Death at the Crystal Palace is the fifth installment to the Kay Ashley series! I have to say that this probably the weakest installment in the series. An aristocrat thinks she in danger of being poisoned hires Kay Ashley to investigate the recipes. I found this mystery tended to drag because the mystery was not the focus of the story. Rather, it is the romance between Kay and Daniel that takes up most of the book. Still, I really love these characters! I like how the author does an excellent job in making the Victorian era come to life. Kay and Daniel are very lovable characters. I look forward to more! I recommend this for fans of Tessa Arlen, Colleen Cambridge, and Tess Harris!

Fantastic addition to Jennifer Ashley's series. I love the continuing growing dynamic between Kat and Daniel. I loved the mystery.

Kat Holloway, the cook, is on a visit to the Crystal Palace in Jennifer Ashley's Victorian murder in London in Death at the Crystal Palace. Her neighbor Mrs Covington thinks she is being poisoned and has asked for help. Plots abound. Read and enjoy.

This Jennifer Ashley Victorian Mystery series is a favorite of mine. I love that it feels like a cozy mystery set in Victorian age and it features downstairs characters.

Stevie‘s review of Death at the Crystal Palace (Below Stairs, Book 5) by Jennifer Ashley
Historical Mystery published by Berkley 06 Jul 21

My love for Kat Holloway’s adventures continues unabated. I adore the way we see equal amounts of both her twin lives as a cook and as a solver of mysteries, both bringing their own issues, but each also contributing to her ability at carrying out the other. This time Kat is on a visit to the Crystal Palace with her friends, the new employer of one of them, and that employer’s relatives, when one of the new members of the group, the widow of an aristocrat, confides in Kat that she believes one of her household is plotting to kill her. Lady Covington’s London home is not far from that of Kat’s employers, and so Kat contrives a scheme to visit on a work-related errand to find out more about the potential suspects. She soon realises that there’s a good number of them.


Lady Covington is a widow twice over. Her first husband was the business partner of the second, and she has two grown-up stepchildren, in addition to the two children of her earlier marriage, all of whom are, to some extent, dependent on her. In addition, the new Lord Covington – her stepson – resents the fact that so many of his father’s acquired family are still living in what he feels should be his exclusive residence. On her visit, Kat befriends a fellow cook, as well as one of the gardeners, who quickly develops a crush on her. Kat’s feelings are still firmly fixed on Daniel McAdam, of course, even if he is too busy with an investigation of his own to spend much time with Kat.

As Kat investigates, it becomes clear that either Lady Covington is not the only potential victim or her killer is unconcerned who else dies in their attempt to get Lady Covington out of the way. Meanwhile, Daniel’s investigation reaches a point where he needs Kat’s help, and he asks her to pose as a wealthy foreigner at a society gathering. Although she is terrified of being found out, Kat appreciates the quality of the clothes she has found to wear for her disguise, and the whole adventure gives us further insights into the world inhabited by Kat’s employers.

This was a thoroughly excellent romp, gruesome deaths not withstanding, and it was good to see more of both Kat’s daughter and Daniel’s son – now almost an adult – as well as Daniel’s adopted brother. All have their own ways of aiding Kat and Daniel, and each has valuable inputs into how Kat should respond to the various situations she finds herself in. I hope this series can keep up its momentum for many adventures yet to come.

Grade: A

Wow!
This is a great read!!
I’ve been enjoying all of Jennifer Ashley’s books. But this one was terrific!
I can’t wait for the next instalment.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for my honest review.

Kat Holloway is having a day out with her daughter and some of her friends. They are visiting some exhibits and Kat and her daughter want to look some more at Egyptian court and while they were doing so Lady Covington asked Kat for help. She wasn’t looking very well and Kat wanted to know if she could get her somone for her but Lady Covington said no, she thought someone in her household was trying to kill her by poison.

Lady Covington has heard of Kat and how she has help others who have a problem and so Kat makes plans to visit Lady Covington by making a lemon cake recipe and saying she need to give it to Lady C’s cook. Then while there she could talk more with Lady C and she is she could find some things out. Eventually Lady Cynthia from her household that Kat works at decides to go undercover as friend to Lady C and that way she could see what is going on as it would be easier for her to hangout in the home. But when someone in the household dies from poison they are sure it was meant for Lady C and so things are getting more risky.

Meanwhile, Daneil who is Kat’s friend (but kind of more than friend) has to go undercover for a job he is working on so she is kind of on her own at first. Daniel does end up coming back into play to help her but she also ends up having to help him with his job when he needs someone to pose as his aristocratic wife! Kat was not happy about that but still does it.

So there was a lot of interesting things going on in this one and I really enjoyed it! I love Kat and Daniel and well the who cast of characters! I really enjoyed getting to know a little bit more about who Daniel is working for and why. Having Kat get out of her element to go undercover as someone from upstairs was interesting. I also liked how things are progressing with Lady Cynthia and how an issue got sort of resolved, but I really wish her and Mr. Thanos could get together! 🙂

It was a very good mystery to because I didn’t really suspect the person that was the killer and the person who was trying to poison Lady C, till nearly the time it all came out in the book then I got to thinking about it so I liked that.

If you love historical mysteries you really need to read this series! Highly recommend!

A scared aristocratic woman claiming she is being poisoned sends Kat down the sleuthing path once again even while danger and complications lurk in other aspects of her life. A Victorian era cook who keenly observes and questions is the heroine of a fabulous series of historical mysteries that keep me coming back for another helping.



Death at the Crystal Palace is the fifth of the Kat Holloway historical mysteries and work best when read in order so the reader can get to know Kat, her friends, and the interweaving of relationships and situations that carry forward through the books in the series.



I love that the author chose to write a complex and layered main character who hails from the working classes, is a woman, and a woman who has a past relationship failure and a child she loves deeply. Kat is a stellar cook, as can be noted by the delicious descriptions of her cooking, but she is also a clever investigator the way she works to unearth the truth in the Covington household and nose out the matter in Daniel’s Irish case. She is parts unorthodox in thinking which is why she has a wonderful, eclectic group of friends from all classes and ways of life, but also concerned about upholding her reputation after nearly having lost it. As a mother, she wants what is best for Grace and tries to be resigned that this means living apart for her daughter and not always being there for her.



The romance takes baby steps forward and, while I get impatient because I love Kat and Daniel together on the case and romantically, I also appreciate that someone like Kat and also like Daniel need time because of their pasts- and his current occupation.



Another of the mysteries that I couldn’t put my finger on the culprit, but was thrilled to tag along with Kat through the author’s well-drawn Victorian London, upstairs and downstairs in the households, and in and out of the kitchen to get to the heart of the matter. The Covington household was a boiling caldron and not surprising that murder happens there, but it made it tricky for Kat to discover the truth since she had to have help and Daniel unavailable while chasing down his own troubling matter for his secret employers. Though Kat does end up involved in Daniel’s case, too. With the arrival of Lady Cynthia’s parents pressuring her to come home and wed and Cynthia adamant about not marrying the eligible men paraded by, Kat must figure out that ticklish situation, and Cynthia is always game to help with her detecting.



All in all, another sensational time with Kat and the others. Kat had so much going on and still she managed it all even if it got a bit harrowing at times. With development on the personal front, time spent with Kat’s delicious food, and a solved mystery, I was left satisfied. Definitely a historical mystery series that I can recommend.

Brought to you by Reviewer Daniele

Death at the Crystal Palace, the fifth mystery featuring plucky cook Kat Holloway, is an excellent addition to an outstanding mystery series. With two investigations to solve and a slew of delightful characters, it does not disappoint.

Kat is visiting the Crystal Palace with her daughter and friends when Lady Covington seeks her out, asking for her help because she thinks she is being poisoned. The railway magnate widow’s story is compelling, and Kat agrees to pay her a visit. What she finds is a house full of dysfunction – children and step-children, even household staff, all with the potential to be a murderer. Lady Cynthia volunteers to be Lady Covington’s houseguest so that she may spy for Kat. In addition to helping Kat, this distances Cynthia from her parents who have recently arrived in London with plans to ferry Cynthia back to their country home and marry her off. Despite what intentions her parents claim, Cynthia cannot help but think her father has some swindle in the works. Daniel, too, is busy with his own assignment looking into treasonous aristocracy who may be financing Ireland’s violent quest for Home Rule. He tries to keep Kat out of it all but eventually needs her help.

Kat is so clever and has good instincts that allow her to navigate both above and below-the-stairs. She wears many hats as cook, mother, friend, investigator, and love interest. Some of my favorite scenes occur in the kitchen with her fellow house staff and late evenings alone with Daniel, but her adventure into the world of the upper class is inspired – funny, tender, and stressful. Daniel continues to be somewhat of an enigma transitioning from working class everyman to gentleman with ease. I wonder which persona is closer to his true self. I gobble up every morsel of information he gives up about himself. Kat and Daniel’s romance endures here at a slow burn…at times an excruciatingly slow burn, but I adore them together. Lady Cynthia and scholar Elgin continue to dance around each other, but their chemistry is surely a sign of a blossoming romance. I enjoy all of the relationships of the characters, but my favorite is Kat’s deepening friendship with Lady Cynthia. Two ladies could not be more different from one another, but their interactions feel genuine.

There is a lot going on within these pages, and author Jennifer Ashley weaves the various mysteries together with a deft hand. The mysteries are engaging and kept me guessing. There were clues pointing to the poisoner, but I did not connect all of the dots before Kat did. Daniel’s investigation leads to quite a dangerous resolution, and its final twist is superb.

The Kat Holloway series is magnificent historical mystery fiction, and Death at the Crystal Palace is not to be missed. Highly recommended.

Death at the Crystal Palace is the 5th Kat Holloway Below Stairs mystery by Jennifer Ashley. Released 6th July 2021 by Penguin Random House on their Berkley imprint, it's 332 pages and is available in paperback, library binding, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is another intricately plotted and well written historical mystery featuring clever and intrepid cook Kat Holloway. The author is adept at showing the differences in social status and class through the well wrought and believable characters whose motivations and actions drive the story arc. For fans of the series, this is another very well done mystery, two mysteries actually, which are full of intrigue, poison, political machination, and murder.

The action is woven around a framework of actual history and it's done so seamlessly, it's not always easy to discern where fiction shades over into reality. It was very easy to set myself into the story and I never found my interest flagging or felt that the narrative dragged. The denouement and resolution were exciting and satisfying and there was a real sense of danger, especially in the climactic scenes in a stately townhouse in London.

For readers who enjoy lots of romance content with their historical mysteries, there's quite a strong romantic element here. For readers who prefer little or none, it's something of which to be aware. The language is mostly clean, PG(ish), and there's no graphic sexual content (some consensual kissing).

Four stars. Engaging and fun to read.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Poisonous plots!

I do think this is one of my fav. Kat Holloway and Daniel McAdam “Below Stairs”mysteries. How far Kat has come from our first interactions with her. She’s not only now a cook of some renown to the Gentry, but she has a bit of a reputation for solving problems.
Approached for help by the wealthy Lady Covington, a neighbor who’s convinced she’s being poisoned, Kat agrees. Lady Covington is sister to the benefactor of Kat’s friend Mr. Thanos, a brilliant mathematician.
Meanwhile Daniel is on a mysterious path in pursuit of persons dangerous to Britain.
The two cases do have a certain crossover.
Kat and Daniel’s relationship is growing (snogging on the back stairs!) and Daniel is eager to shelter Kat from the man who’s tune he’s been forced to dance to. Very mysterious! and dangerous!
Lady Cynthia (who delights to dress in men’s suits) is once more being pressured to marry. She goes to stay with Lady Covington as a plant in the household, and to escape her mother’s demands. We are treated once more to the lively bunch who surround Cynthia. I do enjoy them. The development of the various secondary characters is a delight. The interplay between Mr. Thanos and Lady Cynthia made me smile.
As the plot develops, the threads woven tighten, but not without trauma.

A Berkley Group ARC via NetGalley

"Death at the Crystal Palace" is a mystery set in 1882 in England. This is the fifth book in the series. You do not need to read the previous novels to understand this one, and this book didn't spoil the mysteries of the previous books.

This story had very little investigation of the mystery. There were questions Kat could have asked to narrow down possible suspects (like who, if anyone, left the train compartment before the food was eaten), but she never did. She learned scandalous secrets, motivations, and even what the poison was, but she didn't more than superficially explore who had the opportunity. The final, critical clues weren't provided until the very end.

Instead, much of the book involved Kat "helping" her undercover boyfriend. Her one job was to prevent anyone from discovering that he wasn't who he claimed to be. Yet she told an untrustworthy con artist his true name when there was absolutely no need to. Sigh. Kat wasn't at her best in this book.

The historical details (mostly about cooking and acceptable behavior for servants) were woven into the story. There were no sex scenes. There was occasional use of use of bad language.

The fifth of the Kat Holloway Mysteries takes the intrepid cook into the highest levels of society and government affairs. A child of the London streets, born within the sound of Bow Bells, Kat has raised herself at a very young age to the highest levels, working in aristocratic Victorian households. Her success is thanks to her hard work and skill at cooking and a mother who worked day and night cleaning. Kat was apprenticed and learned how to read. Life has not always been rosy, however. At a young age, Kat married a sailor and had a daughter. When he died at sea, Kat found out he already married, making the child illegitimate. That could have been the end of everything, but Kat asked friends to raise her. Kat demands not one but two half-days a week so that she can be with the youngster. Her skill is such that she gets the days. So far, the daughter is a secret to her employers.

A chance encounter with the charming Daniel McAdam changes Kat's life. She met him as a deliveryman who kept coming around to see her. It soon is apparent that Daniel is not just a delivery man but a chameleon who can move from the highest to the lowest levels of society with ease. He works for a shadowy figure in the British Government, one who has something to hold over Daniel's head. Reluctantly, he has needed to involve her in his doings from time to time, and she has proved an asset. In Death at the Crystal Palace, Kat is approached by Lady Covington on an excursion to the Palace. Lady Covington thinks someone is trying to poison her. Kat has gained somewhat of a reputation for truth-finding. Meanwhile, Daniel is investigating a British nobleman who may be funding Irish terrorists. When the two investigations intersect, Kat is thrown into mortal danger.

The Kat Holloway Mysteries are extraordinarily well-written and enjoyable visits to Victorian England, full of detail of lives both "Upstairs" and "Down." The characters are vivid with all the virtues and defects of human beings in any age. I highly recommend the series and am looking forward to the next one. I fear that Kat will finally come to the notice of Daniel's employer, whom even he fears.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Books for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.

I really enjoy this series. I look forward to finding out what happens with the MC, her daughter and Daniel. The mysteries keep me guessing and are interesting. I love the historical London setting.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Feisty and resourceful cook Kat Holloway returns in Ashley’s absorbing latest, which sets its intrigue in richly depicted locations including the glassy halls of the iconic Crystal Palace. Elusive investigator Daniel MacAdam, with whom Kat shares both investigations and attraction, again plays a significant role. But Ashley’s secondary characters— unconventional Lady Cynthia Shires, mathematician Elgin Thanos, and Kat’s eleven-year-old daughter Grace among others—are as fun as her stars. Both the below-stairs management of a well-off household and the contrasts at the heart of 1880s London come vividly to life.

4.5 stars!
Poison, bombs, and strained family relationships

Death at the Crystal Palace offers up two separate mysteries for the intrepid and perceptive Kat Holloway. Lady Covington approaches Kat at the Crystal Palace. She believes she is being poisoned by someone in her household, and asks Kat to discover by whom—and why. Kat's friend Daniel McAdam is on assignment for his mysterious superior, looking into the financial backers of Irish extremists, and Kat gets caught up in this investigation as well. Meanwhile, Lady Cynthia's mother and charming rogue of a father have arrived in London and are pressuring her to marry. It looks like Kat has her work cut out for her: uncover the poisoner, assist Daniel, and remain a supportive friend to Lady Cynthia without overstepping the boundaries of class and position. It's a good thing Kat's young assistant, Tess, is now able to take over some of the cooking!

I'm honestly not sure which I enjoy more about this series: the ongoing relationships between the recurring characters, which continue to develop and become more entwined, or the mysteries posed and solved in each individual book. I think it's the mix of both that keeps me coming back for more. The mystery of who is poisoning Lady Covington kept me guessing until nearly the end. I love the simmering feelings between Kat and Daniel, Kat's relationship with the unconventional Lady Cynthia and her friends, and the attraction between Cynthia and Daniel's charmingly awkward friend Thanos. The fabulous food in these books doesn't hurt, either! I positively salivated over the descriptions of Kat's lemon cake, and will have to track down a similar recipe in real life. Her Antiguan custards sound equally delicious.
I do wonder how long Ms. Ashley will spin out the romantic relationship between Kat and Daniel. It is deepening and growing, but only by the tiniest increments in each book. At this point, the unresolved nature of their true feelings for one another has become a key facet of the books, which serves to keep the characters interesting and complex and entices readers to stick with the series. However, if a writer leaves a romantic relationship "hanging" for too long, at some point the relationship and the series itself can begin to stagnate; the tensions become not a source of character development but merely a device. So far, Ms. Ashley has handled the delicate balance of Kat and Daniel's relationship very well. I am trusting her to allow it to continue to develop, and not leave their growing feelings in a kind of limbo for too long.

RECOMMENDED: for fans of historical mystery with just a hint of romance. (But start at the beginning of the series, as these books are much better read in order.)

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2021/07/06/death-at-the-crystal-palace-by-jennifer-ashley/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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<i>Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>

I was very happy to continue the <strong><em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/170230-kat-holloway-mysteries" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kat Holloway</a></em></strong> mysteries.  Each mystery is standalone though there is an ongoing series arc for Kat’s personal and relationship developments.   I know and love many of the characters and I understand the world even if I don't like some of it.  Women of any class have few rights or options. Kat does well because she is smart and skilled but her position is still precarious.

Lady Cynthia's family is in town to pursue schemes and try to marry her off.   There is still some pushback on her being friendly with a cook.  Kat is able to help Lady Cynthia by having her visit another family to figure out what is going on in the current investigation.   She also figures out a way for Cynthia to have a regular purpose.

Kat sees Grace very little here.  She does help Daniel with a dangerous case.  They continue their building of a relationship even though the Bywaters are against her having any life or commitment other than as their servant.

The combination of the various characters and their personal relationships and growth along with the investigations make this a fun and fascinating series to read.  I also enjoy all the cooking information with Kat  being a cook.

The Kat Holloway Mysteries by Jennifer Ashley are a favorite here at Caffeinated. From Kat, our cook, to the historical settings and happenings below the stairs I could devour one a week… if only Ashley could write that fast. Mystery, colorful characters and a smidgeon of romance await you…
Kat, her daughter Grace, and friends are attending an exhibition at the Crystal Palace, when Lady Covington approaches her for help. The widow is convinced that her entire family is trying to kill her. She arranges for Kat to visit her home using a request for Kat’s Lemon cake recipe. Kat doesn’t have one, but she soon will.

Meanwhile, Lady Cynthia’s parents are in residence and pushing for her to settle down. Their arrival creates quite a stir from changes in meal plans to the raiding of the wine cellars. Of course, the household staff wants Kat to intervene. Our love interest Daniel is working on a very intense case for Alden Monaghan. He is investigating the Duke of Daventry, one of the richest and most powerful men in the country who may be involved in funding the Irish.

The poisoning was an interesting case with a dreadful and colorful household, but all is not as it seems. Kat is stumped, but when someone in the house dies and the poison is discovered, it will be up to Kat to figure out who is responsible. Red herrings and intriguing threads laid the groundwork before all was revealed. It was quite clever. Kat made me nervous a time or two, especially when she brought some of the poison into her own kitchen. Blessings from a certain inspector had me giddy. All I can say is it’s about time.

Daniel’s case called for Kat’s help and things got intense from being discovered to dangerous moments. Their friend’s aid them both above and below the stairs. I dare say it kept me flipping the pages. I love the precious moments shared between Kat and Daniel. We even gained some new tidbits about Daniel.

The staff below the stairs, the household drama, and friends of them all are always at the heart of the story. I enjoyed getting to be a part of the happenings and watching their relationships develop. And of course Kat’s meddling.

Death at the Crystal Palace delivered all the elements I love about this series from character interaction to the mysteries. I wish the book included the lemon cake recipe. It would go perfectly with a spot of good English tea.

I love these below stairs mysteries. Kat Holloway, although in service as a cook seems to have gained a reputation as a person who can solve crimes in different levels of society. Her place as a respected cook allows her to gain access below stairs while at the same time finding out all manners of things by the people living upstairs. It’s a fascinating look at the different levels of historical London society.

Her relationship with Daniel seems to have evolved emotionally yet Kat, being a single mother, is hesitant to allow anything untoward to happen. She is not the most trusting woman and Daniel’s predilection to going undercover as some sort of spy keeps her from going all in in her relationship with him. He, on the other hand, seems to be head over heels. Isn’t it nice when the man is more involved emotionally than the woman? She can take her time figuring out what she wants to do with her heart.

I’m not sure how this author switches gears from writing shifter romances to historical whodunnit’s but this series is very effective. It has charm, mystery, and a hint of romance that keeps me entertained and coming back for more. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review and it was honest.

Clever cook Kat Holloway is back in Death at the Crystal Palace. Every time I delve into a Below Stairs Mystery I’m ready for an interesting puzzle and intriguing characters and Jennifer Ashley did not disappoint.

While attending an exhibition at the Crystal Palace with her friends and daughter, Kat is approached by Lady Covington, wealthy widow of a railroad magnate. Lady Covington is sure she’s being poisoned and she’s convincing enough to rouse Kat’s curiosity. Kat uses her knowledge and instincts to navigate the potentially treacherous waters of Lady Covington’s household. Suspects abound and there’s a lot of legwork for Kat to do if she’s to figure out what the poison is, who is behind the poisoning, and why. Her friend Lady Cynthia Shires is on hand to help, as Kat’s usual partner in crime, Daniel McAdam, is busy with a task of his own. Kat’s expanding circle of friends fill out the world wonderfully and I adore Cynthia in particular. She plays a larger role in the story this time, especially once her parents enter the scene. It’s lovely watching her friendship with Kat deepen and I continue to root for Cynthia’s burgeoning romance with mathematician Elgin Thanos to take flight.

Speaking of romance, Kat’s own with Daniel continues to inch forward. I like the slow burn and as is common with these books, I gobbled up whatever crumbs about Daniel’s situation Ashley dropped along the way. Daniel is investigating a plot against the Crown and as much as he wants to keep that part of his life separate from Kat, there is a point at which he needs her help. Daniel and Kat’s investigations are both interesting although the personalities in the Covington case make that the more compelling storyline of the two. I loved how everything flowed seamlessly together and how each reoccurring character played their part.

Death at the Crystal Palace is the fifth Below Stairs Mystery and to enjoy the book fully you should at least have an idea of the main characters and the relationships between them. I adore the world Ashley has built and the connections that continue to deepen warm my heart. Any time spent with Kat and company is a good time and it’s because the characters Ashley has created are endearing, well-drawn, and compelling. I finished Death at the Crystal Palace satisfied with how things turned out but I cannot wait to see what mystery crosses Kat’s path next!