A review by whatshereads727
The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple by Joanna Davidson Politano

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The Elusive Truth if Lily Temple by Joanna Davidson Politano

Is the story of Peter Driscoll, an underground investigator to the wealthy, who has never met anyone like Lily Temple. The beautiful silent-film actress spins fairy tales and plays frivolous roles in front of the cine-camera, but beneath the costumes and stage makeup is a woman with a quick wit--and a murky past.

Peter has been tasked with locating the legendary Briarwood Teardrop, an exquisite sapphire, which Lily wears beneath her gown. In order to stay close to her and hopefully unravel the mystery of her story--and the sapphire--Peter employs Lily's help on a case, which leads to a useful partnership. But as they are investigating together, Peter is also investigating Lily. The closer he gets to the truth, the more danger they face.

I do enjoy stories in the time period and setting.  I could definitely see this book as a future movie. There are quotes at the beginning of every chapter, and varied from such works as Alice in Wonderland, Beauty and the Beast, Grimm fairy tales, etc. that was interesting. Lily uses A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens to tell her own story and I loved that.  Very unique, and I happen to love that book. I just overall loved how storytelling was featured in this novel to advance the plot.

·overall, this is a story of loss, love, and redemption.  Lily has lost her trust in God and through the course of the book, she finds her faith again.

I enjoyed the author’s note on historical research and the mystery was great. This is a Christian story. I gave this 4 stars.