Part of Below Stairs Mystery
First published 2019
Kat Holloway works as a cook in Victorian London when scholar Li Bai Chang gives her a precious box of tea as thanks for her kindness. Two days later, shocking news reaches the kitchen. Lady Cynthia's neighbor Sir Jacob has been found dead. The victim was known throughout London as an expert on Chinese language and customs who worked with merchants and government officials. The police arrest Mr. Li for the crime. Kat refuses to believe the gentle scholar could be a killer. She teams up with Daniel to prove Li's innocence. Their investigation pulls them into a dangerous web of lies that stretches from the wealthy mansions of Mayfair to the exotic plants of Kew Gardens. Sir Jacob's work as a cultural intermediary masked darker activities involving stolen treasure and international secrets. As Kat digs deeper, she discovers that clearing Li's name means exposing powerful people who will kill to protect their crimes.
Genres: historical-fiction, mystery, crime, adult-fiction
Vibes: atmospheric, engaging, intricate, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, forced-proximity, found-family
Setting: Victorian London, Mayfair, Kew Gardens
Period: Victorian era, 19th century
304 pages · Paperback · Penguin Publishing Group
Content warnings: death, murder