I was extremely lucky and privileged to be invited to a bloggers lunch to celebrate the launch of Lucinda Riley’s new book The Seven Sisters back in September. Somehow life then conspired against me and I didn’t get a chance to actually read it until late November, when I then also had a break from blogging in the run up to Christmas and going to Australia. So finally, here is what I thought of The Seven Sisters.

What is immediately special about this book is it is the first in a series of seven and therefore sets itself a big task – to be an excellent book in its own right and to be good enough to draw you in to eagerly anticipating the next one and the rest of the series. It definitely succeeds on both counts.

Firstly, the setting out of the story itself is intriguing. It starts with gathering of six sisters on the death of their adored father Pa Salt who separately adopted them each as babies.

Secondly the protagonist of this first book is classic Riley. We have a wounded but likeable heroine whose life has stalled and needs dramatically fixing.

But thirdly, and most importantly for me, the backdrop to this story is absolutely fascinating and one I’ve never seen tackled elsewhere – the building of the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio.

We follow the heroine Maia as she uncovers her own family’s mystery and in doing so follow the story of Izabela in 1920s Rio and Paris as she plays her part in history and the statue being created.

You can tell that Lucinda Riley wrote this in Brazil as the colours, heat, smells and sounds come right off the page and transport you, in my case out of a grey, wet and thoroughly miserable November, to somewhere far more appealing.

This story also ends well. And it leaves you wanting more. I’m already looking forward to the next instalment and would thoroughly recommend you put this series on your reading list (not to mention Lucinda Riley’s other great books I’ve blogged on previously: The Italian Girl, The Midnight Rose, and Hothouse Flower).