Silent in the Sactuary

by Deanna Raybourne

First of all, welcome to my book review blog--this is my first review here! Autumn is upon us, and it makes me want to curl up in my favorite leather chair with a cup of Constant Comment, some Thomas Newman in the background, and a good story.

Silent in the Sanctuary is one of those books I bought because I liked the look of the cover. I was not previously familiar with this author, nor had I heard about this book previously. The fact that it is second in a series, and I haven't read the first, verifies my ignorance here.

This book is a 'Jane Austen meets Agatha Christie' sort of book; an historical fiction mystery, told in first person (which is sometimes tricky, I've heard) by Lady Julia Grey. Julia and her brothers are summoned home to the family estate in England for Christmas by their father. A house party with various family members and a few others ends up in murder. One of the guests just so happens to be Nicholas Brisbane, a private detective type, that Julia knows from a prior mystery involving her dead husband. This and a few other references to the first book, that I have not read, are made. I was still able to follow this with no problem. As Lady Julia and Brisbane embark on an investigation, the past they share is gradually revealed, to a point, as well. Oh, and there comes a storm, restricting all of our players from leaving the manor (ala Agatha Christie). I changed my mind a couple of times during the story, but had the culprit/culprits, if not the exact motive, figured out before the reveal. Either way, it was an enjoyable first book of the 'curling up' season:)

This was a fun little read with colorful characters that I read in a weekend. It stood fairly well on it's own, and I didn't feel like I was in the dark at all in not having read the first. I think I'm a new fan of Raybourne's, and will be reading the first Lady Julia Grey Mystery, Silent in the Grave, and will keep an eye out for the next.