A Soupçon of Poison by Jennifer Ashley

• Title:  A Soupçon of Poison
• Series:  Kat Holloway Mysteries, #.5
• Author:  Jennifer Ashley
• Genre:  Historical Mystery
• Pages:  89
• Published:  December 2015 – JA/JG Publishing
• Source:  Purchased

Description:  London, 1880

Kat Holloway, highly sought-after young cook to the wealthy of London, finds herself embroiled in murder when she’s accused of poisoning her employer, the loathsome Sir Lionel Leigh-Bradbury. Her only help as she works to clear her name comes from the mysterious Daniel McAdam, a handsome man-of-all-work who seems to know everyone and always happens to be in the right place at the right time. Kat and Daniel investigate the crime, but the mystery of Daniel’s background might be just as elusive and dangerous as the poisoner bent on framing Kat for murder. (publisher)

My take:  Kat Holloway is a talented young cook for the less than desirable Sir Lionel. She won’t stand for his shenanigans though, which apparently he’s not used to. When his demise is pinned on her she is forced to find the real culprit. Luckily she has help from the mysterious Mr. Daniel McAdam and his son. There’s definitely some chemistry where Kat and Daniel are concerned. She’s determined to ignore the attraction given her prior history with men. He’s amused by her and enchanted by her cooking. Their relationship will grow in this series, I’m sure of it. Just as I’m sure they’ll solve whatever mystery comes their way. A fun introduction to a new series.

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Death Below Stairs by Jennifer Ashley

• Title:  Death Below Stairs
• Series:  Kat Holloway #1
• Author:  Jennifer Ashley
• Genre:  Historical Mystery
• Pages:  336
• Published:  January 2018 – Berkley
• Source:  Publisher; NetGalley

Description:  Beloved young cook Kat Holloway charms readers with her fierce sincerity as she takes on a new position in the household of powerful Lord Rankin.

Kat discovers a slew of odd characters living in the Rankin manor, from a lethargic Lady Rankin to her masculine spinster of a sister, to an eccentric cast of servants, and finally a very lustful, tempestuous Lord Rankin. Even more striking, however, is the trouble brewing in the home, which boils over when Kat’s young assistant is found murdered.

 

As Kat and her friend Daniel McAdam begin covertly investigating the murder, they soon find themselves working against a most daunting scheme – can they manage to escape the trouble they’ve cooked up for themselves?  (publisher)

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My take:  Every so often I like to read an historical mystery. I like being able to imagine myself living in those circumstances and then go along for the ride of the mystery. In Death Below Stairs author Jennifer Ashley’s main character is the new cook for a prominent Mayfair household. She’s not quite thirty years old and is a bit of a mystery herself. I suspect there’s even more to learn about Mrs. H. in future books.

Death Below Stairs is chock full of interesting characters who fall on one side or the other of  abhorrent (evil) and sympathetic (good). It has its share of eccentrics too – which I loved. And there’s the matter of Daniel McAdam. It seems he has a crush on our Mrs. H. He’s a mystery to her though.

I won’t spoil with plot points and such but I’ll say if you’re looking to try the genre there’s no better time than with this first book in the Kat Holloway series. Kat has me hooked and I look forward to finding out what challenges she, Daniel and their friends face next. Fans of the below stairs goings-on of Downton Abbey or Victoria will surely enjoy the world of Kat Holloway.

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