The Square of Sevens

Wow! I’m not sure when I last read a book that was quite that well plotted! So many layers and so much misdirection. There was a point, maybe three quarters of the way through when I thought that the ending of a book with so many things going on would be unsatisfying, but it definitely delivered on its promises. And it’s not so much that there’s a sudden coming together in the end either which is something a lot of mysteries do and can feel mediocre in its own way. It’s just that everything is very well lined up to end in the right place, and it’s not where you think it’s going. Really splendidly well done!

The scene is set in the 1730s, beginning in Cornwall and moving variously to Bath and London and Devon after that. Though it predates Jane Austen some of the book concerns that level of polite society and the scenes in Bath certainly feel a lot like Austen; other parts of the book dive into the working classes. We meet Red as a young fortune telling girl travelling in the company of her father, and follow her through various ups and downs that take her elsewhere. I’m certainly not going to give too much of the plot away, but the title refers to a method of fortune telling involving playing cards and the whole structure of the book revolves around the fortunes told in the book.

I was reading the book before Christmas and stopped exactly half way through to read one of the books I was given as a Christmas gift, but when I picked this book up again I found myself completely devouring it. Wanting to read it faster to find out what happens but not wanting to speed because I was enjoying each twist and turn for itself, and that’s always the best dilemma to have going on in your head. I’m very much looking forward to picking up Shepherd-Robinson’s other books.