📱E-Book Review📱

The Versailles Formula
Nancy Bilyeau

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I hadn't realised when I grabbed this book, that it was actually the third book in the Genevieve Planche Mystery series.

There were definitely a few occurrences where I wondered what I'd missed - but in essence this did read ok as a standalone read.

We follow Genevieve as she investigates a potential haunting where it's thought that a painting holds a ghost who appears at night - but on inspection, the painting seems to hold a whole different mystery.

This case is therefore whole and complete, but the discover that a pigment is being re-made, suggested that we've seen this before in previous books in the series.
I also took a little while getting to grips with the characters who were clearly already very well established.

The writing style did draw me in and had me intrigued and eager to find clues to solve the case - I really enjoyed the story on the whole - but I'm definitely left thinking about what I might have sorted had I read the series as a while and in order.

I liked the setting and era and felt that this was well written and felt very authentic - especially with the historical references and characters woven in.

I think I'll be adding books 1&2 to my wishlist so that I can catch up, ready for the next release....

This is the third Genevieve Planche novel. I unfortunately have not read the first two, but I had no trouble starting here as the author gives enough background from the previous books. I love the heroine - her intelligence, her stubbornness, her willingness to be in danger to help her friends.

This is a quite thrilling adventure/mystery book and it kept my interest all the way through. I like the historical details in both England and France for that era which the author has wonderfully described. The secret blue formula plays a part in the whole book series.

Recommended especially if you have read the first two books, but I enjoyed it nevertheless. I will put the first two on my reading list!

Genevieve Sturbridge (neè Planche) is back in this page turner by Nancy Bilyeau. Now married and living outside of London (far outside of London!) Genevieve finds herself once again pulled into solving a mystery, this time about the color blue. Initially it's unclear to the reader why a dye would be so important that countries and people would kill for it, or go to war over it, but little by little as Genevieve gets more deeply involved in solving the mystery, things are revealed to us that have implications for both England and France. The color was invented by Genevieve's husband, and the formula appears to have been stolen. This is one of those books you'll find hard to put down, and the historical details are as fascinating as the espionage! Don't miss this book!

Wow, what a great historical mystery! Nancy Bilyeau brings Gothic flair to 18th century London with The Versailles Formula, the third installment in her bestselling Genevieve Planché series. It bears mentioning that while I have read some of Bilyeau's other books, this series is new to me, yet I had no trouble at all picking up this novel and getting to know the characters and their backstories. So have no fear--if you are new to the series like I am, you will still enjoy it, as long as you don't mind a few spoilers from the previous two novels along the way. I didn't mind them at all--it only made me want to catch up on the whole series that much more!

The Gothic atmosphere is strong in The Versailles Formula. When artist and former spy Genevieve Sturbridge (nee Planché) is invited to London for dinner at author and influential politician Horace Walpole's sprawling Gothic revival estate, Strawberry Hill, she leaves the quiet countryside behind for the city of her birth. Little does she know she's about to be pulled back into the same web of espionage and intrigue that threatened her life years before when she and her husband were tasked with guarding the secret formula for a precious, rare shade of blue coveted by artists and royalty alike.

At Strawberry Hill, Genevieve uncovers a shocking secret--the same shade of blue pigment is being produced again--this time, by some formidable enemies. As the plucky and courageous Genevieve and her compatriots race against time to prevent the blue from landing in the wrong hands, readers get the pleasure of meeting the eccentric Walpole and experiencing his Gothic "gloomth." Be prepared for some delightful scares along the way, when a haunting painting creates all sorts of paranormal havoc at Strawberry Hill.

I could not read this novel at night for two reasons: the first quarter of it genuinely scared me (hard to do) and it was so good I didn't want to put it down. The excitement and action ramp up steadily, and Bilyeau's exquisite pacing will have you wanting to binge the novel in one sitting. Part espionage novel, part intriguing look at the historical importance of art and the porcelain industry to 18th century diplomacy, The Versailles Formula is a riveting and deftly written tale that will keep you up much too late at night, for all the right reasons. Fantastic!

Thank you Joffe Books for this arc.

There are many things I like about this book. Seven years into their marriage, Genevieve and Thomas seem to be having problems. I’m not actually happy about that but the seven year mark does seem to be a period where marriages undergo strain so seeing it here is realistic. Their letters have grown stiff and awkward so Genevieve isn’t exactly sorry when she gets whisked away to see a long time friend.

Long time friend’s husband is another matter though and it’s clear that Something Is Up. Soon Genevieve is caught up in something that seems rather silly for a long time. But eventually events from the first book rear their heads and if not solved, the chance that France and England could enter another war – which would be financially devastating to them both after the Seven Years/French and Indian War – is a distinct possibility.

It becomes clear later on but I’ll go ahead and spill that it’s best to think of what drives this plot as an 18th century Cold War between England and France. A treaty has ended their most recent conflict but left them both in precarious financial straits. What almost came between them earlier, and was actually entered into a treaty, is what is at stake again. So who is behind this and can Genevieve and another person get proof?

Genevieve is smart – well most of the time – but there are so many times when she almost got on my last nerve. She’s like a prickly cat ready to swipe out with her claws before her fur is even ruffled. I get that she has fought against a system that has excluded her and belittled her but her (artistic?/French Huguenot?) temper flares to white hot if someone even looks at her funny. She is touted as such a great spy and operative but manages to bungle things a bit as well as poo-pooing training that the other operative gives her. So this information can be conveyed to the reader, I guess that she is also made to come off as a bit naive about the depths of depravity of the French aristocracy. I will give her props for a few gutsy moves she makes that get her out of danger and which do manage to save the day. She and the other person clash a lot but both grow as characters by the end. But yeah I still wanted to shake her.

The way the book ends, I expect that there will be another one in this series as there are lots of important loose threads. I’ll be interested to see what happens and am glad that I pushed through the spots where things annoyed me here. Genevieve is a strong woman and the underlying driver of the plot is one of the more unique ones I’ve come across. B-

Having loved Nancy Bilyeau’s The Blue and The Fugitive Colours, I was excited to read the new book in the Genevieve Planché series, The Versailles Formula. I'm pleased to say that I found it as good as the first two. If you’re new to the series, I would recommend reading the books in order if you can, but there’s enough background information in this one to allow you to start here if you wanted to.

The Versailles Formula is set in 1766 and, like the other books, is narrated by Genevieve Planché, a Huguenot woman who grew up in London after her family left France due to religious persecution. She’s also an aspiring artist who is finding it frustratingly difficult to be taken seriously in a field still dominated by men. As the novel opens, Genevieve is teaching watercolours to a group of young ladies while her husband, the chemist Thomas Sturbridge, is away from home working on a new research project with a scientist friend. Several years earlier Thomas had created a formula for a beautiful new shade of blue – an invention that powerful people in both France and Britain would stop at nothing to obtain. The race for the blue led to murder and treason before an agreement was finally reached that both sides would stop attempting to develop the colour.

Genevieve’s painting lesson is interrupted by the arrival of Under-Secretary of State Sir Humphrey Willoughby, husband of her friend, Evelyn. Sir Humphrey’s appearance sets in motion a chain of events that lead Genevieve to Strawberry Hill, home of the author Horace Walpole. Here she and Sir Humphrey make the shocking discovery that someone has begun producing the blue once more. Have the French broken the treaty they agreed to or is this someone acting alone? How did the blue find its way into Walpole’s home? Accompanied by an army officer, Captain Howard, Genevieve travels to Paris in search of answers.

This book definitely lived up to my expectations and was worth the three year wait since the last one! It was good to catch up with Genevieve again and although I would have liked to have seen more of other recurring characters such as Thomas Sturbridge, there’s a wonderful new character to get to know in the form of Captain Howard. Genevieve is wary of Howard at first, disliking him on sight and unsure as to why Sir Humphrey is entrusting him with such an important mission, but her opinion gradually begins to change and I loved watching their relationship develop as they travel across France.

Although many of the characters in the novel are fictional, there are also some who are real historical figures, most notably Horace Walpole, author of The Castle of Otranto. I particularly enjoyed the section of the book where Genevieve visits Strawberry Hill, his Gothic-style mansion in Twickenham and experiences its ‘gloomth’ – a term coined by Walpole himself to describe his home’s atmosphere of gloom and warmth.

The book is well paced, with tension building as Genevieve begins to wonder exactly who can and can’t be trusted – and whether anyone will see through the false identity she has adopted for her return to France. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but I did feel that some things were left unresolved at the end, so I hope that means there could be a fourth Genevieve Planché book to look forward to. If so, I’ll certainly be reading it.

I thank NetGalley and Lume Books for an advance reader copy of “The Versailles Formula.” All opinions and comments are my own.

Genevieve Planché and her husband Thomas Sturbridge are once again caught up in a diabolical tale concerning “that” supposedly destroyed method of developing a beautiful blue paint in “The Versailles Formula." The whole story (it would help if you’ve read the previous books, but author Nancy Bilyeau has the knack of providing enough information in this one to give you the gist) is a clash of governmental proportions, and this one is a continuation, as spymaster Sir Humphrey sets Genevieve on a path of “King and Country.” So, when you have a wife that must lie to her husband, assume another woman’s identity, do a whole lot of spying in Paris, and to top it all off, do all this in company with another (very attractive) man not her husband, well, you may have a recipe for disaster.

Genevieve and Captain Howard, her comrade in arms, as it were, turn out to be very good at what they do, and get the information they’ve come for (“tensions will ease,” as we’re told), not without personal danger, of course; no good spy thriller is complete without it. But that’s not the end of it for Genevieve. What does happen in “The Versailles Formula” is an awakening in her that perhaps a quiet life in the country is not everything she wants and wishes for. Above all, she has to explain to Thomas how their life is changing -- in some very interesting ways -- but she’ll probably keep quiet about a LOT of other things. Will she return to her husband and son and be content? The author has given us a heroine with an intriguing story and much left to tell readers.

As a fan of 18th century complex intrigues and regular visitor of baroque locations in France, I was on the edge about the Versailles formula. Would the plot make sense ? How about the possible faux pas about the period ? How the characters would be described ? Well, I'm over the moon. It is the first time reading a historical novel about this period that I'm carried away in such a fashion by the context, the story, the numerous characters, the atmosphere. The pace of the adventures of the characters is perfectly orchestrated, and I cannot wait to buy and read all the books from Nancy Bilyeau. I just cannot wait for the 4th book about Genevieve Planché. Also, the series is a perfect gift to anyone interested in European arts and crafts.

Genevieve Sturbridge has left the dangers of London for a quiet life in the countryside with her husband and young son. But when she is invited to a dinner party at Sir Horace Walpole’s magnificent Gothic estate, she is drawn into a terrifying web of deception, espionage and murder.

At the mysterious dinner party Genevieve makes a shocking discovery — a secret pigment of the deepest, purest blue is being produced once more. The formula is so rare, it’s the obsession of chemists, royalty, and spies.

Some will kill to possess it. Others will kill to keep it buried.

Only Genevieve can recognise the formula and stop it falling into the wrong hands. But when a ghost from her past resurfaces, Genevieve must determine who she can trust. Years ago, this secret nearly cost her and her husband their lives. Now, someone is willing to kill for it once more.

Genevieve must discover the truth before time runs out, because this time the price of failure will cost more than just her own life.

Review to come …

Wow! What a wonderful glimpse into 1700’s France and England. Genevieve is such a perfect heroine and the story flowed effortlessly. Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC of #TheVersaillesFormula!

This is the third book in the Genevieve Planche series and the fun and excitement continues.
Genevieve and her husband Thomas left Paris and now live in England. Thomas is still a chemist and is engaged in the study of electricity. Genevieve is bored, she misses her artist studio in Spitalfields, and her secret life as a spy in France.
When Sir Humphrey Willoughby, master spy catcher of England, asks for her help she is delighted to feel useful again.
Sir Horace Wimpole has acquired a painting by Fragonard, a portrait of an Angel, but a ghost apparently visits it at night, running footsteps have been heard along the corridor, and the figure of a young man in a white robe and golden hair has been seen near the painting, but then vanishes.
Why that painting? Genevieve knows her art and believes the painting to be a forgery, Fragonard didn’t paint Angels. Is there a hidden message within?
Much to her delight and the consternation of Thomas , she is tasked with returning to France with Captain Peregrine Howard as escort. She will use the alias of Lady Jane Howard, and try to find out who sold the painting to Walpole and what, if any, message is hidden there. Could it be connected to The Blue colour that Thomas developed in France eight years ago? The colour that led to murders, kidnapping and treason? The Blue that nearly started a war between France and England? She must find the answers without giving away her identity as a spy and her forbidden religion as a Huguenot.
This is an exciting romp through Paris, and there is a hint of a romance between Genevieve and Captain Howard, how will that play out?
The story is full of historical characters, details, tension and a real fear of being exposed and suffering harm if discovered. A meeting with an old acquaintance, long feared dead, brings both a surprise and an obligation to Genevieve.
A wonderful read, worthy of my five star rating.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Joffe Books for my advanced copy, freely given in return for my honest review. I will leave copies to Goodreads and Amazon UK upon publication. I am recommending this to my local library and reading group for next years list.

The Versailles Formula is a classic tale of mystery and intrigue. Very gothic atmosphere. Lots of castles, cemeteries, grand ballrooms, sinister prisons, and cloistered convents. Historical figures mixed with the fictional.

The story started out well but as I reached Part 2, I wondered when art and pigments would enter the plot. Almost simultaneously with my thoughts, Genevieve is asked to return to France to investigate who is using the forbidden blue color that her husband created. While there, Genevieve will do a little spying for her country.

I was disappointed with the book. It is advertised as a historical thriller but it isn't a thriller. I would categorize it as a historical mystery; a good one. A big part of my disappointment was the extremely high expectations that I held. Each of the author’s earlier eight novels were spectacular. Another blockbuster was expected. That said, it is a fairly good mystery. I would not want this installment of the series to be the end though. I believe that the series is only three books and, if so, The Versailles Formula is not the best ending. Another problem I have is that the story wasn't about the chemical formula for blue but rather the possibility that it is being misused. It took alot of pages before the identity of this mystery was given.

Approximately one third of the book gave background information from the first two books. It was done well with equal amounts of dialogue and narrative but unless you've read those books, the level of drama from the backstory is missing. Also, Genevieve's career as an artist is not part of the plot. That's a departure from the earlier two books in the series.

Enough with the negatives. What is positive about the book? Genevieve and Captain Howard's mission in France was fraught with plenty of twists and I was often afraid for both of them. It didn't appear that they would succeed in their quest to determine who was using the forbidden blue color. Almost daily they were accosted by enemies of England but the two were not always aware of the identity of these enemies. Part of the mission was to figure out who was who. If they could return to England with the name of the forger of blue then they were successful. Along the way these two met interesting Frenchmen who added "color" to the story. Pun intended.

The book reads like a historical spy story. However, my impression of the series was something else. If this was a standalone novel I would rate it highly. It is part of a series, though, so I can only rate it based upon this fact. Please note that I received an advanced review copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Not only this novel is very entertaining, it is also very interesting. The topic evolves about art, particularly painting and above all the colour blue. I enjoyed this part very much. What I did not really like is the touch of romance which I found too predictable in its development. Otherwise, I loved the story. This book is the third one in the series, but can be read as a standalone as well. The previous two books were excellent. I would recommend to read them as well. I have read all novels written by the author which I have tremendously enjoyed.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.

This is an intriguing novel set in the 1760s which combines people in history with fictional characters. An enjoyable read.

I found this book confusing and frankly troubling, with its gaslighting and misogynist microaggressions. It’s the third book in the series, and maybe I wouldn’t have been so lost if I had read the books in order. DNF.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Another wonderful historical mystery! I could not put it down! Ms. Bilyeau's novels keep the suspense and imagination going from the beginning to the end!

The Versailles Formula starts with an eerie, haunting image: a ghost patters down a long, dark hallway night after night, past a suit of armor, trying in vain to seize its prize at the end, the portrait of an angel--but always vanishing before he wins his goal. Genevieve Sturbridge nee Planche is back. And solving this mystery will only lead to more mysteries, a trail of bodies, and desperate danger.

Genevieve, of course, is the Huguenot heroine with French heritage and British loyalties, with one foot in the art world and the other mired in espionage. In this third book in the series she's teamed with an army captain almost as stubborn and resourceful as she is. Sparks fly.

They're agents in the secret battle between England and France that threatens every day to break out into open warfare that could bring both countries down. The fates of two nations hinge once again on the machinations behind a mysterious shade of blue.

The atmosphere is delightful.The action takes place in England and France, castles and cemeteries and chateaux, grand ballrooms, sinister prisons, and cloistered convents. Historical figures flit through, from Horace Walpole, the father of the Gothic novel, to the Marquis de Sade, who lived one.

The Versailles Formula is Bilyeau at her best, a classic tale of mystery and intrigue that only lacks a cameo from a dueling D'Artagnan to make my life complete. If you've read the firsr two books in the series, this is one you've been eagerly awaiting. If you haven't, this is a hellacious introduction.

The Versailles Formula will be published April 17.