The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple by Joanna Davidson Politano

 

The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple by Joanna Davidson Politano is a great book full of intrigue, mystery and so many twists. I loved the wonderful details that bring the story to life. Who exactly was Lily Temple, and how were we to be sure she was telling the truth. There were so many layers to Lily Temple and other aspects of this story which were revealed slowly as the story progressed. I also loved all the historical details I discovered.

The story was mainly told from two points of view, that of silent-film actress Lily Temple and also that of the inquiry agent, Peter Driscoll. Lily’s chapters are told in first person, while Peter’s are told in third person. So, while this is their story, it is mainly hers. She is the one telling it to the authorities that we meet in the first chapter, when we discover that Lily is supposed to be dead and Peter is being held as a prisoner.

Lily starts her tale on the day she and Peter meet.

I loved that the story had an ethereal quality to it, magical without any magic. The magic of manipulating film to make people see what you want them to see. Wondering what Lily was really all about. Misdirection and fairy tales. I loved that each chapter began with a quote from a classic, such as Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, and more.

And of course there was the relationship between Lily and Peter that evolved throughout the story as Peter was searching for the Briarwood Teardrop, but also finds himself asking for Lily’s aid in helping with another case. Is he just using her to get close to her to find out about the gemstone, or is there more?

And I loved the spiritual truths that were told through the story. Love the way the author worked in the story of the garden and that God is equated with the gardener. It is a story of redemption, and of finding the truth of God and His wanting a relationship with us.

I just loved this book and highly recommend it.

I received an e-copy of this book through NetGalley and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own honest thoughts.