TLC Book Tours: The Locksmith's Daughter by Karen Brooks

Title: The Locksmith's Daughter
Author: Karen Brooks 
Format: Paperback
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Publish Date: July 31, 2018 (Today!!!)
Source: TLC Book Tours and HarperCollins 

What's the Story?:
 
From Goodreads.com: "In Queen Elizabeth's England, where no one can be trusted and secrets are currency, one woman stands without fear.

Mallory Bright is the only daughter of London's most ingenious locksmith. She has apprenticed with her father since childhood, and there is no lock too elaborate for her to crack. After scandal destroys her reputation, Mallory has returned to her father's home and lives almost as a recluse, ignoring the whispers and gossip of their neighbors. But Sir Francis Walsingham, Queen Elizabeth's spymaster and a frequent client of Mallory's father, draws her into his world of danger and deception. For the locksmith's daughter is not only good at cracking locks, she also has a talent for codes, spycraft, and intrigue. With Mallory by Sir Francis’s side, no scheme in England or abroad is safe from discovery.

But Mallory's loyalty wavers when she witnesses the brutal and bloody public execution of three Jesuit priests and realizes the human cost of her espionage. And later, when she discovers the identity of a Catholic spy and a conspiracy that threatens the kingdom, she is forced to choose between her country and her heart.

Once Sir Francis's greatest asset, Mallory is fast becoming his worst threat—and there is only one way the Queen’s master spy deals with his enemies…"

My Two Cents:

"The Locksmith's Daughter" is the story of Mallory Bright, a young woman with an amazing ability to pick any lock. She eventually finds herself in service to Sir Francis Walsingham, Queen Elizabeth's masterfully powerful spymaster. At first, Mallory sees her service as a way to escape her past but she will begin to see it as something much darker. I love reading about Queen Elizabeth's spies and I love reading in this time so this exciting book was a perfect pick for me!

Mallory is a great character. I was fascinated reading about how she learned how to pick locks and what she was able to do with a skill set that very few had. While it would have been interesting to read about Mallory's spy escapades on its own, I like that the author chose to give her a much more rounded out history. This woman has been through a lot when we first meet her in this book and I loved seeing how her past shapes her future and all of the decisions that she makes throughout this book. Having so much detail about her past really made me care and appreciate her resilience about her throughout the book.

I have liked the books of Karen Brooks' in the past so I was looking forward to this book on its own. This book has a lot of good detail! You get a great sense of what Mallory deals with and how she moves throughout her world. This book is fast paced and kept me reading. Walsingham and his exploits will always make for good reading!