Shadows of Swanford Abbey

Shadows of Swanford Abbey by Julie Klassen is an excellent Regency mystery. I have come to love gothic novels (Michelle Griep, Abigail Wilson), and this story had the PERFECT gothic vibe for me. Haunted abbey. A mysterious death. Multiple suspects–and everyone has a motive! I loved exploring the chilly and haunting abbey with Rebecca. Even the sanctuary of the chapel seemed tainted by the ghostly abbess and the fog of suspicion hanging over the guests. I would definitely stay at a hotel like Swanford Abbey! The twisty mystery of this novel was addicting and kept me turning pages late into the night. Having Rebecca be entangled in the mystery of the murder made the plot (and the romance) all the more complicated. I enjoyed piecing the evidence together with Frederick and Rebecca. The romance between Rebecca and Frederick was definitely a slow burn and was not in the forefront as much because of Frederick’s involvement in the investigation and Rebecca’s dishonesty. BUT, I loved how the wise-to-the-world Frederick was so bold when speaking his feelings for Rebecca and how her girlish crush matured into more. Sigh. The friends to more romance was still satisfying for romance lovers! Overall, I absolutely loved this story. I would recommend Shadows of Swanford Abbey to Regency romance, historical romance, and mystery fans. Readers of Michelle Griep and Abigail Wilson will enjoy this story, too! I was given a copy of this book by the publisher with no expectations of a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Julie Klassen has written a most interesting book in Shadows of Swanford Abbey. It has everything that makes a book interesting. First there is the history of the old abbey which has been turned into a hotel. Then there is romance, mystery, suspense, murder, mental illness and rekindling of a childhood flame. There are rumors that the ghost of the first Abbess still roams the halls of the Abbey/hotel. There is so much to hold one's interest between the pages of this five star book. Of course one cannot go wrong with a Klassen novel. She is one of my favorites.....I was given an ecopy of this book, courtesy of Bethany House a division of Baker Publishing Group. This is my honest review.

Clean Regency Mystery ****** Overall, I enjoyed this 1820 English mystery. The descriptions of the old abbey-turned-hotel were well written. I really liked the fact that Rebecca and Frederick had history to build upon vs the more ridiculous falling in love over a few days that some authors favor. The secondary mystery involving Rebecca's employer was another wonderful layer to the story. The unfortunate accident that cause's her brother John to have mental issues for the rest of his days was an interesting angle to explore, along with Dr. Fox's asylum that is more like a home for such individuals to receive unusually kind care. I liked reading his description. There are plenty of suspects in and around the hotel in this who-done-it, and the killer is not easily guessed which speaks well of the author's talent. There is also a third mystery concerning Frederick and his wife; yet another layer to peel away. This novel contains a lot less faith than I would prefer from a Christian author as well as a Christian publishing house. It's in there, but not consistently so. ****** Tea Quote: John would wait. Tea first. For Courage. ****** Very Good - 4 stars ****** This story was gifted to me via NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are mine alone without expectation or compensation. *****