Shadows Of Swanford Abbey By Julie Klassen

Shadows of Swanford Abbey

by Julie Klassen

Publisher: Bethany House

ISBN: 9780764234255

When Julie Klassen asks if you'll read and review her book, you don't even take a breath before agreeing! Julie is a absolute "must read" the moment her books come out. She sent me her book for review.

Summary:

Agatha Christie meets Jane Austen in this atmospheric Regency tale brimming with mystery, intrigue, and romance.

When Miss Rebecca Lane returns to her home village after a few years away, her brother begs for a favor: go to nearby Swanford Abbey and deliver his manuscript to an author staying there who could help him get published. Feeling responsible for her brother's desperate state, she reluctantly agrees.

The medieval monastery turned grand hotel is rumored to be haunted. Once there, Rebecca begins noticing strange things, including a figure in a hooded black gown gliding silently through the abbey's cloisters. For all its renovations and veneer of luxury, the ancient foundations seem to echo with whispers of the past--including her own. For there she encounters Sir Frederick--magistrate, widower, and former neighbor--who long ago broke her heart.

When the famous author is found murdered in the abbey, Sir Frederick begins questioning staff and guests and quickly discovers that several people held grudges against the man, including Miss Lane and her brother. Haunted by a painful betrayal in his past, Sir Frederick searches for answers but is torn between his growing feelings for Rebecca and his pursuit of the truth. For Miss Lane is clearly hiding something. . . 

My Review:

Goodness Shadows of Swanford Abbey was such a fun story! It was absolutely classic Julie Klassen, but the mystery added in was absolutely delightful!

I just loved getting to know Miss Rebecca Lane! What a wonderful young lady who has been through so much with her family. Coming back to her home to find her brother still struggling with life, you could see how much it affected her. I just loved Rose, the caretaker of the siblings and lodge. Well, as much as she could with Rebecca traveling as a companion and her brother, John, dealing with mental instability.

Sir Frederick along with his brother, Thomas, end up at Swanford Abbey at the same time as Miss Rebecca, who once as a young girl, was smitten with him. He was also still recovering from the loss of his wife, but not in a way most suspect.

The story absolutely had Agatha Christy vibes to it. I have to giggle, whenever there was a suspected person running around in a nun's outfit I had flashbacks to Scooby Do! Trust me, you'll spend the entire book trying to figure out who might be dressed as a nun!

With the death of the famous author staying at the Abbey, Sir Frederick has to figure out "who done it". I can tell you, I couldn't figure it out and the end was such a surprise! I have to admit, with Rebecca being a companion to Lady Fitzhoward, I was super curious why she was so familiar to people from the town. She was such a fun character! There were lots of twists and turns in the story, which completely kept me guessing about the outcome the whole time! Gotta love a mystery that doesn't give anything away.

I don't read a lot of mysteries, but this one held my attention to the very last page.

About the Author:

Julie Klassen (www.julieklassen.com) loves all things Jane--Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. Her books have sold over a million copies, and she is a three-time recipient of the Christy Award for Historical Romance. The Secret of Pembrooke Park was honored with the Minnesota Book Award for Genre Fiction. Julie has also won the Midwest Book Award and Christian Retailing's BEST Award and has been a finalist in the RITA and Carol Awards. A graduate of the University of Illinois, Julie worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full time. She and her husband have two sons and live in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota. For more information, visit www.julieklassen.com.