Wednesday, February 7, 2018

4 stars-- Death Below Stairs (Kat Holloway Mysteries #1) by Jennifer Ashley

I just adore Jennifer Ashley's books and getting to jump into a new series? Yes, please!

Death Below Stairs was a fun adventure with a no nonsense cook and a squirly acquaintance who pull together a ragtag group of eccentrics to save the world! LOL Well, okay just a small part of it, but still!
The Gist: Kat has started a new job as a household cook and her first week? Well one of the young maids is murdered right in the house! While horrible it might be linked to an even more nefarious plot to take down the Queen herself. Unless Kat and her acquaintances can piece things together in time.
There was so much good about this one.
  • Kat was a wonderful heroine. Strong, talented, doesn't mess around, brave. I enjoyed her voice and seeing her work through things.
  • The rest of the cast was great, too. While I didn't love them all (wasn't meant to) it was fun seeing the family upstairs, the staff downstairs, how they all regarded each other. I loved her potential love interest Daniel and his son and some of the others who joined in on the hunt. They were so interesting and eclectic.
  • While there wasn't a full blown romance there were light beginnings of one and I adored Kat and Daniel together. They suit and all of their interactions left me smiling and going come on come on come on you two! lol
  • I loved the food! Yes, a lot of time is spent with Kat in her kitchen and it was fascinating seeing how things were made and done back in that time period. Her passion for food was wonderful, too. 
  • The mystery was fantastic, too. Seeing them working to figure out the maid's murder and take clues that could have easily been missed and realize something on a much grander scale was going on. The on the ground work they had to put in and the danger they went through. It was exciting and interesting.
All in all, Death Below Stairs was wonderful. Everything was nicely done and has me excited for the next Kat Holloway mystery. Ashley really does have a magic touch. No matter if it's paranormal shifters or highlanders or mysteries she nails it.

Highly sought-after young cook Kat Holloway takes a position in a Mayfair mansion and soon finds herself immersed in the odd household of Lord Rankin. Kat is unbothered by the family’s eccentricities as long as they stay away from her kitchen, but trouble finds its way below stairs when her young Irish assistant is murdered.

Intent on discovering who killed the helpless kitchen maid, Kat turns to the ever-capable Daniel McAdam, who is certainly much more than the charming delivery man he pretends to be. Along with the assistance of Lord Rankin’s unconventional sister-in-law and a mathematical genius, Kat and Daniel discover that the household murder was the barest tip of a plot rife with danger and treason—one that’s a threat to Queen Victoria herself.

Amazon | Goodreads | Ashley on HCBS
 
*covers link to Amazon


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