Troubles in the library!

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The Dead Hand (Harriet & Matthew Rowsley Victorian Mystery #5) by Judith Cutler   

⭐️⭐️⭐️


Harriet and Matthew Rowsley have their hands full. Archeologists have arrived for the summer dig in the grounds of Thorncroft House, Shropshire, uncovering the Roman ruins. 

Professor and Mrs Marchbanks have come to catalogue the library. He’s rather nasty and she appears bullied. Mrs Marchbanks also experiences frequent fainting episodes.

Harriet has a new housekeeper who seems to not quite fit in, but Mrs Brooks came with an excellent reference. Both parties are on trial for a month. Still her questioning of Harriet and the use of the house keys does grate on Harriet.

Life is busy, busy, busy! Harvesting has to happen so it’s all hands on deck.

It’s when newly expectant father Ned Marples is found dead in a dig trench and his friend Harry Tyler is arrested for murder that the tension reaches boiling point.

More problems emerge for Thorncroft House. Harriet and the local rector Reverend Theophilus Pounceman are nearly killed by a falling painting. The Reverend has a head injury and needs to be confined to bed in the family wing.

Further investigation reveals someone has been cutting the hanging cords of paintings half way through.

Montgomery Wilson, the family lawyer and one of the trustees is called in. The police are investigating but the farming life of the property waits for no-one.

Quite a puzzle! Harriet is given some astounding news to ponder on right at the end.

An intriguing Victorian read, complete with buried treasure and way too many suspects.


A Severn House ARC via NetGalley.                                              

Many thanks to the author and publisher.

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