Death Below Stairs
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4.5 • 10 Ratings
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- $13.99
Publisher 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.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Set in 1881, this exceptional series launch from Ashley (the Shifters Unbound series) introduces Kat Holloway, a brilliant cook employed in the lavish London home of Lord Rankin. The cast of distinctive, well-drawn characters includes Lady Cynthia, Lord Rankin's cross-dressing sister, who embodies the plight of Victorian women forced into lives that don't fit them; Daniel McAdam, a charming, secretive delivery man who helped Kat in a time of great need before she joined Lord Rankin's household; and James, Daniel's sweet, fiercely independent 15-year-old son. Kat and Daniel, aided by James and Lady Cynthia, investigate the murder of a young servant, battle Fenians, and race to thwart an act of terrorism. Meanwhile, Kat, a single mother, must deal with the possible loss of her 10-year-old daughter, who lives with a couple who now propose to adopt the girl. Kat's displays of her knowledge of food and preparation techniques add to the story's appeal. Readers will look forward to this fascinating lead's further adventures.
Customer Reviews
Wonderful New Mystery Series
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley to read in exchange for a fair review. Death Below Stairs is the first book in Jennifer Ashley’s Kat Holloway Mysteries series. There is a prequel novella called A Soupçon of Poison that introduces some of the main characters in this book that can be purchased either as a stand-alone or in a collection of Jennifer Ashley’s mysteries called Murder Most Historical. I have it in my TBR pile and as quite often happens with review books will be reading it backwards. Kat Holloway is a cook in a Victorian Mayfair household who discovers the body of her young assistant bludgeoned to death in the larder. Investigating the murder leads to more mysteries including the reappearance of Daniel McAdam and his son James. I found the story fascinating enough that I missed my bus stop and had quite a hike back home. The characters are well written and complex and I look forward to reading the next book in the series Scandal Above Stairs that will be published in July of 2018. Death Below Stairs was published on January 2 2018. #DeathBelowStairs #NetGalley