The Mandeville Curse by Callie Langridge

 

Hettie has been entrusted with cataloging the contents of an estate in the form of photographing the items. Photography is her forte and both her parents and the Hills family where the items are, feel this is the remedy to get Hettie out of her present state of mind - inertia, depression and overwhelming guilt over the cruel death of her protege.

Set in 1937 but going back to the time that Hettie’s own grandfather and Sir Charles were young men the story explains the close links between the families and the history of each person in the story. There is a lot to assimilate- the family dynamics, the loss of an inheritance, the resulting enmity and deaths that result and the danger for the present family members too in a way completely unthought of.

The romance between Rhys an ex soldier and now a groom at the estate, and Hettie is a slow build up and adds to the depth of this story. Hettie herself is a strong woman and is unusually modern and independent for the 1930s, most probably due to her slightly unconventional and modern upbringing.

The book is part of a series but does well as a stand alone.

Sent by Storm Publishing for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.