Search This Blog
April Reviews Link-Up
May Reviews Link-Up
June Reviews Link-Up
July Reviews Link-Up
August Reviews Link-Up
September Reviews Link-Up
October Reviews Link-Up
November Reviews Link-Up
December Reviews Link-Up
2024 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama (1)
- Alaska
- Arizona (1)
- Arkansas
- California (3)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia (1)
- Hawaii
- Idaho (2)
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (1)
- Maryland
- Massachusetts (2)
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York (2)
- North Carolina (2)
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma (1)
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (1)
- Utah
- Vermont (1)
- Virginia (1)
- Washington (1)
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.*
International:
- Australia (1)
- Canada (1)
- England (7)
- France (1)
- Ireland (1)
- Italy (1)
- Scotland (2)
- The Netherlands (1)
2024 Build Your Library Reading Challenge
Friday, January 05, 2018
Smart Upstairs/Downstairs Mystery a Satisfying Delight
9:17 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
When Kat Holloway secures a position as cook in a fine Mayfair home, she expects to encounter the kind of drama that exists in every posh London household. What she couldn't possibly anticipate, however, is the dead body she finds in the larder on her first full day of work. Horrified by the brutal, senseless death of her pretty Irish assistant, Kat vows to seek justice for the young maid. The police might think Katie Doyle was simply collateral damage in a burglary gone wrong, but the 29-year-old cook knows there's more to the story. With the Fenian Movement in full-swing, Katie could have been killed because of her ethnicity. Or was it a lover's quarrel between the girl and her brute of a boyfriend?
If anyone can help Kat get to the bottom of things, it's Daniel McAdam, an enigmatic jack-of-all-trades. Whether he's an undercover policeman, a private eye, or something less savory, she doesn't rightly know. And yet, she trusts the charmer with the cheeky smile who makes her heart flutter every time he glances her way. With the help of some other unlikely conspirators, the duo starts their own investigation into Katie Doyle's death. Soon, however, they find themselves untangling a much bigger mystery, one that goes all the way to The Crown. Can a cook and a might-be con man stop a villainous plot before it takes place? Or will their dead bodies be the next ones stuffed into the larder?
There's so much to love about Death Below Stairs, the first book in a Victorian mystery series by Jennifer Ashley, that I'm not sure exactly where to start. Clever and compassionate, our no-nonsense heroine makes for an engaging narrator. The supporting cast is just as colorful, equally as compelling. With an intelligent mystery at its core, the novel's plot chugs along at a steady pace, the upstairs/downstairs drama adding an extra layer of intrigue. Its appealing mix of mystery, history, politics, and romance creates a winning recipe of which even Kat Holloway, the most sought-after cook in London, would be proud. If you can't tell, I adored Death Below Stairs. I just downloaded the prequel, A Soupçon of Poison, and am eagerly anticipating Scandal Above Stairs, the next installment in what promises to be a thoroughly
(Readalikes: Um, I can't think of anything. Can you?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for brief, mild language (no F-bombs) and violence
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of Death Below Stairs from the generous folks at Berkley (an imprint of Penguin Random House). Thank you!
7 comments:
Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.
P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(Atom)
Reading
Listening
Followin' with Bloglovin'
-
-
-
-
Daily Prompt 22 April Monday7 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth16 hours ago
-
Happy Earth Day!18 hours ago
-
What I'm Reading This Week (April 22, 2024)20 hours ago
-
Hyde, Catherine Ryan "When I found you"21 hours ago
-
A Secret Between Them + Giveaway22 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Plans for Wyrd & Wonder 20241 day ago
-
Secrets of a Scottish Isle by1 day ago
-
Sunday Salon: April 21, 20242 days ago
-
-
-
Sunday Post3 days ago
-
-
-
Reading as a retreat from reality5 days ago
-
Novel Love Story1 week ago
-
Invisible Woman by Katia Lief1 week ago
-
Reading Recap March 20242 weeks ago
-
Waiting on Wednesday - Think Twice2 weeks ago
-
-
March Monthly Wrap-up3 weeks ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?6 months ago
-
6/25/23 Extra Ezra9 months ago
-
-
-
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?1 year ago
-
-
-
-
-
Grab my Button!
Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ► 2019 (197)
- ▼ 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ► 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
- ► 2014 (133)
- ► 2013 (183)
- ► 2012 (193)
- ► 2011 (232)
- ► 2010 (257)
- ► 2009 (211)
- ► 2008 (192)
Sounds like a delightful read. I like when characters are perfectly fleshed out.
ReplyDeleteMe, too! I also like these characters because although you get to know them pretty well, there's still plenty to learn. Their back stories are filled in but not completely.
DeleteOh this one looks really fun. I love British shows: Upstairs, Downstairs; the Crown; and Downton Abbey so this series sounds like it's right up my alley.
ReplyDeleteI've never watched Downton Abbey, but I'm sure this book is similar to the show with all its upstairs/downstairs politics.
DeleteI'm hearing lots of good things about this book. Will keep it in mind.
ReplyDeleteIt's a good one. I think you'd like it.
DeleteThis one sounds right up my alley. I love upstairs/below stairs books. I'll have to add this one to my TBR. :)
ReplyDelete