BookTrail Brunch – New Book Excitement

Submitted: 6th April 2025

BookTrail Brunch – New Book Excitement

I love the feeling of opening up a new book. A book I feel excited about. A book (always in print – I don’t get as excited about kindles, sorry!) is the one thing I look forward to relaxing with at the end of a long day.

I recently read The Art of a Lie by Laura Shepherd Robinson and this is one of the best books I have read in a long while.

Locations in The Art of a Lie

The Art of a Lie Laura Shepherd-Robinson

Why?

The scene setting is superb.
The witty one liners had me howling with laughter
The writing is crips and engaging
The whole book is so vivid, the colours, sights sounds and smells in 1750s London really do come flying off the page.
The characters are some of the strongest, most devious I have ever come across.
The weaving of the story is just superb!

BookTrail map of locations (c) The BookTrail

Locations in The Art of a Lie

This is a book I really did not want to end. The chapter endings were some of the best I have ever come across. From the start, I knew where the story was going but there are so many elements to this tale, that you will never guess how it pans out.

The world Laura has drawn is so clearly drawn. My favourite scenes were those in the fictional Punchbowl and Pineapple. This is a luxury confectioners so you find out about how everything is made and what the cakes are called.

The fact that Henry Fielding, a real life author takes a part in this fictional tale is extraordinary. Imagine the research required to blend in facts into a fictional tale. This one will give you whiplash as you ride your hansom carriage between scenes.