3.5***

This had some mystery and with the historical setting of Paris in the late 1700’s. There’s stark contrasts between poverty and the upper classes.

Madeline is a girl who is from the poorer class, forced into prostitution by her mother, she’s hoping to get away from Paris with her nephew eventually. The chance to get the first steps of this plan in action arises when she is asked by the police to go undercover and serve as a spy at a local clockmakers.

This clockmaker is aloof and appears cold- his ideas and machines strangely accurate. Not only does Madeline have to report on the comings and goings of this gentleman, she also hears from her fellow staff that poor children are being taken off the street: rumours of an aristocrat taking them in the night.

While I really enjoyed the historical fiction and the atmosphere- the author does really well to describe the dirt and gore, I found some POV’s (Madeline and Veronique) much better to read that the others (Jeanne), meaning my attention waned at these sections.


Thank you NetGalley for the arc !

This book is a steampunk novel based in the Paris of the 18th century. Its plot revolves around a lot of historical events like the scandal of children going missing and many of the characters existed in real life. Also, it is accurate that automatons were very present in that period.
I loved getting to read about that time and get to know more about it. In a historical sense, I liked learning more about the times the novel takes place in. Usually, when there is a book about the 18th century France, it deals with the revolution. However, this one takes places before that and kind of shows a period where the people were already turning against there king and things were escalating. I loved that historical aspect of it. Also, I pretty much googled all the characters and was fascinated by their real lives. It’s always great to find some real aspects in fiction.
Most of the plot was fiction though. The story is told through three women that are of very different status, but who kind of have a lot in common.
Through Veronique, we get to see the daughter of a clockmaker who wants to become a clockmaker herself. She was actually my favorite character in this book since I loved how strong she was while also being the nicest character.
The second character is Madeleine, a girl who has had a rough life and decides to spy on the clockmaker for the police to try to have a better life after.
The third main character is Jeanne, the mistress of the king.
All the characters are connected in a way between each other and also to the automatons.
It is a story that is much darker than I was expecting and also more shocking. There were a few things that I absolutely wasn’t expecting to happen and because of that I couldn’t stop reading.
If you like fiction based on historical events that has a dark tone then I definitely recommend this book!!!

“She knew then that the clockmaker might not be simply strange. He might well be something much worse.”

Paris, 1750. Madeleine Casteel arrives at the home of Doctor Maximillian Reinhart, a clockmaker who is the talk of the city thanks to his strange and unique creations. She has been tasked with spying on Reinhart’s every move in exchange for her own freedom. But Madeleine soon finds that she may have stumbled upon a secret much darker than she imagined. A secret that may go to the heart of Versailles and put her life in danger.

"She was tired of being told she was worth less than nothing by men who did nothing themselves."

Macabre, haunting and suspenseful, this twisted gothic tale was everything I could have hoped for and more. A story cloaked in the syrupy blackness of a sinister mystery, this is a much darker tale than I expected. A story of a maid, a clockmaker, a King, a Courtesan and missing children. It has something for everyone: true crime mixed with historical fiction, a dash of mystery and a sprinkle of feminism. The addition of French language amongst the prose was a coupe de genie that perfected this magnificent and original tale.

My love for historical fiction is no secret and one of my favourite things about it is how much I learn while being entertained. I know relatively little about the time and place this story is set in but the author’s meticulous research and evocative imagery transported me back to the bleak streets of 18th Century Paris so vividly that I could see the buildings leaning into one another, and the beggars in the shadows, hear the horses as they pulled their carriages full of passengers and smell the filth. It was a time of corruption when humanity was forsaken in favour of wealth and power. Men would use their position to control women, a theme that runs throughout the story as we see our three female narrators at the mercy of men with power no matter their position in society and feel powerless to change it.

"Those things he makes, whatever it is he calls them - look at them closely. They're impossible things, made with dark magic."

I love when a talented author takes an outlandish idea and runs with it successfully, which is what Anna Mazzola has done with this book. Automata is a fascinating topic and through King Louis IV’s obsession with death, automata and reanimation and the fictitious Doctor Reinhart, the author explores how these astounding yet bizarre creations were both revered and feared, their ability to seemingly defy the laws of nature leading to whispers of witchcraft and black magic. Combined with the mention of how children are quietly vanishing from the streets of Paris that is slowly dripped into the story this creates a chilling air of suspicion, menace and fear that hovers over every page.

Richly drawn, exquisitely told and intricately woven, The Clockwork Girl kept me guessing until the final pages, giving up its twisted secrets slowly, my heart racing in breathless anticipation as I read. A spellbinding and unique story that I would highly recommend.

Very dark, very atmospheric, this is really enjoyable historical fiction that takes you to the seamier side of 18th century Paris. Madeleine has to find a way to survive and to rescue her young nephew and she agrees to spy on a clockmaker who is suspected of delving into strange and tainted practices. Shocking in places, and sparing no details, this period in history comes to life.

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙲𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚔𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔 𝙶𝚒𝚛𝚕
𝙱𝚢 𝙰𝚗𝚗𝚊 𝙼𝚊𝚣𝚣𝚘𝚕𝚊
𝙿𝚞𝚋. 𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚌𝚑 𝟹𝚛𝚍, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟸

𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔𝚜 𝚝𝚘 @𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚜 @𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚊𝚖𝚊𝚣𝚣𝚘𝚕𝚊𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚖𝚢 𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚌𝚘𝚙𝚢
#𝚃𝚑𝚎𝙲𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚔𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔𝙶𝚒𝚛𝚕 𝙲𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚒𝚐𝚗 𝚋𝚢 @𝚖𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚊𝚕𝚌𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚘𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚒𝚐𝚗

𝙷𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚊 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚕 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝.
𝚂𝚘 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚗 𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚢 𝙰𝚁𝙲 𝚘𝚏 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙲𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚔𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔 𝙶𝚒𝚛𝚕 𝚋𝚢 𝙰𝚗𝚗𝚊 𝙼𝚊𝚣𝚣𝚘𝚕𝚊 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚓𝚘𝚢𝚎𝚍.

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚙𝚒𝚎𝚌𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚑𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚊𝚙𝚞𝚕𝚝𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝟷𝟽𝟻𝟶, 𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚜. 𝙳𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚒𝚐𝚗 𝚘𝚏 𝙺𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙻𝚘𝚞𝚒𝚜 𝚇𝚅, 𝚊 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚕𝚢 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚏𝚒𝚐𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗 𝚗𝚊𝚖𝚎𝚍 𝙼𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚕 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝚊 𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚒𝚊𝚗 𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚕 𝚘𝚠𝚗𝚎𝚛. 𝚂𝚎𝚎𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚐 𝚗𝚎𝚙𝚑𝚎𝚠.

𝙸𝚗 𝚊 𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚝𝚊𝚜𝚔𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚓𝚘𝚋 𝚘𝚏 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚗𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚕𝚢 𝚌𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚋𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚎𝚌𝚌𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚌 𝚌𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚔𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚛, 𝙳𝚛. 𝙼𝚊𝚡𝚒𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚗 𝚁𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚝.
𝚂𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚌𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚜 𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚞𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚛 𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚒𝚍, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚌𝚕𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚐𝚊𝚍𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚜. 𝙱𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚏𝚘𝚘𝚝, 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚘𝚞𝚜

𝙰𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝚞𝚗𝚏𝚘𝚕𝚍𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚜 𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚎𝚎 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚝 𝚠𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗’𝚜 𝚗𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚍𝚒𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚜𝚘𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚕 𝚌𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚜. 𝙼𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚎, 𝚅𝚎𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚒𝚚𝚞𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚎𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝙺𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙻𝚘𝚞𝚒𝚜' 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝙹𝚎𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚎 𝙼𝚊𝚍𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝙿𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚊𝚍𝚘𝚞𝚛.
𝙼𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚞𝚕𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚕𝚢 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎𝚍, 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚠𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚞𝚕 𝚐𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚌 𝚜𝚝𝚢𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜, 𝙰𝚗𝚗𝚊 𝙼𝚊𝚣𝚣𝚘𝚕𝚊 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚏𝚞𝚕 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸𝚗𝚝𝚘𝚡𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚝𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚙𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚌 𝚜𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚐𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚎𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚕𝚢 𝚜𝚎𝚎𝚍𝚢 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚜, 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚊 𝚏𝚊𝚋𝚞𝚕𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚑.

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙲𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚔𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔 𝙶𝚒𝚛𝚕 𝚙𝚕𝚞𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚚𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝚙𝚛𝚎-𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚘𝚕𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚜, 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚙𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚢, 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚋𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚛𝚘𝚢𝚊𝚕𝚜 𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚎𝚡𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝚠𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚝𝚑.

𝚆𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚕𝚕-𝚝𝚘𝚘 𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚗 𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚔 𝚘𝚏 𝚊 𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚕, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚘𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚍 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝙳𝚛 𝚁𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚝’𝚜 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚙, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚋𝚋𝚢 𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚞𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝙻𝚘𝚞𝚟𝚛𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚘𝚙𝚞𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝙻𝚘𝚞𝚒𝚜 𝚇𝚅’𝚜 𝚅𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚊𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚜.

𝙹𝚘𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚎𝚎 𝚎𝚡𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝚠𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚎𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚙𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚏𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚜: 𝙼𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚎, 𝚊 𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚝𝚞𝚝𝚎 𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚙𝚘𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚜𝚙𝚢; 𝚅𝚎𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚒𝚚𝚞𝚎, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚕𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛, 𝚌𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚍𝚊𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚌𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚔𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚛; 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙼𝚊𝚍𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚍𝚎 𝙿𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚊𝚍𝚘𝚞𝚛, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚏𝚞𝚕, 𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚞𝚗𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚌𝚝𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝙺𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚏 𝙵𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎.

The Clockwork Girl by Anna Mazzola is a macabre historical fiction set in 1750's Paris. I was immediately drawn to the beautiful cover and the publisher's description sealed the deal. The book is the story of Madeleine, a young woman with something of a chequered past , who is pressed into a scheme to investigate Monsieur Reinhart. a clockmaker who is becoming celebrated for his unique and seemingly impossible creations. Madeleine is placed in his home as a servant, and soon becomes close to his daughter Veronique who has recently returned home from the convent where she was being educated, and is now keen to train as her father's apprentice. The more she learns about the goings on in the clockmaker's house, the more questions Madeleine has , she even begins to wonder if there could be some truth to the rumours of dark magic that she has heard, especially as young children begin to disappear from the Paris streets.
Inspired by the real life child disappearances at that time, this book is not afraid to touch on the darker sides of life for the poor in Paris, where destitution and starvation were common. The book is certainly something of a slower burn, but I did not mind that as I enjoyed being transported to another world, and the author's descriptive writing certainly did that. I appreciated the skill of the author in building an atmosphere of real menace and tension. Having previously read and very much enjoyed The Story Keeper by this author I went into this book with high hopes and I was not disappointed. I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

In a Nutshell: A slow-paced gothic story with a great plot and outstanding historical research. If you want a look at a darker historical version of Paris and a fictional story based on real incidents, do pick this up.

Story:
Paris, 1750. Twenty-three year old Madeleine has just begun her new job as the lady’s maid to Veronique, the daughter of celebrated clockmaker Maximilian Reinhart. What they both don’t know is that Madeleine is a lady with a secret mission. Rumours abound of Reinhart’s strange obsession with automata, mechanical creations that he designs and creates with his own hands but that seem to defy all laws of nature. At the same time, children are also disappearing from the streets of Paris. What lies at the heart of this conspiracy? Who is the Clockwork Girl? What is Madeleine looking for? Read and find out.
The book comes to us in a limited third person pov of Madeleine, Veronique and Jeanne, a major character you’ll meet in the course of the story.

Where the book worked for me:
➤ I loved seeing a side of historical Paris that is hardly ever portrayed in contemporary fiction. It is gloomy, grimy, and corrupt. It’s a place where wealth and power rule over humanity. What an amazing depiction of the dark underbelly of the city!

➤ All the details related to automata are mind-blowing. I found it tough to fathom how the brainiacs of that era thought of these bizarre and yet astounding creations with the limited tech available.

➤ None of the characters are straightforward. It was fun unravelling the layers hidden beneath the fake facades. Grey characters always add much more fun to a book.

➤ The three ladies whose perspective we see are quite dissimilar to each other, and each represents a particular stratum of the Parisian society. This adds to the novelty of the experience.

➤ The author’s note at the end depicts how much of the book is based on facts. I had understood that the automata and some historical personae such as Louis Xv were based on actualities. But the number of real people in the story turned out to be much larger than I had guessed. Plus, I was dismayed to learn about what is called ‘The Vanishing Children of Paris’. This book mixes facts and fiction perfectly. Kudos to the author’s research.

➤ There are some feminist undertones in the story, particularly in Veronique’s arc.

➤ There are plenty of French words in the storyline, which adds a touch of authenticity to the proceedings. The meanings of these are provided in a glossary at the end of the book.

➤ I loved the denouement. It wasn’t too dragged, nor was it too abrupt. It concluded at the right juxtaposition of old endings and new beginnings.

Where the book could have worked better for me:
⚠ It was very, very dark. Some of the incidents mentioned in the book are horrifying. Can’t reveal anything because that would be tantamount to major spoilers. But if you are sensitive about triggers, especially related to children, do consider yourself warned.

⚠ The book is quite slow at the start and takes its time to build up. Of course, the end makes it all worthwhile.



All in all, I did like the book a lot. But I might have enjoyed it even more had I picked it up in a different frame of mind. I’ve been having back-to-back emotionally gut-wrenching reads, and this one didn’t help matters. At the same time, I appreciate the extensive efforts taken by the author for this story in terms of plot, characters and historical accuracy.

4.25 stars from me.

My thanks to Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Clockwork Girl”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Unfortunatly i had technical difficultys and did not receive this book so I could not rate but I will purchase in the future as it looks very cool.

I downloaded this story because I love historical fiction and the cover is beautiful!

Paris 1750. Madeleine is the daughter of a brothel owner, working as a maid after a client scarred her face. She is hired by the police to spy on the mysterious but talented Swiss clockmaker, Dr Reinhart, who has come to the notice of the King due to his intricate mechanical creations - birds and animals made of silver and jewels, that behave just like the real thing. Is Dr Reinhart a genius, ahead of his time, or is there something more sinister behind his work? Meanwhile, the children of Paris are going missing...

The Clockwork Girl is a beautifully written historical novel with a delicious touch of gothic. Told from three points of view. Madeleine, the maid, who is forced to spy to win her freedom; Veronique, Dr Reinhart's daughter, who wants to prove she could be a worthy apprentice to him; and Jeanne, the King's mistress, already aware she is losing her power. Three clever, intelligent women, craving independence and respect, held back by men and each teetering on the edge of disaster.

I've always found the history of automata (the precursor to robots) fascinating so it was fabulous to read a story with that as a background. Paris, in all its squalid 18th century detail, particularly the contrast between rich and poor, is brilliantly realised. The story is a little bit dark in places. To achieve his realistic results, Dr Reinhart buys and dissects the animals he is trying to recreate, which some readers might find upsetting. No spoilers, but the big twist didn't really work for me as I could see where the story was going, but The Clockwork Girl is refreshingly original and I enjoyed it very much. I can't wait to read Anna Mazzola's next book!

Recommended to anyone who loves their gothic historical mysteries a touch on the creepy side!


Thank you to Anna Mazzola and Orion for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

What a great gothic historical fiction book! Compelling, with conspiracy elements and a suspense factor, the reader is kept guessing and wondering until the very end what makes it even more interesting. I truly enjoyed reading this novel, I am sure it will appeal to all historical fiction lovers.

Thank you to @netgalley and @orionbooks for my review copy.

Brilliant book! I loved the historical setting for this dark and twisted tale. The characters are all really interesting and flawed but oh so good. The writing is so descriptive and used to help create the perfect, darkly delicious atmosphere of 18th century France.

What It's About: In order to buy her own freedom, Madeleine, daughter of a Parisian brothel owner agrees to spy on the eccentric Swiss clockmaker, Dr. Reinhart for the local chief of Police. She is sent to be the chambermaid for the Veronique, the clockmaker's daughter. Madeleine begins to notice something strange is going on in the Reinhart's household and her suspicions grow when children are disappearing from the streets.

My thoughts: I absolutely loved the author's previous books and I felt I have waited forever for this one! So glad I finally get to read it and this was another fantastic historical mystery! It did not disappoint and I enjoyed it thoroughly!

This story is set in Paris 1750 during the reign of King Louis XV who had an obsession with automata. It was interesting and creepy at the same time. I loved how atmospheric and beautiful the writing was. It was dark, gothic, haunting and the slow-burn pace just adds more suspense to the overall plot.

I enjoyed reading the story through the POVs - Madeleine, Veronique and Jeanne/Madame Pompadour (Louis' mistress) - three women from different social class in 18th century Paris. I liked Madeleine character the most.

Overall, this was an enjoyable and thrilling character driven historical mystery! And please do not skip the historical note at the end of the book. This story is partly inspired by the real events of the Vanishing Children of Paris 1750 Scandal!*gasp*


Pub. Date: March 3rd, 2022

***Thank you Orion Publishing Group and author Anna Mazzola for this gifted review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.***

The Clockwork Girl was a read that appealed to me from the start, due to the significant difference to the kinds of books in my go-to tropes and genres. I was looking for something otherworldly different. This read ticked all those boxes, starting with the cover art. My eyes were initially drawn to the incredibly beautifully detailed cover, and in such an attractive blue too. My favourite colour. Then there was the blurb.

I was 1001% sold when I saw--aside from the hint on the cover--that it was set in France and featured Versailles, a place I am simply enamoured with. Now it was time to see if the storyline and the characters inside lived up to everything they've promised to be. The clock starts...now.

Set in the era of France that promised everything from balls at the palace of Versailles with the King and his court, to the gritty rawness of Paris' backstreets, slums and brothels, The Clockwork Girl is nothing short of being one of the best dark, suspenseful, chillingly compelling gothic reads I've ever had the pleasure of picking up to read. Mystery lies around every corner, and the drips and drabs of history woven in with the beautiful French language is just --chefs kiss--, chest magnifique.

All the components of this book came together to create the perfect concoction, no, all worked in sync with one another like the pieces of a clock. Wound at the right moments, it hit its mark and delivered a story that was impossible to put down until the last page.

If you're looking for something that is a little bit different with a dash of culture and history, a sprinkle of breath-stealing suspense and a once-in-a-blue-moon immersive reading experience, The Clockwork Girl is the novel for you.

Though this is the first time I've read an Anna Mazzola novel, it most certainly will not be the last.

Overall, this was a fascinating read - 18th century Paris historical fiction that doesn't shy away from the cruel realities of the time: the squalor and the destitution, even the creepy secrets and fecal smells behind the palaces and the nobles. Even though I'm French, I learnt a few facts from this book, like an old-fashioned word in French and that there used to be something called the Samaritaine before La Samaritaine shop was created!
Let's talk about the three points of view - Madeleine, the astute prostitute / maid / spy, Véronique, the ingenious bourgeois teenager, Jeanne, Madame de Pompadour aka Louis XV's mistress. Although I wasn't fully convinced at the very beginning, I was soon won over by the different voices as they represented 3 parallel viewpoints from different perspectives on society, and in general I like the variety of characters. The common theme of women, poor people and non-white characters being trapped in the web of unfair people in an unfair world was well-crafted.
In this world, beauty seems a mask, a glamour, the machines created by Reinhart and his daughter a fascinating example of the liminality between the beautiful and the ugly, but also the living and the dead, another main theme. As someone who used to work in robotics, I liked to read about the machines as well as the characters discussing ethical points and science.
(Also, reading about clockwork machines and Madame de Pompadour woke up my Whovian radar, The Girl in the Fireplace, anyone?)
What I liked less: I wanted to feel more connection with the characters, I felt that all of them could have been explored more, especially Joseph and his interactions with Madeleine. I felt that Madeleine was incredibly brave, yet the scenes where she tries to spy and then report back were unsatisfying as they felt underwhelming and repetitive, for the first half of the book or so. Yet, the author portrayed Madeleine's shift from powerlessness to being an agent of her own life quite well, I just wished it would have been done earlier in the book.
I was sad that it seemed OK that so many animals were being killed for the sake of the anatomical or automation experiments, I know this was the status quo then, and still now, and seemed historically accurate, but I wish this has been explored more ethically, even though there were moments when Madeleine and Joseph were also uncomfortable with this.
I guessed a few plot twists but it didn't prevent me from appreciating the story and the atmosphere.
I really like this book, I'd rate it between 3.5 and 4 but it's closer to 4 :)

Madeleine is a woman with few choices. She is the scarred daughter of a brothel keeper in 18th century Paris, and she knows that girls like her do not survive on the streets. When her mother arranges a dangerous job spying on a clockmaker who makes automata, she has to take it.
Véronique, the clock makers daughter, is determined to prove to her father that she is useful and as good, if not better, than the male apprentices. She will do almost anything to avoid being sent back to the convent.
Jeanne Poisson, Madame de Pompadour and mistress of King Louis XV, must keep him happy whilst trying to deflect him from an unwise obsession. She has to finely balance her place at court against those who would tear her down.
Children are disappearing from the streets of Paris, and dark rumours are spreading about what is happening to them. The police seem unwilling or unable to find out what is happening. Is someone at Versailles being protected?
The Clockwork Girl is a richly written and inventive novel, about women who have to be clever to survive, and who have to make sacrifices and difficult choices. The Paris in Winter setting is cold enough to make you shiver, and the characters feel real and dangerous. It is a dark and clever book, and I loved it.

I absolutely loved this gorgeous, deliciously dark mystery. From the first page to the breathless finale, I enjoyed following the characters down the grimy alleyways and through the even dingier palace corridors. The plot kept be hooked, the characters were brilliantly drawn. I couldn't put it down.

The Clockwork Girl - Anna Mazzola

What a fabulous book! Had me hooked from the start and guessing right to the end.
Loved the luxury of Versailles compared with the squalor streets...
Fantastic characters and descriptive writing.
Dark - amazing - Gothic

What a fabulous read! I was either transported to the dark, seedy, diseased 18th Century Paris streets or the total contrast of the decadence of the palace and courtiers of Versailles. I am so jealous of the readers who will be starting this book on its publication in a few days, especially if they have the special edition hardback with the splayed edges and beautiful cover that keeps tempting me on social media! 
As another reviewer has mentioned, I had reservations about this book as it was compared to The Essex Serpent which I did not like, but also The Binding which I loved. I’m so glad that I was given the opportunity to read this e advance copy, as I loved it and is a perfect read for those who like gothic historical fiction with atmosphere, beautiful writing and an original plot. I believe those readers who love the authors Jessie Burton and Laura Purcell will enjoy this book.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher Orion and the author for the e-ARC.

Wow! This book had me hooked just from the front cover and I'm glad to say the actual story did not disappoint.

There was an excellent balance between character development and plot; the story is told from the perspectives of our three female protagonists which really adds to understanding their thoughts and feelings. The women are all strong, independent and supremely likeable, and the side characters are also well developed (I have a particular soft spot for both Emile and Joseph)

Anna does an astounding job of describing the affluence of Versaille and the slums of Paris at the start of the French Revolution, with an immersion into the sights, sounds and smells of both.

This is, at its core, a mystery with a quiet sense of foreboding throughout. It kept me guessing right to the end and is just a stupendously clever novel.

Darkly enchanting with fleshed-out and complex characters. The plot keeps the reader guessing from beginning to end, and I often found myself reading with a vaguely unsettled feeling. Explores important issues of race, gender, and class in a thoughtful and thought-provoking manner.