The Little Shop of Found Things

The Little Shop of Found Things

By Paula Brackston

Published October 2, 2018

Why I chose this book:

I like mysteries. I like historical fiction. I like a bit of magic. When I read the synopsis of this time-travel mystery, I was interested. St. Martin's Press provided a review copy. 

Review

Xanthe and her mother are opening an antique shop after being left by Xanthe's father. As part of their preparations, Xanthe comes into contact with a chatelaine that induces visions of its past and transports her to the 17th century. Visions are nothing new to her; she has previously experienced psychometry while working with antiques. The time travel is new, as is contact with a ghost inhabiting the shop premises. The ghost causes Xanthe to enter a blind house (an ancient jail that also happens to be on the property) with the chatelaine. Somehow the combination pushes her back hundreds of years. The how doesn't matter. The why does. Xanthe must rescue the ghost's daughter, who is accused of stealing a needle and scissors from the chatelaine; if Xanthe fails, the ghost will effect the death of Xanthe's mother. Xanthe travels between past and present, investigates the location of the missing items, and begins to fall in love with an architect working for the local lord. No spoilers here, just an encouragement to read the book if you like mysteries or historical fiction. 

I stayed up late for a couple of long nights to finish reading this. It was hard to put down, and when I finally closed the book for the last time, my heart was pounding. Throughout, I held my breath, I cried, and then I had one hell of a book hangover! I think what sets this book apart was how the time-travel and mystery complemented each other. There is no way that the mystery could have been solved in the seventeenth century, so Xanthe's back-and-forth between time periods is necessary. She struggles to blend in with seventeenth century women in ways that I could see myself struggling, and this is another aspect of the book that I enjoyed. Brackston makes the time-travel seem so believable, and Xanthe's actions and reactions so natural. In fact, whenever I would start to wonder, "What about xyz?" that point was addressed. By no means does Xanthe fit in completely, but she is able to cover up her mistakes well enough that no one looks closely enough into her story to discover the truth. 

When I read a mystery, I like to attempt solving it. With The Little Shop of Found Things, I couldn't figure it out what had happened to the missing chatelain attachments until Xanthe did. This was not because the story was so befuddling, but rather because it was so well crafted. And the love story? It developed slowly and hesitantly, as one might, given the circumstances and was heartwarming and heartbreaking to read. And finally, a word about Xanthe herself: she is authentic, resourceful, and kind. I often ask T if he would want to be friends with the characters in his books. I would be happy to have Xanthe as a friend.

Hope you read it and enjoy it as much as I did!