My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I've had this book on my bookshelf for a few years. It's the kind of book I kept moving from one place to another, until it got lost in the back of a shelf. But this week I was in the mood for a mystery and this nice and bright cover caught my eye.
Mrs. Laetitia Rodd is fifty-two, a widow, and has an eye for solving mysteries. Even though her husband passed away a few years ago, she still misses him terribly. Solving mysteries and sharing a house with her landlady and companion, Mrs. Bentley, keeps her busy.
Her brother is a criminal barrister, so when he needs a bit of help solving a case, Fred calls on Letty. And the latest case involves her going to Wishtide, the home of the Calderstone family in Lincolnshire. She'll pass herself off as a governess to try and find out as much as she can about the son's love interest.
As Letty follows the clues and gets deeper into the lives of the Calderstones, she finds herself in the middle of a dangerous mess when the bodies start adding up...
OMGosh. This book is SO charming.
As soon as I started, I was captivated by Laetitia Rodd's voice. I was instantly drawn to her cozy life with Mrs. Bentley and liked how well they got along. Their companionship is so pure, and the way they bounce ideas and theories off each other was lovely.
There's a lot to like about this book and the mystery was another thing that totally intrigued me. I loved how Letty starts out investigating what seems to be a straightforward case of parents not being happy with their son's choice for a future wife, and quickly becomes a huge unexpected mess. It was so much fun to follow Letty and Fred as they put the case together.
Set during Victorian times, when women were expected to conduct themselves in the most moral and modest ways, I adored how every single character challenged those expectations. There are women living with men without being married, women with their own wealth and influence, women who are determined to pick their own partners, others happy to live their own lives.
And then there's Laetitia, who is such an awesome character. She's a detective, is highly intelligent and isn't afraid to show it, makes her own living and has so much heart. Not to mention how refreshing it was to read a story about a woman in her fifties.
The secondary characters were also great. So full of life and with their own quirks, enough to make them spring off the page. I have to say that I loved how strong the sibling connection is, and how keen Fred is to involve Letty in cases without hesitation.
Another great thing about this story is how well the weather and locations are captured. Everything comes across so well, the details as vivid as if the reader is right there.
It's always great to read a book that blends danger, mystery and is also SO MUCH fun!
This book is such a delight. I loved every single moment I spent reading it.
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