ARC Review: Scandal Above Stairs by Jennifer Ashley

Recommended Read!

“…one of my favourite series, it draws you in with a good mystery and then keeps you there as you become more entwined with the characters’ lives. ”
~ Under the Covers

At the request of her employer Kat Holloway is looking into the disappearance of some artwork from a wealthy peer’s home. However, as more priceless pieces of art and antiquities go missing Kat realises there may be more going on than first appears. Calling on the assistance of Daniel MacAdam she finds that he is already undercover in a seedy pawnshop and working on the case. The stakes are raised when a man is found murdered, a man who looks suspiciously like Daniel MacAdam…

This series is fast becoming one of my favourite series, it draws you in with a good mystery and then keeps you there as you become more entwined with the characters’ lives. In this book we are introduced to a new character, Tess, a teenager who just needs someone to take a chance on her. Although she quickly charmed me it was the development of Kat Holloway our cook/detective that kept me captivated.

As someone who loves a romance it wasn’t just the mystery that I loved about this book, it was the continuing evolution of the relationship between Kat and Daniel. Kat has been burned by romance before and has made herself a strong and independent woman who doesn’t want or need a man. However, she can’t deny the regard she has for Daniel and the increasing attraction between them. I love the way Ashley has developed their relationship; the friendship and respect between them burns brightly, blazing the trail for their romance. Their friendship was further aided by the revelation of some of Daniel’s mysterious past, something I hope will be explored in a future book.

However, although the characters development was an important aspect of this book, so was the mystery. In this book we have the dark world of antiquities and art theft to explore. I was happy to come along for the ride and admit that I didn’t guess who was behind it until it was revealed at the end. The mystery also allowed us to take a glimpse into the life of a domestic servant as Kat had to juggle her place as a Cook in an aristocratic household and her sleuthing. It was an extra aspect to the book which I really enjoyed and added some depth to the story; Ashley had clearly done some research

If you are after a mystery then you need to give this series a try, it has a host of excellently wrought characters, a little romance and an interesting mystery to dive into.

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[about-author author=”Jennifer Ashley”]

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