Shadows of Swanford Abbey

This novel reminded me of a Perry Mason episode. You have to understand that Perry Mason is one of my all-time favorite television shows (a lot of family history and good memories watching it).  But the premise of every Perry Mason episode is that someone gets murdered, all evidence points to an innocent party, and it's up to Perry and his private detective to find the missing keys and get the charges dropped from the innocent defendant, while proving who actually did commit the murder. Woven into this particular novel by Julie Klassen is a bit of mental illness exacerbated by addiction. 

Rebecca Lane has been asked to return to her hometown and help her brother out.  He has written a novel that he wants to have published.  The last one he wrote was stolen by another author, Ambrose Oliver, but he had no proof.  This time, he has covered his bases and set a trap for Oliver.  To fulfill her brother's request, Rebecca ends up staying at Swanford Abbey, which is said to be haunted by the abbess who started the Abbey.  This legend allows the for all the nefarious events to unfold, culminating in the murder of Oliver.  

Because Rebecca is back in her hometown, she is able to rekindle a friendship with Sir Frederick, a man who was a childhood crush, but also a scholar under the tutelage of her father, the local vicar. Frederick is the one who taught her to ride horses, engaged in her less-than-ladylike pursuits, and was her closest friend.  She finds that he is also staying at Swanford Abbey due to renovations going on at his house.  When Oliver is murdered, he is the magistrate in charge of the case.  He's the Perry Mason, with Rebecca being his Della Street. 

Some of the themes Julie has used in this book are: reconciliation, forgiveness, and healing.  Those themes make this book worth reading.  The only thing I didn't like about it was the predictability of the book.  The romance is tipped off early on in the book, the final solution to the murder is easy to suss out, even the events that bring about the murder are not surprising. Four Stars

Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.