In the Victorian Village Mysteries, Sheila Connolly has developed an ongoing story line, Kate Hamilton is helping to restore Asheboro, Maryland into it Victorian Village past as a means to increase tourist traffic and dollars to save the town. This is the 3rd book in the series. It can be read as a stand alone, but the first two books are great reads too and they contribute to the continuity of the story line. Add them to your TBR list.

This story finds Kate beginning her first big project in the town's restoration. The Barton Mansion will be the easiest piece of the project since it has been carefully maintained so Kate decides to start in the kitchen, modernizing to allow catering of events. And since you can't have a murder mystery without a murder, a walled off staircase that contains a body is found as soon as construction starts. Some elements of the story may take a few liberties with reality, but the mystery contains enough twists and turns that you'll change your list of suspects often and be surprised at the reveal.

I have enjoyed the first 3 stories in the series and have bookmarked the author to follow.

The Secret Garden is the 3rd in the Victorian Village Mysteries by Sheila Connolly in which Kate Hamilton came back to her hometown to help with the Ashebore Revitalization Project. Their first project will be the mansion of Henry Barton, the owner of a local industry and husband to Mary. As Kate and Carroll explore the grounds they find where Henry, Mary and their three young children were buried. While Carroll starts researching family, Kate will be hiring a building contractor that will be willing to work on the Victoria Era mansion with out compromising the authentic. While interviewing the third contractor, Morgan Wheeler, he states that there's space behind the one wall in the kitchen. Morgan uses his spy cam to see what is inside the wall. What a surprise to find a body inside of the wall and Kate has to call Detective Brady Reynolds again. After all this, Morgan still wants to work on the mansion and will be getting a crew to do the work. One of the crew members, Steve Abernathy end up dead at the bottom of the steps to the basement. Two mysteries for Kate and Carroll to figure out.

This the first book that I have read by Sheila Connolly and I really love it. The story line was well written and kept me guessing until the end. I will be going the read the other two books in this series. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

The Secret Staircase by Sheila Connolly is the third in the Victorian Village Mystery series and the last she wrote before her death (with some help from her daughter). We find ourselves in Asheboro, Maryland toward the beginning of the refurbishment of the home of Henry Barton, which will become a sort of living history museum and meeting place for the community. At the head of this project is Kate, who grew up and then moved away and has now returned to her small town home. She is ready to begin and has gathered her board to layout the steps forward. Her major items are finding a construction company to manage the job and having her researcher find out more of the personal life of Henry, and especially, his wife, Mary. Maybe a book? Carroll has arrived from Philadelphia, having convinced her professor that the research she would do this summer would be worth of college credit, and Kat is about to interview three construction companies. The next couple of weeks were to be epic!

It's a shame this series is over already, almost before it began. Kate is a big city manager learning to function in a small town. That is no easy feat. It is happening, though. Her boyfriend, Josh, is a college professor of history, which helps and she has community support. Many things happened in these few weeks: a hundred year-old body is found plastered into the wall, and a fresh one on the basement steps. Curious things are discovered through diaries, censuses, and old newspapers. As in any genealogical project, things that had been secrets tend to turn up. As in any murder investigation, even the smallest clue might be helpful. The best investigators keep their ears open and have a mind for puzzles. Kate certainly did. This was a lovely little mystery, especially the one about Henry and Mary Barton and their family. The past makes such a difference. We will miss you, Sheila Connolly.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Secret Staircase by Minotaur Books, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #minotaurbooks #thesecretstaircase

Kate Hamilton is ready to start the renovations on the Barton Mansion in Asheboro, Maryland. Her ultimate goal is to restore the small town into the Victorian village it was long ago, but the first thing on her list is the mansion on the outskirts of town whose owner was a recluse after losing his wife. When Kate starts the renovations, it is not long before her new contractor finds a well-preserved body in a staircase that was walled off by the owner years ago. As they keep digging secrets buried from long ago come to light as well as some not so old family secrets from the town’s residents. Who can Kate trust to help her uncover the mystery of the body and the secrets attached to it?

I loved this murder mystery by Sheila Connolly. The characters were well developed, and the story moved at a steady pace. I enjoyed uncovering the clues along with Kate and her friends and did not expect a lot of things that happened in the story line, which just added to the interest of the book. Although this was the third book in the series, it was the first one I had read and had no trouble catching up on the storyline from previous books. I do plan to go back and read the first two to see how the story first began and am excited to read the next book in the series. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press whom I wish to thank. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this final book in the series as well as the final book that author Sheila Connolly ever worked on before her death last year. I'd read that her daughter finished the book for her, but it was very seamless to me and was just as if Sheila herself was writing every word. In other words, I think her daughter did an excellent job with however much or little she found she needed to do. I would never have known had I not seen a comment on a blog about this.

I was glad to see that Kate and the town were making some good headway with the Barton mansion. The body that was found was an unexpected small delay, but later some other findings would hopefully lead to who this was and why the person was hidden there. I hadn't guessed the killer of the present day murder, and I loved the flash forward to Christmastime for the end of the book.

I have no idea if this was truly supposed to be the last book, but Sheila and her daughter did a great job of wrapping things up and giving the characters and storyline a good closure. I'll miss seeing anything new from Sheila Connolly, but since I'd only recently started reading her work (meaning this series is the first of her writing I ever read before I read the first Orchard and first County Cork), I have tons of great reading ahead of me!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

The passing of the author makes it bittersweet to read one of her final works(unless there are unpublished manuscripts available)
This book is consistent with her previous well-written works that have a good story, characters and setting. The mystery kept me guessing and I liked the twist at the end.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #TheSecretStaircase for an advanced digital copy.

I wish this series could have gone for more than three books, that Sheila Connolly was still with us to keep the story of the Victorian Village alive. But three is all we get and because of that I wanted this one to be a long, slow read. I enjoyed every page.
Kate has now gotten the town of Asheboro on her side and the focus is to renovate the Barton mansion so it can become a venue. To do that the kitchen needs to be updated to allow for catering. While the construction is underway a hidden staircase is revealed - complete with a skeleton dating back to the 1800's. Accidental death or murder? Why was he walled up? As these questions are dealt with a new death occurs with an eerie similarity to the old skeleton. Both dead at the foot of a staircase. Very curious, indeed.
Sheila Connolly was very involved with history and genealogies and that comes through in this mystery. The pace is slower and the setting is perfect. The mystery itself kept me engaged to the last page. I do so wish there could be more but I'm glad we had three.
My thanks to the publisher Minotaur and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a good quick read that is part of a series. Unfortunately I did not read the first two books in the series, but as most of these types of series go, the main protagonist, Kate, is always inexplicably finding bodies. Fortunately for her the first one that was found, was dead for a long time before it's discovery. Unfortunately for her some shenanigans lead to another body being found in the house. The mystery is very interesting and I feel that the author did a great job of bringing you into the world and making you feel like you are in the small town of Asheboro, Maryland.

Third in the series a really enjoyable episode can be read alone.Fullof characters that come alive and twists and turns that kept me involved.#netgalley #st.martinsbooks

The project to make Asheboro, Maryland into the Victorian showpiece it once was is going well. The townspeople have finally come around to her way of thinking and the money is no longer an issue. Her first big renovation will be the Barton Mansion thankfully its in pretty good condition so the only big change will be to the kitchen. When the contractors working on the project find a secret staircase along with a body the project comes to a screeching halt. Thankfully after an examination Kate learns the body is from the 1800's. She soon learns the mans death wasn't natural but murder. Kate wants to figure out who the man was and why he was killed. During her investigation another body is found and this one happens to be from this era. Do the two deaths have anything to do with one another or is it all just a coincidence? Kate is determined to find out hoping along the way she can solve both deaths!

This is a nice mystery taking place in a town that is trying to become a Victorian village. I really love the characters. My favorite character is Kate. She is working hard to fix this Victorian home so it can be used for tours. Kate is trying to bring this town back to life but of course their is a death that she must help solve. I enjoyed this story and hope to read many more of the books in the series. I received a copy of this book from Minotaur for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

Asheboro, Maryland is a town that is dying. At one time a factory provided a living for its’ residents. When the factory closed the people looked elsewhere for employment and population dropped. Now the Asheboro Revitalization Project is working to bring tourism to the town by developing it as a Victorian village. This was Kate Hamilton’s suggestion and she has taken on the responsibility of managing the project. Kate grew up in Asheboro but left after high school. With a background of working in the hotel industry, she was called back to the town by an old friend who asked for her help. The centerpiece of her project is the Barton Mansion. Built in the 1800s, it was abandoned after the death of Henry Barton but still has most of the original furnishings. Kate expects problems with restoring plumbing and electricity, but a hidden staircase with a hundred year old body on it is more than she anticipated.

This is the third book in Sheila Connolly’s Victorian Village Mystery series, but she provides enough backstory to enjoy it on its’ own. Kate is assisted by Carroll, who specializes in researching resource collections, and Josh, a history professor from Johns Hopkins University. While they have found letters and articles on Henry Barton and his factory, little is known about his wife Mary. This becomes the center of Carroll’s research while Kate interviews contractors for the restoration of the mansion. She hires Morgan Wheeler who is passionate about the restoration of older homes and is familiar with the mansion. From the first day, however, there is trouble with Morgan’s crew. As if an old body isn’t enough trouble, a second body is soon found at the site. This is a recent death and Kate must clear her crew of suspicion.

Connolly reveals the story of the Barton Mansion and the family that lived there. It is a story of history and heartbreak that also reveals a surprising connection to a current resident of the area. Even though the plot of The Secret Staircase revolves around the mansion’s restoration the town still faces renovation, providing ample opportunity for more mysteries to come. This is more than the revitalization of a dying town. It is also a story that brings a community together and provides a solid mystery. I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this book for my review.

Interesting and slow-paced mystery. There were actually several mysteries going: the history of Barton House, the mysterious staircase, and the current murder. I liked the book ok, the history and renovation were interesting, but the current mystery just seemed a little rushed. And when the murderer was caught, I wasn't surprised at whodunit. I haven't read the previous books, and maybe I needed to. 3 stars

Many thanks to the publisher, St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

I really enjoy Connolly's writing - especially when she's digging into history in her mysteries. When that happens you can feel Connolly's personal interest in history and genealogy really come alive. That is very much the case in this book. Connolly has been dancing around the edges of figuring out the story of the owners of the beautiful mansion on the edge of town, Henry and Mary Barton, without fully revealing the story. Because I'm fascinated by everyday people history and genealogy I was fully invested in that story and really enjoyed the book.

That said the focus on the history of the house pushes the mystery to the backburner a bit and the actual modern day dead body isn't found until halfway through the book. Even the Victorian Village part gets pushed aside and I found the very casual air of the planning and budgeting of this huge project a bit hard to believe. Kate is a bit of a wishy washy character and sometimes I just wanted to scream at her to clearly communicate with Josh or for him to do likewise.

This is not the book to start the series in. The focus of the book is the Henry Barton story which has been slowly developing over the course of the last two book. That story is wrapped up here with a bit of a side of mystery.

The Secret Staircase is the third in a Victorian Village mystery series.

Connolly writes a book that is full of the sense of the small town in need of tourist activity to save it from economic ruin. It is also a mystery. One that explores the history of the house - which is quite compelling.
Occasionally the plot grows rather predictable but the narrative is compelling enough to carry the reader through.

I recommend this book

Kate Hamilton is tasked with restoring the town of Ashboro, MD to its original splendor. To achieve this goal, Kate recruits the help of her friend Carroll Peterson. Carroll is focusing on library studies so researching nineteenth-century documents would be the perfect fit for the restoration project.

The first undertaking of the restoration project is the Barton mansion. The mansion had been a simple farmhouse in the beginning, but Henry Barton turned it into an impressive and splendid mansion with money he earned.

With funding secured. Kate begins vetting potential contractors and finds an interested party, Morgan Wheeler. Excited with this news, Kate shows Morgan the layout of the building — particularly the kitchen. To both Kate’s and Morgan’s surprise, Morgan discovers a secret staircase and even a bigger surprise is the discovery of a dead body in that staircase. That dead body turns out to be a man who died in 1880, but not of natural causes. Now its up to Kate and Carroll to unearth the secrets and mysteries of the Barton family. And when a present day dead body is found, the search for secrets and answers become urgent and pressing.

The Secret Staircase is a very slow read. Slow primarily because there was a lot of background data on how the restoration project came to be and the obstacles that the project faced. There were “breadcrumbs” here and there to keep the story moving, but I would have preferred more suspense and thrills.

Being that The Secret Staircase is the third installment of the Victorian Village series, I probably missed a lot of the character development. Needless to say, however, I did get a feel for the major players in the novel.

The plot is straightforward without much twists and turns. It’s a simple discovery and piecing of information to determine the who, what, when, where, and why. Three pleasing stars.

I received a digital ARC from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

Kate has convinced the town of Asheboro, Maryland to return the town to its Victorian roots to attract tourists. Her first project is the old Barton Mansion. Its owner willed the property and its contents to the town decades ago. While renovating Kate finds an ancient dead body in The Secret Staircase within the mansion. Later, another body is found. To avoid the bad publicity, Kate and her friends must find the killers and their motives.

The Secret Staircase is a quick and easy beach read of a cozy mystery. You will learn about the Victorian life of the original mistress of the Barton Mansion through her diaries. I found that part very interesting. Overall, 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I wanted to like this series [and this final book] - I have read other books by the late author and liked them very much. Unfortunately, this series just never did it for me and this book was a poor ending to an already poorly written series.

I was barely in the middle of chapter 1 when I remembered why I was never going to read any more of these - they all were just so meh, and this one was just as tepid and predictable and filled with filler as the other two. There was absolutely no character development from book one to book three, and once again I wondered just how Kate kept a job in the "big city" and why anyone thought she would be able to do the job she is hired to do in Asheboro. She waffles continually and it really grates on ones nerves by the end of the book. Also, when something new does happen, it is talked about to the point of ad nauseam and you could absolutely care less about anything by the time everything is resolved.

Then there is the whole mystery and reveal - from almost the moment the people involved enter the story, you know that they are the the killers, or involved or there is back story. It is like a screaming neon sign on the page - so when you finally get to the reveal, it is extremely anticlimactic and again, you just don't care.

Kate is not a likeable MC - she is scatterbrained and flighty, complains all the time [both out loud and internally], and for someone so young, gets exhausted easily even when doing nothing. HOW is she ever going to get the house rehabbed if she needs to quit at 5 [or earlier] after starting at noon every day? It was extremely frustrating.

I was hoping so much more and was just very disappointing.

Thank you to NetGalley, and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Secret Staircase by Sheila Connolly (Victorian Village Mystery #3) 3 stars

Kate Hamilton, the person in charge with reviving a town into a tourist hub is busy starting the renovations of the Barton Mansion. The renovations take an eerie turn when one of the contractors in the midst of checking out the kitchen finds a dead body walled up behind a set of stairs. A mysterious body that was in the walls since the 19th century is a historical mystery. When one of the sub-contractors ends up dead at the bottom of a staircase, it seem to be a bad omen for the mansion. Kate Hamilton has to solve both mysteries and keep the renovation ball rolling.

This is the first book in this series that I have read, with that caveat I will say that the mystery was interesting but not compelling. I found all the research methods very interesting and the historical detective work spot on. But the mystery was very slow and if there was a relationship between Katherine and Joshua that was evident in previous books, the sparks were barely embers in this one. I would give this series another try if the synopsis was interesting.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for this ARC.

The Secret Staircase is the third book of the Cozy Series called the Victorian Village Mysteries. The premise of the series is that Kate Hamilton has gone back to her small hometown of Asheboro, Maryland to help revitalize it as a tourist attraction. The plans are to recreate it as the Victorian village it once was. Years ago, Asheboro was gifted an old mansion outside of town by Henry Barton. This is Kate’s first major renovation project and she wants to focus on restoring the kitchen. While she is enthusiastic, Kate has no background in historic preservation. She is constantly making mental notes of who to assign a task to since she can’t handle it herself.

When a contractor is inspecting the property, he realizes there is a hollow space behind one of the kitchen walls. He drills a tiny hole and inserts a camera. There he discovers not only a hidden staircase but also a mummified body. Soon thereafter, a sub-contractor finds some hidden diaries that shed light on who the victim was and why he was murdered. Before too long, there is another murder at the mansion. There is a suspicion that this modern-day murder was the result of a century-old Hatfield-McCoy-type feud between two families in the county.

I didn’t find the story about the first body to be plausible since naturally mummified bodies are very rare. This victim died in an open staircase. Then someone built a lathe and plaster kitchen wall to entomb the corpse instead of just disposing of it on the large, remote property. There would have been plenty of oxygen during the construction of the wall to keep the body from mummifying. In the current timeline, there is too little character development to understand the suspected feud between the families or how the two deaths might be related.

I did enjoy the parts of the story involving historical research. Kate and her assistant Carroll diligently try to find out more about Henry Barton and his wife through newspaper articles and genealogy research. The newly discovered diaries help tremendously. Kate wants the home to become a museum as well as a learning center with children’s activities.

3-Stars. This novel will be published posthumously on August 21, 2021. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my NetGalley widget in exchange for an honest review.