Can't Wait Wednesday: The Mistress of Ashmore Castle by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (Book Three of the Ashmore Castle Series)

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, I'm featuring The Mistress of Ashmore Castle, by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles. My current read this week is Book One of the Ashmore Castle series and I am really enjoying it. I was glad to learn there are two more after this one. I think Harrod-Eagles does a great job combining history with fiction and this series has a definite Downton Abbey feel to it. Happy Reading this week!

August 3, 2023

Historical Fiction/Romance

Description courtesy of Amazon

England, 1903.

Giles, the Earl of Stainton, has fled from his stifling duties to resume his research in Egypt, leaving behind his wife Kitty, and his infant son. Kitty, still reeling from Giles' sudden departure, struggles to keep spirits high in the castle and establish herself as the true mistress of the house, an impossible task given how many secrets the inhabitants are hiding from her...

The Earl's younger sisters, Rachel and Alice, are both pursuing forbidden romances, and his brother Richard begins a new business venture, spurred on by his clandestine lover. And below stairs, a shocking crime sends distrust rippling through the staff, more so when one of their own is accused.

Kitty must draw on her strength to keep the castle from crumbling around her, but with her marriage to Giles left uncertain, and a surprise of her own to conceal, can she ever take her rightful place as true head of her household?

The third novel in the Ashmore Castle historical family drama series, filled with heartbreak, romance and intriguing secrets waiting to be uncovered. The perfect read for fans of Downton Abbey, Bridgerton and rich period dramas.

Stacking the Shelves #8

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that jogs your memory of something you want to read. Enjoy your reading this week :)

I love watching this series on Ovation but didn't realize until recently it was first a series of books. This one is on sale for 99 cents through Amazon Kindle this week and even though I don't really like starting series books out of order, I went ahead and got this one, figuring I know the characters enough to read book three first. Hoping it is as enjoyable as the T.V. show.

I have read and reviewed one book by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, The Chevalier, that was more history based but this one looks intriguing. I started it yesterday and am loving it so far. It is like reading the story of Downton Abbey. So many interesting characters so far and I think it's a series I'm really going to like.

This is book one of the Scott-De Quincy mystery series. I loved the cover, it's so beautiful and mysterious looking. The author is entirely new to me and the premise of the story looks original. I'm thinking maybe a cross between an Anne Perry/Victorian vibe but with a main character of the nobility rather than the lower classes. Either way it is a historical mystery....my favorite kind of book!

I hope you have found some new books to treasure this week!

Murder in Venice by Martha Bond (A Lottie Sprigg Cozy Mystery) Book One

Publication Date: February 16, 2023

Length: 202 pages

Cozy mysteries have become my go to when the news gets to be too much. There are so many series to choose from now and tons set in the 1920's. The covers are always bright and colorful and just draw me in. You can't be in a bad mood when reading one....they are just fun! They can often be read in a day or two and don't require a ton of concentration which is a good thing when I am super busy. This latest series by Martha Bond has our heroine Lottie Sprigg hopping from one beautiful city to another and she always manages to find another murder to solve. 

In Book One Lottie moves from maid to companion for the wealthy, world traveling Mrs. Moore, who is following a very eligible bachelor, Prince Manfred of Bavaria, throughout Europe, hoping to snag him and his money for herself. They are staying in Venice and Lottie is in awe of her luck....exploring the beautiful city and gaining the attention of the bellboy, Stefano. When Lottie and Mrs. Moore are invited to the opera by famous singer, Amedo Moretti, they accept, hoping to run into the Prince. After the opera they dine with Moretti and have a lovely time. 

Unfortunately, later that evening Moretti is murdered and found floating in the Grand Canal outside the hotel where both Lottie and Moretti are staying. Everyone is baffled, including the local inspector, as Moretti didn't seem to have many immediate enemies. Lottie becomes attached to Moretti's little dog, Rosetta, and feels she owes it to her to find her owner's killer. With the help of Stefano, they begin to work together with the scant clues they have.

As Lottie watches and explores the city around her and talks to those staying in the hotel she begins to see Moretti might not have been the person she originally thought. He has some personal history which might explain his demise. When another man, Colonel Pickering, who was seen meeting with Moretti just hours before his murder is also killed, Lottie just knows the deaths are related. 

More determined than ever to solve the two mysteries, she must be careful not to be targeted herself and also must deal with the wrath of the Inspector who doesn't want her interfering. Add to that a separate case of an apparent dog snatcher on the loose and a frightening, masked shadowy figure prowling the streets of Venice, dubbed the Plague Doctor, Lottie is now taking real risks. Can she find the culprit before either she, Stefano, or Rosie are one of the next victims?

This was an enjoyable read and I really liked Lottie's character. She is smart and kind without being too naive. She is deferential to her employer but realistic enough to know when to stick up for herself. Her interaction with Stefano is cute and they have a nice budding romance going. Her talks with and about Rosie the dog are a nice touch and the descriptions of Venice make you feel like you are there on the river with them. 

It is stretching things a bit to call this book "historical" as it honestly could have been set in modern times. There were very few details that made if feel like the 1920's but that didn't take away from the story. The mystery was good, though not especially intricate, although the villain was kept decently hidden until the end. If you read it for pure fun, you won't be disappointed. I will continue with the next book and love how we get to visit a new, exotic city with Lottie  each time.