SUNDAY SHOUT-OUT: THE PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN BY CATHERINE GASKIN

Is there ever such a thing as too many books? I don’t think there are too many books to read, but there can definitely be too many to review. Often I’m sent books and, with an already sagging review shelf, these unsolicited books often end being overlooked – I just can’t fit them in to my schedule. Sunday Shout-Out aims to acknowledge these books and the publishers who have sent them to me.

Sunday Shout-Out is a bookish meme hosted by Monique of Write Note Reviews. If you’re a book blogger and you want to join in, just:

• Share the title, author, blurb and image from a book (or more than one) you want to acknowledge
• Share the genre, price and link to the publisher so readers can follow up if they like the sound of the book
• Ping back to Write Note Reviews in your post.

The Property of a Gentleman by Catherine Gaskin (historical romance just released as eBook on Amazon) – published by Corazon Books

Shortly after her mother’s death in a Swiss plane crash, Jo Roswell is sent from the London auction house where she works to the remote Thirlbeck – stately home of the Earl of Askew. Jo’s task is to evaluate the house’s contents for a sale, but she soon finds herself drawn into the complex lives of Thirlbeck’s inhabitants, each with their own secrets and desires. Jo is absorbed by the tragic story of The Spanish Lady, whose young life was cut short at Thirlbeck many centuries earlier. She also encounters La Española, the brilliant diamond which, according to legend, brings disaster to all who try to possess it. And she is shocked to learn of her own mother’s connection to Thirlbeck. Jo will struggle with difficult discoveries as she unlocks the puzzles which link Thirlbeck’s past and present residents. Meet the residents of Thirlbeck:

• Robert Birkett, the Earl of Askew: returning to Thirlbeck after many years abroad, a decorated war hero who also spent time in prison after a fatal car accident for which he was blamed.
• Carlota, the Spanish Condesa: the Earl’s sophisticated companion, who yearns to leave the cold of Cumberland for the warmth of the Mediterranean sun.
• Nat Birkett: the local farmer, and single father of two young boys, who is the reluctant heir to Thirlbeck. His passion is for the land rather than titles and possessions.
• Gerald Stanton: Jo’s wise mentor and friend, who is like a father to her.
• George Tolson: the brooding keeper of Thirlbeck, who jealously guards it from unwelcome strangers.
• Jessica Tolson: George’s intelligent but fragile granddaughter, who must be protected from herself.

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What do you think? Sound like something you’d read? Did you know that during her lifetime Catherine Gaskin’s books sold over 40 million copies worldwide, and she was known as “The Queen of Storytellers” and “The Girl with the Golden Pen”? I don’t think I’ve read any of her books!