Our Sweet Guillotine

Mary
Gray
Genre: 
Historical

Tempeste Guillotine lost her mother to the hangman's noose. In a time of dissention and revolution, she seeks her own personal style of revenge on the streets of Paris. As she wages  war on her father for failing to save her mother, she chooses to live in squalor on the streets. Her only solace is in a convent visiting Sister Josephine. An old friend’s offer combined with a new friend’s appreciation leads our slightly demented protagonist on a journey of redemption with an unlikely ally – Gabriel Sanson, the executioner. 

This beautiful look at  a frightening time in history opens the reader’s eyes to brilliant revelations: the fragility of the mind, the strength of family unity, the need for satisfaction in the form of revenge. Tempeste is a study in a broken mind. Although she needs to be healed, she must first exact revenge. As her dual personalities fight for supremacy they keep her teetering on the edge. Mary Gray’s attention to detail in crafting this character is superb. The quirks of a shattered mind are a delicate dance to perfect, and Ms. Gray has done  it with aplomb! Deft character creation continues for  the entire ensemble, providing a rich tapestry of detail to the novel. The mixture of the mystery with history is well drawn out and leads  to a solid climax. The truly unique romance, blossoming as it does from vengeance, guilt and family allegiance, is heart-rending. Adjusting to certain quirks in Tempeste’s character is the only issue that could potentially cause reader’s concern. “Our Sweet Guillotine” as well as Tempeste and Gabriel will stick in the mind and heart! 

Penelope Anne Bartotto