The Burning of Rosemont Abbey + Giveaway

Everyone in Wilbeth Green has something to hide, but she’s about to uncover their secrets.

1956
: In a quiet English village, the smoldering ruins of Rosemont Abbey have set the residents’ tongues wagging, and everyone is quick to accuse troublemaker Paul Everly of the crime of arson. Paul has vanished without a trace, leaving only his plucky twin sister, Louisa, certain of his innocence. Fueling her conviction is an inexplicable connection–she felt her twin’s death an hour before the abbey went up in flames.

Armed with nothing but her wit and her keen sense of intuition, Louisa embarks on her own investigation, challenging the dubious townspeople and the disdain of her aunt and uncle. Even Inspector Malcolm Sinclair, once Paul’s closest friend, warns Louisa to abandon her pursuit. But Louisa is determined to solve a murder no one else believes was committed, even if it means unraveling secrets that could shake Wilbeth Green to its core.

My Review:

Squuuueeeaaalllll!! I experienced all kinds of gothic-y shivers of delight while reading this stunning mystery! Kind of reminds me of Mary Stewart novels from way back in the day. I can picture Louisa thrilling to ‘Madame, Will You Talk?’ (Stewart’s 1955 debut novel) in the rambling old house she lives in with her aunt and uncle. And, of course, she has just as much gumption as any fictional heroine…wait, she is a fictional heroine only it didn’t seem that way when I was reading. Am I making any sense? Maybe not but I blame ‘The Burning of Rosemont Abbey’ for my discombobulated state.

First – love the 1950s time period. Long enough after the war for life to be getting back to some sort of normal but not quite modern enough to shun all those hoity-toity societal expectations Louisa’s aunt and uncle foist upon her. She is, after all, the orphaned niece living on their charity.

Caught between family duty and her desire to find justice for her bother, Louisa’s set on discovering the truth, even if it shakes their sleepy little village to the core….and infuriates a certain police inspector who used to be a childhood friend. Brilliant pacing, absorbing mystery, characters it’s easy to forget aren’t living, breathing people…well, ‘The Burning of Rosemont Hall’ contains everything I’m looking for in a historical mystery…and then some!

36 thoughts on “The Burning of Rosemont Abbey + Giveaway”

  1. Good morning Kav
    Reading your review early on this cold cold winter morning made me wish I had the book and could wrap myself in a warm blanket and read it now. This is a new author for me as well but oh my it sounds like a good one.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Thank you for your review and for bringing THE BURNING OF ROSEMONT ABBEY to my attention!

    First off, got to give some cover love here by saying LOVE IT! Not only beautiful, but also tells a story within itself.

    Second, love the era that it’s written in – one of my favorites.

    Third, love it when those considered to be beneath them turns it to their advantage and shows everyone so. As is this girl “taken in” as their “own” only to act like she is a charity case.

    Fourth, the mystery sounds amazing.

    This all adds up to this book is now on my TBR list and I can’t wait for the opportunity to dive in reading it.

    Greatly appreciate the chance to win a copy!

    2clowns at arkansas dot net

    Liked by 1 person

  3. I enjoyed your review. I also used to read and enjoy Mary Stewart’s books. I haven’t started it yet, but I’ll be reading The Burning of Rosemont Abbey for book club this month.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. This one has been on my radar, Kav, and your review makes me want to read it all the more 🙂 Count me in, pleaese! 🙂

    ckbarker at gmail dot com

    Liked by 1 person

  5. This sounds like a tantalizing mystery! I’ve been really into reading suspense right now, so this book sounds right up my alley. I wondered when I first heard about it if it was going to be good. Now I know! 😊

    Alison Boss
    nj(dot)bossman(at)gmail(dot)com

    Liked by 1 person

  6. I’ve never read anything this author has written but your review verified that I definitely want to read it. The cover is so gorgeous, too!

    perrianne (DOT) askew (AT) me (DOT) com

    Liked by 1 person

  7. A Bookstagram friend had just recommended this one to me! I need to read it too, add it to the pile of TBR books lol! blessedmommy3x AT gmail DOT com

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Cover picture of that dress and gloves reminds me of rummaging through my mom’s closet in later years. She kept things, having been a child during the Great Depression. Anyhow, it is a very eye-catching picture and pulls one into the story. Thanks!

    Liked by 1 person

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