Victorian class lines are crossed when cook Kat Holloway is drawn into a murder that reaches all the way to the throne.Highly sought-after young cook Kat Holloway takes a position in a Mayfair mansion and soon finds herself immersed in the odd household of Lord Rankin. Kat is unbothered by the family’s eccentricities as long as they stay away from her kitchen, but trouble finds its way below … its way below stairs when her young Irish assistant is murdered.
Intent on discovering who killed the helpless kitchen maid, Kat turns to the ever-capable Daniel McAdam, who is certainly much more than the charming delivery man he pretends to be. Along with the assistance of Lord Rankin’s unconventional sister-in-law and a mathematical genius, Kat and Daniel discover that the household murder was the barest tip of a plot rife with danger and treason—one that’s a threat to Queen Victoria herself.
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Just love this series! Write more!!
Wonderful, likable characters and a fun, intriguing mystery that kept me guessing to the very end!
I’ve gotten into this series and it is a welcome break to some of the other, much heavier historical mysteries I read. The main characters are likeable and the juxtaposition of the downstairs cook in friendship with the upstairs Lady is refreshing — even if the upstairs Lady is a bit of more of an iconoclast than most during that period. Well, actually, she’s downright quirky, as are some of the other friends of main characters.
Another great series set in historical times!
My daughter knew I would love this, and I did!
Just finished! Can’t wait until her next ‘Below Stairs’ mystery book is written and available !
The reader is offered a clear view of what life was like “below stairs” in 1881.
Kat Holloway is a solid and intriguing character: strong, smart, and talented.
She is balanced (somewhat) by Daniel McAdam. But just who is he? A toff? A con man? A working class man?
He’s certainly easy on the eyes and very resourceful.
They help make for a fine read.
Very enjoyable — a gripping read with intriguing characters. Looking forward to reading more in this series!
I admit to being biased toward this author. She always manages to give her novels a marvelous twist. This series is no exception. The detective in these books is the cook, who must fit in sleuthing between food prep. It’s just terrific.
Just what I love—mystery with an intriguing touch of romance and characters I want to keep reading about.
Very entertaining and informative! Jennifer Ashley definitely has a way with words. The characters were real and believable. It was a great mystery, and I learned a lot too! I highly recommend this book, it was a lot of fun!
I consider this book to be a “must read”. the characters are believable, the plots are interesting, and the era of London is portrayed very well.
I liked this story from the beginning. I really like the characters. Daniel is an enigma and Kat is a very strong person. You have women who dress in trousers and some interesting servants. When Kat’s assistant is murdered, she didn’t stop trying to find out what happened to her. Along the way Kat and Daniel uncover a plot to kill the Queen. I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to hearing more from Kat and Daniel.
A flavorful, rich Victorian murder mystery among servants
I have read a bunch of Jennifer Ashley’s Mackenzie series Victorian romances, but I had never read any of the author’s mystery books before. This is actually the second installment in this Kat Holloway series. The first installment, “A Soupcon of Poison” has recently been republished in Ashley’s mystery anthology “Past Crimes”. I did not read that one first, but sometimes during my reading of “Death Below Stairs” I wished I had. The author often vaguely refers to the events as being important in Kat’s life, but it is still very possible to read “Death Below Stairs” first.
It took me a few chapters to settle in and get to know and love the heroine, but then I was very engrossed and enchanted by the book. Kat is an intelligent, practical lady who has deep compassion for others. The book is written in the third person past perspective. I found the rich descriptions of Kat’s menus and cooking process very soothing and sensory. I could smell the brioche bread rising, and my mouth watered for her sponge cake with lemon cream. I also enjoyed the colorful cast of characters both below and above stairs.
On her first day at a new job Kat’s young female assistant was murdered. Kat found the body in the larder. Daniel, an enigmatic man who had helped out Kat in the past, turns up and they both try to figure out the murder in between her cooking schedule. The amiable and secretive Daniel really grew on me, and I cheered on his and Kat’s slowly developing relationship. I think that the book is suitable for teens and adults.
The plot took some wonderfully unexpected turns. It is a very high quality historical mystery fiction. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes Victorian mysteries or lady investigators or to anyone who likes to read about great cooking. I think fans of Jennifer Ashley’s other series would love this one as well.
I received a free advanced reading copy from the publisher via Netgalley, and I voluntarily wrote this honest review.
I like historical romances and this one had a twist in that it was not romance between the upper classes but rather of the servents. It also was a mystery and fun to read. I am looking forward to the next in the series. Good characters.
The depiction of the life of a cook in one of London’s great houses is so detailed that you really feel like you’re there as Kat whips up a delicious meal or selects the choice ingredients for her next dish. In fact, the descriptions of some of those dishes made me hungry! With a focus on the common people instead of the members of the ton, this story really gives you insight into what went on every day to keep all the rich folks fed, dressed, and cleaned up after.
But all that detail doesn’t take away from the very entertaining tale of murder and intrigue that Kat and Daniel have to puzzle out. With help from various characters from all levels of society, they race to find out who killed a young kitchen maid and what wider plots are in motion. Kat also has to deal with her feelings for Daniel, who is a man of mystery himself. She’s a skilled cook who doesn’t need a man to take care of her, but oh, wouldn’t it be nice to let someone take care of her every once in a while. The two have a history from a previous case, and since this is a continuing series, I’m looking forward to how their relationship develops.
An ARC of the book was provided to me by the author.
Death Below Stairs by Jennifer Ashley is the first installment in A Below Stairs Mystery series (also called Kat Holloway Mysteries). Mrs. Kat Holloway is twenty-nine years old and a cook in London (1881). She has just obtained a position at Lord and Lady Rankin’s home in Mayfair. Kat comes down to work the next morning to discover her assistant dead in the larder. Kat sends for the mysterious Daniel McAdam to assist her in uncovering what happened to the poor girl. The eccentric Lady Cynthia (Lady Rankin’s sister) joins them on their quest to discover what happened. It seems that Kat’s assistant had gotten herself involved with the wrong people. What had the young woman come across that got her murdered?
Death Below Stairs had my attention for the first couple of chapters, but then it became tedious (I wish the whole book had been like the beginning). The author is overly descriptive. Every little detail is provided. It does create a rich environment (reminds me of the show Upstairs Downstairs). Readers are given detailed accounts of clothing, how Kat sharpened her knives (more than once), how Kat prepares each dish, description of rooms, people, buildings, etc. The pace was glacial, and the book did not hold my attention. The murder mystery was interesting, but it was not the main focus of the book. The mystery took them into the world of the Fenians. I found some parts of this section to be implausible. I believe many people will be surprised by the killer’s identity. I was curious how Kat was able to run around looking for a killer. Most cooks are busy from the moment they enter the kitchen in the morning until late at night. Kat, who just started her position, manages to run around London and then take several days off in the pursuit of answers. It was also odd that she never consulted the lady of the house regarding meals. Most cooks met once a week with their employer to discuss the meals for the upcoming week (food had to be ordered by the housekeeper). Kat is an interesting character. She has a secret that could ruin her and her career. Daniel McAdam is an enigma. We are given scant details on him. After I began Death Below Stairs, I felt I was missing something. It did not feel like the first book in the series. After a little research, I found that there is a prequel titled A Soupcon of Poison. Events from the prequel are alluded to in Death Below Stairs. Death Below Stairs felt more like a romance novel (at times) than a mystery. Kat and Daniel are attracted to each other. We get to hear how attractive Daniel is and how his kisses make her “lips tingle” (many, many times). The author tried to put too much into this one book. I wish she had stuck with the murder mystery and excluded the plot to eliminate Queen Victoria and the Fenians.
FINAL DECISION: A lively main character combined with a far reaching mystery and the presence of a man with many secrets makes this Victorian historical mystery an enjoyable read.
THE STORY: Cook Kat Holloway has found herself a new position which almost immediately embroils her in the murder of one of the servants. Determined to discover who has murdered the young girl, Kat asks for help from her friend/acquaintance Daniel McAdams, a man with a lot of secrets. Kat and Daniel’s search takes them far from the murder of an Irish servant to the possibility of treason.
OPINION: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I began reading mysteries and I always liked the ones with relationships between the “detectives” and this book fits right in that tradition. While the mystery is interesting and keeps the pace of the story lively, what I really love about this book is the strength and independence of Kat and her relationship with the mysterious Daniel.
Kat is strong and lively and I loved reading about her struggles. Unlike most women in historical novels, Kat works hard every day and has a career that she has created for herself. It is interesting to read about her daily life and the status differences “below stairs”. The struggles and limitations on women of all status is emphasized here.
Daniel’s character is also intriguing as he has plenty of secrets that are slowly revealed — although not all of them are uncovered in this book. He is a good match for Kat and his obvious caring and concern for her even while they are friends makes their romance a slow burn but an interesting one.
The cast of characters, which includes the offspring of both Kat and Daniel, are tossed into a high stakes mystery. Like all good murder suspense stories, this one begins with what seems to be an insignificant death and eventually turns into quite a big deal through a series of twisty plot turns.
I enjoyed the mystery as well as the romance in this one. Everything meshed so well so that all the interesting characters were given something important to do in the unfolding plot, but no one seemed out of place. I enjoyed this one and would read it again to see all the little turns that I missed.
WORTH MENTIONING: This is a continuing series where the romance between Kat and Daniel is slow moving and part of the continuing storylines of the series with a book emphasis on a particular mystery.
CONNECTED BOOKS: DEATH BELOW STAIRS is the first novel in the Kat Holloway Murders series. There is a prequel book that introduces the characters. While it is not necessary to read that novella first, it certainly provides some background to the characters here.
STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via First to Read by applying points that I earned. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.