Disclosure: I received this book to review. Post contains affiliate links; opinions shared are mine.
For all those times when you wished you could explore the English countryside, Downton Abbey style, and come across an age-old mystery that just begged to be solved……I introduce you to Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor. Yes, it’s just as austere and romantic as it seems.
The little details in this book make it gift-worthy. The first page has a map (The Cotswolds and Environs….love it!) and throughout the book you can find lovely filagree-type borders and page breaks. It reminds me of The Secret Garden. As I entered its world, though, I was immediately startled by the contrast. The story starts out dark and sad, making me feel as cold and downtrodden as the weather on that fateful 1954 day.
What struck me time and again throughout the book was the way that the characters seamlessly blended together. As the multi-layered plots tied to each other through time and circumstance, it made a seamless story that was impossible to resist. As an interesting twist, one of the important characters in Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor is on the autism spectrum. Author Melanie Dobson made this seem completely natural and effortless, but it was completely relevant for the story. Manors, mystery, and murder — oh my!
One more comment to leave you with…don’t read this book without a good snack to munch! Mentions of eggs and grilled mushroom, English breakfast tea, and vegetable soup are going to get your appetite going. I would have loved to see a recipe section at the end of the book!
I was just thinking the same thing about hoping for recipes when you were mentioning the bonuses. I like the idea of falling into another “Secret Garden” type world. Great mix of characters and scenery it sounds like.