Murder at Rudhall Manor by Anya Wylde
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Historical Murder Mystery, Cozy Mystery
“It won’t be easy,” Miss Summer repeated firmly, “for the world to adjust to your presence. England will have to shift around, make space, adapt a little, stand on its toenails and stay alert to be able to absorb someone like you… It may happen… Miracles are not unheard of.”
Lucy Anne Trotter has turned 18 and now she must vacate the orphanage that she has grown up in. She has been procured a job as a governess at Rudhall Manor. Three months into her position and the Lord Sedley is found stabbed to death in his bed chamber and a jewel necklace is stolen.
“Lord Robert Archibald Sedley, Lucy recalled, had been a belligerent fellow. A rotten creature who had been bottle headed substantially cracked and had possessed a voice that seemed to emerge from deep within his intestines to break through his cruel lips in a bellowing, reverberating sound.
A sound that had shaken the very air surrounding him and had held enough power to send a weak-willed creature shooting a few feet into the air in absolute terror.
Along with his commanding voice, he had also possessed a lusty temperament, a lineage that could be traced back a hundred years, and blood so blue that one was amazed to see his red cheeks.
He also happened to have been four feet, eleven inches tall.”
Everyone is pointing the finger at Lucy as the culprit. The family of course is sticking together and so are the servants, since Lucy is the newest addition to the household, she is the odd man out. A visiting Lord Adair, who has a reputation for solving crimes such as these has appointed himself investigator and advises no one shall leave the house until the crime is solved and the murderer discovered. Lucy however trusts no one and begins investigating herself, otherwise it is the gallows for her for sure.
With so many suspects, all having a motive to murder the horrible man, who could have actually done it?
This book was not my cup tea. The story line was good, your average murder mystery, xx number of people in house, only one way into to the room, who committed the crime? Meant to be humorous, however to me it came across more ridiculous. Parts of the book went off on random tangents by the main character and I found myself getting lost and having to re-read in order to try and understand what just happened and why that was important. I feel like the author was trying to add body to the character but I just didn’t care for it. Speaking of the the main character, she becomes some what of a detective to find out who committed the crime, however she is more childish than anything. She is suppose to be an 18 year old young woman but acts more like a 12 year old girl.
“She kicked the table.
“Stop it. I told you it is a hundred years old. It is fragile. Besides, young ladies shouldn’t go around kicking things. It is not done.”
“Not done? Now you sound like an antique piece.” She peeked at him from underneath her lashes and once again kicked the table.
His lips pursed in disapproval.
“I am sorry,” she said, feeling guilty. “I am not sure why I did that. It was almost as if an invisible imp grasped my foot and threw it at the table.”
“I see.”
“You do?” She asked in wonder. “I don’t see how you could, though, because I said it and I don’t see what I said. Then how could you see it? Let me explain more clearly-“
“Leave the investigations to me, “ he interrupted.
“You already said that,” she told her feet.
“Look at me,” he ordered.
She slowly lifted her chin, crossed her eyes and stuck her tongue out.”
A mix between cozy mystery and a historical mystery like Agatha Christie but falling short on both. It reminded me more of the old Scooby-do cartoons. I liked them as a child but not so funny now as an adult.
This was not a bad book just not for me. If you like silly mysteries, then this is for you.
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