I picked up A Murder at Rosamund’s Gate at the library–on a whim, which is how I pick out a lot of my library books. And I wasn’t disappointed. Susanna Calkins’ debut mystery had me guessing right up to the big reveal at the end. I had picked practically every character in the book as a suspect before the end, and I was still surprised to learn who the killer was. This is a book I highly recommend for anyone who loves a good mystery, Restoration England, and above-stairs/below-stairs intrigue.
A Murder at Rosamund’s Gate is the story of Lucy Campion, a chambermaid in the London home of Magistrate Hargrave. The tale is set in the seventeenth century and the amount of research that went into the book is astounding. The author’s vast knowledge of this time period (she has a doctorate in British history) is obvious and imbues the text with a richness that would be hard to fake.
Lucy’s life is nothing but an endless cycle of drudgery until a series of murders catches the attention of London and another servant in the Hargrave household becomes a victim. Lucy takes it upon herself to find out all she can about the victim (whom Lucy thought she knew very well…but she may not have known the victim as well as she thought) and before long she finds herself in some shady places where no self-respecting young girl would have ventured alone in the seventeenth century. As she gets closer and closer to learning the truth about the murder, Lucy becomes embroiled in a life-threatening confrontation and has to fight harder than she ever dreamed if she wants to emerge from the ordeal alive.
There’s a little bit of romance in the book, too–just enough to give it that extra spark.
Did I mention that all this takes place against the backdrop of the deadly London Plague? The plague killed 90,000 Londoners before its ravages came to an end. Add to that the horrors of the Great Fire of London, and you’ve got yourself a pretty fantastic story.
Until next week,
Amy
Reblogged this on Whispers in the air and commented:
I love this review of Susanna Calkins’ debut novel! Definitely adding it to my lengthy reading list.
LikeLike
Thanks for the reblog! I hope you enjoy the book–I’m looking forward to reading her others, too.
LikeLike
Your book review is so good, I’ve just added the title to my library list… THANKS!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad I could add more to your list! 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on Author Don Massenzio and commented:
Check out the book, A Murder at Rosamund’s Gate, by Susanna Calkins, as featured on the Reade and Write blog.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for the reblog, Don!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome.
LikeLike
Thanks for sharing, Amy. This sounds like a great book, and I love historical mysteries.
LikeLike
Hi Marja, I’m glad you enjoyed the post. One of these days I’ll get back to the library to check out her other books. She has three more that I know of- From the Charred Remains, The Masque of a Murderer, and A Death Along the River Fleet. Thanks for dropping by!
LikeLike
Sounds intriguing Amy. Great review. I’m going to book mark this. But I will certainly be reading at least one of your books before getting to this one. 🙂 x
LikeLike
Thanks! I still have your Have Bags Will Travel on my Kindle…it’s in the queue!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know all about ‘the queue’ lol. 🙂 x
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on and commented:
This looks like a good one!
LikeLike
Thank you!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
My genre for sure! Beautifully written review! A TBR must!
Hope you have a great week! And since I haven’t said it recently, “”Keep Reading and Writing!”
LikeLike
I will definitely be looking for other books by Susanna Calkins. Have a great day!
LikeLiked by 1 person
This sounds great—thanks for such a good review!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope you enjoy the book if you pick it up. Thanks for stopping by.
LikeLike