Library Journal
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Two rival organizations of women, the Fellowship of the Larks and the Order of the Katherines, have been searching for a powerful artifact and will stop at nothing to acquire it. Fresh from Oxford, scholar Anya Brown is offered a prestigious role at the Institute of Manuscript Studies. Gifted with an eidetic memory and skilled in decoding ancient languages, she unwittingly becomes entangled in a web of secrets tied to her own family's past. Meanwhile, Detective Constable Clio Spicer of Scotland Yard's Art and Antiquities Squad investigates the mysterious theft of an embroidered bookbinding that's been linked to the murder of a woman in Scotland's Western Hebrides and the covert history of the Larks and the Order of the Kats. Clio's pursuit draws her deeper into a world of hidden alliances and deadly legacies. As Anya and her partner, Sid, uncover disturbing truths at the Institute, they find themselves in grave danger. Clio races to uncover the truth behind the secret societies before it's too late. VERDICT Macmillan's (The Manor House) compelling blend of academic intrigue, historical mystery, and high-stakes suspense makes this a must-read for fans of Kate Morton and Elizabeth Kostova.—Kerri Copus

Publishers Weekly
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MacMillan (The Manor House) pivots from psychological thrillers to dark academia in this overstuffed Dan Brown riff. After translating a rare medieval manuscript as part of her PhD, Anya Brown has her pick of jobs, but her boyfriend and sick mother tether her to the U.K. When she gets an offer from the Institute of Manuscript Studies in St. Andrews, Scotland, complete with a cottage for two within traveling distance of London, it’s almost too good to be true. Anya immediately hits it off with her boss, Diana Cornish, who fails to mention her affinity with the Fellowship of the Larks, a shadowy group searching for an ancient manuscript that believes Anya is their best chance of finding it. They’re not the only ones looking. As bodies start to pile up, Anya and her boyfriend go on the run, seeking to evade the Fellowship and a rival gang with the help of a rogue detective. Tantalizing tidbits of medieval history aren’t enough to outweigh the book’s crowded cast of undermotivated characters or its frustrating refusal to tie up its core mysteries. This has more atmosphere than substance. Agent: Helen Heller, Helen Heller Agency. (Nov.)