The third book in Rachel Savernake historical mysteries by Martin Edwards is a clever whodunnit!
SYNOPSIS: 1930: Nell Fagan is looking for a second chance at a career in investigative journalism and the call of Blackstone Fell's sanatorium is irresistible. In 1606, a man vanished from a locked gatehouse in a remote Yorkshire village, and 300 years later, it happened again. Nell confides in the best sleuth she knows, Rachel Savernake Looking for answers, Rachel travels to lonely Blackstone Fell in Yorkshire, with its eerie moor and sinister tower. With help from her friend Jacob Flint – who's determined to expose a fraudulent clairvoyant – Rachel will risk her life to bring an end to the disappearances at Blackstone Fell where people go in, but never come out.
MY REVIEW: Reminiscent of "Golden Age" detective novels, this is immersive and atmospheric with gothic vibes, including an isolated sanatorium, mediums, seances, poisoned pen letters, and a dangerous landscape. I love a good locked-room mystery with a large suspect pool of vividly depicted characters with secret motives and plenty of red herrings, and this delivers! I have not read the previous books in this series, and this works fine as a stand-alone, but I will go back and read the first two. I was intrigued by Rachel, the complex, flawed, and brilliant amateur detective, and enjoyed this book's intricate plotting and overall style. It has a nostalgic feel, complete with a denouement where everyone is gathered for the big reveal of the culprit and a clue finder at the end to tell you where clues were planted along the way. Despite having been really into this book, I did miss some clues, so it was fun to go back and have them pointed out to me! I really enjoyed this one!
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to review this ARC.
My steep was Countess Grey Tea from Oliver Pluff Teas. A black tea with bergamot oil, lavender, and rosehip. This is a lovely tea and available at www.oliverpluff.com
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