Death Below Stairs

I really miss Downton Abbey. So when I saw the description of this book, I jumped right on it! I loved all the descriptions of the workings of Lord Rankin's household....the meals, the running of a large house, the different servants and the family members, and all the Victorian trappings. Add a murder mystery and treason to the mix, and it's a very suspenseful and fun romp.

The basics: Kat Holloway is hired as a cook in Lord Rankin's household. Things seem a bit strange, but she's so happy to have the position that she doesn't care. When her assistant is found murdered in the pantry, it's time to do some investigation and find out who killed the Irish kitchen maid. She gets help from a friend, Daniel McAdams -- who is much more than he show more appears to be.

I was a bit astounded that a cook in such a large house would have the time to run around investigating as much as Kat did.....but I'm happy to suspend reality for such a fun mystery!

I love the cover art for this book!

This is an awesome start to a new series! A second book, Scandal Above the Stairs, is coming out in June. I will definitely be reading more!

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Berkley Publishing via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.** show less

Kat Holloway is a young cook with great references. Her newest job is at a Mayfair Mansion in the household of Lord Rankin. For the most part, Kat was content to see to her duties in the kitchen, but she heads above stairs in the interests of protecting another. When that person, a young Irish assistant cook is murdered, Kat finds herself embroiled in the mystery.

Kat is determined to find out what happened to the young woman and in so doing request the aid of Daniel McAdam. The man is a mystery to her, and he is currently a delivery man. Kat senses that this is just a role to Daniel and that there is much more than meets the eye about him. The two begin working together and end up finding out that the murder, as tragic as it was, was show more just the tip of the iceberg because other nefarious activities are in the works.

Death Below Stairs is a delightful Victorian-era mystery with wonderful romantic elements. There is a strong sense of friendship, loyalty and family in this story. It is full of drama and suspense. It is an excellent debut novel to an excellent series that I have had the pleasure of reading to-date.

I loved the air of mystery surrounding Daniel as well as the slow burn of romance between him and Kat. This lays a fine groundwork for future books in the series. The next two books are Scandal Above Stairs and Death in Kew Gardens. show less

Death Below Stairs by Jennifer Ashley
A Death Below Stairs mystery series #1. Historical. Female protagonist as main lead.
Kat Holloway is hired as the head cook at the Mayfair mansion owned by eccentric Lord Rankin. Shortly after she starts, she finds her young Irish assistant murdered in the pantry. In the times when servants simply won’t talk to the constables, Kat finds herself investigating alongside Daniel McAdam, who is more than the delivery man he appears to be. With the help of a few more of their friends, Kat and Daniel discover a threat to Queen Victoria and do their best to save the queen.

An interesting group of individuals adding their unique talents into a pot and coming up with a good enough dish to prevent disaster. show more The way they worked out the time tables and plan was impressive and creative.
For me, there was a lot of “telling” rather than action but other members of the bookclub liked that aspect of the story and thought it worked well.
A surprising twist makes the conclusion a winner.
My favorite piece in the story really had nothing to do with the mystery but rather Kat stopping the Lord of the mansion from having his jollies with the maids that weren’t in a position to say no. Well done Kat. show less

The mystery of Death Below Stairs by Jennifer Ashley has all the makings of a political espionage novel, set in a very proper English nobility setting of course. What makes this book for me is the characters. They are all developed with a skilled hand to play a role - sometimes surprising - in this mystery. That is what keeps the mystery a mystery until the very end. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2018/02/death-below-stairs.html

Reviewed for Penguin First to Read program.

Cook Kat Holloway, a victim of a marriage scam and mother of a young girl in the care of friends, embarks on a new adventure in the home of Lord and Lady Rankin. The next morning she discovers her assistant's murdered body and a fragment of paper with some interesting numerical figures. She calls upon an old friend Daniel McAdam to help discover who killed the young woman because she realizes no true investigation will occur. The paper leads them to suspect a Fenian plot against the queen herself. The main characters of Kat and Daniel as well as Daniel's "son" James and Lady Rankin's sister Cynthia are all interesting and well-developed. It is, however, inconceivable that Kat would have been allowed to get away so early in her work for show more the Rankins. Daniel is somewhat of a mystery as he's comfortable as a servant or as a gentleman. Kat must also make a decision that will impact her future with her daughter. Although this is the first in the series, I felt I'd missed the backstory. There is a prequel novella I wish I'd read first. The series holds promise. I want to read the prequel and then move to the second book. show less

The first in a new series, Death Below Stairs is well written with better developed characters than often seen in a new series. It takes place in London in 1881. Kat (Katherine) Holloway, an accomplished and experienced cook, has been forced to look for a new job because her previous employer moved from London. Because Kat's references are excellent she becomes the cook in the home of Lord and Lady Rankin. It isn't long before Kat realizes all isn't as it should be in the Rankin household and when the body of her assistant is found in the larder, Kat takes part in untangling the mystery.

I've discovered there is a prequel to the series and it will probably fill in some blanks in Kat's history. The second book in the series is available show more and I will definitely read it, I think this is a series I'll enjoy. Love the cover art too! show less

The characters in this mystery are really strong and not the classic historical mystery types, which makes this very readable, if a bit implausible (Mrs. Holloway spends so much time away from her kitchen it's amazing anyone eats). I enjoyed this at a time when I was looking for something engaging but entirely undemanding; this 100% was what I needed.