I really enjoyed this book, as well as the place and time, and am excited that it will be a series. I kept peeking at the end of the book to make sure it ended well- which shows the characters engaged me!
Louisa Cannon, from a poor working class family in London, works with her widowed mother as a washerwoman and seamstress. Her father's brother often stays at their house and puts Louisa in harms way.
Jennie, a friend from school who gives her a hint for a job in an upper class family the Mitfords. Her uncle tries to interfere with her interview by abducting her, and she jumps off the train onto the tracks.Guy Sullivan, a young railway officer assists her to get to the interview.
At the very same time Louisa jumped from the train, a war nurse, Florence Nightingale Shore is attacked and left for dead on another train. Guy Sullivan and his coworker Harry are assigned to that case and this murder will consume them all.
Her new position is nursery maid for the Mitford family adds Nancy Mitford the oldest child to the group who become obsessed with Nurse Shore's murder.
An exciting sequence of events follows with an eventful conclusion. I cannot wait for the next in the series.
4.5 stars rounded up..A fun read where Georgie and Darcy almost make it to Gretna Green to marry but life and his father Lord Kilhenny intervened. A snowstorm interrupts their trip and the morning paper brings terrible news that Darcy's father has been arrested for murder.
Darcy breaks off their engagement to spare her ( and the throne) embarrassment and heads to Kildare. Georgie follows him, his friend Princess ZouZou follows suit. Queenie eventually comes also and hilariously stands at the foot of Georgie' s bed in Darcy's eccentric Great Aunt Oona's haunted manor house.
Georgie and ZouZou have ideas which are put into place and the murder eventually is solved with the US Embassy's assistance. Mr.Roach the deceased, was the head of a large robbery gang ( Based on an actual event in the US) and a gang members had actually committed the crime.
Lovely ending Christmas day, when Darcy gives Georgie his mother's ring, and has set things in motion for Royal consent for their marriage. It seems that Zou Zou and Lord Kilhenney may have similar plans. and Queenie has agreed to stay and help Great Aunt Oona and Uncle Dooley on their estate.
The Holywell Dead ( Chesterfield #3) was a satisfying read by a favorite author, about a perilous time in history. 1364 finds the plague returning to Chesterfield as the local priest, sorely needed now, has vanished.
John the Carpenter is content in his new life, but the plague brings up his own personal history as an 8 year left parentless. The discovery of the priest wrapped in a shroud in an empty house precipitates a string of related murders. John is charged with finding the murderer as he has been for some time past. His wife and extended family are concerned, and after John is attacked, he vows to not participate in the search.
Murders and abductions continue to occur,including the Carpenters young mute apprentice being taken. John intervenes to find Alan and once to find the Coroner, whose fury remains unabated.
After deHarville, the Coroner, is attacked and dies, John becomes the target of those few remaining in this group of mercenaries, who have some attachment to the King.
Unlikely allies are a group of lepers who are willing to help him fight the mercenary group, as they knew him as a kind generous person.. One of them, Alison, on her own, came with him on the final battle, and slew the remaining murderer while sacrificing her own life.
The ending was poignant and pointed to happier times as John and Alan had completed a "thank offering" bench commissioned by the Coroner, warmly received by parishioners. Katherine his wife happily tells him a second child will be born to them before long. I hope that indicates a sequel to this fine series.
Wow Daisy Dalrymple #23,
thanks NetGalley& St. Martin's Press for the read. I have not read all Carola Dunn's books, but enough to know this one was a very fun read. Daisy's family life is quite entertaining, with cousins from other countries, friends from near and far and the twins and Belinda.
Alec ( who ends the book at Superintendent of his unit at Scotland Yard) , tries very hard to keep Daisy from being immersed in his cases to no avail. His subordinates and colleagues are also sort of their extended family.
The school holidays have started and stepdaughter Belinda arrives at home, where Daisy has arranged many exciting day trips, as well as house guests. The first one, which included visiting cousins, close friends,Nanny Gilpin and her young assistant, was via several chauffeured vehicles to the Crystal Place.
Before lunchtime, Nanny Gilpin ends up floating in a pond and rescued by the older cousins Ben and Charlie, Belinda and others were in the ladies room where another Nanny appears to be deceased. A closer look at the deceased reveals the corpse is male, and a third Nanny was seen fleeing the scene after being pursued by Nanny G. Daisy feels she knows this man and it ends up he is a cousin of Lucy, her best friend and heir to a Baronet.
A complicated plot including Russian jewelers as well as a huge amount of possible murderers ensure. Teddy, the victim has made himself universally disliked in many social circles. The ending was enjoyable, as was another look at Daisy's world.
I have greatly enjoyed all the Oxford Medieval Mysteries and this one is no exception. The author's fine afterward discusses the "little ice age" which could have been having an effect on winter travel and other historical facts of that period.
Nicholas and his family, as well as his friend Jordain and Emma and her aunt and cousins are invited to Peter Winchingham's manor in Leighton for the Christmas season. Nicholas and Margaret's mother had been too frail to travel to them in Oxford with the harsh weather they are having so they agree.
Despite extensive preparations the trip is fraught with peril from both the elements and outlaws. Deputy sheriff Cedric Walden had offered to travel with Nicholas' group for safety, which ended up saving their lives. The whole trip was fraught with peril, as the French Troubadours invited to Leighton Manor were also attacked, and that sets the stage for most of their visit.
The ending is unique with Nicholas and the Black Prince again fighting together against treasonous mercenaries. All ends well and made for a delightful read
"As wedding bells chime in Kurland St. Mary, a motley group of visitors descends on the village—and with a murderer on the prowl, some of them may not be returning home…"
This series just keep getting better with each volume, or else I am just more enamored of the characters. I have other books I NEED to read but this one... and now the next one is on my kindle..
It starts "Lucy , my dear, you cannot ignore Major Kurland forever"
"I know that"
It ends with Lucy and Sir Robert Kurland agreeing to be married.
In between were a marriage, several deaths and unveiling of illegitimate heirs, all in Regency England in a "cozy" mystery. Wonderful Read!
#DeathOfANovice #NetGalley
4.5 stars..Love Reverend Mother mysteries and this was not an exception. The ending felt a little bit out of focus to me, however. I think the ending was to segway into the next book, where possibly Patrick the Detective and Eileen McSweeney could solve a mystery together?
The Reverend Mother is shocked to walk into an outbuilding and find that her most promising young novice, Sister Gertrude lying dead. She is even more shocked to learn that her death was of alcohol poisoning although the young nun never had touched liquor. She calls on the two men she relies on most, Dr. Scher and young Inspector Patrick Cashman.
Could there be a link between the I.R.A.'s sabotage of a gunpowder explosion on Spike Island which may connect to Eileen? Was their also a tie to Mary MacSwiney, the educator and Sinn Fein revolutionary, who was giving the young novices Gaelic lessons and involving them in activities?
A wonderful and exciting glimpse into a violent time not so long ago. A favorite series of mine. Thanks NetGalley and Cora Harrison for this ARC.
