Caffeinated Reviewer

The Kat Holloway Mysteries by Jennifer Ashley are a favorite here at Caffeinated. From Kat, our cook, to the historical settings and happenings below the stairs I could devour one a week… if only Ashley could write that fast. Mystery, colorful characters and a smidgeon of romance await you…

Intrepid cook Kat Holloway puts aside her apron to delve into Victorian London’s high society and catch a killer in this thrilling new mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of Murder in the East End.

While attending an exhibition at the Crystal Palace, young cook Kat Holloway is approached by a woman in distress. Lady Covington is a wealthy widow convinced that her entire family is trying to kill her. Kat feels compelled to help, and she escorts the lady home to discover whether she is delusional or in true danger.

It is quickly apparent that the threat is all too real, and Kat promises aid. Her charming confidant Daniel McAdam is busy infiltrating a plot against the Crown, and she worries he will not have time to lend his sleuthing expertise. This might be for the best, as Kat fears her growing emotional entanglement with Daniel can only lead to disaster. But soon, Kat faces a more serious threat when her involvement in both investigations plunges her into peril.

Kat, her daughter Grace, and friends are attending an exhibition at the Crystal Palace, when Lady Covington approaches her for help. The widow is convinced that her entire family is trying to kill her. She arranges for Kat to visit her home using a request for Kat’s Lemon cake recipe. Kat doesn’t have one, but she soon will.

Meanwhile, Lady Cynthia’s parents are in residence and pushing for her to settle down. Their arrival creates quite a stir from changes in meal plans to the raiding of the wine cellars. Of course, the household staff wants Kat to intervene. Our love interest Daniel is working on a very intense case for Alden Monaghan. He is investigating the Duke of Daventry, one of the richest and most powerful men in the country who may be involved in funding the Irish.

The poisoning was an interesting case with a dreadful and colorful household, but all is not as it seems. Kat is stumped, but when someone in the house dies and the poison is discovered, it will be up to Kat to figure out who is responsible. Red herrings and intriguing threads laid the groundwork before all was revealed. It was quite clever. Kat made me nervous a time or two, especially when she brought some of the poison into her own kitchen. Blessings from a certain inspector had me giddy. All I can say is it’s about time.

Daniel’s case called for Kat’s help and things got intense from being discovered to dangerous moments. Their friend’s aid them both above and below the stairs. I dare say it kept me flipping the pages. I love the precious moments shared between Kat and Daniel. We even gained some new tidbits about Daniel.

The staff below the stairs, the household drama, and friends of them all are always at the heart of the story. I enjoyed getting to be a part of the happenings and watching their relationships develop. And of course Kat’s meddling.

Death at the Crystal Palace delivered all the elements I love about this series from character interaction to the mysteries. I wish the book included the lemon cake recipe. It would go perfectly with a spot of good English tea.

Amazon | Audible

About Jennifer Ashley

NY Times Bestselling author Jennifer Ashley writes historical, contemporary, and paranormal romance, historical mysteries, and urban fantasy as Jennifer Ashley, Allyson James, and Ashley Gardner. Jennifer's novels have won RWA's RITA and RT Reviewer's Choice awards, have been translated into many different languages and earned starred reviews from Booklist and Publisher's Weekly.

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About Kimberly

Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

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