The Wages of Sin

Set in Victorian England, this captivating series launch from Cutler (the Lina Townend mysteries) introduces Matthew Rowsley, the capable new manager of the vast holdings of Lord Croft, and Mrs. Harriet Faulkner, housekeeper of the Croft family mansion in Shropshire. The author at first offers fleeting glimpses of flighty Lord Croft and his tetchy mother before slipping into the mysterious doings on the estate. Maggie Billings, a pretty young housemaid, goes missing around the same time that Lord Croft and Luke Hargreaves, his manservant, leave for a holiday. Shortly thereafter, his lordship’s carriage is found smashed to pieces and partially hidden in some woodland. Has his lordship been murdered? Has Luke? And where is the housemaid? Rowsley, Mrs. Faulkner, and other members of the staff pool their information in an effort to discover the truth. Interspersed among Rowsley’s first-person narration are extracts from Mrs. Faulkner’s diary that add resonance to the main story, as well as providing a deeper understanding of the relationship between the two protagonists. Readers will look forward to seeing more of this enterprising duo. (Feb.)