Death Below Stairs

  • Author: Jennifer Ashely
  • Publisher: Berkley
  • Print Length: 292 pages
  • Release Date: January 2, 2018
  • I Rate it:    
  • Genre: Cozy
  • Purchase on Amazon

Book Summary

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.

<h2><span class="wrap"><span class="inner">About The Author</span></span></h2>

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Jennifer Ashley has lived and traveled all over the world, and now lives in the Southwest. She writes historical, paranormal, and contemporary romance as Jennifer Ashley; mysteries as Ashley Gardner; and paranormal romance and urban fantasy as Allyson James.

Jennifer’s/Allyson’s/Ashley’s more than 83 novels and novellas have won RWA’s RITA award, the Golden Quill, RT Reviewer’s Choice awards, and the Prism award, among others. Jennifer’s novels have been also been translated into French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Japanese, Norwegian, Hungarian, Italian, Thai, and other languages.

You can find Jennifer on:

Jennifer Ashley

Book Review by Bree Herron

Seriously, this book could become my Downton Abby fix. I have been transported to the era of beauty and class statues. I adore books that have the downstairs and upstairs theme, and add mystery it is like eating the perfect tea cake.

Characters

Kat is this amazing cook and also sleuth. She is a priceless character, being able to move well with both the upper class whom she serves delicious meals to, and the lower class whom she works along side. I am so happy that I can check out her recipes, and see what I can try my hands at. I also really love the Rankins, they were a unique group that certainly held secrets to the very end. In fact, this book with these characters should become a TV show, it had such a fine dynamic between characters. The way that Kat works a mystery with her comrades makes her charming to readers.

Enjoyable Moments

I couldn’t just pick some points or moments through this book. I loved it all!! I truly want to come work with Kat so I can always be in the mix of this series. I would say that the author created a great twist and turn with the suspect list and the moment of catching the murderer.

Synoptic

Overall, this book is 100% worth every star and at least 10 more books to the series. I couldn’t have felt happier and sadder at the same time as I finished this book. It made me happy because it was so well done that all I wanted to do was cook and watch Upstairs, Downstairs (era not correct). I was sad because it ended, but it gives me a reason to look forward to the next book!

I Rate it

Share what era or period of history is your favorite and how a mystery would look set then.

 

This will get you entered for a copy of the book!

**DISCLAIMER: I was provided an opportunity to read this book as an Advanced Reader Copy in return for a fair and honest review.

Professional Reader Affiliates

NetGalley Professional Reader Frequently Auto-Approved 200 Book Reviews 2016 NetGalley Challenge Reviews Published Great Escape Tour Host BethanyHouse Blogger Reviewer

Peruse My Other Reviews

  • Author Spotlight: Kimberly Rose Johnson
  • Author Spotlight—Jenna Victoria
  • Survival of the Fritters
  • Author Interview: Julie Moffett
  • Putting on the Witch—Joyce and Jim Lavene
  • Author Spotlight—Carrie Fancett Pagels
  • Buried Secrets
  • The Death of a Falcon
  • Biscuits and Slashed Browns
  • Cold As Ice
  • The Blue Ribbon Brides Collection
  • Cat Got Your Cash
  • The Promise of Tomorrow
  • Author Interview: Sarah Monzon
  • A Loyal Heart
  • Tightropes and Teeter-Totters
  • Christy
  • Death at First Sight- Great Escape Tour
  • Bibliophile Reviews Cozy Days of Christmas 2016
  • A Tale of Two Hearts
  • Beaches in Paradise
  • The Firefighter's Twins
  • Treasure in Paradise
  • Betting Off Dead- Recap
  • Flowers and Foul Play
  • Secrets and Pies
  • Hiding from the Kids in My Prayer Closet
  • The Banished Lands
  • Engaged in Trouble
  • Kappy King and the Puppy Kaper
  • The Theory of Happily Ever After
  • Deadly Dram: A Whisky Business Mystery
  • A Good Day to Buy
  • Vangie Vale and the Murdered Macaron
  • Clairvoyant and Present Danger
  • End of the Summer Reads

Affiliate Disclosure

I am grateful to be of service and bring you content free of charge. In order to do this, please note that when you click links and purchase items, in most (not all) cases I will receive a referral commission. Your support in purchasing through these links supplements the costs of keeping my website up and running, and is very much appreciated!

1 Comment

  1. Kay Garrett

    Thank you for the book information and fabulous review on “Death Below Stairs”. It sounds like a great read and one I’ve very much enjoy reading.

    There are two time frames that interest me. One is during the birth of our nation. I can only imagine the hardships and lean times that the people that formed our nation had. I think an early western cozy would be make for a great story. The second time period that I’d like to see a cozy mystery set in is the flapper/depression era. This interest me because it’s a time of my grandparents and my parents birth years. Kind of a feast to famine situation with a little murder/mystery thrown in. 🙂

    Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe to Get My Latest Book Reviews

Join my mailing list to receive the latest and greatest delivered right to your inbox.

You have successfully subscribed! Please check your email to confirm your subscription.

Share This