Category: Victorian Era (1837-1901)

In the history of the United Kingdom, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria’s reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardian period, and its later half overlaps with the first part of the Belle Époque era of continental Europe.
Preceded by: Regency era
Followed by: Edwardian era
Monarch: Victoria

Scandal Above Stairs by Jennifer Ashley

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Mystery, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

Scandal Above Stairs (Kat Holloway Mysteries, #2)Scandal Above Stairs by Jennifer Ashley

Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Kat Holloway #2
Publication Date: 7/3/18

This is the perfect follow-up to Death Below Stairs. The mystery is multi-faceted, we meet a new character, we learn more about the continuing characters and we feel as if we are in Victorian London in 1880. The descriptions of life both above and below stairs just make you feel as if you are right there in the kitchen with Kat making those lovely meals. You feel the heat of the stove, smell the lovely odors of the dishes Kat is preparing, and feel the tension of the timing and delivery of those meals. The writing is flawless, the plot well planned and executed and the characters are interesting, fully developed and totally three dimensional.

The main new character is Tess, Kat’s new kitchen assistant. You’d think Tess and Kat would be totally incompatible because they seem to be polar opposites – oil and water. Tess is free-spirited, undisciplined, improper, and she’s also a former ‘tea leaf’ (thief). I absolutely loved Tess’s exuberance and flinging her arms around the prim and proper Kat and giving her a huge hug. Tess is intelligent and learns quickly and she appreciates the opportunity to learn and grow. She is also totally loyal. I loved her and she quickly became one of my favorite characters. We also learn of but don’t actually meet, Tess’s brother. It will be interesting to see if he plays much of a role in future books.

We learn a bit more about the past of the enigmatic Daniel McAdam – just enough to whet our appetites to learn more in future books. We have some small hints of who his employer MIGHT be, but don’t learn anything of real substance there. I really like Daniel and wonder what changes, if any, he’ll make in his employment and lifestyle since his son was injured and his feelings for Kat seem to be growing.

Lady Cynthia reappears in this book as does Elgin Thanos. Talk about opposites attracting. I love these two characters and truly hope to see a meaningful relationship develop there. We’ll have to wait and see what develops there.

The story begins with a disaster in the kitchen. The whole roast pig, the crowning glory of the meal Kat had created for this dinner party, lay on the floor amid cracked pottery. Bits of vegetables and sauces rolling everywhere. Anyone else would have run from the kitchen in tears, but not the capable, intrepid Kat Holloway. She immediately rearranges the courses and prepares additional dishes. Not what she would have preferred, but a perfectly acceptable meal. Then, after that long and stressful day, Lady Cynthia wants to speak with her. Goodness – can’t it wait? Well, it turns out that it can’t.

Lady Cynthia’s friend, Clemmie (we met her and two other friends in the last book), is in a terrible pickle. Three of her husband’s very valuable paintings have been stolen from their home – and her husband is blaming her. There is no evidence of any break-ins and nothing else is missing. Clemmie is a gambler and loses frequently, so she constantly owes large amounts of money. Her husband had recently refused to cover those losses any longer, so he accuses her of stealing the paintings to pay off her gambling debts. She didn’t do it. So, Lady Cynthia asks Mrs. Holloway to help her friend.

As soon as Kat meets with Clemmie and hears the entire story, she is sure she knows what happened – who and how, but not why. The why of it unwinds slowly and surely throughout the book to reveal quite a big snarl.

In the meantime, Davis, the butler, mentions to Kat that he has seen Daniel McAdam working in a pawnshop. Surely not! During her next day-out to visit her daughter, Kat decides to return home by way of the pawn shop – just to see if it really was Daniel. It was! During the visit, she learns that Daniel is investigating the disappearance of antiquities from the British Museum and some of those involved are very dangerous thugs.

Over the course of time, Kat and Daniel learn that their investigations are intertwined – like the strands of a rope. These people are very dangerous and Daniel doesn’t want Kat involved, but, of course, she’s going to do what she can to defend Clemmie and to help Daniel where she can.

There are multiple murders, attempted murders and a tragic accident before all is solved. The villain might surprise you, but it might not. The wrap-up is lovely with all of the injured being cared for and . . . maybe there is something developing there.

I’m really enjoying this series and particularly Kat and Daniel. I can only wonder what our author has in store for them. How will their lives change if they marry? Kat is a live-in domestic, so how can she continue her employment should she marry and live with Daniel? How would that change her relationship with Lady Cynthia? We surely don’t want to lose her! I wonder if Daniel isn’t employed by Whitehall – if he is, how will that affect a marriage with Kat? Would she help him with cases? Will they both finally get their children to live with them? So many questions, so very much to look forward to in this delightful, well-written series!

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“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”

Daring the Duke by Lana Williams

On By TracyIn Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)1 Comment

Daring the Duke (The Seven Curses of London Book 7)Daring the Duke by Lana Williams
Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Seven Curses of London, #7

Release Date: June 12, 2018

Still reeling from the death of her beloved friend, Lady Lillian Bartley goes to London with one goal in mind – to make Elijah Waters, the Duke of Burbridge pay for breaking her best friend Helena’s heart. Lillian is a sweet, loving, loyal person, she doesn’t blame Elijah completely for Helena’s death, but she feels that he was a major factor. Helena had fallen fast and hard for Elijah when he danced and flirted with her at a ball. Later she receives a letter from an “admirer” wanting to meet with her – but when he doesn’t show, she falls into a fit of despair and when she becomes ill, fails to fight for her life and dies. Lillian believes that Elijah sent Helena the letter and toyed with her affections and she will do the same to him – she will make him fall in love with her and reject him as he did Helena.

But when she meets Elijah, she has a hard time reconciling the man who so callously hurt her friend with the kind man who is obviously dealing with his own grief over the recent death of his father. Lillian’s plan begins to unravel before it even starts – she is consumed with self doubt and questions herself, her worth and her motivations.

Elijah has his own doubts and guilt to deal with, he is attracted to Lillian, but he is not ready for a wife. The death of his father hit him hard and he spent most of the previous year in a haze of alcohol and meaningless dalliances to staunch the pain. Now he has finally realized that he owes it to his father to be a better man and take up the reins of the duchy. Elijah tries to do the right things, but besides the estate, his mother is suffering. She has turned to drinking to cope with her pain and Elijah feels responsible. When Lillian saves his mother from a potentially humiliating scene, Elijah begins to wonder about her reason for being so nice to his mother. But as time passes, he realizes Lillian is a truly beautiful person and he longs to know her better. When he suggests a ride in the park, Lillian agrees, only to be hurt when he fails to show. She then begins to question her decision to not hold him liable for Helena’s pain. What Lillian doesn’t know is, Elijah’s mother is on death’s door. She consumed some doctored spirits at a party and was poisoned. Elijah was not with her at the time, because he was out looking for the man who is selling altered liquor – he believes that his mother was subjected to it the night she almost caused a scene. He was given a copy of the Seven Curses book by Lillian’s brother Viscount Frost and read that things can be added to liquor to improve potency and shelf life while cutting costs – but the true price is high – many of the additives are poisonous.

When Elijah realizes he missed his meeting with Lillian, he rushes to see her – she forgives him and promises to visit the Duchess, but her own insecurities have taken root and the budding relationship they had may never blossom as a result.

Elijah doesn’t understand the change in Lillian, but he is grateful for her attention to his mother. The Duchess is finally starting to move past her crippling grief, thanks in part to Lillian. Elijah decides that Lillian is the woman for him and sets out to court her. But Lillian can’t seem to accept his attentions, she cares for him, but doesn’t feel worthy of his attention. So when an opportunity to help him by finding the apothecary that is suppling the additives to liquor distributor, she jumps at the chance to prove herself worthy of his love.

I thought this was a well written, emotional story that did true justice to how people grieve and the harmful effects of self-doubt. Lillian and Elijah are both dealing with insecurities and both are grieving, I liked how Ms. Williams dealt with both issues and I found the storyline of the tainted/altered liquor completely fascinating. There are no love scenes in this book beyond a couple of stolen kisses, so the heat level is low, but I didn’t feel like the story suffered from the lack. I thought this was a well done story that tackled some very sensitive issues and still managed to have a HEA. And while this is the seventh book in the series, it can easily be read as a stand alone title.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an uncorrected eARC that was provided to me*