Book Review: 'Behind the Shattered Glass' by Tasha Alexander

✰✰✰½ Lady Emily is just settling into married life and enjoying being a new mom, when the peace of country estate life is shattered by a murder. On a warm autumn evening the new Marquess of Montagu, Archibald Scolfield, staggered through the French doors and died on the library floor. The family is stunned, and Lady Emily is thrown into a new mystery to solve. Having just arrived the day before, the dead Marquess didn't have time to make enemies or did he? His cousin, Matilda, stood to gain the most from his death, but when Archibald's engagement to an American heiress comes to light, so do other family secrets.

With a zeal for finding clues, Lady Emily wastes no time in getting involved. It seems that Archibald was popular with women from all stations in life, and left a trail of broken hearts behind where ever he went. When an unknown relative arrives to claim the Montagu title, the plot thickens. Meanwhile, Colin's friend, Lord Flyte, has taken a fancy to one of the maids causing jealousy and strife amongst the servants. Lady Emily must not only solve the mystery and help her friend Matilda, but she must continue to oversee managing the busy country estate as well.

The Bottom Line: This installment is Book 8 in the series; however, it is the first book in the series that I have read. While it has received mixed reviews elsewhere, I found the story to be fun and fanciful. It's a quick and entertaining read that's perfect for the weekend. I enjoyed the period details and descriptions of country estate life. Lady Emily is spunky and forward thinking. Each chapter includes an upstairs part and a downstairs part, which I enjoyed as well. Fans of historical mysteries and Downton Abbey will enjoy this novel. There was also quite a bit of romance in this book.

Details: Behind the Shattered Glass: A Lady Emily Mystery by Tasha Alexander. Hardcover published by Minotaur Books in 2013. 304 p. ISBN: 978-1250024701 NOTE: I received an Advance Reading Copy from Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. This was made possible by the Early Reviewers program at LibraryThing.