Series: Below Stairs Mysteries, Book 7
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Historical Mystery
Source: Publisher
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Jennifer Ashley Reading Order
Kat Holloway is distressed to learn that Samuel Millburn, husband of the woman who looks after her daughter, has been accused of embezzling funds from the bank where he works as a clerk. The accusation is absurd, and Samuel’s wife fears that her husband will not only lose his post but be imprisoned. Kat vows to uncover the truth.
When she discovers the bank is involved in shockingly murky business dealings, Kat realizes she’s treading in dangerous waters. She turns to her confidante and handsome suitor, Daniel McAdam, for help. To exonerate Samuel, Kat and Daniel may have to expose the unseemly financial dealings of prominent aristocrats and government officials, and even those working to bring down the royal family. Kat will risk everything to protect the man who has sacrificed so much for her daughter, even if it means endangering herself and the friends she has come to love.
Cook Kat Holloway is back sleuthing again when her best friend’s husband is accused of embezzlement. Speculations in Sin takes Kat into the unfamiliar world of finance, a place where reputation is worth its weight in gold and where a man like Sam Millburn can be tossed to the wolves for an institution to save face. Sam is not only Kat’s friend – he and his wife opened their home to Kat’s daughter, so this case is deeply personal.
Kat is walking a tightrope as ever, balancing her position and duties with amateur sleuthing, her relationship with her daughter, and her slowly developing romance with Daniel McAdam. Daniel is by Kat’s side every step of the way, as are her friends. I loved watching Kat among the friends she has made, from Lady Cynthia to Tess and beyond. These connections are integral to the story and the worldbuilding. They are also what interested me the most about the story. As much as I enjoy Jennifer Ashley’s writing, I will say that the mystery didn’t grab my attention this time around. It wasn’t complex enough to carry the story and seemed to drag, taking the book down with it. The resolution, while somewhat satisfying, didn’t wow me like I had hoped. All in all, this was just an OK entry into the Below Stairs series. Any time spent with Kat and company is enjoyable, but Speculations in Sin had a lackluster mystery that didn’t live up to the previous installments.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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