Praise for Julie Klassen
“A remarkable tale with many unpredictable twists and turns.”–CBA Retailers+Resources
“A treat for [readers] who want their historical romances served up with a generous dash of mystery.”–Booklist
“[Klassen’s] work appeals to all who seek a riveting Regency romance.”–RT Book Reviews
Abigail Foster is the practical daughter. She fears she will end up a spinster, especially as she has little dowry, and the one man she thought might marry her seems to have fallen for her younger, prettier sister.
Facing financial ruin, Abigail and her father search for more affordable lodgings, until a strange solicitor arrives with an astounding offer: the use of a distant manor house abandoned for eighteen years. The Fosters journey to imposing Pembrooke Park and are startled to find it entombed as it was abruptly left: tea cups encrusted with dry tea, moth-eaten clothes in wardrobes, a doll’s house left mid-play…
The handsome local curate welcomes them, but though he and his family seem acquainted with the manor’s past, the only information they offer is a stern warning: Beware trespassers drawn by rumors that Pembrooke Park contains a secret room filled with treasure.
This catches Abigail’s attention. Hoping to restore her family’s finances–and her dowry–Abigail looks for this supposed treasure. But eerie sounds at night and footprints in the dust reveal she isn’t the only one secretly searching the house.
Then Abigail begins receiving anonymous letters, containing clues about the hidden room and startling discoveries about the past.
As old friends and new foes come calling at Pembrooke Park, secrets come to light. Will Abigail find the treasure and love she seeks…or very real danger?
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Sexual Content - 1/5
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Violence - 1/5
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Language - /5
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Drugs and Alcohol - /5
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Summary
Julie Klassen has done it again! I couldn't put down her latest novel The Secret of Pembrooke Park. Ms. Klassen's novels are a combination of historical fiction, romance, and mystery with a clear biblical worldview woven throughout. The Foster family finds themselves in reduced financial means, however an anonymous family member offers an invitation for them to live at abandoned Pembrooke Park. Abigail Foster, eldest daughter and potential spinster is tasked with preparation of the home. Almost immediately, she finds herself caught up in the mysterious circumstances surrounding her new home, and we, the readers are entangled in the mystery with her. Who is the man in the hooded green cloak? Where is the supposed secret room that is rumored to hold treasure? And who is sending Abigail cryptic letters that hint at the truth? Which man will win her heart: the young curate, an old friend since her youth, or a distant relation she has only recently become acquainted with? The twists and turns of the story kept me voraciously reading in order to uncover the next intriguing piece of the puzzle. As with all her novels, Ms. Klassen has set this novel in the early 1800s during the Regency Age. Reading this novel with be time well-spent.