REVIEW: The Clockwork Girl (Anna Mazzola)

Book: The Clockwork Girl

Author: Anna Mazzola

Premise: In the midst of winter, chambermaid Madeleine Chastel arrives at the home of Paris's celebrated clockmaker and his daughter. But Madeleine is hiding a dark past, and a dangerous purpose: to discover the truth of the clockmaker's experiments and record his every move, in exchange for her own chance of freedom.

This is a dark, gothic historical fiction set in Paris. I liked the mystery and the atmosphere built. The story is narrated by Madeleine, the clockmaker's daughter, and the king's mistress. Each narrator is trapped and their lives controlled by men. But they are all smart and working to manoeuvre themselves into better positions. The plot is slow though, taking it's time to build up the tension. Personally, I found it dragged and it took effort to push on. But the twist at the end was worth it.