Review
By Catherine Lloyd
The First Miss Morton Mystery
A family scandal turned Lady Catherine into Miss Morton, paid companion to the wealthy Mrs. Frogerton. In Caroline's eye better to make her own way than becoming another of her aunt's charity cases. Invited to her cousin's birthday party and ball at Greenwood Hall, Caroline steps back into Regency society, a society that would rather she disappear completely. As she assists her aunt and her employer, who has been begrudgingly invited along with her daughter, Caroline senses things aren't quite right at the manor. A missing butler, a murdered great aunt, and relatives who refuse to admit that anything is wrong lead Caroline on a dangerous path into the sordid history of Greenwood Hall. Will she uncover the truth? Should she?
Exacting societal standards dictate behavior in Regency England, and
some people are more staunch supports than others, some even enjoying
the cruelty they inflict. Caroline appears resigned to her new station
in life and the attitude of those who were once her societal equals and family. I
for one, would have liked to smack her cousin and throttle her aunt let
alone her former fiancee and his family! I love Mrs. Frogerton, and find her intelligent with a zest for life, but pragmatic as well.
A house can have a personality. It has the ability to give off a vibe, positive or negative, holding memories and secrets. Greenwood Hall is one such home and as soon as Miss Morton enters, she feels that something is off. Murder is often a light-hearted affair in cozy and historical mysteries, but the first Miss Morton Mystery shows murder in a darker manner. This is especially true as the book goes on and more truths are revealed. I appreciate the way light and dark are handled, humor diffusing some of the more distressing scenes and awful behavior of its characters while adding to the ambiance of this compelling mystery.
MISS MORTON AND THE ENGLISH HOUSE PARTY MURDER is an engrossing historical mystery that's not afraid to look into the darker corners of society.
Sounds fascinating it is sad that this actually happened
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