Rating: Very Good
Source: Publisher
Description: England 1912. Danby Hall is the only home Lady Cecilia Bates has ever known. Despite the rigid rules of etiquette and her mother the Countess of Avebury's fervent desire to see her married off, Lady Cecilia can't imagine life anywhere else. But now, with an agricultural depression sweeping the countryside, the Bates family's possession of the hall is suddenly in peril.
A possible solution arrives in the form of the imperious American heiress Annabel Clarke. The Earl and Countess of Avebury are determined that Cecilia's brother, Patrick, will win Annabel's hand in marriage--and her fortune along with it. To help the lackluster Patrick in this pursuit, the Bates and their staff arrange a grand house party upon the heiress's arrival.
When a guest dies after sipping from a glass meant for Annabel, it's clear the Bates have a more poisonous problem on their hands than a lack of chemistry. As the scandal seizes Danby, Cecilia sets out to find the culprit, with help from Annabel's maid, Jane, and Jane's curiously intelligent cat, Jack.
After the poison that someone had stashed away inside the manor is discovered, Cecilia is left with two possibilities: Either a resident of Danby snapped and tried to kill the arrogant heiress, or the threat is coming from one of their guests, who would love to see the Bates family's decline become permanent.
Genre: Mystery - Historical
Why I Picked This Book: I've been loving historical mysteries this year and the blurb grabbed me.
My Impression: Historical mysteries have been pretty much a safe bet all through 2019 and this was no exception. I'm familiar with the wave of American heiresses who married into the British aristocracy but I enjoyed seeing it from the side of the family desperately trying to marry off the heir to the title to a woman with money. And I especially enjoyed seeing all of this through Cecilia's perspective. Since she is a daughter of the house no one is really telling her just what is going on and how dire things are so she's having to piece it together through what she overhears and what she notices.
This was a read I flew through and really enjoyed. The mystery was solid and entertaining. Plus, I really loved Cecilia and Jane especially. They were both interesting and unique characters and I really enjoyed spending time with them as they tried to unravel the mystery. This wasn't the most unpredictable of mysteries and I think regular mystery readers will guess some of the twists pretty early on. However, the characters, the writing style, and mystery itself were enjoyable enough I didn't find it to be a problem. I'm so glad I got in on the beginning of this series and I'm really looking forward to further adventures.
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely! This was a lot of fun.
Would I Recommend this Book? Yes, even if you're not a regular mystery reader, if you enjoy this time period I think you'll enjoy this book.
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
I love those British historical stories and this one does sound good. The series should prove interesting. Love the idea of the intelligent cat - Jack.
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