It’s our first book club selection of the new year and we’ve picked Death Below Stairs by Jennifer Ashley!
If you like historical fiction, historical romances, or historical mysteries, I think you’ll find a lot to enjoy in this book.
Here’s the description:
Victorian class lines are crossed when cook Kat Holloway is drawn into a murder that reaches all the way to the throne.
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.
There is a prequel novella, A Soupçon of Poison ( A | BN | K | G | AB ), but I hadn’t read it when I read the first book. While some events in the novella are alluded to in the novel, I don’t think I missed anything by not having read it already.
I am going to do so, though, because I really liked the characters, especially Kat. Plus, here’s a big heads up for folks like me: oh my GOSH the competence porn in the kitchen is terrific. Don’t read while hungry, y’all.
I hope you’ll add this to your TBR this month, and discuss it with us nearer to the end of January. We’ll announce the chat date as soon as we can. Hope you can make it!
Happy reading and Happy New Year!
Come on GBPL! I put this on my reserve list when it was recommended in the new releases post. Soooo looking forward to this as it sounds like all the book I never knew I needed.
The prequel, A Soupçon of Poison, is currently free as part of the Past Crimes anthology of historical mysteries by Jennifer Ashley at Amazon.
I received an ARC and loved this book. I like all of Ashley Gardiner/ Jennifer Ashley’s mysteries. She has a new series about a ex-Roman Gladiator and I am so looking forward to the next book in this series. I recommend downloading the Past Crimes anthology for a taste of Leonidas the Gladiator Mysteries and Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries.
Just ordered! Looking forward to it! 🙂
Can’t wait!
None of my library’s e-copies were available, but there are five good ol’ hard copies available! I should have it in a few days. I’m excited – I devour TV series featuring mysteries but lag behind in reading similar books.
Will you guys have a chat thread in your Goodreads group or will it be here?
@JG: We do a live chat on the site, often with the author! You can check out a previous chat here.
This sounds fabulous! I may join in this month…
I’m reading it right now and there are parts where I feel like I’m supposed to be more familiar with the MC’s history and now I know why! Thanks Mariah for the heads up on the freebie. I’m going to read it before I go further in the main book.
I agree the kitchen competence porn is terrific. Is there a Rec League for that because I would be very interested.
Also, current events being what they are, I am delighted to be spending time below stairs as I am utterly unable to muster interest in the fictional problems of dukes and billionaires. More kitchens!!
I bought A Soupcon of Poison last night. I never would have bought it if I’d known it was in 1st person but I did enjoy it.
Just a heads up for anyone who really hates 1st person (I only mostly hate it 😉 )
@Angelique – thanks for the heads up! I have to be in the right mood for 1st person and my friend always says she hates it (so I have to convince her, haha). Glad to know you enjoyed it!
I’m really enjoying this so far, but dang it’s making me hungry!