Yet another egalley from Netgalley. This book is supposed to be published in September, so I'm getting to preview it a bit early. I do enjoy a good historical fiction, and this one did not disappoint. At first my brain kept wanting to think of the main character, Abigail Tamper, as if she was a slave girl. Which she's not, exactly, this actually takes place in 1856 in a large manor home in London. Abigail is an orphan, her mother passed away about a year ago, and Abigail has stayed serving the family they were already with. The master of the house, Lord Greave is getting old, and his health seems to be in question. The son is gone away to serve in the Crimean war. Therefore, the house is overseen by the housekeeper, the Lord's sister-in-law, Mrs. Cotton. And for some reason Mrs. Cotton hates Abigail. The staff try to make Mrs. Cotton think the house is haunted in order to get back at her the only way they can. Turns out there really is a ghost there, and it's Abi's mom. Abi's mom says she didn't die from a sickness, but was murdered. Soon they get word that the son, Samuel I think, is coming home after being wounded in the war. When he comes back Abi thinks all will be better, since he had always treated her like a sister.
When he gets home, things seem to get worse though, and whether it is the ghost, or Mrs. Cotton, or what, Abi must figure out before it is too late.
As I said before, I'm a big fan of historical fiction, or I am getting to be more. And I actually finished a book awhile back that featured characters around the time of the Crimean War, so that is interesting to me. That book was Falling in Love with English Boys.
Definitely a good mystery, and some interesting facts that make learning about history fun. I think so anyway. Check it out this September!
