Book Review – Death Comes To The School
By Catherine Lloyd
A Kurland St. Mary Mystery #5
Kensington
Hardcover
Cozy Historical (1820 England)
Dec. 2017, $25.00
273 pages
author’s website: Lloyd.com
Catherine Lloyd’s fifth Kurland St. Mary Mystery opens with Lady Lucy Kurland accustomed to Sir Robert, her husband, ignoring her, yet holding on to his goal of becoming a member of Parliament. Though she continued to lack an appetite and felt tired after two miscarriages, Lucy managed to attend to her responsibilities of her high social rank in the small community. Added to her unease and gray mood is the arrival of a post wishing her future to be bleak and childless.
When visiting the local school, which her husband is responsible for, she witnesses the school mistresses heavy hand when interacting with the children. Lucy knew that they worked and went to school often tired and hungry. There was no reason to treat them so cruelly. She clearly did not approve of Miss Broomfield’s behavior.
When Mrs. Jenkins and the Greenwells visit, Lucy learns that she wasn’t singled out when it came to receiving a terribly rude letter. Mrs. Jenkins also received one. The offending remark stated that her grandson was a libertine and thief.
Adding to the growing unrest, Lucy is concerned about her husband having a proper heir to his estate. To make their lives even more difficult there’s a ball and village party to plan and someone’s gone and killed the school mistress.
Though it is Sir Robert’s responsibility to investigate the gruesome murder, Lucy veils her own investigation in an effort to find the killer, the author of the letters and what made Miss Broomfield such as mean-spirited young woman.
I liked this book on so many levels. One being that it was a historical and that allows you to walk through a visual door to observe a society in the past. I liked that Lady Kurland wasn’t a snob, that she genuinely cared for both the townsfolk and the ladies of the upper tier of society. Also, that she and Sir Robert saw to the education of the town’s youth. Adding to the storyline and Lady Kurland’s support is Sir Robert’s Aunt Rose. Loved her personality and the fact that she wasn’t going to settle for loneliness. As for the plot and the author’s ability to carry it to resolution, she did it cleverly. I thought the guilty party was someone else. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Four quill pens out of five
Denise Fleischer
gottawritenetwork.wordpress.com
February 10, 2018
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