The Burning of Rosemont Abbey by Naomi Stephens
In 1956, Louisa Everly lives a pampered life in Wilbeth Green. Then one night the village’s beloved Rosemont Abbey goes up in flames, and all evidence points squarely to Louisa’s wayward, no-good twin brother, Paul. However, Louisa knows deep inside that Paul is innocent, because she felt Paul’s death an hour before the abbey burned.
Inspector Malcolm Sinclair, a former childhood friend of Paul’s, is willing to listen to Louisa’s theories and accept her assistance – to a point. However, Louisa enlists the help of feisty, driving-impaired octogenarian Mrs. Watson, and the two ladies set out to find the true culprit.
What an absolute delight of a novel! Deftly combining the quirky humor of Father Brown with the gravitas and shocking twists of more serious murder mysteries, The Burning of Rosemont Abbey kept me reading and laughing and pondering the culprit. Louisa Everly is a bright and insightful heroine with a penchant for amusing sayings and scrapes, who also shows a touching awareness of her own flaws and mistakes. Plus, romance! Naomi Stephens has a new fan in me!
