This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
I was introduced to this series of novels while recuperating from a hip replacement operation. I haven’t read them all but the three I have read I have thoroughly enjoyed.
Lucinda Riley sadly died in 2021 at the age of 56 from cancer, but she has left a legacy of excellent novels for us to enjoy. She started her career as an actress in Auf Wiedersehen Pet. After contracting a glandular illness, which led her to be bedridden for some time at the age of 24, she turned to writing novels.
Her greatest success was the Seven Sisters series, where she combined her characters with her lifelong fascination for history. The inspiration for these international bestsellers, with sales of 20 million, came as she gazed into the Norfolk night sky at the Pleiades star cluster in 2012.
The Seven novels combine romance and history brilliantly. They are all colourful and it is easy to get lost in the novels.
The Six D’Aplièse sisters were all adopted by Pa Salt from different parts of the world and brought to live on an island in Lake Geneva. After his unexpected death, each daughter is left a clue made up of a global grid point, and a small object. Each novel follows one of the sister’s trips to various parts of the world where they find out their family’s history. You are then transported back in time to various events and learning more about famous historical characters from Beatrix Potter to the Norwegian composer Grieg. The countries visited range from Thailand, South America, Lake District, Kenya, Norway and New York.
The Missing Sister was Riley’s final novel and was published last year. It is the quest for the Seventh Sister.
I have only read three of the novels but have thoroughly enjoyed them and look forward to reading the others. I really recommend them as a holiday read for two reasons. The first is they transport you to beautiful places and the second is that they are quite lengthy, and you need time to read them.
I would like to add that my eldest daughter asked for the set of 7 Lucinda Riley books for Christmas and has been completely captivated by them ever since. I had never heard of Lucinda Riley until then but having heard glowing reviews from both my daughter and The Page Turner I am about to start reading them. Annabel
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