The Firebird's Feather

A satisfying mystery combined with vivid historical details!

This is set around the coronation of George V. The suffragette movement is taking pace looking to get the vote for women. Lots of emotion surrounding both of these issues- celebration and angst from the suffragettes. Kitty Challoner is the main character and her mum is shot whilst out riding. Why was she a target? She discovers lots of information about her mother during the investigation- little chunks of events are released along the way. Her mum had links to a Russian revolutionary who fled to Britain for asylum. Was she the intended victim? She tries to find the truth and comes across dangerous secrets lurking in her house. Who is responsible? This was a fairly quick read and is set in one of my favourite eras for a novel.

The Firebird’s Feather was my first title but certainly not my last read from Ms. Eccles. With a setting and plot I would never decline an invitation to visit, I had no idea what to expect and by the last page I had a neutral feeling that finally settled this morning on I liked this title enough to try another. A light historical mystery is how I would describe The Firebird’s Feather; enough details shared to capture a wispy postcard of London during 1911 with a genteel lady’s murder at the center and the beginning of a desperate quest for answers for a young woman on the cusp of entering society. This alone would usually completely enchant this reader but I am sorry to say I had a difficult time staying focused on this title in the beginning and a few parts throughout.

Characters were introduced only at a distance and the main character even more at a distance to this reader. It seemed many times the main character fluttered from event to event and I never felt engaged and more interested in following other characters. Unfortunately no character could be found however what I did find to follow were the unique details and topics that propelled the story. With the brilliant introduction of Slavic Folklore and particularly the story of the Firebird this title became an interesting find and a clever meeting of England and Russia that I would recommend to those potential readers who love to encounter unorthodox and Orthodox themes.

* I would like to thank Severn House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and enjoy The Firebird’s Feather.

Every once in a while I like to venture into different categories of books that are offered up for review and I was glad of the opportunity to read this book. Marjorie Eccles takes an interesting part of history in England and adds a twist of mystery to it as we have a young lady, getting ready to debut in all the social circles in 1911 London, with women's rights and the new king getting ready for his coronation and puts a murder down in the middle of it. This is my first time reading a book by this author but it certainly will not be my last.