Mrs. Laetitia Rodd, the middle-aged widow of an archdeacon, is struggling to make ends meet in Victorian England. She discreetly earns a small income by helping her brother, a criminal barrister, investigate on behalf of his clients.
At her brother's behest, Mrs. Rodd sets off for Wishtide, the Lincolnshire estate of Sir James Calderstone. She's posing as a new governess for the Calderstone daughters, but really she's there to investigate the eldest son's most inappropriate love interest: a scandalous widow who is nine years older than he. But rather than a simple case of proving Mrs. Orme's antecedents to be as false as the Calderstone family believes them to be, Mrs. Rodd's inquiries reveal that Mrs. Orme and the Calderstones are both hiding dark secrets. And when a vicious attack ends in death, it will take all of Mrs. Rodd's wits to catch the killer.
A lovely atmospheric mystery that sharply contrasts the opportunities permitted to men in the Victorian era with the strictures placed upon women, The Secrets of Wishtide is fascinating. Kate Saunders (The Marrying Game, The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop) has written across a variety of genres--including romance, middle grade fiction and cozy mysteries--and The Secrets of Wishtide proves she is a superb historical mystery writer as well. Sure to appeal to fans of Deanna Raybourn, Rhys Bowen and Laurie R. King, or anyone who enjoys strong, intelligent female protagonists, The Secrets of Wishtide is Victorian mystery at its finest. --Jessica Howard, blogger at Quirky Bookworm