It’s deliciously dark and intoxicatingly intricate with gothic elements that really built on Anna Mazzola’s rich visuals to create a chillingly atmospheric tale of obsession, illusion and social upheaval in 18th Century France.

It’s set in 1750, Paris and follows Madeleine, the scarred daughter of a brothers owner who’s given the task to discover the truth of Dr. Reinhart’s (the eccentric clockmaker) experiments and record his every move, in exchange for her own chance of freedom.

For children are vanishing from the Parisian streets and rumours are swirling that the clockmaker's spectacular mechanical creations are more than what they seem.

And soon Madeleine fears that she’s stumbled upon an even bigger conspiracy. One which might reach to the very heart of Versailles...

This was magnificently written and utterly captivating, the prose was meticulously crafted and perfectly captures that feeling of dread you feel right before something bad happens—I literally could stop reading.

The setting was deeply atmospheric, I absolutely loved the sheer amount of detail and gritty realism we get which really showcases the destitution and squalor of Paris’ streets which , although dark at times was utterly captivating and completely transportive.

The clever use of historical events such as The Vanishing Children of Paris, really showcases the anger and frustration of Paris’ populace which not only mirrors the frustrations of our female protagonists, but foreshadows the rebellion nearly 40 years later (which oddly is the most familiar thing in this chillingly uncanny tale.)

I really enjoyed that this has multi-POVs; Madeleine, Veronique and Jeanne a.k.a Madam de Pompadour. It’s through these three women (from three different social classes) that we explore the intricacies of life in 18th century France, be it at the glittering court of Versailles or on the putrid and sewage filled streets—and despite class boundaries very few lived free of corruption or suffering, more importantly almost all of those who did were never women (or children.)

I really loved Madeleine, who’s childhood (and life in general) has been just one awful experience after another but, still strives for a better life. Veronique is much the same, though her experience are different she’s still had to endure soo much and I just loved the journey these two went on—I did spend the majority of it fearing something bad would happen and endlessly hoping that (by some miracle) they would both make it out unharmed. I won’t spoil it for you but it’s definitely an emotional journey so keep some tissues on hand.

Though I liked Jeanne, for me she didn’t have as strong an emotional pull as Madeleine or Veronique but was probably the most fascinating POV to explore, her relationship with the king, his children and the courtiers was utterly dripping with drama (I’d love to see a prequel centring around her early experiences before arriving at court and all that she had to do to keep what little power she has.)

Overall, this is an utterly unmissable, addictively dark and macabre read that lovers of gritty historical fiction, intrigue and murder mysteries will definitely enjoy.

Thanks to Orion and Netgalley for the e-arc.

This is an atmospheric, transportive piece of writing that is rich with visualisations and character. I was drawn to the curiosity and intrigue as much as the various female characters with their variety of layers. Thick with poverty and decadence and the distasteful gulf between them, it is satisfying that the author has layered the text with olfactory sensual description which puts the reader right in the heart of the scene.

I can’t praise this enough. Transportive time travel, a chilling thriller like no other, bringing the uncanny right to the table. Finally, the wrapping for this fascinating, macabre tale is the wonderful cover design by Micaela Alcaino.

I highly recommend Anna’s new book. Please see her other works for more delicious reading.

I throughly enjoyed Anna's two previous novels and couldn't resist requesting the NetGalley of her next title, due out in 2022.

Set in Paris 1750, the opening sees Madeleine, the daughter of a brothel owner, sent under duress to work as a chambermaid as cover for her real task - to spy on Dr Reinhart, an eccentric clockmaker. Madeleine's task is to befriend his daughter, Veronique, and determine if there's any truth to rumours of shady goings on.

I found it such an intriguing read because I really had no idea where the story was going. It's an odd household and the hints of something untoward happening behind closed doors set up the tension from early on. While the house is a showcase for Dr Reinhart's clocks that's not his only skill and Madeleine is unnerved by his experiments in automata, although it's for this skill that those in power seek him out. Veronique is an unusual girl for the period, she has ambitions to follow the same career as her father at a time when such things seem impossible and having been sequestered away in a convent she has a certain nativity about her. In the dark and ominous house the two young women strike up a tentative friendship but they are both guarded, both hiding dark secrets.

There is a small aside to the main plot after some young children disappear but this becomes more and more intrinsic to the story as children continue to disappear and the people become whipped up into a frenzy, convinced that this is all part of a plot by the police or a prince stealing them for nefarious purposes.

Against this backdrop Madeleine is forced to pursue her undercover investigations against her will and the clockmaker is pressured to deliver something astounding to Versailles.

I can't recall that I've read a book set in this location and period before and the writing is very evocative. It's obviously a time and place of huge contrasts (despite the fact that apparently opulent Versailles doesn't smell as good as it looks!) with hunger and death on the streets of Paris for the less fortunate against the glittering decadence of Versailles. I thought that the opening was reminiscent of The Miniaturist, in the same way that Nella arrives at her new home and Madeleine has to step into the unknown in her new role.

This was a gripping and atmospheric read full of tension, mystery and secrets. The main characters are two strong-willed and likeable young women, prepared to make the most of what fate has dealt them. The climax had some disconcerting moments and I really was completely baffled right up to the end.

The cover looks gorgeous, I can't wait to see it in my local bookshop and treat myself to a physical copy!

I’d been excited to read Anna Mazzola’s new novel ‘The Clockwork Girl.’ I had read lots of positive reviews and felt it was a book most suited to these darkening evenings of winter. I was incredibly fortunate to receive an ARC from Netgalley and so inevitably this book went to the top of my reading pile.
Although a successful and established writer, this was the first novel I had read by Anna Mazzola. Very quickly I was immersed in the world of 17th Century Paris. This is a city that is very different to the romanticised version of it we may have in our minds. This was a Paris that is divided and poverty stricken, a Paris that Mazzola brings to the fore in a very visceral way, a city that is a character itself ever present and watchful. As Madeline, our central protagonist and sex worker at her mother’s brothel, states the bits of Paris she knew ‘were the bits Paris kept buttoned’. It feels a dangerous and cutthroat place, ‘In Paris if you couldn’t earn your bread then your bones might be made of glass, for others seemed to look right through you.’ There is so much desperation around the characters which works to create a claustrophobic and unsettling atmosphere throughout the text.
Madeline is quickly embroiled in a plot that sees her temporarily moved from the brothel to become a maid at the local clock maker, Dr. Reinhart’s home. There are rumours round the city that Reinhart is delving into unseemly activities and so he needs to be monitored. Madeline is forced to spy on the unusual goings on and report back to the chief of police, an unsavoury brute of a character who has terrorised the women at the brothel and is very much out for what he can get. Here, however things take an unexpected turn and Madeline forms a close bond with Reinhart’s daughter, a young girl who is equally brilliant at science as her father and is passionate about the automatons they create.
I have recently finished reading ‘The Flames’ by Sophie Haydock which foregrounds female characters that are restricted and confined by contemporary societal values towards femininity and female behaviour. I felt Mazzola explored similar issues as all the female protagonists were trapped in some way, forced by men to play certain roles. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the character of Jeanne, modelled on French King Louis XV’s mistress Jeanne Becu. Despite living a life of privilege Jeanne has to be equally as canny to survive the prejudices and maliciousness that pervade the many rooms of Versailles. The opulence and decadence that are described by the writer are made to seem superficial and gaudy when described in juxtaposition with the extreme poverty a few mere miles away.
The setting of Versailles felt quite gothic, the outer layer of the palace seemed diamond encrusted but underneath both literally and figuratively the place was rotting and in a state of decay. The lengthy descriptions were effectively visceral and evocative. It felt thoroughly convincing whilst feeling uncomfortably repellent which was indicative of a well-researched text. Spending time with each of the female narrators served to create an exciting and suspenseful pace to the novel which resulted in a satisfying creepy climactic twist. An atmospheric and unsettling book which bought to the fore the complexities and nuances of 17th Century Paris.

In my opinion, Anna Mazzola is one of our best historical fiction writers and I am happy to call myself an A* fan of her work, after being one of the first bloggers to review her debut, The Unseeing in 2016 and then loving the follow-up, The Story Keeper a couple of years later. I'm pleased to report that her latest work, The Clockwork Girl, makes it a hat trick of phenomenal novels. (Also, I have been listening to Tori Amos a lot lately and I have starting changing the words of 'Cornflake Girl' to 'Clockwork Girl'. It works.)

As soon as the action starts, we are dragged into Madeline's murky world of 18th Century Paris, a time of filth and fear. Here, the writing really brings us into this underworld of vice and police spies- of which Madeline becomes one in order to escape her life. She is required to watch a renowned clockmaker, Dr Reinhart and report back on his unusual activities- which happen to coincide with a spate of child snatching and pre-Revolutionary fervour. But it's hard for her to maintain uncover the truth when she is hiding her own past.

Entering his household as a lady's maid to his clever daughter, Veronique, Madeline becomes cocooned in a world where the fantastical is possible and royal patronage is guaranteed. Travelling from her poverty-stricken beginnings to helping the Doctor at the glittering palace of Versailles, she is never fully able to leave the anxiety of her previous life. When tragedy strikes and a peculiar invention of Reinhart's causes a stir, things really start to become strange...

I loved this. I loved it because I felt I was really there- I could smell and hear and taste the world which Anna had created and I am in awe at how skilled she is at world building. The plot, too, is fascinating and kept me guessing right until the end, which meant I eked out reading the novel (I was also reading it as a general societal malaise was seeping through the country, not unlike the panic felt by the everyday citizens of Paris in the book, except we were getting angry at rich people for wine and cheese 'business meetings' and high death tolls, rather than children being snatched off the street). The unrest, the unease felt familiar, even to the fact that it was anger towards those in charge. It also, I think, spoke to the recognisable urge for new technology, which does not always bring about Good Things, whether that's clockwork curiosities or Mark Zuckerberg telling us we're going to be living in the Metaverse (no, ta.) I think what I'm basically saying is that although this is a historical novel, it reflects very modern anxieties. As the French might say: plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book - it has a creeping feeling of unease from the start, beginning in the seedier parts of Paris but continuing in the house of Dr Reinhart and ultimately, all the way to the Palace of Versailles.
I empathised with Madeleine, trying desperately to escape her brothel madam Mother's clutches and create a better life for herself and her nephew - desperation can make people do things they would not normally consider, and this is how Madeleine agrees to become a police spy - for the promise of an opportunity to escape her current existence.
When she joins Dr Reinhart's household as a maid and companion for his convent-educated daughter, the claustrophobic feeling and unsettling atmosphere intensifies - how does he make the strange mechanical beasts so lifelike? What is he trying to create so secretly?
Outside the house, children are disappearing and the city is in turmoil as the people start to riot and Madeleine's fears for her nephew Emile grow .
Even once the mechanical beasts come to the attention of King Louis and the household moves to the Louvre and are then invited to Versailles, it is clear corruption is at every level and the patriarchy rules with an iron fist - a woman's value is determined by what she can do or provide to a man. To this end, it was interesting to get the perspective of Mme Pompadour, for whom scheming and trying to keep her position at court is the life she chose but what does the future hold?
I found I really cared for the characters of Dr Reinhart's household and was fully invested in their story - there are twists and turns I wasn't expecting, which kept me gripped right to the end. This is a dark and mysterious tale, a thoroughly good read.

I reviewed The Clockwork Girl for LoveReading.co.uk. See review attached. Chosen as a LoveReading Star Book and Liz Robinson Pick of the Month.

It must be so difficult to set a book in the 1700s. We know what life was like in the 1900s, and we have a vague understanding of the 1800s, but to write a convincing and readable story set in the 18th Century requires a lot of research and is commendable.

It is dark and menacing and creepy; reading this almost feels like someone creeping slowly over creaking floorboards in an abandoned Manor House. It has the same feeling of the hairs on the back of your neck standing on edge.

At times, I did have the feeling I’d read it before, which was weird. I don’t mean that in a bad way, in fact I think it adds to the creepiness of it all. The idea of things being recognisable and familiar but you can’t quite put your finger on it.

For many years, we as a race have been fascinated, yet terrified, with death, trying to find a balance between it and life - what wouldn’t we give for the chance to hold a loved one again, no matter how. Dr Reinhart takes our fears and doubts, wants and desires one step further, and tries to cheat death completely, but at what cost? There’s definitely more than a touch of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein about this book.

I really liked the power struggle between the female characters and the patriarchy. It’s not just the female maids or servants that struggle, but women at the highest levels too, and I liked that Anne didn’t shy away from this.

I found the first half good and enjoyable, but perhaps a tad slow, but once you get to the half way point, everything is ramped up, and it’s no longer just ‘good’ - it’s fast and creepy and treacherous and exciting and morbid and scary and exhilarating and powerful. At first, it may seem like a simple historical fictional, but there’s a touch of science fiction and fantasy, and a real question of morality woven within.

A hugely atmospheric, imaginative historical drama/mystery. Set in 18th century Paris, this made a refreshing change from the locations I am more used to reading about, and what a Paris! A stinking, festering wound of a city plastered over with perfume and lace. As well as the sewage, the corruption runs deep.
Madeleine is desperate to escape from the clutches of her unscrupulous Mother, cruel and uncaring she is the owner of a seedy brothel., where Madou lives and has worked.
She is coerced by a shady police officer to do some spying, taking up a position as a servant in the household of a clockwork designer who is suspected of being up to something shady . Working partly as a maid of all work, she is also asked to be a maid/companion to his daughter who has until recently been closeted away in a nunnery.
In this household strange and fantastical mechanical clockwork objects are created which seem to have a life of their own, outside in the suppurating streets, children are disappearing and Madeleine fears for her young nephew Emile, who is the one person she really cares about.
When the household become unwittingly embroiled in Court life, things get even more fraught and increasingly dangerous.
I was captivated by the story and characters and there is quite a delicious twist, which surprised and gripped me. I really cared about Madeleine yet found many of the despicable characters utterly loathsome. Eerie and mysterious this is a great read.

This is a brilliantly atmospheric, historical novel which is difficult to put down. It is set in Paris in 1750 in the middle of a freezing winter. Madeleine, daughter of a brothel owner has been set to spy on the clockmaker, Dr Reinhart. As she watches him at work, she can find nothing to worry about but there is a strong feeling of wrongness in the house. This feeling of wrongness pervades the whole book and gives it an unsettling atmosphere. What actually is Dr Reinhart trying to create and what are his plans for his daughter?
The novel moves from the backstreets of Paris to the palace of the Louvre and then to the magnificence of Versailles. We are given a vivid contrast between the opulent but corrupt life of the court and the desperation of the poor. All of the characters, both historical and fictional are brilliantly written. I especially loved the character Mme da Pompadour who is much more sympathetically portrayed here than she often is.
The novel’s plot twists and turns and you are never quite sure what is going to happen next. I was truly surprised by the twist at the end.
I loved this book and am grateful to Net Galley and Orion Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Opening a novel by Anna Mazzola is like heading out for an evening with friends. You don't know what's going to happen, but you know it's going to be an amazing ride. The Clockwork Girl is an enchanting, electric historical fiction set in 1700s France, which is thoroughly brought to life by the immersive and evocative writing. It is a dark and gothic tale with threads of socio-political commentary, and enough tension and mystery to keep you gripped.

This was such a good read. It was gothic, chilling and dark and that added a new level of atmosphere to teh novel. It was well written with well developed characters and i loved the evocative setting. I couldnt put this book down, I loved it

Another glorious slice of Gothic goodness from the author of "The Unseen".

It's pre-revolutionary Paris, 1750 and while Louis and his hangers-on enjoy the good life, young Madeleine Chastel slaves as a maid in her mother's brothel. Her life changes when the local chief of Police forces her to take a place in the home of celebrated clockmaker Dr Reinhart in order to spy on him and learn more about his latest robotic toys. At the same time, children are vanishing off the streets, and rumours of bodysnatching are circulating.

The reader is swiftly drawn into a world of danger, mystery, poverty and luxury. The sights, smells and sounds of Paris are captured perfectly (who knew the palace of Versailles smelled of wee?) . From the sewers to the palaces, there's no shortage of atmosphere and colour. The various strands of the plot interweave nicely and come together without too much confusion.

We have all the necessary ingredients here - the heroine, Madeleine, who is hiding a dark past, a mysterious inventor and his (until recently) estranged daughter, a decadent King, and scheming concubine. All are nicely fleshed out and as their motives are revealed, I truly was invested in their destinies. Three women, all whose fate revolve around clockwork birds, boxes and toys.

Many aspects of this novel as based in fact - both the automata and the vanishing children are recorded history, and they weave nicely in and out of the broader story painted by the author. This is the second novel I've read, where the automata of Jaquet-Droz were the inspiration, but in "The Clockwork Girl" they are much more central to the plot.

I was lucky to score a NetGalley ARC of "The Clockmaker's Daughter" but rest assured I'm looking forward to a second read, with a proper copy. Thoroughly recommended for fans of Anna's previous works, as well as those of Laura Purcell, ES Thomson and Natasha Pulley.

This was one of those books that I was always keen to get back to. It was a little bit magical,and a little bit creepy and a little bit mysterious.
It surprised me a few times.
Full of interesting characters,both good and bad and setting itself both in the squalid streets of Paris,and the opulent rooms of Versailles,it never failed to entertain.



Definitely one to buy for the friends.

The Clockwork Girl by Anna Mazzola

Paris, 1750.

In the midst of an icy winter, as birds fall frozen from the sky, chambermaid Madeleine Chastel arrives at the home of the city's celebrated clockmaker and his clever, unworldly daughter.

Madeleine is hiding a dark past, and a dangerous purpose: to discover the truth of the clockmaker's experiments and record his every move, in exchange for her own chance of freedom.
Wow a captivating story , a beautiful fairy tale with an edge . Love Madeleine, and loved the story.
The authors description of 1750 and the characters had me right in there , living the story.

This novel is fantastic. It captures the period really well, and there seem to be relatively few novels of Louis fifteenth's time, compared to novels about the Sun King. I can't recommend it highly enough, I enjoyed the characters, they were very well drawn and believable.