No wonder this won a debut crime and mystery writing award!

The Curse of Penryth Hall by Jess Armstrong   

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It’s 1922. Ruby Vaughn is an American employed by an Octogenarian eccentric Exeter bookseller, Mr. Owen. She does odd tasks for him like delivering tomes to various customers.

She’s haring off to Lothlel Green near Tintagel, Cornwall (need I say more!) to deliver a trunk of books to Ruan Kivell, the Pellar (whatever that is!) Somehow the cat Mr, Owen’s cat Fiachna has managed her way into Ruby’s Crow Elkhart roadster. 

Ruby is also calling in on her best friend and once lover, Lady Tamsyn Chenowyth at Penryth Hall, whom she’d fought with on the day Tamsyn had married Sir Edward Chenowyth. Tamsyn had sent a letter asking for Ruby’s help. Now, a year and a half since receiving the letter, and against her better judgement, Ruby decides to call in. After all she is passing by.

Ruby’s shocked by Tamsyn’s appearance, and the fading bruise on her cheekbone. She’s stunned when later, Tamsyn charges her to look after her son should anything happen to her.

What Ruby finds in Cornwall is death and dire circumstances, curses and superstitions, a healer cum witch who can read some of her thoughts, and ill feeling from the villagers.

We uncover much about Ruby as the story unfolds. She’s a reluctant heiress (her parents died when the boat they were on was sunk), she’s uncaring about her own mortality, she’s brave and adventurous, (an ambulance driver during WW1 on the front at Amiens), and she feels alone, except for the wise and welcoming Mr. Owen.

I relished Ruby, an unusual heroine who’s seen more than most.

I’m agog about what she will do next! I’m sure Ruan will be there somehow.

A St. Martin’s Press ARC via NetGalley.                                              

Many thanks to the author and publisher.