Judith Cutler involve Harriet and Matthew Rowsley in another Victorian mystery in A House Divided. Matthew's cousin Colonel Barrington Rowsley invite Harriet and Matthew to a house party where Harriet is snubbed for her servant's background as a housekeeper and for saving a child's life at the cost of forfeiture of a cricket game.
Guest Grafin Weiser is murdered followed by the butler. Everyone has some unpleasant secret and it falls to Harriet and Matthew to help the authorities to find whodunit. Great storytelling.

Leaving Thorncroft House behind for a few days, Matthew and Harriet Rowsley are invited to a house party by Matthew's cousin at Clunston Park where an eclectic group of people has gathered and where the atmosphere is rather icy among the various guests. Soon someone is murdered, a young maid stands accused of the crime and the icy atmosphere becomes unbearably dark and poisonous...

A delightful Victorian murder mystery, a drawing room drama and a comedy of maners that skillfully put to light the various issues that concerned class distinction in English society during the 1860s. Judith Cutler offers the reader a cleverly plotted whodunit and a brilliant fictional tapestry of human eccentricities
weaknesses and wickednesses that often reminded me of Anthony Trollope's world.

With its cast of exquisitely drawn characters and very impressive dialogues, this delicious novel was a treat to savor from start to finish

Many thanks to Severn House and Netgalley for this terrific ARC

1861. The Rowsley are invited by Matthew's cousin, Colonel Barrington to a house party. When a death occurs and a maid accused they investigate. But they are trapped in the house by a violent storm and are faced with hostility from some of the other guests.
Another entertaining and well-written Victorian mystery with its likeable and interesting characters. A good addition to this series which can easily be read as a standalone story.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Intriguing Victorian mystery!

I loved everything about this not so cosy Murder mystery. The relationship between husband and wife, Harriet and Matthew Rowsley is quite lovely.
The newly married couple have been asked to a country house party by Matthew’s cousin. Harriet is not enamoured. There will be those who will look down on her as she was once the housekeeper, and now the custodian of the lovely property, Thorncroft House, it’s library and Roman ruins.
But go they do and Harriet is rather put on what with a murder, a young girl being accused of theft, then another murder, attempted murder. Not to mention her treatment by her host Hortensia. Grrr! As the time progresses some shattering truths are revealed about the various members of the party.
I loved the way the author takes chapter about giving us the position of seeing events from Harriet’s side and then Matthew’s. I fumed at the polite put downs Harriet had to endure.
I have begun to read earlier novels in the series and am enjoying them as thoroughly as this.

A Severn House ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.

I like Matthew and Harriet Rowsley mysteries and liked this one even if I felt for Harriet during the first part of the book.
The mystery is solid and the secrets behind the facade made us see a world less genteel than one can think.
Another well researched and well plotted historical mystery.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

I really enjoyed the premise of this book and was excited to discover another 'Gosford Park'. The author paints an excellent picture of the aristocracy in a certain era with the added spice of a 'servant' who has been elevated through inheritance and connections into 'society'.

However, society isn't very enthralled with this trajectory and our heroine is besieged by bigotry, avarice, brutality and imperialist attitudes from every angle. There were times when exposition ruled and I felt myself drifting but after a couple of pages the story picked up again. I enjoyed this novel. It didn't blow me away but it was a good cosy thriller.

Many thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

A house party turns deadly in this well crafted mystery set in 1861, Matthew and Harriett alternately tell the tale which is also a bit of interesting commentary on class during the period -Harriett is a former housekeeper. And she's unfamiliar with cricket. While it's the fourth in the series, it will be fine as a standalone. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read for fans of historical mysteries.

"Stranded at a house party - when a murderer strikes.

May 1861, Victorian England. When Matthew and Harriet Rowsley are invited to a house party at Clunston Park by Matthew's cousin, Colonel Barrington Rowsley and his wife Lady Hortensia, Harriet is nervous - surely the aristocratic guests will snub her? After all, they are but mere servants in their eyes Her fears are realised on their first evening when the only person who deigns to speak to her is the spiteful Grafin Weiser and confirmed when she commits a major faux-pas at the cricket match the following day.

But there's no escape The cricket match is abandoned due to a storm, and flooding leaves the house guests stranded. Things worsen when Grafin Weiser is found murdered and the finger is quickly pointed at Clara, an eleven-year-old maid as the culprit. Convinced that she cannot be guilty, Harriet and Matthew agree to investigate.

The aristocratic facade begins to crumble under their scrutiny, and they start to unlock the secrets of Clunston Park. Why does the Colonel allow his bullying friend Major Jameson so much leeway? Is there more to the befuddled Lord Pidgeon than meets the eye? Harriet and Matthew must uncover the truth, before they find themselves in deadly danger."

Oh, people trapped in a house with secrets, oh no, what could possibly go wrong? Murder you say!?!

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for an e-galley of this novel.

This is book four in the Matthew Rowsley series and features Matthew and his wife Harriet as they find themselves stranded by floodwaters during a weekend visit to Matthew's cousin at Clunston Park. Naturally there will be foul play, the only question is who the victim is going to be. Matthew's cousin seems to be friendly at times, not so friendly at others, but his wife is definitely not happy about having Harriet, previously a housekeeper, mixing with her "betters". And, oh, why did Harriet have to go and catch that cricket ball?

I have not read any other books in this series and found that there is a method of construction that continued to trip me up throughout the book. Matthew and Harriet both have POV chapters and there is no obvious way of warning the reader who will be relating the action in each chapter. If I had to put the book down at the end of one chapter, I had trouble aligning my thoughts with which character was expressing their point of view when I picked the book up again. It would sometimes be many paragraphs into a chapter before I realized it was Matthew (or Harriet) speaking and not the other. Then I had to go back and read it from a different reference point. It was an irritating circumstance for me. I will not continue to read this series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-galley in exchange for an honest review. I just love delving into the Rowsley's lives and situations! We're back again with Matthew and Harriet attending a house party thrown by Matthew's cousin, Colonel Rowsley and his wife. Secrets, murder, class bias, and mystery abound in this latest installment. Matthew and Harriet combine their formidable forces to tackle a murder, while trying to stay alive and protect a young witness. This was a fantastic, engaging read that I all-too-quickly devoured!

Wonderfully Woven…
The second Harriet & Matthew Rowsley mystery set in a Victorian England. A genteel country house party brings murder and mystery and, although guests, the amateur sleuthing duo agree to investigate. As tensions escalate, more questions arise. A wonderfully woven historical mystery in traditional vein, well plotted and with a gloriously crafted cast of characters. Wholly enjoyable and a worthy addition to this well written series.

I really enjoyed this Victorian murder mystery book. It gave me lots of Agatha Christie vibes. A stately home, host to a weekend cricket party, cut off by a storm, when a murder takes place and the whole house falls under suspicion. The books main characters, Matthew and Harriet Rowsley had a wonderful relationship together and worked so well as a crime solving duo. Harriet’s vulnerability throughout the story was very endearing. I liked her immediately, she was such a charming, kind, caring woman. There was lots going on in the story which kept me turning the pages, I had no idea who the murderer was and was shocked at the ending. This is book four in a series and after reading this i will definitely be reading the others.
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Thank you to @NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love historical mysteries and it is because of books like this. I loved the writing, I loved the characters and the storyline was so gripping and kep tme engaged the whole way through. A really enjoyable read.