The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton by Jennifer N. Brown

 

First Line: Tyburn, 1534. Elizabeth was at first unafraid at the Tree.

When sixteenth-century nun Elizabeth Barton was executed for her prophecy condemning Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, it was thought that all copies of those prophecies had been destroyed-- until historian Alison Sage discovered a manuscript. 

Her find catapults Sage into academic superstardom and earns her an invitation to the exclusive Codex Consortium. For one week, she will be living with other historians in a crumbling English manor house next to the ruined priory where Elizabeth herself once lived.

When a murder occurs, this promising conference turns into a nightmare. Everyone is a suspect, and everything seems to point to a local legend about a centuries-old treasure. Alison's research makes her the logical choice to solve the mystery, and she soon learns that the world of academia is every bit as dangerous as Elizabeth Barton's sixteenth-century England.

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Debut novelist Jennifer Brown has crafted a strong dual timeline mystery featuring a fascinating bit of English history. Elizabeth Barton, better known as the Mad Maid of Kent, had a vision and became locally famous, drawing pilgrims to the priory where she lived. The resulting monetary windfall gathered men with ulterior motives around this naive, unschooled girl. 

While Elizabeth is navigating a very dangerous time in English history, historian Alison Sage is finding the paths of academia rather murky. Everyone at the conference is outstanding in their fields. Everyone has a degree. Everyone is published... and everyone seems to have their own agendas. But what are those agendas?

The strongest part of The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton is the mystery. What's going on at this conference? Will the Mad Maid of Kent's voice be heard once again? Yes, the history and the mystery are solid, and definitely held my interest. However, I never did fully engage with any of the characters, and since that is what I like most in the books I read, I was a bit disappointed.

Read this book for the history and the mystery, and you should enjoy it. Read it mainly for the characters, and you might find it lacking.

The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton by Jennifer N. Brown

eISBN: 9781250383600

St. Martin's Press © 2026

eBook, 307 pages

Dual Timeline Thriller, Standalone

Rating: B-

Source: Net Galley

The Library of Lost Dollhouses by Elise Hooper

 

First Line: New Hampshire, 1950. The woman steps back from her workbench, surveying the completed boxy wooden structure.

When head curator Tildy Barrows discovers a secret room in the beautiful Belva Curtis LeFarge Archival Library in San Francisco, she knows she's found just the thing to save the struggling establishment: two exquisite never-before-seen dollhouses.

Tildy sets out to decipher the histories of the dollhouses after finding clues hidden within the miniatures. Her search sends her to the worlds of Belle Époque Paris, a group of wounded World War I veterans in the English countryside, and Walt Disney's Burbank studios in the 1950s.  As the mystery unravels, she finds not only inspiring, hidden history, but also a family revelation, and a future for herself.

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I am enjoying all the stories that are being written about overlooked women in world history, whether real or fictional. Elise Hooper's The Library of Lost Dollhouses is another strong addition to this category, and her Author's Note at the end explains the people who inspired her characters.

The story spans a century and is told by two women, one, head curator Tildy Barrows who is passionate about saving the Belva Curtis LeFarge Library in San Francisco. As she described it, I wished I could go there and wander through all the rooms-- marvelous! The second is Cora Hale, extraordinary artist and creator of the most exquisite dollhouses I've ever read about. (I love the Thorne Rooms in the Phoenix Art Museum and have visited them many times, so this is a subject that's interested me for a long time.) I love how Cora was able to incorporate women's secrets into the houses she created for them.

Another strong point in this book was the descriptions of how difficult it is to keep a place like the LeFarge Library afloat, especially after the pandemic. As the book traveled from one place to the next, from Tildy's life and then back to Cora's, I couldn't wait until all was revealed. All in all, this is a heart-warming read that's well worth your time.

The Library of Lost Dollhouses by Elise Hooper

eISBN: 9780063382152

William Morrow © 2025

eBook, 315 pages

Fiction, Dual Timeline

Rating: B

Source: Net Galley