Agatha Christie meets Jane Austen in this atmospheric Regency tale brimming with mystery, intrigue, and romance.
When Miss Rebecca Lane returns to her home village after a few years away, her brother begs for a favor: go to nearby Swanford Abbey and deliver his manuscript to an author staying there who could help him get published. Feeling responsible for her brother’s desperate state, she reluctantly agrees.
The medieval monastery turned grand hotel is rumored to be haunted. Once there, Rebecca begins noticing strange things, including a figure in a hooded black gown gliding silently through the abbey’s cloisters. For all its renovations and veneer of luxury, the ancient foundations seem to echo with whispers of the past–including her own. For there she encounters Sir Frederick–magistrate, widower, and former neighbor–who long ago broke her heart.
When the famous author is found murdered in the abbey, Sir Frederick begins questioning staff and guests and quickly discovers that several people held grudges against the man, including Miss Lane and her brother. Haunted by a painful betrayal in his past, Sir Frederick searches for answers but is torn between his growing feelings for Rebecca and his pursuit of the truth. For Miss Lane is clearly hiding something. . . .
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Sexual Content - 1/5
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Violence - 1/5
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Language - 0/5
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Drugs and Alcohol - 0/5
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Summary
Shadows of Swanford Abbey by Julie Klassen was a whodunit and may I say done very well. The story keeps the reader intrigued with complex characters and plenty of plot twists.
I enjoyed both the main characters Rebecca and Fedrick. Rebecca had a crush on Fredrick when they were growing up. Although he showed her attention it stopped when he met the woman who was to be his wife.
The story starts years later when they have both experienced life’s challenges. He has lost his wife and she has taken the position of a lady’s maid. They are both staying at Swanford Abbey when a famous author is murdered. We have plenty of suspects as we try to figure out who murdered him.
The author did a fabulous job of balancing the relationship between Rebecca and Fedrick and the mystery. I absolutely loved how they responded to each other; even when he knew she was hiding something from him. He still trusted her. Be sure to have plenty of time to flip the pages in this one because you won’t want to put it down. I devoured it!