In at the Death - (Harriet & Matthew Rowsley Victorian Mystery) by Judith Cutler

Book Synopsis

The future of Thorncroft House and its occupants is in the balance while a mysterious murder brings up a past best forgotten! An authentic Victorian murder mystery depicting upstairs-downstairs life in nineteenth century England.

October 1861, England. Harriet and Matthew Rowsley, the housekeeper and estate manager of Thorncroft House in Shropshire, have to cut short their successful trip to Oxford when they receive a telegraph: a decapitated and mutilated body has been found on the estate.

While trying to help the strangely slow police investigation, the couple face an unsettling threat to their livelihood: after years of searching, a legitimate heir of Thorncroft estate has been found! They find themselves hosting an American gentleman whose charm doesn't quite conceal his alarming plans for the future of the estate and all its inhabitants.

Falsely imprisoned and forced to be silent about the identity of the murdered man, Harriet not only has to confront her past but also share a secret of her own that could change her and her loved ones' lives forever . . .

Ideal for fans of other married sleuths, like Anne Perry's Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series. Think Downton Abbey with a compelling murder mystery twist. This is the final instalment in the Harriet and Matthew Rowsley series and "a treat for historical mystery fans" (Booklist).

Review Quotes

A lively, enjoyable book . . . Recommended for fans of Downton Abbey

-- "Library Journal on The Wages of Sin"

A gripping locked-room mystery with a suitably twisty plot, Cutler's latest also offers an intriguing look at social customs and gender roles during the Victorian period-- "Booklist on Death's Long Shadow"

A treat for historical mystery fans-- "Booklist on The Dead Hand"

An excellent addition to an interesting Victorian mystery series. The characters are vividly drawn and engaging, the plot complex and the historical setting unusual and fascinating-- "Mystery People"

Cutler's quirky series blazes its own path-- "Kirkus Reviews on The Dead Hand"

Fans of other married sleuths, such as ANNE PERRY's Charlotte and Thomas Pitt, may want to check this out-- "Publishers Weekly on A House Divided"

Offbeat cozy of manners-- "Kirkus Reviews on A House Divided"

The mystery is suffused with gripping, often playful, twists and turns as it reaches its climax, and the ending is deliciously unexpected-- "Mystery People on The Dead Hand"

Thrilling, engaging and enjoyable from beginning to end-- "Mystery People on A House Divided"

With twists and turns aplenty, Cutler's variation on the classic locked-house mystery combines the requisite cast of colorful characters -- in particular, the amiable sleuths -- with a vivid depiction of upstairs-downstairs life in the Victorian era-- "Booklist on A House Divided"