Death Below Stairs (Kat Holloway Mysteries #1) by Jennifer Ashley Book Review

Goodreads Synopsis

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 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.

My Review

My favorite part of Death Below Stairs was Kat, her spitfire attitude and her skills in the kitchen. The author described the meals as Kat cooked and my inner chef squeeled with delight. The food all sounded wonderful and I wished I was the one on th recieving end of cook Holloways dishes. Kat was also way ahead of her times in her outlook on how a woman should act. Yes she knew her role in society and how to act when need be but she wasn’t about to appear meek and incapable.

I also very much enjoyed Mr. McAdam, both he and his son warmed thier way into my heart. I am also a sucker for a man with a past he is unable to devlouge becuase his secrets aren’t his own. Together Daniel and Kat make a great team, while he is full steam ahead she catches the more subtle clues that have been overlooked.

Overall I enjoyed Death Below Stairs by Jennifer Ashley. It was a tad slow at times but my care for the main characters kept me reading. I will most likely read the next book in the series when it comes out.