What do you think?
Rate this book
Victorian Village Mysteries #1
Murder at the Mansion
Welcome to Asheboro, Maryland, where the homes are to die for. . .
Katherine Hamilton never wanted to return to her dead-end hometown. But when she is called in to help save Asheboro from going bankrupt, Kate can’t refuse. The town has issued its last available funds to buy a local Victorian mansion. It’s a plan that Kate would be happy to help get off the ground. . .if only she didn’t have such bad memories associated with that mansion. Is Kate ready to do business—or is this job too personal for her own good?
Then, one day while touring the property, Kate stumbles over a dead body. Impossibly, the victim is none other than Kate’s high-school nemesis Cordelia Walker. Soon Kate is immersed in a murder investigation and with the history of the old Victorian. What secrets are hidden within its walls—and can the truth be discovered before the killer comes for Kate herself?
Katherine Hamilton never wanted to return to her dead-end hometown. But when she is called in to help save Asheboro from going bankrupt, Kate can’t refuse. The town has issued its last available funds to buy a local Victorian mansion. It’s a plan that Kate would be happy to help get off the ground. . .if only she didn’t have such bad memories associated with that mansion. Is Kate ready to do business—or is this job too personal for her own good?
Then, one day while touring the property, Kate stumbles over a dead body. Impossibly, the victim is none other than Kate’s high-school nemesis Cordelia Walker. Soon Kate is immersed in a murder investigation and with the history of the old Victorian. What secrets are hidden within its walls—and can the truth be discovered before the killer comes for Kate herself?
322 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 26, 2018
481 people are currently reading
1580 people want to read
About the author
Sheila Connolly
65 books1,389 followersSheila Connolly taught art history, structured and marketed municipal bonds for major cities, worked as a staff member on two statewide political campaigns, and served as a fundraiser for several non-profit organizations. She also managed her own consulting company providing genealogical research services.
She was a member of Sisters in Crime-New England (president 2011), the national Sisters in Crime, and the fabulous on-line SinC chapter, the Guppies. She also belonged to Romance Writers of America and Mystery Writers of America.
Sheila was Regent of her local DAR chapter, and a member of the Society of Mayflower Descendants. She was also the grandchild of Irish immigrants. In addition to genealogy, Sheila loved restoring old houses, visiting cemeteries, and traveling.
She was a member of Sisters in Crime-New England (president 2011), the national Sisters in Crime, and the fabulous on-line SinC chapter, the Guppies. She also belonged to Romance Writers of America and Mystery Writers of America.
Sheila was Regent of her local DAR chapter, and a member of the Society of Mayflower Descendants. She was also the grandchild of Irish immigrants. In addition to genealogy, Sheila loved restoring old houses, visiting cemeteries, and traveling.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 384 reviews
June 9, 2018
Murder at the Mansion by Sheila Connolly is the first book of the new cozy Victorian Village Mysteries series. Sheila Connolly is an established author with multiple ongoing series but I have never had the chance to try her work so seeing this was the beginning to a new series I knew I had to try it out for myself.
Katherine Hamilton had left her hometown of Asheboro, Maryland and headed off to college without looking back, until now fifteen years later. Kate had been working in the hospitality field at a high end hotel in Baltimore when seemingly at the same time she finds she is out of a job due to a takeover and she receives a call from an old friend asking for help in Asheboro.
With nothing to hold her back in Baltimore Kate heads to Asheboro to hear the town council out with their dilemma in revamping the town to gain more tourism. Kate isn’t even deterred from helping when she finds her old nemesis, the high school queen bee/bully Cordelia, is going to be the competition for ideas. But when Cordelia’s body turns up Kate finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation.
Going into this series knowing that the book was by an established author I was not at all surprised to find very good writing in the book and had really expected it. The story being in a small struggling town drew me right into the story and I also loved the added look into history that it revolved around. The one thing I would have liked more of is of course the one that I say quite often is more quirkiness to the characters/story being a cozy mystery so I gave this opener 3.5 stars but it was enjoyable enough that I would definitely continue on.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more review please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Katherine Hamilton had left her hometown of Asheboro, Maryland and headed off to college without looking back, until now fifteen years later. Kate had been working in the hospitality field at a high end hotel in Baltimore when seemingly at the same time she finds she is out of a job due to a takeover and she receives a call from an old friend asking for help in Asheboro.
With nothing to hold her back in Baltimore Kate heads to Asheboro to hear the town council out with their dilemma in revamping the town to gain more tourism. Kate isn’t even deterred from helping when she finds her old nemesis, the high school queen bee/bully Cordelia, is going to be the competition for ideas. But when Cordelia’s body turns up Kate finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation.
Going into this series knowing that the book was by an established author I was not at all surprised to find very good writing in the book and had really expected it. The story being in a small struggling town drew me right into the story and I also loved the added look into history that it revolved around. The one thing I would have liked more of is of course the one that I say quite often is more quirkiness to the characters/story being a cozy mystery so I gave this opener 3.5 stars but it was enjoyable enough that I would definitely continue on.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more review please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
August 4, 2018
Katherine Hamilton is the manager of an upscale hotel in Baltimore. She finally has all her ducks in a row and loves her life. Then a high school friend, Lisbeth, comes to visit her, begging her to return to their hometown, Asheboro, MD to talk to the city council. Lisbeth won't say why, but it's a short trip across the state, so Katherine agrees. Turns out that Asheboro is nearly bankrupt. The city leaders want her to help them turn an old Victorian mansion in town into a tourist destination. Old issues crop up almost immediately because her old high school enemy, Cordelia Walker, has presented an alternate plan. Things get even worse when Cordelia is found dead and Katherine becomes a murder suspect. Katherine finds herself not only investigating the mysteries of the old mansion...but Cordelia's murder as well.
This is a nice start to a new cozy series. I like the characters and the setting. The mystery was nicely paced and there were plenty of suspects and small town gossipy clues to keep me interested. I like the fact that the old house had some mystery to throw in to the mix as well. I definitely like Katherine as a main character. She is an intelligent and driven woman, but still was willing to put her career aside to help her hometown (no matter how much hot water it got her into!) I sympathized with her and felt a certain kinship, as I always seem to find myself knee-deep in crap every single time I put personal interests aside to help someone else. I had to smile knowingly several times when Katherine really tried to do something good...and ended up with egg on her face. Maybe instead of the old saying being "You can't go home again'' it should be "You SHOULDNT go home again. Don't do it!''
I will definitely be reading more of this series. Very enjoyable read!
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from St. Martins Press via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
This is a nice start to a new cozy series. I like the characters and the setting. The mystery was nicely paced and there were plenty of suspects and small town gossipy clues to keep me interested. I like the fact that the old house had some mystery to throw in to the mix as well. I definitely like Katherine as a main character. She is an intelligent and driven woman, but still was willing to put her career aside to help her hometown (no matter how much hot water it got her into!) I sympathized with her and felt a certain kinship, as I always seem to find myself knee-deep in crap every single time I put personal interests aside to help someone else. I had to smile knowingly several times when Katherine really tried to do something good...and ended up with egg on her face. Maybe instead of the old saying being "You can't go home again'' it should be "You SHOULDNT go home again. Don't do it!''
I will definitely be reading more of this series. Very enjoyable read!
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from St. Martins Press via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
July 13, 2018
Updating with review: I love cozy mysteries and am always looking for a new series to fall in love with. Unfortunately, this was not it! I could not get on board with any of the characters. Most of them, seemed very shallow and unfeeling. And I wasn't delighted, amused or even interested in the story. I found myself bored and struggling to finish. I'm in the minority with this one but it just wasn't for me.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for the opportunity to share my thoughts.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for the opportunity to share my thoughts.
August 1, 2018
I'm a bit disappointed in this one. Having loved the Museum Mystery series, I wanted to enjoy this new one, but it has some problems. Some of it is the writing/editing: in one paragraph the protagonist drives home from her office, but a few paragraphs later she is mulling over cleaning out her office but decides to drive home instead. I re-read that a few times to make sure I wasn't missing something, but it appears more likely that some paragraphs were reordered in writing but never cleaned up in editing. There were a few other instances of this kind of sloppiness. Kate is wowed by seeing the mansion for what seems to be the first time, yet shortly after that we are told that she snuck into the mansion as a high schooler. Wouldn't she have seen it then? A few other complaints: when the body is discovered, the two people making that discovery immediately quiz each other for alibis, instead of calling 911. The police work is so unrealistic that it's cartoonish. If this was an author's first novel it might be more forgivable, but Connolly's Museum series was so much better that I expected more of these and am probably being hyper-critical. In an interesting cross-over, Nell Pratt from that series has a sort of cameo appearance in this one.
April 8, 2018
I have enjoyed everything thing I read by Sheila Connolly and the first book of the Victoria Village Mystery did not disappoint. The characters are developed and the area will place right there. You could feel the town was in decline and the beautiful Mansion on the outskirts of town. Katherine Hamilton has returned to her hometown, Asheford, Maryland to consult if the town had assets to turn the direction it is going around. Katherine falls in love with the Civil War Mansion and can see a destination Victorian village in its future. While she was exploring the Mansion, the body of her high school enemy is found just outside it. Katherine must find the answer to the death before the plan to change before it can move forward. She moves into a B&B in town in order to be on site. Strange things are occurring at the Mansion and the B&B that scare her. The ending will surprise. I like the way the book is connected with Museum series.
Disclosure: Many thanks to St Martin Press for a review copy. The opinions expressed are my own.
Disclosure: Many thanks to St Martin Press for a review copy. The opinions expressed are my own.
June 7, 2018
Sadly, I'm in the minority here, but I wasn't a fan of this one. Murder at the Mansion could have been a really fun, entertaining read...the only problem? The horrible main character. Unfortunately, the grand estate and Civil War history couldn't save this one.
For the full review and more (including some of Kate's worst quotes), head over to The Pretty Good Gatsby!
For the full review and more (including some of Kate's worst quotes), head over to The Pretty Good Gatsby!
August 21, 2018
Katherine Hamilton is the manager of an upscale hotel in Baltimore, that is until she finds out that it has been bought out and they are bringing in their own management team. Then a high school friend, Lisbeth, comes to visit her, begging her to return to her hometown of Asheboro, MD to help the town solve their finance issues. The town had bought an old mansion, was basically broke now, and Lisbeth just knew that Kate would figure out the best way to use that mansion and save the town. Katherine falls in love with the Civil War Mansion and can see a destination Victorian village in its future. While she was exploring the Mansion, the body of her high school nemesis, Cordelia Walker, is found just outside with her head bashed in. Katherine must find the answer to the death before the plan to change the town and the mansion can move forward. She moves into the local B&B in town in order to be on site to do her research on the mansion and Henry Barton.
I have enjoyed everything thing I have by Sheila Connolly and the first book of the Victoria Village Mysteries was another winner. The characters are likeable and the setting fits the plot nicely. I can feel the desperation in the small town and the council members. The mystery was nicely paced and there were plenty of suspects and small town gossipy clues to keep me interested. I like the fact that the old house had some mystery thrown into the mix as well. I definitely like Katherine as the protagonist. She is an intelligent and driven woman, yet not afraid to ask for help when needed. Josh, the caretaker of the mansion as well as college professor on sabatical, is perfect as Katherine's partner in crime and romantic interest, although the romance came at the end, setting up a relationship for the next book in the series. Kate and Lisbeth re-started their friendship without any problems. Lisbeth would be an awesome friend to have, she is sweet, knows how to keep a secret and can be a great sidekick when called upon. I didn't guess the culprit involved in the side mystery and I didn't figure out who the killer was until the author started sprinkling clues closer to the end of the story. When the killer was taken in and Kate's museum friend was brought in to authenticate any pieces from the house, the book sets up the story line for the next mystery. Kate will be back in Asheboro to carry out her plans with the help of the Museum and their donors. I will definitely be reading more of this series. I am anxious to read what happens next. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book to read. All the opinons/ideas shared are my own.
I have enjoyed everything thing I have by Sheila Connolly and the first book of the Victoria Village Mysteries was another winner. The characters are likeable and the setting fits the plot nicely. I can feel the desperation in the small town and the council members. The mystery was nicely paced and there were plenty of suspects and small town gossipy clues to keep me interested. I like the fact that the old house had some mystery thrown into the mix as well. I definitely like Katherine as the protagonist. She is an intelligent and driven woman, yet not afraid to ask for help when needed. Josh, the caretaker of the mansion as well as college professor on sabatical, is perfect as Katherine's partner in crime and romantic interest, although the romance came at the end, setting up a relationship for the next book in the series. Kate and Lisbeth re-started their friendship without any problems. Lisbeth would be an awesome friend to have, she is sweet, knows how to keep a secret and can be a great sidekick when called upon. I didn't guess the culprit involved in the side mystery and I didn't figure out who the killer was until the author started sprinkling clues closer to the end of the story. When the killer was taken in and Kate's museum friend was brought in to authenticate any pieces from the house, the book sets up the story line for the next mystery. Kate will be back in Asheboro to carry out her plans with the help of the Museum and their donors. I will definitely be reading more of this series. I am anxious to read what happens next. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book to read. All the opinons/ideas shared are my own.
August 27, 2021
This was the first in a new mystery series begun by Sheila Connolly in 2018. It has an interesting premise: can a slowly-dying small town be transformed into a tourist destination and brought back to life? There are precedents, after all--Williamsburg, VA; Old Sturbridge Village, MA; Leavenworth, WA (a Bavarian-themed village.)
Katherine Hamilton grew up in the small town of Asheford, MD, but couldn't wait to escape it when she went out-of-state to college. She earned a degree in hospitality management and has managed a boutique hotel in Baltimore for the past five years.
She is taken by surprise then when she is asked by Lisbeth, her best friend from high school, to return home to Asheford and give some suggestions to the city council on how the town might be saved from bankruptcy. The city has recently purchased the beautifully-kept Victorian mansion of Henry Barton but that emptied out the coffers and now they are at a loss what to do to raise more money.
As luck would have it, Kate is footloose and fancy free after being let go from her job during a merger, so she's willing to have a look at Asheford. Kate is struck by how little the town has changed and envisions a plan to transform the downtown shopping district into a Victorian village but can she sell that idea to the city managers and townspeople? And where would the money come from for the project?
But Kate's budding plans reach a bump in the road when she and the mansion's hunky caretaker, Professor Josh Wainwright, find the body of Cordelia Walker, Kate's nemesis from high school days, sprawled on the steps of the mansion. Both feel they must find the murderer before they can move on with this project.
Some thoughts and quibbles: As per the usual formula for a cozy mystery, the characters are mostly likable, the small-town setting is well-depicted and the crime is relatively bloodless. However, I found myself wishing that the much-maligned victim, Cordelia Walker, had been allowed to make an appearance in the story while still living so readers could have seen her in action. She could have been the most interesting character, who knows? Instead, a few of her bad deeds are related over and over and the repetition grew tedious. I also found it unbelievable that Kate raced forward with her plans and invested so much personal time on this project without first running it by the mayor and council. I can't see that actually happening.
I received an arc of book three in this series so I am committed to reading the entire series. I am now beginning book #2 Killer in the Carriage House. We'll see if Kate can successfully float her idea of recreating a Victorian village to the townspeople.
Katherine Hamilton grew up in the small town of Asheford, MD, but couldn't wait to escape it when she went out-of-state to college. She earned a degree in hospitality management and has managed a boutique hotel in Baltimore for the past five years.
She is taken by surprise then when she is asked by Lisbeth, her best friend from high school, to return home to Asheford and give some suggestions to the city council on how the town might be saved from bankruptcy. The city has recently purchased the beautifully-kept Victorian mansion of Henry Barton but that emptied out the coffers and now they are at a loss what to do to raise more money.
As luck would have it, Kate is footloose and fancy free after being let go from her job during a merger, so she's willing to have a look at Asheford. Kate is struck by how little the town has changed and envisions a plan to transform the downtown shopping district into a Victorian village but can she sell that idea to the city managers and townspeople? And where would the money come from for the project?
But Kate's budding plans reach a bump in the road when she and the mansion's hunky caretaker, Professor Josh Wainwright, find the body of Cordelia Walker, Kate's nemesis from high school days, sprawled on the steps of the mansion. Both feel they must find the murderer before they can move on with this project.
Some thoughts and quibbles: As per the usual formula for a cozy mystery, the characters are mostly likable, the small-town setting is well-depicted and the crime is relatively bloodless. However, I found myself wishing that the much-maligned victim, Cordelia Walker, had been allowed to make an appearance in the story while still living so readers could have seen her in action. She could have been the most interesting character, who knows? Instead, a few of her bad deeds are related over and over and the repetition grew tedious. I also found it unbelievable that Kate raced forward with her plans and invested so much personal time on this project without first running it by the mayor and council. I can't see that actually happening.
I received an arc of book three in this series so I am committed to reading the entire series. I am now beginning book #2 Killer in the Carriage House. We'll see if Kate can successfully float her idea of recreating a Victorian village to the townspeople.
July 20, 2018
It took me a while to work out why I wasn't enjoying this book, but then I realised that the main character, Kate, has none! She's bland and boring, although she keeps telling us how wonderful her life in the big city, running an upmarket hotel, was (until she got made redundant) - the trouble is, all her descriptions of her life sound pointless and boring. She appears to have no friends, except for one from high school in her old home town, where the book is set, and another who happens to be very useful later in the book. It's ironic that she sees the local librarian as needing to get a life, when she herself is just as limited. Kate is in her early 30s, as are the other hometown characters, and appears to be the only one with parents still alive, although they have moved to Florida. I'd have expected there to be a few people beside the bank manager to be over 60. It was obvious who the murderer was about half-way through, though the police hadn't got very far - probably not helped by Kate's infuriating habit of deciding that she needn't report relevant pieces of information. There is an obvious set up for a new series here, but I think I'm over reading Sheila Connolly - too boring, too much whinging by the women over their relationships.
April 26, 2021
Started out listening to an audio borrowed from the library but couldn't stay focused on the story. It wasn't the fault of the narrator, more my own fault in where/how I was trying to listen. So I switched to ebook format and enjoyed the story a lot more. One of my reading goals for this year is to finally read some of the series and authors that have been in my TBR stack for too long. Happy I picked this one up and will continue with the series.
August 7, 2021
Oh my! This book was fantastic. I am so sad that I waited until now to read Sheila Connolly. I am so intrigued to find out what happens next to the Barton Mansion. The story & mystery were written so well.
August 11, 2018
Murder at the Mansion by Sheila Connolly is the beginning of A Victorian Village Mystery series. Katherine “Kate” Hamilton left her home of Asheboro, Maryland after high school. Katie currently works at Oriole Suites Hotel in Baltimore and is surprised when she gets a call from Lisbeth Scott, her best friend in high school. A storm went through Asheboro a few weeks ago causing severe damage and many of the residents do not have insurance to cover repairs. The town is on the verge of going under and they want Kate’s assistance. The town council had been convinced to buy the Old Barton home (a beautiful Victorian mansion) by Cordelia Walker. It turns out she had personal motivations for the venture and her plan would not benefit Asheboro. They are hoping Kate can use her skills to come up with a viable and inexpensive plan for to resurrect the town. Kate tours the Barton mansion and meets the caretaker, Josh Wainwright. She is surprised to see it in such beautiful condition. It is like stepping back in time to the Victorian era, and Kate begins to formulate a plan. As Kate exits the mansion with Josh, she finds her high school nemesis, Cordelia Walker dead on the front steps. Detective Reynolds of the Maryland State Police Criminal Division is in charge of the case, but he could use someone local to be his eyes and ears. Since the Oriole was bought out, Kate has the time to aid the town and Detective Reynolds. While in Asheboro working on her plan for the town and researching the Barton family, Kate delves into Cordelia’s life looking for clues. What had Cordelia uncovered that got her killed? Join Kate on her inaugural mystery in Murder at the Mansion.
Murder at the Mansion contains good writing and with varying pacing. The story starts out strong as we are introduced to Kate. I like the main character as she is smart, likeable, hardworking, and willing to help her hometown. Kate does need to work on her self-confidence (don’t we all). I like the books concept of a struggling small town with a beautiful Victorian home. If something is not done to draw in tourists, Asheboro will die quickly. The Barton mansion sounds gorgeous. I just loved the descriptions of the Victorian masterpiece (I would love to own this home). I like the vision Kate came up with for the town and I am looking forward to seeing it come to fruition in future books in this series. The mystery has layers to it which are revealed as Kate searches for clues and I like that the mystery ties into the Barton mansion. I wish, though, that it had been harder to pinpoint the guilty party. I found the pace to vary throughout the story and it was especially slow in the middle. There was too much repetition and speculation. I feel that the book needed further editing. If Murder at the Mansion had been tightened up, it would have been a much better cozy mystery. I was curious as to why Kate did not look up information online. She kept wanting details on the original owner of the Barton home, but she did not do the obvious. There is mild foul language in the book (and it is not needed). Overall, I thought Murder at the Mansion was an intriguing first novel in A Victorian Village Mystery series. I am giving Murder at the Mansion 3 out of 5 stars. I am curious to see what happens next as Kate works to save Asheboro.
Murder at the Mansion contains good writing and with varying pacing. The story starts out strong as we are introduced to Kate. I like the main character as she is smart, likeable, hardworking, and willing to help her hometown. Kate does need to work on her self-confidence (don’t we all). I like the books concept of a struggling small town with a beautiful Victorian home. If something is not done to draw in tourists, Asheboro will die quickly. The Barton mansion sounds gorgeous. I just loved the descriptions of the Victorian masterpiece (I would love to own this home). I like the vision Kate came up with for the town and I am looking forward to seeing it come to fruition in future books in this series. The mystery has layers to it which are revealed as Kate searches for clues and I like that the mystery ties into the Barton mansion. I wish, though, that it had been harder to pinpoint the guilty party. I found the pace to vary throughout the story and it was especially slow in the middle. There was too much repetition and speculation. I feel that the book needed further editing. If Murder at the Mansion had been tightened up, it would have been a much better cozy mystery. I was curious as to why Kate did not look up information online. She kept wanting details on the original owner of the Barton home, but she did not do the obvious. There is mild foul language in the book (and it is not needed). Overall, I thought Murder at the Mansion was an intriguing first novel in A Victorian Village Mystery series. I am giving Murder at the Mansion 3 out of 5 stars. I am curious to see what happens next as Kate works to save Asheboro.
July 28, 2018
Terrific new series from Sheila Connolly. I think Kate is going to prove to be an interesting character. I look forward to seeing how things go in her work.
August 9, 2018
Back in high school, Katie Hamilton had an awful experience with the town mean girl, Cordy. It cost Katie her self esteem and her boyfriend, and as soon as possible, she fled her hometown of Asheboro and never looked back.
Fifteen years later, Kate Hamilton has obtained her masters degree and landed her dream job managing hospitality for a successful Baltimore hotel. Over the course of a day, the past rears its head and her carefully constructed life crumbles. Her high school best friend, Lisbeth, comes to beg Kate to help save their hometown from ruin. Kate reluctantly agrees, although she feels no connection or duty to the folks she left behind so long ago. Still she figures that she'll take a look around, especially at the crumbling old mansion outside of town and see what she can recommend before returning to her normal life. Then normal life falls apart as her hotel is consumed by a chain hotel and her job disappears with it.
At loose ends, Kate heads to Asheboro to see what she can do. She rapidly decides that the town's hopes lie in returning to its Civil War era roots, creating a Victorian town anchored by the old mansion, which will be reimagined as a classic Victorian hotel. She has support from some members of the town council, but she'll have to get past her old high school nemesis, Cordy, in order to make it a success. Before she can even make a pitch, however, Cordy ends up dead, and Kate is now faced with meeting up with her old boyfriend, dealing with historical artifacts and finding a killer.
****
The story:
The mystery part of this story was ok - exactly what you'd expect from a cozy mystery. Its interesting enough, but not too complex. There is a wonderful historical aspect to this story! I learned more about Clara Barton's post Civil War activities from this book than I'd ever known before and that was lovely. I can't wait to do more research on Clara Barton's search for missing Civil War soldiers. The solution of the mystery was a bit disappointing. It was not a surprising ending, given the information we were provided about the victim, but it was a bit juvenile. Still, there are more pathetic solutions.
The problem with this story begins and ends with its main character. Kate Hamilton is not someone I'd like to spend any amount of time with. She has certainly recovered from the blow her self-esteem took in high school as she now has a remarkably outsized opinion of herself, and an equally undersized opinion of everyone else. She revels in how far she's come since high school, but apparently believes that no one else could possibly have matured - certainly not her nemesis. Even before anyone mentions Cordy's name, Kate is on and on about what a horrible person she is to everyone. How she's supposed to know that after fifteen years is anyone's guess, especially since Kate is so done with her hometown she's rarely come back and is so out of touch that she doesn't even know what to expect from the weather. Kate is equally as judgmental and dismissive of the town librarian, who, despite being a similar age as Kate, is described by her as aging and pathetic. Finally, Lisbeth needs a new best friend, as Kate constantly refers to Lisbeth's mom-ish ways with disdain and sarcasm.
Kate thinks she's come so far since high school, but what's really happened is that she's now become the mean girl. And she revels in it.
Yet, everyone Kate encounters thinks she's wonderful. That leaves me with little hope that Kate will experience any character growth as the series goes on. So, no thanks. It was fine for one book, but I don't want to spend any additional time with Kate.
The narration:
Emily Durante does a fine job. Her male voices are a bit gruff and all sound substantially similar, but I've heard worse. She had good diction, no awkward pauses, no mis-statements. She sounds age appropriate for Kate, Lisbeth and their contemporaries. I'd listen to another book read by her. It was just unfortunate that the first time I heard her was on this book.
Audio Quality/Sound Design: Nothing to note. The audio is at a good level, no unexpected increases or decreases in volume, no background noise or echos.
Fifteen years later, Kate Hamilton has obtained her masters degree and landed her dream job managing hospitality for a successful Baltimore hotel. Over the course of a day, the past rears its head and her carefully constructed life crumbles. Her high school best friend, Lisbeth, comes to beg Kate to help save their hometown from ruin. Kate reluctantly agrees, although she feels no connection or duty to the folks she left behind so long ago. Still she figures that she'll take a look around, especially at the crumbling old mansion outside of town and see what she can recommend before returning to her normal life. Then normal life falls apart as her hotel is consumed by a chain hotel and her job disappears with it.
At loose ends, Kate heads to Asheboro to see what she can do. She rapidly decides that the town's hopes lie in returning to its Civil War era roots, creating a Victorian town anchored by the old mansion, which will be reimagined as a classic Victorian hotel. She has support from some members of the town council, but she'll have to get past her old high school nemesis, Cordy, in order to make it a success. Before she can even make a pitch, however, Cordy ends up dead, and Kate is now faced with meeting up with her old boyfriend, dealing with historical artifacts and finding a killer.
****
The story:
The mystery part of this story was ok - exactly what you'd expect from a cozy mystery. Its interesting enough, but not too complex. There is a wonderful historical aspect to this story! I learned more about Clara Barton's post Civil War activities from this book than I'd ever known before and that was lovely. I can't wait to do more research on Clara Barton's search for missing Civil War soldiers. The solution of the mystery was a bit disappointing. It was not a surprising ending, given the information we were provided about the victim, but it was a bit juvenile. Still, there are more pathetic solutions.
The problem with this story begins and ends with its main character. Kate Hamilton is not someone I'd like to spend any amount of time with. She has certainly recovered from the blow her self-esteem took in high school as she now has a remarkably outsized opinion of herself, and an equally undersized opinion of everyone else. She revels in how far she's come since high school, but apparently believes that no one else could possibly have matured - certainly not her nemesis. Even before anyone mentions Cordy's name, Kate is on and on about what a horrible person she is to everyone. How she's supposed to know that after fifteen years is anyone's guess, especially since Kate is so done with her hometown she's rarely come back and is so out of touch that she doesn't even know what to expect from the weather. Kate is equally as judgmental and dismissive of the town librarian, who, despite being a similar age as Kate, is described by her as aging and pathetic. Finally, Lisbeth needs a new best friend, as Kate constantly refers to Lisbeth's mom-ish ways with disdain and sarcasm.
Kate thinks she's come so far since high school, but what's really happened is that she's now become the mean girl. And she revels in it.
Yet, everyone Kate encounters thinks she's wonderful. That leaves me with little hope that Kate will experience any character growth as the series goes on. So, no thanks. It was fine for one book, but I don't want to spend any additional time with Kate.
The narration:
Emily Durante does a fine job. Her male voices are a bit gruff and all sound substantially similar, but I've heard worse. She had good diction, no awkward pauses, no mis-statements. She sounds age appropriate for Kate, Lisbeth and their contemporaries. I'd listen to another book read by her. It was just unfortunate that the first time I heard her was on this book.
Audio Quality/Sound Design: Nothing to note. The audio is at a good level, no unexpected increases or decreases in volume, no background noise or echos.
May 14, 2025
Be forewarned, this story moves very slowly and never actually concludes. Is it a murder mystery, or is it a more complex mystery about who is Henry Barton and what is stored in the attic of his Victorian mansion in Asheboro, MD?
The book is 322 pages long and full of redundancy. There is, at most, a 50 page short story buried here. The writing is fine. Nothing prosaic or impressive. The characters are very ordinary, and unfortunately very stereotypical: the driven single working woman, the harried young stay at home mom, the adult woman who still exhibited her high school bully persona, and the spinster librarian. Sense of place might be the strongest aspect of the writing.
Most of this book was boring, and most of it is contrived. It seems like a first attempt at writing a mystery. Early in the book a body is found, and the state police ask our protagonist (who found the body) for help in identifying the killer because she is absolutely well qualified to do this. This is laughable. Our protagonist is a recently fired boutique hotel employee who has come to Ashboro to save the town at the request of her best friend from high school with whom she has barely stayed in touch.
I can't even enumerate all the convenient things that occur. The whole book is full of them. And that murder mystery that needs to be solved is rarely mentioned again until the end. Of course we have already zeroed in on the guilty party long before then, because this book is nothing but predictable.
A+ for being a total disappointment!
The book is 322 pages long and full of redundancy. There is, at most, a 50 page short story buried here. The writing is fine. Nothing prosaic or impressive. The characters are very ordinary, and unfortunately very stereotypical: the driven single working woman, the harried young stay at home mom, the adult woman who still exhibited her high school bully persona, and the spinster librarian. Sense of place might be the strongest aspect of the writing.
Most of this book was boring, and most of it is contrived. It seems like a first attempt at writing a mystery. Early in the book a body is found, and the state police ask our protagonist (who found the body) for help in identifying the killer because she is absolutely well qualified to do this. This is laughable. Our protagonist is a recently fired boutique hotel employee who has come to Ashboro to save the town at the request of her best friend from high school with whom she has barely stayed in touch.
I can't even enumerate all the convenient things that occur. The whole book is full of them. And that murder mystery that needs to be solved is rarely mentioned again until the end. Of course we have already zeroed in on the guilty party long before then, because this book is nothing but predictable.
A+ for being a total disappointment!
April 6, 2018
I do love Sheila Connolly's series located in Ireland, so I was thrilled to receive this pre-publication copy for review from NetGalley and start what I hoped would be another great series from Ms. Connelly. Sad to say I was sorely disappointed and struggled over a period of weeks to finish this book. As this novel is the first of the series, a significant amount of time is spent describing the environment and introducing characters. While the premise of the novel(s) set in a Victorian Village in development, the characters are just boring. Kate Hamilton, a vet of the hospitality industry in Baltimore returns to her hometown at the request of her BFF from high school to see if she has any ideas to revitalize the dying town. Her high school nemesis Cordelia is found dead at the doorstop of the local mansion, shuttered for decades and cared for by an attractive academic from the nearby university. The dead Cordelia is a more interesting character than the lead or any of the others we're introduced to, including the protagonist. Kate Hamilton comes off as a bit spoiled, self centered and lazy, with little to offer in the way of skills or wit. The setup for a series is great, but Ms. Connolly has to add some spice and sizzle to her cast of characters to get this one to take off and fly like her other novels.
January 10, 2024
Is two stars too generous? The more I think about this book, the angrier I get. Kate is probably the most annoying, condescending, snob of a character I have ever read. All she did the entire book was (in her inner monologue) make fun of those who stayed in her hometown and look down on her "best" friend Lisbeth.
And the beef that this MC had with the person who was murdered was so dumb - HIGH SCHOOL WAS LIKE 15 PLUS YEARS AGO, GET OVER IT.
The only part I even remotely enjoyed of this was the historical aspect and even that was patchy at best. There were so many contradictions throughout the story and if you think about it too much the whole thing just crumbles. Also, why in the freaking world did everything have to be spoon-fed to our MC, you literally grew up in this town, and yet you remember NOTHING. Is this town freaking Derry from IT? Like, what is going on?????
The number of times I heard "no one knows what they made in the old factory in town" was ASTRONOMICAL. You're going to the library and doing research, if it was that prevalent to you, you should have searched it up. Or ask the "aging" library who is all of TWO YEARS older than you. You're in your 30s for Pete's sake!!!!!
DID I MENTION HOW RUDE OUR MAIN CHARACTER IS?
I think I just talked myself into one star.
And the beef that this MC had with the person who was murdered was so dumb - HIGH SCHOOL WAS LIKE 15 PLUS YEARS AGO, GET OVER IT.
The only part I even remotely enjoyed of this was the historical aspect and even that was patchy at best. There were so many contradictions throughout the story and if you think about it too much the whole thing just crumbles. Also, why in the freaking world did everything have to be spoon-fed to our MC, you literally grew up in this town, and yet you remember NOTHING. Is this town freaking Derry from IT? Like, what is going on?????
The number of times I heard "no one knows what they made in the old factory in town" was ASTRONOMICAL. You're going to the library and doing research, if it was that prevalent to you, you should have searched it up. Or ask the "aging" library who is all of TWO YEARS older than you. You're in your 30s for Pete's sake!!!!!
DID I MENTION HOW RUDE OUR MAIN CHARACTER IS?
I think I just talked myself into one star.
May 23, 2018
When I saw that Netgalley was offering a new mystery by Sheila Connolly I jumped at the change to request it. Murder at the Mansion is coming out June 26th and is published by Minotaur Books. I get very excited when I get the chance to read a first in series by authors whose work I already love. I had no idea what to expect with Murder at the Mansion and it truly felt like Sheila took a typical failing american small town, reached down to the ground and picked up the dirt and dust surrounding it, threw it up in the air and magically turned it to fairy dust. The story transforms itself from page one and rolls out in true cozy spirit, endearing it to me with each chapter. This was not at all what I had expected, but exactly what a great first in series should be, this cozy has great bones, a cool story line, mystery you can get behind, justice served and a great deal of fun history to unearth. Look for this one for sure this June!
June 26, 2018
Murder at the Mansion by Shelia Connolly is the 1st book in the Victorian Village mystery series, and it's off to a good start. Katherine Hamilton is contacted by her high school friend to help with her home town of Asheford, Maryland. The town spent all their resources on a mansion, and the town is now broke. Kate arch enemy in high school, Cordelia, is the person who talked the town into buying the mansion. When Cordelia is found murdered the mystery begins. I really enjoyed this story, and am looking forward to reading about how the town digs out of their hole.
I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
July 12, 2018
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.
I was pretty excited to get this as I really like this author. I have to admit that I am kind of disappointed as this was just an average cozy mystery, not anything spectacular and certainly not like the author's previous books. Kate is an okay, but slightly annoying MC who has a tendency to berate herself mentally [which gets annoying] and seems to be unsure of herself, even though she has been to college and had held a very respectable job due to an unfortunate incident that happened her senior year in high school with her HS nemesis. Who, conveniently turns up dead just as Kate comes to the town of her youth to help them bail themselves out of the debt they have suddenly found themselves in [it is all kind of convoluted] because she has suddenly found herself out of a job. Confused yet? Uh-huh. Me too.
I had the murderer guessed early on - like in the chapter they are introduced. It was pretty obvious [to me] and because of that, it seemed to take forever to get to the end. Where we have some slightly forced-feeling romance and the reveal. Which was totally anticlimactic.
Just an average, meh read.
I was pretty excited to get this as I really like this author. I have to admit that I am kind of disappointed as this was just an average cozy mystery, not anything spectacular and certainly not like the author's previous books. Kate is an okay, but slightly annoying MC who has a tendency to berate herself mentally [which gets annoying] and seems to be unsure of herself, even though she has been to college and had held a very respectable job due to an unfortunate incident that happened her senior year in high school with her HS nemesis. Who, conveniently turns up dead just as Kate comes to the town of her youth to help them bail themselves out of the debt they have suddenly found themselves in [it is all kind of convoluted] because she has suddenly found herself out of a job. Confused yet? Uh-huh. Me too.
I had the murderer guessed early on - like in the chapter they are introduced. It was pretty obvious [to me] and because of that, it seemed to take forever to get to the end. Where we have some slightly forced-feeling romance and the reveal. Which was totally anticlimactic.
Just an average, meh read.
March 24, 2018
Murder at the Mansion by Sheila Connolly is the debut novel for her Victorian Village series. It was an intriguing beginning and the setting, although in a small town, was unique.
I liked Katherine and her down-to-earth attitude. She doesn't hesitate to be truthful with both the town board members and the police. I also liked that Ms. Connolly did not just the "romance triangle" trope as I find that to be an unnecessary addition to most cozy mystery stories. The plot is smoothly paced with plenty of suspects regarding the murder of the town "mean girl". I also enjoyed the history that was introduced into this book by Ms. Connolly regarding the Civil War veteran, Henry Barton. I'm intrigued to know about this mystery man who lived in the beautiful mansion on the edge of town.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Minotaur Books via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.
I liked Katherine and her down-to-earth attitude. She doesn't hesitate to be truthful with both the town board members and the police. I also liked that Ms. Connolly did not just the "romance triangle" trope as I find that to be an unnecessary addition to most cozy mystery stories. The plot is smoothly paced with plenty of suspects regarding the murder of the town "mean girl". I also enjoyed the history that was introduced into this book by Ms. Connolly regarding the Civil War veteran, Henry Barton. I'm intrigued to know about this mystery man who lived in the beautiful mansion on the edge of town.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Minotaur Books via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.
January 16, 2022
This book is terrible. What makes it terrible? Mostly the main character. She’s a judgmental bitch. Throughout the entire novel she belittles and blames a DEAD woman for dumb shit that happened 15 years before in high school. *insert huge eye roll here* After a while I was liking this dead woman that I never got to meet on the page. This author had me rooting for a Regina George caricature. Speaking of caricatures, that’s what all of the main characters are. None of them behave like actual people. And although this book was published in 2018, it reads as though it’s set in 1995. It’s not (some of the tech that’s mentioned makes that clear). In the beginning of the book the lead has a landline. I seriously wanted to stop there, but I didn’t. And don’t get me started on how the author did librarians dirty. Not cool. Oh, and there are small editing errors sprinkled all over this book. I finished the book society book in a hate reading fury, and I don’t recommend it to anyone ever.
July 6, 2018
I like her other books, but this one was poorly written (or poorly edited). kept repeating itself unnecessarily. (why state 4 or 5 times that they lined up the letters chronologically, and, we get it, the woman was a bitch, ok already).
the story was good, the writing wasn't.
the story was good, the writing wasn't.
July 19, 2018
I had high hopes for this mystery series but I was disappointed. I just couldn't get interested in the story OR the characters. I had to skim through most of it.
June 17, 2018
Series: Victorian Village Mysteries #1
Publication Date: 6/26/18
Great beginning for a new series. I read Connolly’s County Cork series (set in Ireland) and thoroughly every one of those, so when a new book for a new series popped up, I wanted to read it as well. This one is set in the financially troubled town of Asheford, Maryland. This small town is headed in the same direction as many other small towns today. All of the younger folks are moving to the cities because of the jobs and amenities offered by big cities. Asheford is struggling because the tax base is shrinking and jobs are leaving.
Katherine (Katie/Kate) Hamilton manages a small, very upscale, boutique hotel, the Oriole, in Baltimore. Although it only takes about an hour to get to her hometown of Asheford, she hasn’t been back there in years. She left after high school and has never looked back – especially after her parents moved to Florida. So, Kate was really surprised when her very best friend, Lisbeth, from high school, called and asked to see her.
Lisbeth explains to Kate that Asheford is in serious financial straits and that the town council would appreciate it if Kate would come to Asheford and give any recommendations she might have for using the grand old Victorian mansion that the town now owns. They would love to make it a centerpiece of the town but don’t know if it is feasible or how they could make it work. Kate agrees to take a look. When she sees the old mansion she is enthralled – then, as she looks around the town an idea begins to form. When she learns that her high school nemesis, Cordelia (Cordy), is living in town, Kate is a bit disconcerted, but she’s really ready to deal with her and put those past run-ins to rest. But, then, Cordy is found, by Kate, murdered on the stops of the lovely old Victorian – Barton Mansion.
We are introduced to Joshua (Josh) Wainwright, who is a divorced history professor at nearby Johns Hopkins University. Josh is on sabbatical from the university and is acting as caretaker for the Barton Mansion in return for free rooms while he does some historical research. We are also introduced to Lisbeth who was Kate’s best friend in high school. Lisbeth is now happily married to a successful man and is a stay-at-home mom to two children. I am assuming that these two characters will be fleshed out a little more as the series goes on and that we’ll learn more about them.
Josh and Kate work hard to solve the mysteries – yes, there are two mysteries. Are they related or are they totally separate with two separate perpetrators? As Josh and Kate work to solve the murder, they draw closer and closer. Will they end up in a relationship in future books in the series? I can surely see it because they both seem to have an insatiable curiosity, respect, and reverence for historical research. So, I think the two of them will work together to uncover all of the missing information on Henry Barton, his plant, his house and his wife as well as the rest of the history of the town and how it all relates to the civil war.
Another character we are introduced to is Kate’s high school boyfriend – and Cordy’s ex-husband, Ryan. I assume we’ll see him in future books because he still owns the building that housed Cordy’s B&B. I liked him okay and was glad to see that he apologized to Kate for what happened in high school.
I haven’t said much about Kate because I’m not sure how I feel about her. At this point, I don’t love her. She seems very condescending much of the time – like she is better than those around her. I hope that changes. For instance – here are a few of Kate’s thoughts/quotes:
• “Was I too smart for the men I met? Too successful?”
• “. . her crises and mine were so very different. She worried about misplaced baseball gloves, while at the hotel I had to track down international shipments of high-priority documents and make sure they reached the right people.” [This was thought about her best friend]
• “She really has nowhere else to be. Sad, isn’t it?”
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward to the next one in the series. It will be fun to see what direction the series and the romance moves in. It will also be fun to see what shops they end up bringing into the Victorian Village because some of the ones that Kate mentioned just wouldn’t work – given the population of the town and the fact that the town will depend on tourists. Kate has already moved most of those out, but it will still be interesting to see where they go with that AND what all of the research turns up.
Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview
"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."
Publication Date: 6/26/18
Great beginning for a new series. I read Connolly’s County Cork series (set in Ireland) and thoroughly every one of those, so when a new book for a new series popped up, I wanted to read it as well. This one is set in the financially troubled town of Asheford, Maryland. This small town is headed in the same direction as many other small towns today. All of the younger folks are moving to the cities because of the jobs and amenities offered by big cities. Asheford is struggling because the tax base is shrinking and jobs are leaving.
Katherine (Katie/Kate) Hamilton manages a small, very upscale, boutique hotel, the Oriole, in Baltimore. Although it only takes about an hour to get to her hometown of Asheford, she hasn’t been back there in years. She left after high school and has never looked back – especially after her parents moved to Florida. So, Kate was really surprised when her very best friend, Lisbeth, from high school, called and asked to see her.
Lisbeth explains to Kate that Asheford is in serious financial straits and that the town council would appreciate it if Kate would come to Asheford and give any recommendations she might have for using the grand old Victorian mansion that the town now owns. They would love to make it a centerpiece of the town but don’t know if it is feasible or how they could make it work. Kate agrees to take a look. When she sees the old mansion she is enthralled – then, as she looks around the town an idea begins to form. When she learns that her high school nemesis, Cordelia (Cordy), is living in town, Kate is a bit disconcerted, but she’s really ready to deal with her and put those past run-ins to rest. But, then, Cordy is found, by Kate, murdered on the stops of the lovely old Victorian – Barton Mansion.
We are introduced to Joshua (Josh) Wainwright, who is a divorced history professor at nearby Johns Hopkins University. Josh is on sabbatical from the university and is acting as caretaker for the Barton Mansion in return for free rooms while he does some historical research. We are also introduced to Lisbeth who was Kate’s best friend in high school. Lisbeth is now happily married to a successful man and is a stay-at-home mom to two children. I am assuming that these two characters will be fleshed out a little more as the series goes on and that we’ll learn more about them.
Josh and Kate work hard to solve the mysteries – yes, there are two mysteries. Are they related or are they totally separate with two separate perpetrators? As Josh and Kate work to solve the murder, they draw closer and closer. Will they end up in a relationship in future books in the series? I can surely see it because they both seem to have an insatiable curiosity, respect, and reverence for historical research. So, I think the two of them will work together to uncover all of the missing information on Henry Barton, his plant, his house and his wife as well as the rest of the history of the town and how it all relates to the civil war.
Another character we are introduced to is Kate’s high school boyfriend – and Cordy’s ex-husband, Ryan. I assume we’ll see him in future books because he still owns the building that housed Cordy’s B&B. I liked him okay and was glad to see that he apologized to Kate for what happened in high school.
I haven’t said much about Kate because I’m not sure how I feel about her. At this point, I don’t love her. She seems very condescending much of the time – like she is better than those around her. I hope that changes. For instance – here are a few of Kate’s thoughts/quotes:
• “Was I too smart for the men I met? Too successful?”
• “. . her crises and mine were so very different. She worried about misplaced baseball gloves, while at the hotel I had to track down international shipments of high-priority documents and make sure they reached the right people.” [This was thought about her best friend]
• “She really has nowhere else to be. Sad, isn’t it?”
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward to the next one in the series. It will be fun to see what direction the series and the romance moves in. It will also be fun to see what shops they end up bringing into the Victorian Village because some of the ones that Kate mentioned just wouldn’t work – given the population of the town and the fact that the town will depend on tourists. Kate has already moved most of those out, but it will still be interesting to see where they go with that AND what all of the research turns up.
Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview
"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."
June 26, 2018
This is a new series but definitely not a debut novel for Sheila Connolly (she is already a nest selling author). I personally haven’t read any of Connolly’s books but I was intrigued by the summary of this one and the fact that it was a brand new series.
Not going to lie the fact that it said ‘Victorian’ in the series title also was a contributing factor. I love all things Victorian and when I saw it in the title I was immediately saying ‘sold’ loudly in my head.
The writing in this book is excellent and practiced. It’s evident that Connolly is a seasoned vet when it comes to writing and mysteries. Everything was well thought out and made logical sense. There wasn’t the jumping around or trying to decide what the central theme of the book is going to be, that some newer authors have. With Connolly, she knows what she’s about.
But as with any new series, there are a lot of things happening in this book. There are a lot of characters and plot points to set up as well as the hierarchy of the town and it’s people etc. So just be prepared that there is a lot of set up and ground laying in this book.
I also appreciated the attention to detail regarding the historical period. While this book isn’t necessarily a historical fiction book, there are historical elements, especially in regard to the house. The historical elements, while not the focus, added to the story and made the town interesting and as a historian who loves the Victorian era and did her thesis on the Civil War, this book was a thrill to read.
I suspect that the town will continue to be a focal point in future books. I liked how the author kept that door open because it gave me anticipation for the setting of future books.
This was a good read for me. It did take me a few chapters to get into the overall story but for the most part I found myself interested and eager to keep reading. However one thing I would like to note…..I am not a fan of the cover art. It doesn’t stand out in any way to me. It’s so non descriptive that I feel like it could be for any book. In her other book series, the cover art had a lot of charm to it and I felt disappointed that this book didn’t share the same.
Overall this is a fund little mystery read. I loved the polish of the details and overall story. If you are a cozy mystery fan, then you might want to give this little gem a try!
See my full review here
Not going to lie the fact that it said ‘Victorian’ in the series title also was a contributing factor. I love all things Victorian and when I saw it in the title I was immediately saying ‘sold’ loudly in my head.
The writing in this book is excellent and practiced. It’s evident that Connolly is a seasoned vet when it comes to writing and mysteries. Everything was well thought out and made logical sense. There wasn’t the jumping around or trying to decide what the central theme of the book is going to be, that some newer authors have. With Connolly, she knows what she’s about.
But as with any new series, there are a lot of things happening in this book. There are a lot of characters and plot points to set up as well as the hierarchy of the town and it’s people etc. So just be prepared that there is a lot of set up and ground laying in this book.
I also appreciated the attention to detail regarding the historical period. While this book isn’t necessarily a historical fiction book, there are historical elements, especially in regard to the house. The historical elements, while not the focus, added to the story and made the town interesting and as a historian who loves the Victorian era and did her thesis on the Civil War, this book was a thrill to read.
I suspect that the town will continue to be a focal point in future books. I liked how the author kept that door open because it gave me anticipation for the setting of future books.
This was a good read for me. It did take me a few chapters to get into the overall story but for the most part I found myself interested and eager to keep reading. However one thing I would like to note…..I am not a fan of the cover art. It doesn’t stand out in any way to me. It’s so non descriptive that I feel like it could be for any book. In her other book series, the cover art had a lot of charm to it and I felt disappointed that this book didn’t share the same.
Overall this is a fund little mystery read. I loved the polish of the details and overall story. If you are a cozy mystery fan, then you might want to give this little gem a try!
See my full review here
June 26, 2018
Thanks to the publisher (via Netgalley) for an advance e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
At the beginning of Murder at the Mansion, I wasn't sure that this new series was going to click- I initially found the main character's attitude to be a bit too condescending and snobby (she has a snide thought early in the book about the insignificance of her friend's problems as a stay-at-home mom to those of her life as a so-important single, childless hotel executive). However, throughout the story, Kate's passion for the project of revitalizing Asheford begins to shine, and the story becomes a bit more exciting (and the character seems less awful). As the first book in the series there is a lot of work done to establish the setting and characters, and I think this series has a lot of potential. The addition of historical detail and the idea of reviving Asheford as a historical village makes this series seem enticing. I would definitely be interested in reading the next in this series to see where it goes!
At the beginning of Murder at the Mansion, I wasn't sure that this new series was going to click- I initially found the main character's attitude to be a bit too condescending and snobby (she has a snide thought early in the book about the insignificance of her friend's problems as a stay-at-home mom to those of her life as a so-important single, childless hotel executive). However, throughout the story, Kate's passion for the project of revitalizing Asheford begins to shine, and the story becomes a bit more exciting (and the character seems less awful). As the first book in the series there is a lot of work done to establish the setting and characters, and I think this series has a lot of potential. The addition of historical detail and the idea of reviving Asheford as a historical village makes this series seem enticing. I would definitely be interested in reading the next in this series to see where it goes!
December 7, 2018
Ho qualche difficoltà a giudicare questo libro... Ho semplicemente adorato l'idea di ricreare una cittadina all'epoca delle case vittoriane in America (adoro quel tipo di architettura, un po' meno l'arredamento contemporaneo) e, da storica che adora usare le lettere come fonte, sono andata in brodo di giuggiole quando è stato scoperto un mucchio di vecchie missive. Ho, però, qualche problema con alcuni aspetti della storia relativi alle indagini e, purtroppo, la metà del tempo ho avuto dei seri problemi ad apprezzare la protagonista (diciamo che almeno un paio di volte l'avrei volentieri schiaffeggiata...). Insomma, alla fine il voto è dovuto più al mio piacere da storica che al resto.
May 22, 2018
What a wonderful new series by Sheila Connolly. Kate works in the hospitality industry and has been at her current job for the past five years. When her best friend from high school, whom she hasn't spoken to in a while, calls her up and asks her to meet Kate wonders what she might want. The town Kate grew up in and left so many years ago is need of some help. You see they made an investment in a local house but after purchasing said house the town doesn't have the money to do much else. If they don't figure out something to bring back life to their dying town no one knows exactly what will happen. Kate agrees to come and see if she can come up with some ideas and learns that her nemesis from high school offered up a plan but it got shot down quickly because it would only be beneficial to her and not the town. While looking at the house that the town bought and trying to come up with some ideas Kate stumbles over the body of Cordelia, her high school nemesis. Follow along as Kate tries to come up with a valid plan to help the town and also looks for the killer. You see she never got any closure from what Cordelia did to her in high school and hopes finding her killer will help in some way. This was a fantastic new read that was filled with wonderful characters, a charming town, and wonderful bits of history. I can't wait to see what becomes of the town and Kate's ideas and hope that her budding romance turns into more.
I received an ARC of this book, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
I received an ARC of this book, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 20, 2018
This is the second book I read during the past week that features an unhappy librarian bemoaning the state of libraries--in two different countries, no less. Don't these authors know who buys most of the hardback books they sell? Seriously, don't trash your audience! Otherwise, this is one more Sheila Connolly series that promises rather more than it delivers. Hotel manager Kate is called back to help her dying hometown, and also fired from her job due to corporate layoffs. She has a proposal to help the town, but discovers the body of her high school enemy before she can get to work on the project. There's a cool guy involved, too, though maybe not the one you'd guess at first. There's the teaser of finding out more about the man who built the mansion in question, but the book ends without any information on him--have to wait for the next book if you care, I guess.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 384 reviews