In Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey, Henry Tilney teases Catherine Morland’s overactive imagination with a ghostly tale that, among other things, suggests that “the part of the abbey you inhabit is undoubtedly haunted.” Such is the brooding tone and setting of the atmospheric romantic mystery Shadows of Swanford Abbey, by popular Regency romance author Julie Klassen.

After two years traveling the country as a lady’s companion, all the while longing for home, clergyman’s daughter Miss Rebecca Lane has returned to her hometown in Worcestershire to aid her troubled younger brother John. Their housekeeper’s chilling warning—“Your brother’s behavior has grown more alarming. I fear what he might do.” (Loc 70)—occupies her every thought. A gifted yet unsettled writer, John had become increasingly erratic following the deaths of their parents, and his temperament had grown even more volatile after an unfortunate incident involving his first book.

Rebecca’s arrival prompts John to insist that she present his latest manuscript to a famous author staying at the nearby abbey-turned-hotel, hoping for a path to publication. “The medieval stone abbey—the setting of many childhood nightmares” (Loc 286) was the last place she wanted to go. “Local children still considered Swanford Abbey haunted, inhabited by the spirits of long-dead nuns.” (Loc 290) With an uneasy yet familiar guilt spurring her to help her brother however she can, Rebecca reluctantly checks in to the hotel as a guest and looks for an opportunity to approach the man she seeks. Unexpectedly, though, she encounters the last man she wishes to see again. “Recognition jolted her. Not him. Not here. Not now. She swiftly turned her face away, praying he had not seen her. Too late.” (Loc 341)

Sir Frederick Wilford, recently widowed and long-ago jaded, fondly remembers his innocent friendship with the lovely clergyman’s daughter. Yet when a fellow hotel guest is murdered, Sir Frederick must put aside his affinity for Miss Lane and step into his role as local magistrate to investigate the crime. Suspicions abound as suspects are sought, and Miss Lane’s questionable conduct is not excused from the scrutiny. Will the childhood friends ever be able to step out of the distrustful shadows of their pasts?

The shadows depicted in this story are nuanced and numerous. It is a sensitive yet realistic depiction of mental health struggles, not only as a result of grief—from death, self-inflicted guilt, and estrangement—but also as a result of what today would be called a traumatic brain injury.

I have read at least a dozen of Julie Klassen’s books over the years, all of them enjoyable in their own ways, and this story was no exception. My only complaints are the slow pace of the story as the mystery unfolds and the subdued romantic elements; however, I appreciated the several unforeseen twists and the likeable protagonists. I particularly enjoyed the historical details woven into the narrative, and the gothic feel of the haunted abbey setting.

Romantic mystery fans are sure to relish the haunting ambience as secrets are revealed in Shadows of Swanford Abbey.

4 out of 5 Stars

Disclosure: I received a free copy of Shadows of Swanford Abbey from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions in the book review are my own.

SHADOWS OF SWANFORD ABBEY:

Julie Klassen’s latest Regency Romance novel is fabulous and fun! If you were to take elements of Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, Charlotte Bronte, Elizabeth Gaskell, and Charles Dickens, you’d discover this intriguing read full of romance, mystery, suspense, and perhaps even a ghost!

It’s the type of book you can’t put down and simply must finish as soon as possible – if only to discover the “who” in the whodunit murder mystery and to get to more swoony moments between the likable heroine and the Darcy-like hero.

THE STORY

Klassen delights with a historical Agatha Christie-like mystery and a Regency Romance between a lady’s companion, Rebecca Lane, and her former childhood crush, Sir Frederick, a wealthy Mr. Darcy-like hero in his thirties.

When Miss Lane returns to her home village, she discovers her brother, John, in mental turmoil, struggling to make it as an author.

He asks her for an impossible favor – to stay at Swanford Abbey (a medieval monastery transformed into a grand hotel) and bring his latest manuscript to the famous author staying there. All in the hopes of getting published – even though the author is a cruel, selfish, and horrible man that stole her brother’s novel in the past for his own gain.

But she wants to help her tormented brother, so she does what he asks.

Once there, Rebecca crosses paths with Sir Frederick, the man she loved as a girl. He was a bit older than her, and while they were close, he only saw her as a teenage girl rather than a woman. He ultimately chose another beautiful and charming woman, leaving Rebecca behind and breaking her heart.

Now a widower and a magistrate, the two meet in entirely new circumstances, reawakening her adolescent feelings and perhaps stirring some new emotions within his own heart.

The pair once again become close, only for the murder of the famous author to shake things up – adding a good amount of suspense into the page-turning tale.

JANE AUSTEN MEETS AGATHA CHRISTIE

What I loved about Shadows of Swanford Abbey is just how much it reminds me of my favorite authors. It has a Jane Austen-esque love story, an Agatha Christie-esque murder, a ghost-like apparition of a nun – similar to the one in Bronte’s Villette, plus elements of a Dickens story or even Gaskell’s North and South.

If you love all those authors and stories as much as I do, then this is the book for you! While Klassen pays homage to these authors in various ways, the story is wholly original and not just a copy.

Klassen’s powerful prose and storytelling abilities kept me hooked from start to finish. Some parts even reminded me of Downton Abbey and Grand Hotel!

Now, if you don’t typically read inspirational fiction, a few moral judgments and religious quotes appear here and there, but it’s realistic to the characters of that time and not overly preachy. So, don’t let that deter you from a brilliant, entertaining read if the inspirational genre is not typically your cup of tea.

THE ROMANCE

In the story, Klassen builds on Rebecca Lane’s unrequited love from her teenage years and develops it into a mature love story. I found myself rooting for these two intelligent kindred spirits and hoping for an Austen-like happily ever after. Every moment shared between them was tense and filled with the right amount of chemistry.

Ultimately, the romance story is both satisfying and enjoyable to read.

THE CHARACTERS
Numerous interesting characters besides Rebecca and Sir Frederick fill the story with rich characterization and a strong suspect pool. And I enjoyed reading about each of them.

OVERALL THOUGHTS

Overall, if you’re a fan of Austen and Christie, or have even read Julie Klassen’s previous bestselling novels, then you’ll love her latest book. It really is an absolute lighthearted treat I can’t recommend enough.

ADAPTATION RECOMMENDATION

Shadows of Swanford Abbey would make a lovely period drama film with familiar British actors and a clever script. It has all the perfect elements to be a hit.

Content Note: The romance is completely wholesome, while the murder mystery and gothic elements give it a PG feel.

OVERALL RATING: 4.5 (rounding up to a 5 in the Goodreads rating)
ROMANCE RATING: 5

You can read the entire review on The Silver Petticoat Review here: https://www.silverpetticoatreview.com/2021/12/06/shadows-of-swanford-abbey-review-julie-klassen/

This was such a mystery whodunnit! I loved trying to figure it out until the very end! I thought the love interest was sweet and the secrets were revealed perfectly! I loved the characters and story. Looking forward to reading her next book!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher and was under no obligation to post a favorable review.

Julie Klassen is the name I think of whenever Christian Romance comes into a conversation. She is the first author I read in the genre, the one I always know I can come to for a good story, and she delivers complex, unique characters every time. This book drew me in especially because of the murder mystery aspect to it. I felt like I was in a bit of an Agatha Christie tale, where you have no idea whodunnit, and while everyone is busy pointing fingers at each other, you know the true killer is hiding in plain sight. It was thrilling to read as I kept trying to guess who it could be, and even when I thought I had it pinned down, I was wrong. The romance, while definitely a part of the book and ending with a classic HEA, was only a small part, with the murder mystery taking over the story. I was enthralled, not by the characters' chemistry but rather by the backstories of each of the side characters. I knew who was going to be killed almost as soon as their character was introduced, and so I was able to spend most of the book analyzing characters. And Julie Klassen gave us so much material to uncover!

For the last two years, Rebecca Lane has been working as a lady's companion, traveling the continent and trying to forget the man who broke her heart in Swanford. When she receives word from her family's housekeeper that her brother is not doing well, she returns home to find him full of frustration and with a mad scheme he wants her involved in. A famous author is in town, one who once wronged her brother, and he wants her to use his presence at the local hotel, to submit his own manuscript to the publisher. Reluctantly agreeing, she rents a room, and she finds herself face to face with the man who she once loved and lost years ago. Frederick Wilford hasn't been the same since his late wife passed, leaving behind whispers of adultery and murder. Rather than staying in his home full of memories, he decides to stay at the hotel with his brother while they are in town. Seeing Rebecca again was bittersweet, realizing how much her friendship meant to him and how much she has grown from a young girl into a young woman. There's no way she could be interested in someone so much older though, and soon thoughts of romance vanish when one of the hotel guests is murdered. As local magistrate upon his father's death, Frederick has a duty to investigate the crime. When clues begin to implicate, Rebecca, it's all Frederick can do to help her and find the real killer.

This book was so suspenseful, there are not enough words to describe it! I was on the edge of my seat as soon as the murder occurred - even before, when I was trying to look for suspicious activity ahead of time. So many characters had reasons to kill, but only one had reason enough to act on their desire. Rebecca, poor thing, suffered from guilt, which was why she agreed to help her brother with such a futile endeavor as submitting a manuscript to a publisher she knew would not look at it. When they were children, he had fallen and hit his head, and ever since he was not the same and prone to mood swings. As the older sister, she felt responsible, and so when he asked her for help, she felt obligated to say yes. If she hadn't, this entire book wouldn't even need to be written. It was all connected - her going to the hotel, Frederick being there as well, all the other guests mingling in different ways. It was a chess game and they were all players. By the end of the book, I marveled at Julie Klassen's ability to create such a tangled web and then untangle it so clearly at the conclusion. Once things started to be revealed, everything made sense.

If you like murder mysteries that are light on romance, I highly recommend this book! You still get a happy ending, and the intrigue of murder will keep you glued to the book until the very end.

A Regency murder mystery / who-dun-it with a dash of romance: interesting (and suspicious) characters, multiple layers and tangled threads, and gothic vibes. I figured out some things ahead of time (several only RIGHT beforehand), and some were a surprise to me. It was a very engaging read. Without giving anything away, I will say I didn't like the wrap up of one subplot at the end - very abrupt and melodramatic. It just felt out of place in the story.

One small blip in an otherwise enjoyable read - would recommend. I hope the author writes similar stories in the future.

"Shadows of Swanford Abbey" is a Christian historical romance and mystery set in 1820 in England. Rebecca felt responsible for her brother's moods and so allowed him to manipulate her into doing something that made no sense: give his rejected manuscript to the author that stole his last manuscript in hopes he'd recommend it to his publisher. The author was guarded so no one could bother him. Rebecca convinced herself that getting the manuscript to the author would somehow make her brother all better even though she had valid doubts at the start. She deliberately deceived several people to gain this goal.

Sir Frederick was friends with Rebecca when they were children and could see how she's grown into a beautiful woman, but he's also the one investigating the murder. She's clearly hiding something. Yet she's also the one uncovering a lot of clues. He interviewed people while she tended to overhear or notice clues. Once they decided to trust each other, the romance grew beyond the physical attraction and an old crush. Historical details were woven into the story, giving it a distinct setting in that place and time.

The main characters learned to forgive themselves. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable historical.

Shadows of Swanford Abbey
by Julie Klassen
Pub Date: December 7, 2021
Bethany House

In pursuit of an author who could help get her brother published, Rebecca Lane stays at Swanford Abbey, a grand hotel rumored to be haunted. It is there she encounters Sir Frederick--the man who broke her heart. When a mysterious death occurs, Rebecca is one of the suspects, and Frederick is torn between his feelings for her and his search for the truth.
Klassen is a popular author in our library. This one hit the spot for me. Great Suspense!
Thanks to Netgalley and Bethany House I will be recommending this book.

5 star

The Shadows of Stanford Abbey is the epitome of a great regency mystery/romance. Full of intrigue, murder, and a ghost, I was up late into the night reading this book. I loved the thread of faith that was woven into the story in an authentic way.
Rebecca has come to try to help her brother John but must stay at the Abbey. She soon finds herself embroiled in all the goings on surrounding a famous author who’s been murdered, and who happened to have a connection to her brother. Frederic the man she’s loved since she was a girl is also at the Abbey, and happens to be the magistrate.
Frederic is happy to see Rebecca his childhood friend, but when it seems as though she isn’t being honest with him during his investigation he wonders if she can be trusted. She’s now an attractive woman and piques his interest. Should he take a chance with his heart, or is she as devious as his deceased wife?
The author has painted a wonderful picture of the Abbey and surrounding area, as well as making each character unique, and the mystery compelling. I loved this book and recommend it.
I was given a copy of this book courtesy of Bethany House a division of Baker Publishing Group. This is my honest assessment.

This book is some of Julie’s best suspense! Amazon has a tagline for this book that reads, “Agatha Christie meets Jane Austen…with mystery, intrigue, and romance.” I could leave my review just at that! This book took a little bit to set things up, but once players were in motion I couldn’t put it down! I was trying so hard to solve the mystery before the end of the book and I’m happy to report that Julie kept me guessing right up to the very end! The suspense is the show stopper of this book and it’s masterfully written. The romance was sweet and I am so glad she added it in. It definitely added an extra level of depth into the intrigue!

If you like Agatha Christie, Jane Austen and of course Julie Klassen… you’ll want to pick this one up!

Thanks to the author for the copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

Julie Klassen delivers a spine-tingling Gothic romance with Shadows of Swanford Abbey.

When Rebecca Lane returns home after a few years away, she discovers her brother is not doing well. He was tricked by a famous author who stole his book, and he could not get past it. Desperate to help him, Rebecca agrees to pass his latest manuscript to an author staying at Swanford Abbey in the hopes that he could get published.

But once she arrives at the abbey-turned hotel, Rebecca begins to see things that make her believe the abbey is haunted. On top of that, she meets Sir Frederick again, a former neighbour who once broke her heart. For his part, Sir Frederick cannot believe the change he sees in Rebecca and is immediately drawn to her. But because of their age difference, he tries to quell the growing feelings he has for her.

This book has it all! Ghostly hauntings, murder, intrigue, and above all, romance! Rebecca is fearless. Half the things she does in this book I would never venture out to do. While Frederick, for his part, is unquestionably honourable, to his detriment in the romance department. Together they are perfect for each other.

If you love Gothic Regency romance, you will enjoy this book. I highly recommend it!

This is the first book I've read by Julie Klassen, and I really enjoyed it! It reminded me a lot of the Gothic romance/ suspense books I read growing up. I loved the balance of the mystery and the romance, and the friend to lovers trope was very well done.

Clean Regency Mystery
Overall, I enjoyed this 1820 English mystery. The descriptions of the old abbey-turned-hotel were well written. I really liked the fact that Rebecca and Frederick had history to build upon vs the more ridiculous falling in love over a few days that some authors favor. The secondary mystery involving Rebecca's employer was another wonderful layer to the story. The unfortunate accident that cause's her brother John to have mental issues for the rest of his days was an interesting angle to explore, along with Dr. Fox's asylum that is more like a home for such individuals to receive unusually kind care. I liked reading his description. There are plenty of suspects in and around the hotel in this who-done-it, and the killer is not easily guessed which speaks well of the author's talent. There is also a third mystery concerning Frederick and his wife; yet another layer to peel away. This novel contains a lot less faith than I would prefer from a Christian author as well as a Christian publishing house. It's in there, but not consistently so.

Tea Quote: John would wait. Tea first. For Courage.

Very Good - 4 stars

This story was gifted to me via NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are mine alone without expectation or compensation. ***

REVIEWS POSTED AT: Goodreads, CBD, B&N, BAM, GooglePlayBooks, and pending release date for AMZN and Kobo

Shadows of Swanford Abbey is my new favorite book written by Julie Klassen. I loved it. I would give it one hundred stars if I could.

Shadows of Swanford Abbey is a stand-alone novel by Julie Klassen and involves a murder of a famous author at a hotel. Most of the guests have a motive, but who is the guilty party? Klassen has once again created a character-driven atmospheric mystery that will leave the reader invested in the characters and puzzled by several red herrings along the way. The perfect book to read in front of a roaring fire with hot chocolate and a snuggly pet!

Julie Klassen’s books are so different from one another and I am never disappointed. Shadows of Swanford Abbey was an interesting whodunit centered around a murder. There are also other mysteries that are dealt with as well so it keeps you guessing until the end. The theme of forgiveness and second chances were evident throughout the book. The H and h needed to learn to forgive themselves as well as others just as God has forgiven us. And they were not the only ones who needed to seek forgiveness. It was also interesting to see how involved the local aristocracy was in making sure that Justice was properly administered. You won’t want to miss this Julie Klassen book. I did receive an advanced copy of the book but I was in no way obligated to give it a positive review.

When Miss Rebecca Lane returns to her home village in Worcestershire, England with her employer, the globe-trotting Lady Fitzhoward, she has no idea what to expect. She’s felt responsible for John, her younger brother, her entire life, so when their housekeeper wrote begging Rebecca to return, she hastened home.

Upon arrival, John convinces her to deliver his latest manuscript to his nemesis, Mr. Oliver—a popular author staying at the nearby Swanford Abbey. John insists only Rebecca could deliver the manuscript to Mr. Oliver, and she reluctantly agrees.

When Mr. Oliver turns up dead a few days later, Rebecca regrets her involvement in her brother’s plot to deliver the manuscript. Based on the facts of the case, she worries he may have had a hand in the man’s demise. To complicate matters, the local magistrate, Sir Frederick, is the only man she’s ever had feelings for.

Sir Frederick agrees to spend a week with his younger brother at the nearby Swanford Abbey hotel to escape the noise of renovations at his estate. And to escape the memories and loneliness caused by his unhappy marriage and the accidental death of his wife.

He never expects to run into the young woman he spent many a happy hour with in his youth—Miss Rebecca Lane, the daughter of his former tutor. When a guest at Swanford Abbey dies, Sir Frederick stays on for the inquest.

An inquest which causes him to ask more questions than the charming Miss Lane seems wont to answer. Despite his reawakened feelings towards Miss Lane, his first marriage left him with an abhorrence for untruths. And Miss Lane is hiding something.

Why I Loved This Book

Klassen creates relatable characters and immerses them in mystery, intrigue, danger, and a good, old-fashioned love story. If you love Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer, you’ll love this Regency story set in an ancient abbey complete with ghostly apparitions and historical detail.

Fans of Michele Griep and Abigail Wilson will enjoy this book.

I have always enjoyed Julie Klassen novels. They are usually very character driven and somewhat detailed. At the end of the story, you feel like you really know the characters. I had heard this story was a bit different than her normal style so I was looking forward to seeing how it was different and if I would like the change or not.

I really liked both Frederick and Rebecca and how they had been friends since they were young. I also liked the murder mystery aspect of the story and the role that Fredrick and Rebecca played in solving it.

I did struggle to get into this story. The first 20% or so, nothing really happened and I found my mind wandering. Once the murder happened, I got more invested in the story and enjoyed trying to figure out who did it and why.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

** “Remember — don’t give up. While there is life, there is hope.” **

“Shadows of Swanford Abbey” by Julie Klassen is a delightful Gothic tale filled with romance, mystery, ghosts and secret identities — a little bit of Agatha Christie meets Jane Austen.

When Rebecca Lane returns to her hometown as Lady Fitzhoward’s companion, she quickly finds herself amidst drama and mystery as her brother asks her to deliver a manuscript to an author staying at the same hotel as Rebecca — an author that once betrayed him. And when reacquainted with her childhood crush, Frederick Wilford, she quickly realizes that there may be more than meets the eye with some of the hotel’s guests.

What follows is a plot filled with twists and turns and spine-tingling moments as Rebecca and Frederick work together to solve the crime that occurs at the possibly haunted Swanford Abbey.

Klassen does a great job of keeping the reader guessing, as well as creating many intriguing characters, filled with secrets and flaws.

“Shadows of Swanford Abbey” contains several great themes, like second chances; the impact of secrets and lies; overcoming guilt; we can always hold on to hope; and forgiveness and redemption.

Fans of authors like Jane Austen as well as mystery authors like Agatha Christie and series like Sherlock Holmes will love this novel.

Five stars out of five.

Bethany House Publishers provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

What an excellent read by Julie Klassen!
The narrative in the beginning has a similar feel to her Ladies of Ivy Cottage series – development of time period, characters, and place is firmly established giving the reader a sense of the serenity and slower pace of life. By mid-novel, she returns to the narrative style of her earlier works, which is what hooked me on her books in the first place - mystery upon mystery builds excitement and keeps her readers turning the next page.
A sense of foreboding is delightfully created in the opening chapters as we discover the childhood connections of our hero and heroine. Fast forward several years to where our heroine returns to help her younger brother, only to be thrust into the one place that haunted her childhood. What a sister won’t do for a brother she loves, and whose illness she feels responsible for!
And our hero finds himself thrust out of his home with the visit of his younger brother and extensive bothersome renovations that cannot be tolerated for any period of time. Newly renovated hotel, allegedly haunted, Swanford Abbey is just the place for the well-healed to find respite.
Rebecca Lane is all sweetness and duty. Sir Frederick is proper.
Throw in a proper sleazy, slimy, backstabbing antagonist, a beautiful, secretive actress, and a murder mid-novel, for a suspenseful, romantic read.
I look forward to more of Julie Klassen’s books.
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

What a cozy, perfect-for-fall mystery this story turned out to be!

Because I've read most of Julie Klassen's books and definitely enjoyed them, I was looking forward to Shadows of Swanford Abbey. And I wasn't disappointed. This book has a different style than what I remember from her others--a little more concise and more of a "telling" approach. I didn't have as deep of a connection to the heroine and hero due to that, but I still cared for them and couldn't wait to find out more about the identity of the "ghost" and the murderer.

The actual murder took a little longer to occur than I expected, considering it's mentioned in the blurb, but the novel had such a mysterious air from the very beginning that I didn't mind. The Northanger Abbey-ish vibes are totally my thing. When you add wit, suspense, and a dash of romance to that, you really can't go wrong in my opinion. Definitely recommend this one for an atmospheric fall mystery with a sweet romance!