The Letter from Briarton Park

Ladd (the Cornwall Novels series) kicks off her Houses of Yorkshire series with a captivating Regency. Cassandra Hale was raised in a house for girls and believes herself an orphan until she receives an astonishing letter from a stranger summoning her to Briarton Park for information about her family. However, the letter is over two years old, its writer is dead, and Briarton Park is now in the hands of widower James Warrington. James knows nothing of Cassandra, but he agrees to help her in her quest for answers. After Cassandra proves her mettle by rescuing James’s sister from the clutches of a rejected suitor, James offers her a position as governess to his children. The town’s vicar, Mr. North, also befriends Cassandra and warns her of asking too many questions in her investigation. Tension ramps up when a man who sought to ensure Cassandra’s inheritance per her late father’s will is murdered, making it clear that someone wants Cassandra’s parentage to stay secret. James and Cassandra’s friendship blossoms into romance as they uncover the truth and learn that people are not always who they seem. Ladd balances mystery and romance to create a light but satisfying story. Readers will look forward to the next in the series. (Mar.)