"The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple" by Joanna Davidson Politano

 


Is the Briarwood Teardrop sapphire really a piece torn from the sky? It certainly attracts enough attention for it. And when the gem goes missing, bad things happen.

Private investigator Peter Driscoll has been hired to return the sapphire, suspected to be in the possession of silent film actress Lily Temple. But Peter becomes convinced that Lily isn't the one who stole it, though there is definitely more to her than meets the eye.

Lily has gone by many names over the years, but now she's come home to St. Ann's Well Gardens, where her best childhood memories were made. She's longing for the one who made her a lover of stories and fairly tales. Will he come when she sends out a signal for him?

The imagery of a woman in a garden longing for home and belonging is strong and striking, and I appreciated the spiritual thread of the story. I found Lily to be an interesting character, but I was continually confused by her. How old is she supposed to be? Where did she learn to do all that she is able to do? What is the elusive truth about her? Though there's always a hint of mystery about Joanna Davidson Politano's stories, and usually trying to figure things out is one of the things I like best about them, but this one left me wanting a bit. Since I could never grasp Lily, I could never grasp the story.

But maybe other readers will not have this issue. There's so much to enjoy, from the real history woven in to the steady hero to the truth of God calling us always to Himself. If you like a book that presents a puzzle to solve, The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple could be for you!

I received my copy of the book from the author. All thoughts in this review are my own.