Gilding the Lily by Justine John
PROLOGUE
She stood solemnly at the graveside. A single tear ran down her cheek. A man and a woman stood either side of her, and a younger man opposite. They all looked down at the expensive coffin being lowered into their family plot. A few other mourners were scattered around; they formed a small, sad crowd, as the priest said the familiar burial prayer. But she barely heard the words as the coffin settled with an audible thump.
“... commit her body to the earth, for we are dust and unto dust we shall return...”
She looked around her. It was a warm, bright day in September, but there was an unusual wind – a hurricane was forecast. There were many headstones here, and a few statues. Of angels mainly. Different colours but somehow, the same hue. A few trees lined the perimeter fence, some bare, some evergreen. Beyond them, the city buzzed – it went on with its day and didn’t notice anyone missing.
The woman next to her was wearing a hat that didn’t suit her. It kept catching the breeze, and the woman’s gloved hand caught it each time. It was annoying. She should have pinned it or something. She shivered as a gust blew by them and then smiled inwardly. How was it she came to be here? How was it that it all went so well? Was it her own cleverness, or was it luck?
“... the Lord lift up his countenance upon her and give her peace. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.”
“Amen,” she joined in.
Amen indeed, she thought to herself. The relief was immense. The day after it happened, it flooded through her. How was it she had become capable of such a thing? And now, it was a huge secret. But she had always been good at keeping secrets. It was over now. She could get on with her life.
“The Lord be with you.”
“And with your spirit,” everyone replied together.
Another gust. She felt it curl around her stockings. The
woman next to her snatched at her hat.
“God of the living and the dead, accept our prayers for
those who have died in Christ.”
She wiped away the tear. The young man opposite caught
her eye and sympathetically smiled. She smiled back in a way
that said, “Yes, I’m ok, thanks.”
And she was ok.
“Let us pray.”
A gripping mystery of jealousy, murder and lies.
An invitation to her estranged, wealthy father’s surprise 75th birthday party in New York sees Amelia and her husband, Jack, set off across the pond to meet a whole new world of family politics.
Amelia, now a successful businesswoman, feels guilt about never liking her father’s women, so does her upmost to give his new socialite partner, Evelyn, the benefit of the doubt. Wouldn’t it be nice if they could just all get along? But there’s something very dark, determined and dangerous about her…
When Amelia’s father, Roger, becomes ill, Jack grows suspicious that there is more to it. Amelia understands why, but no one else will believe them. They travel back to America to piece together the puzzle, but when Roger goes missing, the couple are driven to their wits' end. It takes a DEA officer and a secret assassin to bring them answers, but the ruthless truth is something no one expected…
After thirty years in corporate life in London, half of which was running a successful events company, I decided to take a chance to write the novel that was ‘in me’ since I was a child. Gilding the Lily is the result of this and is a domestic noir story which I hope will keep you on the edge of your chair/sofa/bed/train/plane-seat….
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Review
This was a really entertaining read, full of twists and turns, family secrets, and lots of transatlantic flights! Justine has really managed to ramp up the tension throughout the narrative and the twist and turns that start to occur during the middle of the book keep on coming right to the very end. I was shocked by one of them for sure!
The story opens with Amelia and Jack going flying to New York for her father’s 75th birthday party in Coney Island. A birthday party which he ended up hating - unfortunately for his partner Eleanor who had organised it. This marks a watershed in Amelia’s and her father’s relationship. Eleanor is trying to worm her way between them and it starts to work!
What follows is Eleanor becoming even more manipulative, possessive, down right crazy and begins to hide things from Amelia. Yep you got it right, Eleanor is a right piece of work. I loved the characterisation of Eleanor as you hate her right from the beginning. Nope, no empathy at all for the woman. I did love Amelia as a character, her warmth radiated off the page.
I really enjoyed the story. It must be heartbreaking to have a relationship destroyed and have no way to stop it. Especially as one as close as Amelia’s and her father’s. There was a lot of empathy shown by the author when dealing with this issue. I would not hesitate to recommend this to someone. A cracking read!
