Talented young cook Kat Holloway ventures above stairs to help her eccentric employer Lady Cynthia solve an art theft in Ashley's second Victorian mystery (after
Death Below Stairs). Kat identifies the culprit easily, but he's poisoned soon after and it's revealed that he is part of a violent criminal syndicate investigated by Kat's enigmatic friend Daniel Macadam. Kat's knowledge of cooking and serving, along with her intelligence and courage, makes her a formidable sleuth and partner. The clever pair, assisted by their friends, dive into action with enthusiasm. The novel is read by Anne-Marie Piazza with the self-consciously precise consonants of an upper servant.
VERDICT Warm, sensible, and smart, Kat is brought appealingly to life by Piazza, who is also adept at characterizations of high-born ladies, pompous gentlemen, thieving villains, and frightened kitchen maids.
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