One man has only a few days to figure out if she's telling the truth or if his intense affections for her are blinding him to reality.

My thoughts:
A lighthearted, meticulously researched historical read. At times, a little hard to remember so much history. The author does an amazing job of capturing that time period and allowing the reader to be immersed in this era.

I really love Susanna Kearsley's books and have read them all so was delighted to hear of this new title and it is did not disappoint. Full of wonderful characterisation, fabulous setting, a gripping story - I couldn't put it down - thank you!

Initially I found this book hard going but then I think it might have been the time period which is one of the harder ones in English/Scottish history! The story develops beautifully though and there are appearances by characters that readers of Susanna Kearsleys other books will be familiar with. This is not say that you need to have read any other books as a knowledge of those characters is not a pre requisite but this is the third in her Scottish series.
This is a tale of loyalty, espionage, courage and love. A young widow has come forward to claim her settlement from the loss of her husband who was part of the disastrous settlement of Darien. Her claim needs to be verified and there are many questions surrounding it. Told in a series of flashbacks we come to see that her story is not as straightforward as we would believe nor are the motives of those on the commission as righteous as the should be. Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that one of the main investigators is battling his own feelings towards the widow.
Fantastic read.

I am now a new fan of this author ,I don’t usually read historical fiction very much but I found myself instantly engrossed in the lives of the characters on this book
A huge amount of my praise for the book arrived at the very end when I read about the huge amount of research the author does to ensure historical accuracy .many of the books characters are based on real people alive at the time .This is very difficult to do without the reader. feeling that they are reading a long list of what happens next .I read the book assuming they were all fictional as the book flows so cleanly and satisfactorily..
I did spend a bit of time wandering what the title of the book had to do with the story as it wasn’t until the very splendid twist at the end that this is explained .I was blissfully unaware that this would happen despite pondering several of the clues as I read .fabulous I love it when I’m fooled
I shall be looking at the authors back catalogue definitely

I am an avid fan of Susanna Kearsley, and often wait with much anticipation for her newest novel. This one did not disappoint in the slightest!

I almost do not know where to begin in my review in order to fully convey how much I enjoyed reading this novel. Due to the style of writing, character development, twists and turns of the plot and attention to detail, Kearsley has once again written a bestseller here.

One thing that did surprise me about this book was that it differed slightly from some of Kearsley’s other works in which there is a ‘time-slip’ element. This book was set between different times, but not times far apart, more times separated by memories and the journeys of the characters as they retell parts of their lives. This did not have a negative effect on the book- if anything, it made it much more immersive as a work of ‘historical fiction’ rather than entering the sometimes whimsical ‘time-slip’ genre.

Upon finishing the book, Kearsley writes about her research and the historical background that helped her writing and I commend her for being so thorough. This certainly shines through in her writing, making the book a believable and intriguing story, where you can truly imagine yourself viewing lives of those from times gone by. The characters were wonderfully developed and the ending held a twist that I did not see coming… I cannot recommend this novel enough.

I love Susanna Kearsley books and this was no exception. I loved the writing, historical setting, the characters. The book also stands alone on its own, you don't need to read the companion. I enjoyed it very much!

If you love historical romance with a touch of mystery and adventure, then you’ll love The Vanished Days by Susanna Kearsley. Set in Edinburgh, 1707, this gripping story follows a young soldier who has been assigned the task of assessing whether a widow’s claims on her husband’s pension are valid. However, in a city where political allegiances are always shifting and the French are rumoured to be preparing forces for an invasion, the young man begins to suspect that his simple task is actually connected to something much bigger-and much more dangerous.

I really enjoyed this book and loved how Kearsley was able to bring 18th century Edinburgh to life: the shadowy corners, the glamorous dinners, rife with political intrigue and the sense of lurking danger. There are so many characters that I sometimes found myself getting a little confused (although this could be because I raced through the book, desperate to know how it ended!).

This book has so many twists and turns that you’re never sure who our young hero can trust! Make sure you start this book when you don’t have too many other commitments as you’ll struggle to put it down!

This is written from the point of view of a young girl, Lily, and the grown up version who Sergeant Williamson is besotted with, to the extent that he fears for his objectivity in assessing her claim to be a widow, properly married, since all the witnesses to the alleged marriage are dead. There is a financial reward for her should her story prove to be true. But is it? Set against a turbulent period of Scottish history
this is a fascinating read. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of the book.