About the Book
Author: Marilyn Turk
Genre: Historical Suspense
Release Date: July 31, 2023
In early 1942, a mysterious telegram draws Lexie Smithfield back to the island her mother thought was cursed. Now the only heir to the dwindling family fortune, Lexie plans to sell the family’s vacation “cottage” in the Millionaire’s Village on Jekyll Island. But someone else is interested in the cottage and is getting more desperate to find what they’re looking for, even to the point of murder.
Lexie’s childhood friend, Russell Thompson, is now the Jekyll Island Club’s superintendent and the keeper of members’ secrets, especially one that would shatter Lexie. When he learns Lexie is in danger, he stays close to protect her, but soon discovers an attraction to Lexie he didn’t expect.
Could the danger be from someone they know or is it possible that the threat of Nazi invasion on their coast is a reality? Or is the island really cursed?
Russell and Lexie must work together to discover the real danger and keep from getting hurt or killed in the process.
Click here to get your copy!
My Review
I enjoyed this historical mystery set on the east coast during WW II. Turk has done a good job with the setting, an island where millionaires vacationed in the winter. I like Turk's attention to historical detail, such as the German submarine off the coast and the possible danger to those on the island.
Turk covers many issues in the novel such as the loss of wealth. Another issue is mental illness and how one might relate to those so afflicted. There is a good Christian message. Lexie doubts God's love for her. She is troubled by past events and we wonder if her faith will be renewed.
This is an entertaining and informative historical novel and one that reminds us of God's love for us.
My rating: 4/5 stars.
About the Author
When not writing or visiting lighthouses, Marilyn enjoys reading, walking, boating, fishing, gardening, tennis, and playing with her golden retriever. She also sings in the choir at her church and leads a women’s Bible study group. Marilyn and her husband have a combined family of four sons, one daughter, and four grandsons. She’s still hoping for a granddaughter someday.
She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Faith, Hope and Love Christian Writers, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Word Weavers International, and the United States Lighthouse Society.
Marilyn is also the director of the Blue Lake Christian Writers Conference.
More from Marilyn
When my agent told me a certain publisher was looking for Southern Gothic novels,
I wondered what those were. What I found out was that they were gothic-style novels set in the South, usually an old antebellum mansion, for example, “Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte.” Think “Jane Eyre” or “Wuthering Heights” set in the southern United States. I had just visited Jekyll Island, Georgia and toured the Millionaires’ Village there, so those mansions came to mind. These homes, which were actually vacation “cottages” of the rich and famous, were built in the Gilded Age of the late 1800s and early 1900s. It is said that the 100 members of the club represented most of the wealth in America at that time. However, the members aged and passed away, leaving their wealth or debt to their descendants, the Great Depression caused many to lose their fortunes, then two world wars wreaked havoc on the country, so most of those homes were abandoned. Thanks to ongoing renovation efforts by the state of Georgia, many have been rebuilt. My main character in The Gilded Curse, Alexandra Smithfield (Lexie), inherits one of those abandoned mansions right at the start of World War II. The family fortune gone, she intends to renovate and sell the mansion she hasn’t seen since childhood since her mother believed the island cursed, due to some tragedies that happened to their family while there. So Lexie is “cursed” in two ways – by inheriting something she can no longer afford to keep and by the imagined curse her mother believes. When suspicious events happen around her cottage, she wonders if her mother was right.
Today, you can take tours of the Millionaires’ Village and see the former “cottages” of Pulitzer, Vanderbilt, J.P. Morgan, etc. You can also stay at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel, renovated and now part of the Jekyll Island Club Resort. Some of the characters in my book were real people who lived in 1942, particularly the Maurice sisters, two single sisters who loved the island and never wanted to leave it, even when the President of the United States wanted the island vacated during the war. One interesting thing about the Maurice house: efforts to renovate it have met one obstacle after another, leading some people to believe the sisters’ spirits are still there and very particular about what they want done to their house.
Blog Stops
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, December 11
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, December 11
Pause for Tales, December 12
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 13
Mary Hake, December 13
Betti Mace, December 14
Texas Book-aholic, December 15
Min Reads and Reviews, December 15
Locks, Hooks and Books, December 16
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 17
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, December 18
Holly’s Book Corner, December 18
Blogging With Carol, December 19
Cover Lover Book Review, December 20
For Him and My Family, December 21
Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, December 22 (Author Interview)
Little Homeschool on the prairie, December 22
Connie’s History Classroom, December 23
Lily’s Corner, December 24
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Marilyn is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/293d1/the-gilded-curse-celebration-tour-giveaway
(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)
13 comments:
Thank you for the review.
Thank You for the review.
Marilyn
Thank you for sharing your review of The Gilded Curse, this sounds like a great historical mystery read and I am looking forward to it
Thrilled to dive into Marilyn Turk's "The Gilded Curse" blog tour and explore the intriguing world she has crafted. Meanwhile, Lime kiln dust Jacksonville , Texas, plays a crucial role in construction, providing soil stabilization for enhanced project durability and sustainability.
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This looks absolutely brilliant. Thanks for hosting.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful review. I enjoy Marilyn Turk's novels.
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