From wedding bells to death knells
Death Comes to Kurland Hall
By Catherine Lloyd
Kensington Books
Mystery & Thrillers
Pub date: November 24, 2015
Description
As wedding bells chime in Kurland St. Mary, a motley group of visitors descends on the village—and with a murderer on the prowl, some of them may not be returning home…
Lucy Harrington has returned to Kurland St. Mary to help with her friend Sophia Giffin's wedding. But her homecoming is made disagreeable by the presence of Major Robert Kurland, whose bungled proposal has ruffled Lucy's composure, and a meddling widow who has designs on her father, the village rector.
Wary of the cloying Mrs. Chingford from the start, Lucy has doubts about the busybody's intentions with her father. But everyone else seems to think they make an ideal match—until the courtship is curtailed when Mrs. Chingford is found dead at the bottom of a staircase. It's clear that it wasn't an accident, and in hopes of finding the culprit, Lucy and Robert call a truce and begin scrutinizing the wedding guests.
But the widow left behind plenty of enemies, and when one of them is the next to turn up dead, Lucy and Robert discover that the truth is far more scandalous than anyone could have imagined…
Review
It is a time for celebration in Kurland St Mary. Lucy Harrington’s best friend Sophia is getting married and the wedding is only days away. Still smarting from his lackluster proposal, Lucy is doing her best to avoid Major Robert Kurland.
A number of guests are descending upon the village, and amongst these are the disagreeable Mrs. Chingford and her two daughters. Mrs. Chingford is a widow who delights in ferreting out people’s secrets and spreading rumors - the more vicious the better. It is no surprise that she quickly manages to offend most of the guests. To make matters worse, Mrs. Chingford has designs on Lucy’s father, the vicar.
When Mrs. Chingford is found dead at the foot of the stairs of Kurland Hall during the wedding reception, it quickly becomes clear it was no accident. The murder convinces Lucy and Robert to call a truce in order to investigate which of the woman’s enemies is responsible for her death.
But when another guest dies, an apparent suicide, the case becomes more complex.
Lucy Harrington is an intelligent and perceptive woman, willing to step beyond the role traditionally allocated to women of her time. Major Robert Kurland has a great deal of respect for her, but also fears that he won’t be able to protect her. It is clear they both care for each other, but neither are all that adept at expressing their feelings. The duo work well together as investigators.
While there is a romantic aspect to Death Comes to Kurland Hall, it is foremost a historical mystery.
Catherine Lloyd is a talented author, and Death Comes to Kurland Hall is a well plotted historical mystery certain to satisfy fans of the genre.
5/5
Death Comes to Kurland Hall is Catherine Lloyd’s third Regency mystery featuring Lucy Harrington and Major Robert Kurland.
Death Comes to Kurland Hall is available for preorder and will be released November 24, 2015.
I received a copy of Death Comes to Kurland Hall from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
—Crittermom
http://muttcafe.com/2015/11/death-comes-to-kurland-hall/
