"Shadows of Swanford Abbey" by Julie Klassen

Rebecca Lane finds herself at home for the first time in several years, having been traveling as a ladies companion. But home is not as she left it—her brother, a troubled author, is in no state to receive her, so she settles in at the nearby Swanford Abbey Hotel to see how she can best help him. 

Many other guests are staying at the storied hotel, rumored to be haunted by the abbess who built the place centuries earlier. Among the guests are Rebecca's employer, the local magistrate whose home is under renovation, an actress, and a disreputable but popular author who has sequestered himself trying to come up with the next bestseller. Mr. Oliver literally has a guard outside his door who only lets him out of his room to eat dinner each evening. John has asked Rebecca to approach Mr. Oliver to see if he'll recommend John's latest book to his publisher. How can Rebecca get close when Mr. Oliver isn't seeing anyone?

Then a murder takes place, and Rebecca is caught up in the investigation, suspecting the worst. John's troubles haven't led him to do something so horrible. . . have they?

I thoroughly enjoyed this Gothic Regency mystery. There's some Agatha Christie flair, as well as nods to Elizabeth Gaskell and Charles Dickens. Rebecca is a sweet heroine, torn with loyalty to her brother, and tender from the reunion with the man who was her unrequited girlhood crush. The layers of mystery are very well done, and I wasn't entirely sure who the murderer was until it was revealed.

If you enjoy hearkening back to classic authors and dipping into a historical mystery, this is one for you. I hope you'll check it out!

I received my copy of the book from the publisher. All thoughts in this review are my own.