Another great read by Rachel Burton

Annie Bishop worked as a servant at Haverford House, she aspired for something more ..... in the summer of 1933 she mysteriously disappears.

Years later, Viola is employed by the Dowager to market the facilities of the failing house, the disappearance of Annie is a local legend and she uses this when doing tours of the house.

Viola looks at ways of saving the house from being turned into a hotel, the heir of the house wants to get rid of the house and brings over an American to try and buy the house.... a great story to read .

I just couldn't put this book down. I really liked the dual timeline it worked so well. Great characters and a captivating story. Viola was a tenacious lady striving to keep the house open - thank goodness for toads - who would have thought they would help to save the house. So many secrets from the past. I loved Annie's story a tale of love and friendship, what a lady.

This atmospheric historical mystery plays out over a dual timeline. Set in the York village of Cranmere, the main focus is on Haversford House, a Georgian mansion, located on top of a hill overlooking the village. Once the heart and soul of the village, it’s now struggling to stay afloat. This novel well researched and had beautifully descriptions of the house and grounds. I could picture the house in its heyday, buzzing with life. I wanted to walk up the grand staircase, stare a the elaborately painted ballroom ceiling, visit the dollhouses, walk around the beautiful grounds then have afternoon tea and watch a Shakespeare show on the grounds.

Linking the two timelines is the mystery of what happened to housemaid Annie, who disappeared without a trace in 1933. Both timelines were held my attention and the story moved seamlessly between the two. In the historical story we get to know Annie as she starts work at Haversford house in 1928, get to know her, her family and what it was like to work in a house of its type. It finishes up in 1933, the day she disappears. The moderns timelines focused on Viola Hendricks, who manages Haversford Hiuse as tourist destination. Like other manors of the time, visitor numbers are decreasing and it’s now struggling to stay afloat, despite its infamous history of Annie’s disappearance.

I really enjoyed Viola as a main character, particularly her back story, relationship with twin brother Sebastian, her interactions with newcomer Chase Matthews and Saskia, the dowager countess and her connections with Australia. Annie was interesting as a woman ahead of her time. I loved the links to Shakespeare and found the examination of class and domestic violence of the time interesting. Another solid historical mystery from Burton.

I absolutely adored the first Rachel book I read but I just couldn't get into this book. I like the whole mystery of Annie Bishop's disappearance but Viola was almost obsessed about it.

Its set over two timelines. Both in the same house telling the stories of Viola and Annie.

I look forward to other books.

I remember enjoying a previous book by this author, so I was excited to read this one. It was a mystery with a timeslip element, so there were two narratives, and I felt a connection with both sets of characters. I enjoyed escaping with this story for a little while.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

I’ve not heard of this author before, so wasn’t sure what to expect.

The story was good, the plot was solid, and I was interested to discover the truth behind the mystery.

However, the characters did nothing to endear themselves to the reader, and I found myself not caring at all what happened to them. The reader was told what the characters were feeling, we weren’t shown this.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in return for my honest opinions.

Such a great book, I loved the overlap between history and now but also the over lap of the characters and the similar emotions. It was a really great book. I loved the details about the house from both periods. Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a big fan of Rachel Burton books so when I had the chance to get an ARC of this book I jumped at the chance!
I thoroughly enjoyed the story and was intrigued to discover the truth behind the mystery, but for some reason I found myself at a distance from the characters - not really feeling and investing in their tale. It felt a little like you are being told what they felt as apposed to intuiting it from actions and behaviour
Regardless a book definitely worth a read.

Another fabulous, well written and intriguing story from Rachel Burton. I love historical novels set in grand houses and this one ticks all the boxes - two time lines (1933 and 2003), two women falling for a mysterious American (Annie and Viola), and the gorgeous setting of Haverford House (the family home of Lord Haverford with a small household staff in 1933; and struggling to stay within the family in 2003 due to spiralling debts).
This gorgeous book pulls you in and you find yourself swept up in the mystery of what happened to Annie Bishop and why she disappeared on the night of a party in 1933. Highly recommended ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Really enjoyed this read, great storyline and great characters would recommend to others.

Not usually into mysteries but I loved this book. Set between 2 different times. Annie starts to work in Haverford House and then in 1933 she vanished. Forward to 2003 Viola is working there and uses Annie as a subject in the tours of the house. She is so enthralled with the story that she wants to find out what happens to Annie

Loved this book as it was a dual timeline story line. Very well written and the chapters were very well connected as per the time line. I can see this book very popular with retired females as they can relate to the characters. Finding yourself as going forward toward the unknown is scarey but worth taking the leap. Yes this book is worth reading and will make you think .

I look forward to reading more from this author. Two women in different time periods are linked together through an old British mansion(Haverford House). What happened to Annie Bishop in a previous time? Was she murdered or did she just disappear? Enter Viola Hendrix in the present seeking to find new meaning in her life working at the Haverford House. How these two women's lives interact leads to a fascinating read. Highly recommended.

I initially saw the two distinct stories of Annie Bishop in the 1930s and Viola in the present as linked via Haverford House, a grand but struggling home full of secrets and in need of a lot of money for its upkeep. However, it soon became apparent that there is so much more these two characters have in common. As both struggle with being torn between their family, their heart and their ambitions, it is clear that despite nearly a century between them, similar issues still persist. I could not stop reading this book, I quickly became so invested in both Annie and Viola's story, their characters were both so well developed and the plot pace was so well done I just had to keep finding out more to have answers to the mystery and what would become of both of their fates.
A beautiful, riveting dual timeline romance and mystery that sweeps you up in the storytelling..

An emotional and heartwarming story!

I truly enjoyed very much Rachel Burton’s touching book The Mystery of Haverford House!
I loved the fact that it tells a story that interweaves the lives of two women Annie and Viola.

I appreciated how the two timelines, 1933 and 2003, were linked!
I became very intrigued as the story progressed.
I really found her two main characters touching, they are well developed!

The author did a great job creating the intrigue and suspense.

What can I say? I’m so glad to have discovered this new-to-me author. I will surely read her next books! I recommend this one!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book from Aries Fiction Books and NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Viola Hendricks smells a story. She’s heard about Annie Bishop, a young woman who was a maid at the luxurious Haverford House in 1933. Annie he was swept off her feet by the wealthy American, Thomas Everard, and dared to dream she might have a life with a man decidedly above her station. But then she mysteriously disappeared. Viola wants to uncover the real story, and a job opening at Haverford house is her way in. What she doesn’t expect is to fall under the spell of the grand home and becoming embroiled in the fight to save it. Other parallels are drawn between Annie and Viola when Viola finds herself falling for a wealthy American, just like Annie did