Julie Klassen
Book Summary: Abigail Foster is the practical daughter. She fears she will end up a spinster, especially as she has little dowry, and the one man she thought might marry her seems to have fallen for her younger, prettier sister. Facing financial ruin, Abigail and her father search for more affordable lodgings, until a strange solicitor arrives with an astounding offer: the use of a distant manor house abandoned for eighteen years. The Fosters journey to imposing Pembrooke Park and are startled to find it entombed as it was abruptly left: tea cups encrusted with dry tea, moth-eaten clothes in wardrobes, a doll's house left mid-play… The handsome local curate welcomes them, but though he and his family seem acquainted with the manor's past, the only information they offer is a stern warning: Beware trespassers drawn by rumors that Pembrooke Park contains a secret room filled with treasure. This catches Abigail's attention. Hoping to restore her family's finances--and her dowry--Abigail looks for this supposed treasure. But eerie sounds at night and footprints in the dust reveal she isn't the only one secretly searching the house. Then Abigail begins receiving anonymous letters, containing clues about the hidden room and startling discoveries about the past. As old friends and new foes come calling at Pembrooke Park, secrets come to light. Will Abigail find the treasure and love she seeks...or very real danger?
Review: This was a long book to read and yet I could not put it down. I read it until 1 AM and than finished is quickly in the next day. I loved all the characters. Even the one who was causing the mayhem was great. I do not like to give away secrets but the were many twists and turns that I was waiting for them at the edge of my seat for them to be revealed. I loved Abigail mostly because her growth and wisdom were sincerely well written and believable all in one. No matter what I would want Abigail to be my friend. She was kind and forgiving. The secret room was the hook that held me until the end. Sometimes I just wanted to climb in the story and search every room till I found it. Who cares about a treasure of goods, a secret room is worth it weight in gold alone. Secret passages too, although this story did not have secret passages. The men in Abigail’s life were great. All of them. They ebbed and grew in many ways that provided a dynamic storyline and kept me going while the mystery stewed in the background. The time flew and the story was well written. I will definitely read this story again someday.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Bethany House for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and I was never asked to write a favorable review by anyone.
