I love the Regency era and a good mystery, so when I first heard about Abigail Wilson’s debut novel, In the Shadow of Croft Towers, I was eager to read it. Finally, a year later, I’ve finally gotten my hands on it and read it!
Check out the beautiful cover! It sets the perfect mysterious tone for the story!
With murderers, smugglers, and spies on the loose, nothing—and no one—at Croft Towers is what they claim. Can one woman even trust what she knows about herself in this Gothic Regency romance?
When Sybil Delafield’s coach to Croft Towers was robbed by highwaymen, she should have realized that her new position as companion to old Mrs. Chalcroft would be no ordinary job. Upon Sybil’s arrival, Mrs. Chalcroft sneaks into her room in the dark of night, imploring her to relay messages to town that are to stay hidden from the rest of the family. Who exactly is she working for and what do the messages contain?
When fellow passengers of the robbed coach are later murdered, Sybil’s hunt for the truth takes on a new urgency. The only person she can rely on is Mr. Sinclair, Mrs. Chalcroft’s godson, but under all his charms he too leads a double life. Sybil must decide if he is the one honest voice she can trust, or if he is simply using her for his own advances.
Croft Towers holds more than its share of secrets . . . and Sybil is determined to uncover them all.
I was a little slow in reading this book at first, and admittedly, I didn’t get wrapped up in the story right away. BUT, as the intrigue and mystery (and romance!) amped up about a third of the way through, my interest grew.
I thought I had figured out the mystery early on, but as the story progressed, I was impressed with Abigail’s multilayered plot. Especially during the last fourth or so of the book, I realized just how many layers there were for me to peel back and discover. Ultimately, I did guess a few things correctly, but there were several twists I didn’t see coming!
I loved that this was a mix of my two favorite Jane’s—Jane Austen and Jane Eyre! The style of the first person voice was reminiscent of Jane Eyre, especially at the beginning of the book and during the epilogue. It was a fitting similarity, as this is also a “gothic” romantic tale set in the English countryside. Oh, and that epilogue was the perfect happy-sigh-inducing conclusion!
Overall, I thought this was a satisfying 4/5 Star debut and I look forward to reading Abigail’s other 2019 release (Midnight On the River Grey), her upcoming release (Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey), and other future books from her!
If you love the Regency era, Jane Eyre, and anything Austen, plus enjoy a healthy dose of mystery in your reading, you’ll love In the Shadow of Croft Towers!
