The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise

Balthazar Jones works as a Beefeater at the Tower of London, where he lives with his wife Hebe and his ancient tortoise. When the Queen decides to relocate her menagerie of exotic animal gifts to the Tower, Balthazar becomes the official zookeeper. The Tower's residents form an eccentric community, including the Ravenmaster who specializes in collecting items left on London's Underground, and the chaplain who writes erotic fiction. Meanwhile, Hebe works at the London Underground's Lost Property Office, cataloging abandoned objects and helping reunite them with their owners. Balthazar and Hebe navigate their marriage in the wake of personal tragedy, surrounded by the Tower's centuries of history and its current collection of peculiar inhabitants and exotic animals. Their story intersects with the lives of their neighbors as they all search for what they've lost. The novel explores grief, love, and healing through the lens of collecting - whether it's lost objects, historical artifacts, or living creatures. The Tower of London serves as both setting and metaphor, its ancient stones containing multitudes of secrets and possibilities.

Readers describe this as a charming but slow-moving tale that succeeds more on its quirky characters and historical details than its plot. The book maintains a 3.7/5 rating on Goodreads (24,000+ ratings) and 4.1/5 on Amazon (300+ ratings). What readers liked: - Rich historical facts about the Tower of London - Eccentric, well-developed supporting characters - British humor and wit throughout - Educational details about exotic pets and menageries What readers disliked: - Slow pace, especially in first third - Too many subplot diversions - Main character Balthazar can be frustrating - Some found the writing style overly precious Sample reader comments: "Like a British comedy of manners meets Night at the Museum" - Goodreads "Interesting facts wrapped in a meandering story" - Amazon "The historical trivia saves an otherwise plodding plot" - LibraryThing Several readers note it works better as a light, casual read rather than a plot-driven novel.

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🏰 The Tower of London houses 37 Yeoman Warders, also known as Beefeaters, who must have served in the armed forces for at least 22 years before being appointed to this prestigious role. 🦁 Between 1235 and 1835, the Tower of London maintained a royal menagerie, housing exotic animals including lions, polar bears, and elephants—many given as gifts to English monarchs. 📚 Author Julia Stuart worked as a journalist for The Independent newspaper and lived in France while writing this novel, though the book is distinctly British in its humor and setting. 👑 The Crown Jewels, featured in the novel, include the world's largest cut diamond—the 530.2 carat Great Star of Africa, set in the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross. 🐢 The Tortoise Garden at the Tower of London was real, though no longer exists today. In Victorian times, tortoises were kept as pets by several Yeoman Warders and their families.