By Kelly Bridgewater
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.
With murderers, smugglers, and spies on the loose, nothing—and no one—in Regency England is what they claim. Can Sybil even trust what she knows about herself?
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| From Amazon |
My Thoughts:
Abigail Wilson is a debut author with her Regency novel In the Shadow of Croft Towers. I have
read a number of Regency novels, so I had a pretty good idea of what the genre
consists of. First, there is going to be romance and a world I haven't lived
in. Majority of Regency novels are in honor of Jane Austen's novels, but I
can't stand Jane Austen, so I believe the authors today write more captivating
stories than Austen ever have. Wilson does a better job than Austen.
Her writing is clear and concise. I had no problem
visualizing the setting of Croft Towers. Wilson dives in and allows me to see
the surroundings for the first time just like the heroine does. She takes me on
a journey just like the first person heroine. I explore the world and wonder
about Mrs. Chalcroft and the death surrounding Anne.
Wilson does write the story in the first person point of
view. I only knew the main character's name because she mentions it to others,
but the story is told completely in her point of view. This is a difficult to
write in. I have only read one other author, that I can think of right now, who
did the first person point of view justice. Dawn Crandall writes Regency novels
in the same fashion. Wilson does a wonderful job at staying in the heroine's
perspective and not jumping into others.
The plot is interesting. I really enjoyed the mystery
surrounding Anne's death and the reality of the heroine's connections to the
family of the Chalcrofts. The plot moved pretty quickly, capturing my
imagination as the story dealt with the mysterious death and the idea of spies
for the opposite side. It really kept my mystery-loving imagination.
Overall, In the Shadow
of Croft Towers by Abigail Wilson is a thrill of a Regency novel that I haven't
seen written before. It had a couple of mysteries thrown in to capture my
imagination, but it also had a number of Regency items to keep the regency fans
happy. I believe fans of Julie Klassen, Jane Austen, and Dawn Crandall would
adore this novel.
I received a complimentary copy of In the Shadow of Croft Towers by Abigail Wilson from Thomas Nelson
Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.
My Rating:
4 out of 5 stars
About the Author:
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| From Amazon |
Abigail Wilson combines her passion for Regency England with
intrigue and adventure to pen historical mysteries with a heart. A Registered
Nurse, chai tea addict, and mother of two crazy kids, Abigail fills her spare
time hiking the National Parks, attending her daughter's gymnastic meets, and
curling up with a great book. In 2017, Abigail won WisRWA's Fab Five contest
and ACFW's First Impressions contest as well as placing as a finalist in the
Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. She is a cum laude
graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and currently lives in Dripping
Springs, Texas, with her husband and children. (Taken from Amazon.)
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