Shadows of Swanford Abbey
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- Create Date：2021-12-09 02:19:16
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Julie Klassen
- ISBN：B08XLNHC26
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Summary
News of her brother's worrisome behavior spurs Miss Rebecca Lane to return home to her village。 Upon her arrival， he begs her to go to nearby Swanford Abbey， a medieval monastery turned grand hotel rumored to be haunted。 Feeling responsible for her brother's desperate state， she reluctantly agrees to stay at the abbey until she can deliver his manuscript to a fellow guest who might help him get published--an author who once betrayed them。
Soon， Rebecca starts seeing strange things， including a figure in a hooded black gown gliding silently through the abbey's cloisters at night。 For all its renovations and veneer of luxury， the ancient foundations seem to echo with whispers of the past--including her own。 For there she encounters Sir Frederick--baronet， magistrate， and former neighbor--who long ago broke her heart。 Now a handsome widower of thirty-five， he is trying to overcome a past betrayal of his own。
When the famous author is found dead， Sir Frederick makes inquiries and quickly discovers that several people held grudges against the author， including Miss Lane and her brother。 As Sir Frederick searches for answers， he is torn between his growing feelings for Rebecca and his pursuit of the truth。 For Miss Lane is clearly hiding something。 。 。 。
Soon， Rebecca starts seeing strange things， including a figure in a hooded black gown gliding silently through the abbey's cloisters at night。 For all its renovations and veneer of luxury， the ancient foundations seem to echo with whispers of the past--including her own。 For there she encounters Sir Frederick--baronet， magistrate， and former neighbor--who long ago broke her heart。 Now a handsome widower of thirty-five， he is trying to overcome a past betrayal of his own。
When the famous author is found dead， Sir Frederick makes inquiries and quickly discovers that several people held grudges against the author， including Miss Lane and her brother。 As Sir Frederick searches for answers， he is torn between his growing feelings for Rebecca and his pursuit of the truth。 For Miss Lane is clearly hiding something。 。 。 。
Reviews
Amanda Hupe
，
Thank you， NetGalley， Julie Klassen， and Bethany House Publishers for the opportunity to read this book！ It releases TODAY！！ （December 7th， 2021）I will never say no to a Julie Klassen book and Shadows of Swanford Abbey is one of her best！ Rebecca Lane has come home after an urgent letter from her brother’s housemaid。 Her brother has been struggling with mental illness for some time。 He is a writer who has been denied and plagiarized。 He has not been the same since the betrayal。 He asks her to ta Thank you， NetGalley， Julie Klassen， and Bethany House Publishers for the opportunity to read this book！ It releases TODAY！！ （December 7th， 2021）I will never say no to a Julie Klassen book and Shadows of Swanford Abbey is one of her best！ Rebecca Lane has come home after an urgent letter from her brother’s housemaid。 Her brother has been struggling with mental illness for some time。 He is a writer who has been denied and plagiarized。 He has not been the same since the betrayal。 He asks her to take his new manuscript to the author and his publisher who happened to be staying at the newly renovated Swanford Abbey。 It is now a hotel， but it used to be an Abbey and there are rumors that the ghost of the first Abbess still roams the halls。 While staying at the Abbey， she runs into a childhood friend and the man who happened to break her heart—Sir Frederick。 He is reeling from the death of his wife， so instead of staying at home， he and his brother visit the Abbey。 Emotions are already running high—but then there is a murder and the suspect could be anyone。I am in love with all the gothic vibes！！ Julie Klassen always has channeled Jane Austen and Jane Eyre in her stories but this one definitely drifted to the darker side of those classics。 AND I AM HERE FOR IT！ A lot of Christian/Romantic Historical Fiction stick to the same plot devices and same characters。 Julie Klassen really stepped out of the box here。 I love a good murder mystery and I did not predict the ending！ Huge plus。The characters are amazing as well。 I love how Rebecca isn’t this stereotypical historical romance woman。 Lately， the common theme in historical fiction is “women ahead of their time。” —which irks me a bit。 Don’t get me wrong， I want to read about these women who defied the limitations of their society but sometimes liberties are taken and these women seem more like a character from a fantasy novel than a character from a historical fiction novel。 Sometimes （especially in ancient or medieval historical fiction） I think to myself that this woman would have definitely been burned as a witch。 She is incredible but also would have never survived in that time period。 So it doesn’t feel believable。 Not in this case。 Rebecca is strong， a little quirky， she shines， but she also has flaws。 THANK YOU for giving us a main character with flaws。 I was rooting for her and freaked out when she made mistakes。And last but not least， we have themes that revolve around mental health。 This time period was not accepting of mental illness。 It was treated as a crime， not as an illness。 I love how the author incorporated the concepts of accepting those with mental illness but the importance of seeking treatment。 It is really powerful。 Overall， a stunning 5 out of 5 stars！！！！ 。。。more
Alissa Peppo （bookstagrambyalissamorgan）
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In Shadows of Swanford Abbey， Julie Klassen combines a sweet regency romance with a classic murder mystery to create a captivating tale that will keep readers riveted until the last page！ I was utterly mesmerized by the unique setting and method of storytelling used to create a gothic regency romance with a classic whodunnit mystery feel。 In my opinion， Julie Klassen is the queen of regency romance with intrigue and mystery， and this tale is no exception。 This might be my favorite book by her be In Shadows of Swanford Abbey， Julie Klassen combines a sweet regency romance with a classic murder mystery to create a captivating tale that will keep readers riveted until the last page！ I was utterly mesmerized by the unique setting and method of storytelling used to create a gothic regency romance with a classic whodunnit mystery feel。 In my opinion， Julie Klassen is the queen of regency romance with intrigue and mystery， and this tale is no exception。 This might be my favorite book by her because it has everything I love in a good mystery-- adventure， romance， ancient legends， and a dashing noble to serve as hero and investigator。Forgiveness is a recurring theme in the lives of the hero and heroine， which provides a firm spiritual foundation to this narrative。 I also loved the approach to mental health that the author took in this work， and thought it provided a wonderful perspective into the struggles of those afflicted， how it affects their families， and how treatments have been improved by rational and kind-hearted people over the years。 I usually do prefer a bit more romance than was present in this love story--which could be described as a “slow burn”-- but that is a personal preference。 I still found Rebecca and Frederick adorable and their happily ever after was immensely satisfying and endearing。I highly recommend this regency romance with a good dose of mystery to lovers of either genre。 Julie Klassen never fails to deliver a sweet regency romance with intrigue， and Shadows of Swanford Abbey may just be my favorite work of hers yet。I received a copy of this book from the author for review purposes， but my thoughts are my own。 I truly did love it！ 。。。more
Silver Petticoat
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Disclosure: I received a free copy of Shadows of Swanford Abbey from the publisher via NetGalley。 All opinions in the book review are my own。SHADOWS OF SWANFORD ABBEY:Julie Klassen’s latest Regency Romance novel is fabulous and fun！ If you were to take elements of Jane Austen， Agatha Christie， Charlotte Bronte， Elizabeth Gaskell， and Charles Dickens， you’d discover this intriguing read full of romance， mystery， suspense， and perhaps even a ghost！It’s the type of book you can’t put down and simpl Disclosure: I received a free copy of Shadows of Swanford Abbey from the publisher via NetGalley。 All opinions in the book review are my own。SHADOWS OF SWANFORD ABBEY:Julie Klassen’s latest Regency Romance novel is fabulous and fun！ If you were to take elements of Jane Austen， Agatha Christie， Charlotte Bronte， Elizabeth Gaskell， and Charles Dickens， you’d discover this intriguing read full of romance， mystery， suspense， and perhaps even a ghost！It’s the type of book you can’t put down and simply must finish as soon as possible – if only to discover the “who” in the whodunit murder mystery and to get to more swoony moments between the likable heroine and the Darcy-like hero。 THE STORYKlassen delights with a historical Agatha Christie-like mystery and a Regency Romance between a lady’s companion， Rebecca Lane， and her former childhood crush， Sir Frederick， a wealthy Mr。 Darcy-like hero in his thirties。 When Miss Lane returns to her home village， she discovers her brother， John， in mental turmoil， struggling to make it as an author。 He asks her for an impossible favor – to stay at Swanford Abbey （a medieval monastery transformed into a grand hotel） and bring his latest manuscript to the famous author staying there。 All in the hopes of getting published – even though the author is a cruel， selfish， and horrible man that stole her brother’s novel in the past for his own gain。 But she wants to help her tormented brother， so she does what he asks。 Once there， Rebecca crosses paths with Sir Frederick， the man she loved as a girl。 He was a bit older than her， and while they were close， he only saw her as a teenage girl rather than a woman。 He ultimately chose another beautiful and charming woman， leaving Rebecca behind and breaking her heart。 Now a widower and a magistrate， the two meet in entirely new circumstances， reawakening her adolescent feelings and perhaps stirring some new emotions within his own heart。The pair once again become close， only for the murder of the famous author to shake things up – adding a good amount of suspense into the page-turning tale。 JANE AUSTEN MEETS AGATHA CHRISTIEWhat I loved about Shadows of Swanford Abbey is just how much it reminds me of my favorite authors。 It has a Jane Austen-esque love story， an Agatha Christie-esque murder， a ghost-like apparition of a nun – similar to the one in Bronte’s Villette， plus elements of a Dickens story or even Gaskell’s North and South。 If you love all those authors and stories as much as I do， then this is the book for you！ While Klassen pays homage to these authors in various ways， the story is wholly original and not just a copy。Klassen’s powerful prose and storytelling abilities kept me hooked from start to finish。 Some parts even reminded me of Downton Abbey and Grand Hotel！Now， if you don’t typically read inspirational fiction， a few moral judgments and religious quotes appear here and there， but it’s realistic to the characters of that time and not overly preachy。 So， don’t let that deter you from a brilliant， entertaining read if the inspirational genre is not typically your cup of tea。 THE ROMANCEIn the story， Klassen builds on Rebecca Lane’s unrequited love from her teenage years and develops it into a mature love story。 I found myself rooting for these two intelligent kindred spirits and hoping for an Austen-like happily ever after。 Every moment shared between them was tense and filled with the right amount of chemistry。Ultimately， the romance story is both satisfying and enjoyable to read。THE CHARACTERSNumerous interesting characters besides Rebecca and Sir Frederick fill the story with rich characterization and a strong suspect pool。 And I enjoyed reading about each of them。OVERALL THOUGHTSOverall， if you’re a fan of Austen and Christie， or have even read Julie Klassen’s previous bestselling novels， then you’ll love her latest book。 It really is an absolute lighthearted treat I can’t recommend enough。ADAPTATION RECOMMENDATIONShadows of Swanford Abbey would make a lovely period drama film with familiar British actors and a clever script。 It has all the perfect elements to be a hit。 Content Note: The romance is completely wholesome， while the murder mystery and gothic elements give it a PG feel。 OVERALL RATING: 4。5 （rounding up to a 5 in the Goodreads rating）ROMANCE RATING: 5You can read the entire review on The Silver Petticoat Review here: https://www。silverpetticoatreview。com。。。 。。。more
sincerely
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3。5 RTC
Cara Putman
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Such a great regency romantic mystery。 Hints of Agatha Christy and her closed house novels。 Secrets abound everywhere as does forgiveness and the potential for love。
Katie
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In Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey， Henry Tilney teases Catherine Morland’s overactive imagination with a ghostly tale that， among other things， suggests that “the part of the abbey you inhabit is undoubtedly haunted。” Such is the brooding tone and setting of the atmospheric romantic mystery Shadows of Swanford Abbey， by popular Regency romance author Julie Klassen。After two years traveling the country as a lady’s companion， all the while longing for home， clergyman’s daughter Miss Rebecca Lane h In Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey， Henry Tilney teases Catherine Morland’s overactive imagination with a ghostly tale that， among other things， suggests that “the part of the abbey you inhabit is undoubtedly haunted。” Such is the brooding tone and setting of the atmospheric romantic mystery Shadows of Swanford Abbey， by popular Regency romance author Julie Klassen。After two years traveling the country as a lady’s companion， all the while longing for home， clergyman’s daughter Miss Rebecca Lane has returned to her hometown in Worcestershire to aid her troubled younger brother John。 Their housekeeper’s chilling warning—“Your brother’s behavior has grown more alarming。 I fear what he might do。” （Loc 70）—occupies her every thought。 A gifted yet unsettled writer， John had become increasingly erratic following the deaths of their parents， and his temperament had grown even more volatile after an unfortunate incident involving his first book。Rebecca’s arrival prompts John to insist that she present his latest manuscript to a famous author staying at the nearby abbey-turned-hotel， hoping for a path to publication。 “The medieval stone abbey—the setting of many childhood nightmares” （Loc 286） was the last place she wanted to go。 “Local children still considered Swanford Abbey haunted， inhabited by the spirits of long-dead nuns。” （Loc 290） With an uneasy yet familiar guilt spurring her to help her brother however she can， Rebecca reluctantly checks in to the hotel as a guest and looks for an opportunity to approach the man she seeks。 Unexpectedly， though， she encounters the last man she wishes to see again。 “Recognition jolted her。 Not him。 Not here。 Not now。 She swiftly turned her face away， praying he had not seen her。 Too late。” （Loc 341）Sir Frederick Wilford， recently widowed and long-ago jaded， fondly remembers his innocent friendship with the lovely clergyman’s daughter。 Yet when a fellow hotel guest is murdered， Sir Frederick must put aside his affinity for Miss Lane and step into his role as local magistrate to investigate the crime。 Suspicions abound as suspects are sought， and Miss Lane’s questionable conduct is not excused from the scrutiny。 Will the childhood friends ever be able to step out of the distrustful shadows of their pasts？The shadows depicted in this story are nuanced and numerous。 It is a sensitive yet realistic depiction of mental health struggles， not only as a result of grief—from death， self-inflicted guilt， and estrangement—but also as a result of what today would be called a traumatic brain injury。I have read at least a dozen of Julie Klassen’s books over the years， all of them enjoyable in their own ways， and this story was no exception。 My only complaints are the slow pace of the story as the mystery unfolds and the subdued romantic elements; however， I appreciated the several unforeseen twists and the likeable protagonists。 I particularly enjoyed the historical details woven into the narrative， and the gothic feel of the haunted abbey setting。Romantic mystery fans are sure to relish the haunting ambience as secrets are revealed in Shadows of Swanford Abbey。4 out of 5 Starshttps://austenprose。com/2021/12/06/sh。。。 。。。more
Another_Book_to_Ponder
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This was such a mystery whodunnit！ I loved trying to figure it out until the very end！ I thought the love interest was sweet and the secrets were revealed perfectly！ I loved the characters and story。 Looking forward to reading her next book！I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher and was under no obligation to post a favorable review。
Lyssa
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A Regency murder mystery / who-dun-it with a dash of romance: interesting （and suspicious） characters， multiple layers and tangled threads， and gothic vibes。 I figured out some things ahead of time （several only RIGHT beforehand）， and some were a surprise to me。 It was a very engaging read。 Without giving anything away， I will say I didn't like the wrap up of one subplot at the end - very abrupt and melodramatic。 It just felt out of place in the story。One small blip in an otherwise enjoyable rea A Regency murder mystery / who-dun-it with a dash of romance: interesting （and suspicious） characters， multiple layers and tangled threads， and gothic vibes。 I figured out some things ahead of time （several only RIGHT beforehand）， and some were a surprise to me。 It was a very engaging read。 Without giving anything away， I will say I didn't like the wrap up of one subplot at the end - very abrupt and melodramatic。 It just felt out of place in the story。One small blip in an otherwise enjoyable read - would recommend。 I hope the author writes similar stories in the future。 。。。more
Amanda （my。bookish。heart）
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4。5 stars — This was such an interesting mystery/suspense by Julie Klassen！ I was immediately interested after reading the blurb and the book lived up to my expectations！I loved the intrigue and the bits of romance sprinkled throughout。 The mystery left me guessing until the very end and actually caught me by surprise！ Klassen’s writing style was so beautiful and keeps the reader captivated in her words。 The characters were fun and made me more invested in the story。 Altogether， this was a wonde 4。5 stars — This was such an interesting mystery/suspense by Julie Klassen！ I was immediately interested after reading the blurb and the book lived up to my expectations！I loved the intrigue and the bits of romance sprinkled throughout。 The mystery left me guessing until the very end and actually caught me by surprise！ Klassen’s writing style was so beautiful and keeps the reader captivated in her words。 The characters were fun and made me more invested in the story。 Altogether， this was a wonderful book I would highly recommend if you are wanting to read a historical mystery！Thank you so much to NetGalley， Bethany House， and the author for a complimentary copy。 All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 。。。more
Laura
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Julie Klassen delivers a spine-tingling Gothic romance with Shadows of Swanford Abbey。When Rebecca Lane returns home after a few years away， she discovers her brother is not doing well。 He was tricked by a famous author who stole his book， and he could not get past it。 Desperate to help him， Rebecca agrees to pass his latest manuscript to an author staying at Swanford Abbey in the hopes that he could get published。But once she arrives at the abbey-turned hotel， Rebecca begins to see things that Julie Klassen delivers a spine-tingling Gothic romance with Shadows of Swanford Abbey。When Rebecca Lane returns home after a few years away， she discovers her brother is not doing well。 He was tricked by a famous author who stole his book， and he could not get past it。 Desperate to help him， Rebecca agrees to pass his latest manuscript to an author staying at Swanford Abbey in the hopes that he could get published。But once she arrives at the abbey-turned hotel， Rebecca begins to see things that make her believe the abbey is haunted。 On top of that， she meets Sir Frederick again， a former neighbour who once broke her heart。 For his part， Sir Frederick cannot believe the change he sees in Rebecca and is immediately drawn to her。 But because of their age difference， he tries to quell the growing feelings he has for her。This book has it all。 Ghostly hauntings， murder， intrigue， and above all， romance！ Rebecca is fearless。 Half the things she does in this book I would never venture out to do。 While Frederick， for his part， is unquestionably honourable， to his detriment in the romance department。 Together they are perfect for each other。If you love Gothic Regency romance， you will enjoy this book。 I highly recommend it！ 。。。more
Debbie
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"Shadows of Swanford Abbey" is a Christian historical romance and mystery set in 1820 in England。 Rebecca felt responsible for her brother's moods and so allowed him to manipulate her into doing something that made no sense: give his rejected manuscript to the author that stole his last manuscript in hopes he'd recommend it to his publisher。 The author was guarded so no one could bother him。 Rebecca convinced herself that getting the manuscript to the author would somehow make her brother all be "Shadows of Swanford Abbey" is a Christian historical romance and mystery set in 1820 in England。 Rebecca felt responsible for her brother's moods and so allowed him to manipulate her into doing something that made no sense: give his rejected manuscript to the author that stole his last manuscript in hopes he'd recommend it to his publisher。 The author was guarded so no one could bother him。 Rebecca convinced herself that getting the manuscript to the author would somehow make her brother all better even though she had valid doubts at the start。 She deliberately deceived several people to gain this goal。Sir Frederick was friends with Rebecca when they were children and could see how she's grown into a beautiful woman， but he's also the one investigating the murder。 She's clearly hiding something。 Yet she's also the one uncovering a lot of clues。 He interviewed people while she tended to overhear or notice clues。 Once they decided to trust each other， the romance grew beyond the physical attraction and an old crush。 Historical details were woven into the story， giving it a distinct setting in that place and time。The main characters learned to forgive themselves。 There was no sex or bad language。 Overall， I'd recommend this enjoyable historical。I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley。 。。。more
Meghan
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Julie Klassen is the name I think of whenever Christian Romance comes into a conversation。 She is the first author I read in the genre， the one I always know I can come to for a good story， and she delivers complex， unique characters every time。 This book drew me in especially because of the murder mystery aspect to it。 I felt like I was in a bit of an Agatha Christie tale， where you have no idea whodunnit， and while everyone is busy pointing fingers at each other， you know the true killer is hi Julie Klassen is the name I think of whenever Christian Romance comes into a conversation。 She is the first author I read in the genre， the one I always know I can come to for a good story， and she delivers complex， unique characters every time。 This book drew me in especially because of the murder mystery aspect to it。 I felt like I was in a bit of an Agatha Christie tale， where you have no idea whodunnit， and while everyone is busy pointing fingers at each other， you know the true killer is hiding in plain sight。 It was thrilling to read as I kept trying to guess who it could be， and even when I thought I had it pinned down， I was wrong。 The romance， while definitely a part of the book and ending with a classic HEA， was only a small part， with the murder mystery taking over the story。 I was enthralled， not by the characters' chemistry but rather by the backstories of each of the side characters。 I knew who was going to be killed almost as soon as their character was introduced， and so I was able to spend most of the book analyzing characters。 And Julie Klassen gave us so much material to uncover！For the last two years， Rebecca Lane has been working as a lady's companion， traveling the continent and trying to forget the man who broke her heart in Swanford。 When she receives word from her family's housekeeper that her brother is not doing well， she returns home to find him full of frustration and with a mad scheme he wants her involved in。 A famous author is in town， one who once wronged her brother， and he wants her to use his presence at the local hotel， to submit his own manuscript to the publisher。 Reluctantly agreeing， she rents a room， and she finds herself face to face with the man who she once loved and lost years ago。 Frederick Wilford hasn't been the same since his late wife passed， leaving behind whispers of adultery and murder。 Rather than staying in his home full of memories， he decides to stay at the hotel with his brother while they are in town。 Seeing Rebecca again was bittersweet， realizing how much her friendship meant to him and how much she has grown from a young girl into a young woman。 There's no way she could be interested in someone so much older though， and soon thoughts of romance vanish when one of the hotel guests is murdered。 As local magistrate upon his father's death， Frederick has a duty to investigate the crime。 When clues begin to implicate， Rebecca， it's all Frederick can do to help her and find the real killer。This book was so suspenseful， there are not enough words to describe it！ I was on the edge of my seat as soon as the murder occurred - even before， when I was trying to look for suspicious activity ahead of time。 So many characters had reasons to kill， but only one had reason enough to act on their desire。 Rebecca， poor thing， suffered from guilt， which was why she agreed to help her brother with such a futile endeavor as submitting a manuscript to a publisher she knew would not look at it。 When they were children， he had fallen and hit his head， and ever since he was not the same and prone to mood swings。 As the older sister， she felt responsible， and so when he asked her for help， she felt obligated to say yes。 If she hadn't， this entire book wouldn't even need to be written。 It was all connected - her going to the hotel， Frederick being there as well， all the other guests mingling in different ways。 It was a chess game and they were all players。 By the end of the book， I marveled at Julie Klassen's ability to create such a tangled web and then untangle it so clearly at the conclusion。 Once things started to be revealed， everything made sense。 If you like murder mysteries that are light on romance， I highly recommend this book！ You still get a happy ending， and the intrigue of murder will keep you glued to the book until the very end。**I received a free copy via NetGalley and this is my honest review。** 。。。more
Anna B
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The Shadows of Stanford Abbey is the epitome of a great regency mystery/romance。 Full of intrigue， murder， and a ghost， I was up late into the night reading this book。 I loved the thread of faith that was woven into the story in an authentic way。 Rebecca has come to try to help her brother John but must stay at the Abbey。 She soon finds herself embroiled in all the goings on surrounding a famous author who’s been murdered， and who happened to have a connection to her brother。 Frederic the man sh The Shadows of Stanford Abbey is the epitome of a great regency mystery/romance。 Full of intrigue， murder， and a ghost， I was up late into the night reading this book。 I loved the thread of faith that was woven into the story in an authentic way。 Rebecca has come to try to help her brother John but must stay at the Abbey。 She soon finds herself embroiled in all the goings on surrounding a famous author who’s been murdered， and who happened to have a connection to her brother。 Frederic the man she’s loved since she was a girl is also at the Abbey， and happens to be the magistrate。 Frederic is happy to see Rebecca his childhood friend， but when it seems as though she isn’t being honest with him during his investigation he wonders if she can be trusted。 She’s now an attractive woman and piques his interest。 Should he take a chance with his heart， or is she as devious as his deceased wife？ The author has painted a wonderful picture of the Abbey and surrounding area， as well as making each character unique， and the mystery compelling。 I loved this book and recommend it。 I was given a copy of this book courtesy of Bethany House a division of Baker Publishing Group。 This is my honest assessment。 。。。more
Tasha
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This book is some of Julie’s best suspense！ Amazon has a tagline for this book that reads， “Agatha Christie meets Jane Austen…with mystery， intrigue， and romance。” I could leave my review just at that！ This book took a little bit to set things up， but once players were in motion I couldn’t put it down！ I was trying so hard to solve the mystery before the end of the book and I’m happy to report that Julie kept me guessing right up to the very end！ The suspense is the show stopper of this book and This book is some of Julie’s best suspense！ Amazon has a tagline for this book that reads， “Agatha Christie meets Jane Austen…with mystery， intrigue， and romance。” I could leave my review just at that！ This book took a little bit to set things up， but once players were in motion I couldn’t put it down！ I was trying so hard to solve the mystery before the end of the book and I’m happy to report that Julie kept me guessing right up to the very end！ The suspense is the show stopper of this book and it’s masterfully written。 The romance was sweet and I am so glad she added it in。 It definitely added an extra level of depth into the intrigue！If you like Agatha Christie， Jane Austen and of course Julie Klassen… you’ll want to pick this one up！Thanks to the author for the copy。 All thoughts in this review are my own。 。。。more
Trixi
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Toted as “Agatha Christie meets Jane Austen” this Regency slash Gothic novel is a real page turner！Julie Klassen is one of my top favorite authors who first introduced me to Regency romance & I fell head-over-heels in love with this genre。 I've read just about everything she's written！ She has a way of immersing you into her settings and making you feel like you're right in the middle。 Her atmospheric prose and vivid descriptions come to life for me every time。 Shadows of Swanford Abbey is a sl Toted as “Agatha Christie meets Jane Austen” this Regency slash Gothic novel is a real page turner！Julie Klassen is one of my top favorite authors who first introduced me to Regency romance & I fell head-over-heels in love with this genre。 I've read just about everything she's written！ She has a way of immersing you into her settings and making you feel like you're right in the middle。 Her atmospheric prose and vivid descriptions come to life for me every time。 Shadows of Swanford Abbey is a slight deviation from her usual writing but still has her unique authors’ voice。 She introduces us to Sir Fredrick Wilford & Rebecca Lane as her main characters。 They grew up knowing each other but with a decade between them; Rebecca has always had a secret crush on Fredrick。 So after years away and a chance meeting while staying at the Abbey-turned-hotel they have the opportunity to reacquaint themselves。 You can feel the underlying sizzle of attraction that's still there between them。 For this story however， the murder of a famous author takes precedence and trying to find his killer & motives for doing so occupies Fredrick's time and energy。 Plus， you have the mystery of a shrouded figure in black that is rumored to haunt the hotel。 Perhaps it’s the ghost of the long ago buried Abbess herself？ With all these things culminating， it makes for a book impossible to put down！ While not my favorite book by Klassen， it definitely kept my interest as I wanted to know how both the murder was solved & a hinted-at romance developed。 I'm more of a Jane Austen romance fan than an Agatha Christie mystery fan。 *I received a complimentary copy and was under no obligation to leave a favorable review。 All opinions expressed her are mine alone。 * 。。。more
Amy
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Shadows of Swanford Abbey is my new favorite book written by Julie Klassen。 I loved it。 I would give it one hundred stars if I could。
BlueJeansAndTeacups
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Clean Regency MysteryOverall， I enjoyed this 1820 English mystery。 The descriptions of the old abbey-turned-hotel were well written。 I really liked the fact that Rebecca and Frederick had history to build upon vs the more ridiculous falling in love over a few days that some authors favor。 The secondary mystery involving Rebecca's employer was another wonderful layer to the story。 The unfortunate accident that cause's her brother John to have mental issues for the rest of his days was an interest Clean Regency MysteryOverall， I enjoyed this 1820 English mystery。 The descriptions of the old abbey-turned-hotel were well written。 I really liked the fact that Rebecca and Frederick had history to build upon vs the more ridiculous falling in love over a few days that some authors favor。 The secondary mystery involving Rebecca's employer was another wonderful layer to the story。 The unfortunate accident that cause's her brother John to have mental issues for the rest of his days was an interesting angle to explore， along with Dr。 Fox's asylum that is more like a home for such individuals to receive unusually kind care。 I liked reading his description。 There are plenty of suspects in and around the hotel in this who-done-it， and the killer is not easily guessed which speaks well of the author's talent。 There is also a third mystery concerning Frederick and his wife; yet another layer to peel away。 This novel contains a lot less faith than I would prefer from a Christian author as well as a Christian publishing house。 It's in there， but not consistently so。Tea Quote: John would wait。 Tea first。 For Courage。 Very Good - 4 starsThis story was gifted to me via NetGalley and the publisher。 All opinions are mine alone without expectation or compensation。 *** 。。。more
Anita Ojeda
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When Miss Rebecca Lane returns to her home village in Worcestershire， England with her employer， the globe-trotting Lady Fitzhoward， she has no idea what to expect。 She’s felt responsible for John， her younger brother， her entire life， so when their housekeeper wrote begging Rebecca to return， she hastened home。 Upon arrival， John convinces her to deliver his latest manuscript to his nemesis， Mr。 Oliver—a popular author staying at the nearby Swanford Abbey。 John insists only Rebecca could delive When Miss Rebecca Lane returns to her home village in Worcestershire， England with her employer， the globe-trotting Lady Fitzhoward， she has no idea what to expect。 She’s felt responsible for John， her younger brother， her entire life， so when their housekeeper wrote begging Rebecca to return， she hastened home。 Upon arrival， John convinces her to deliver his latest manuscript to his nemesis， Mr。 Oliver—a popular author staying at the nearby Swanford Abbey。 John insists only Rebecca could deliver the manuscript to Mr。 Oliver， and she reluctantly agrees。 When Mr。 Oliver turns up dead a few days later， Rebecca regrets her involvement in her brother’s plot to deliver the manuscript。 Based on the facts of the case， she worries he may have had a hand in the man’s demise。 To complicate matters， the local magistrate， Sir Frederick， is the only man she’s ever had feelings for。Sir Frederick agrees to spend a week with his younger brother at the nearby Swanford Abbey hotel to escape the noise of renovations at his estate。 And to escape the memories and loneliness caused by his unhappy marriage and the accidental death of his wife。 He never expects to run into the young woman he spent many a happy hour with in his youth—Miss Rebecca Lane， the daughter of his former tutor。 When a guest at Swanford Abbey dies， Sir Frederick stays on for the inquest。 An inquest which causes him to ask more questions than the charming Miss Lane seems wont to answer。 Despite his reawakened feelings towards Miss Lane， his first marriage left him with an abhorrence for untruths。 And Miss Lane is hiding something。Why I Loved This BookKlassen creates relatable characters and immerses them in mystery， intrigue， danger， and a good， old-fashioned love story。 If you love Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer， you’ll love this Regency story set in an ancient abbey complete with ghostly apparitions and historical detail。 Fans of Michele Griep and Abigail Wilson will enjoy this book。 。。。more
Roberta
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Julie Klassen’s books are so different from one another and I am never disappointed。 Shadows of Swanford Abbey was an interesting whodunit centered around a murder。 There are also other mysteries that are dealt with as well so it keeps you guessing until the end。 The theme of forgiveness and second chances were evident throughout the book。 The H and h needed to learn to forgive themselves as well as others just as God has forgiven us。 And they were not the only ones who needed to seek forgivenes Julie Klassen’s books are so different from one another and I am never disappointed。 Shadows of Swanford Abbey was an interesting whodunit centered around a murder。 There are also other mysteries that are dealt with as well so it keeps you guessing until the end。 The theme of forgiveness and second chances were evident throughout the book。 The H and h needed to learn to forgive themselves as well as others just as God has forgiven us。 And they were not the only ones who needed to seek forgiveness。 It was also interesting to see how involved the local aristocracy was in making sure that Justice was properly administered。 You won’t want to miss this Julie Klassen book。 I did receive an advanced copy of the book but I was in no way obligated to give it a positive review。 。。。more
Inspirationalfictionreader
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I have always enjoyed Julie Klassen novels。 They are usually very character driven and somewhat detailed。 At the end of the story， you feel like you really know the characters。 I had heard this story was a bit different than her normal style so I was looking forward to seeing how it was different and if I would like the change or not。I really liked both Frederick and Rebecca and how they had been friends since they were young。 I also liked the murder mystery aspect of the story and the role that I have always enjoyed Julie Klassen novels。 They are usually very character driven and somewhat detailed。 At the end of the story， you feel like you really know the characters。 I had heard this story was a bit different than her normal style so I was looking forward to seeing how it was different and if I would like the change or not。I really liked both Frederick and Rebecca and how they had been friends since they were young。 I also liked the murder mystery aspect of the story and the role that Fredrick and Rebecca played in solving it。I did struggle to get into this story。 The first 20% or so， nothing really happened and I found my mind wandering。 Once the murder happened， I got more invested in the story and enjoyed trying to figure out who did it and why。I received a complimentary copy of this book。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Sara Wise
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** “Remember — don’t give up。 While there is life， there is hope。” **“Shadows of Swanford Abbey” by Julie Klassen is a delightful Gothic tale filled with romance， mystery， ghosts and secret identities — a little bit of Agatha Christie meets Jane Austen。When Rebecca Lane returns to her hometown as Lady Fitzhoward’s companion， she quickly finds herself amidst drama and mystery as her brother asks her to deliver a manuscript to an author staying at the same hotel as Rebecca — an author that once be ** “Remember — don’t give up。 While there is life， there is hope。” **“Shadows of Swanford Abbey” by Julie Klassen is a delightful Gothic tale filled with romance， mystery， ghosts and secret identities — a little bit of Agatha Christie meets Jane Austen。When Rebecca Lane returns to her hometown as Lady Fitzhoward’s companion， she quickly finds herself amidst drama and mystery as her brother asks her to deliver a manuscript to an author staying at the same hotel as Rebecca — an author that once betrayed him。 And when reacquainted with her childhood crush， Frederick Wilford， she quickly realizes that there may be more than meets the eye with some of the hotel’s guests。What follows is a plot filled with twists and turns and spine-tingling moments as Rebecca and Frederick work together to solve the crime that occurs at the possibly haunted Swanford Abbey。Klassen does a great job of keeping the reader guessing， as well as creating many intriguing characters， filled with secrets and flaws。“Shadows of Swanford Abbey” contains several great themes， like second chances; the impact of secrets and lies; overcoming guilt; we can always hold on to hope; and forgiveness and redemption。 Fans of authors like Jane Austen as well as mystery authors like Agatha Christie and series like Sherlock Holmes will love this novel。Five stars out of five。 Bethany House Publishers provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest， unbiased review。 。。。more
LA
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What an excellent read by Julie Klassen！The narrative in the beginning has a similar feel to her Ladies of Ivy Cottage series – development of time period， characters， and place is firmly established giving the reader a sense of the serenity and slower pace of life。 By mid-novel， she returns to the narrative style of her earlier works， which is what hooked me on her books in the first place - mystery upon mystery builds excitement and keeps her readers turning the next page。A sense of foreboding What an excellent read by Julie Klassen！The narrative in the beginning has a similar feel to her Ladies of Ivy Cottage series – development of time period， characters， and place is firmly established giving the reader a sense of the serenity and slower pace of life。 By mid-novel， she returns to the narrative style of her earlier works， which is what hooked me on her books in the first place - mystery upon mystery builds excitement and keeps her readers turning the next page。A sense of foreboding is delightfully created in the opening chapters as we discover the childhood connections of our hero and heroine。 Fast forward several years to where our heroine returns to help her younger brother， only to be thrust into the one place that haunted her childhood。 What a sister won’t do for a brother she loves， and whose illness she feels responsible for！And our hero finds himself thrust out of his home with the visit of his younger brother and extensive bothersome renovations that cannot be tolerated for any period of time。 Newly renovated hotel， allegedly haunted， Swanford Abbey is just the place for the well-healed to find respite。 Rebecca Lane is all sweetness and duty。 Sir Frederick is proper。 Throw in a proper sleazy， slimy， backstabbing antagonist， a beautiful， secretive actress， and a murder mid-novel， for a suspenseful， romantic read。I look forward to more of Julie Klassen’s books。I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley。 All opinions expressed are my own。 。。。more
Courtney Ballinger
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What a cozy， perfect-for-fall mystery this story turned out to be！Because I've read most of Julie Klassen's books and definitely enjoyed them， I was looking forward to Shadows of Swanford Abbey。 And I wasn't disappointed。 This book has a different style than what I remember from her others--a little more concise and more of a "telling" approach。 I didn't have as deep of a connection to the heroine and hero due to that， but I still cared for them and couldn't wait to find out more about the ident What a cozy， perfect-for-fall mystery this story turned out to be！Because I've read most of Julie Klassen's books and definitely enjoyed them， I was looking forward to Shadows of Swanford Abbey。 And I wasn't disappointed。 This book has a different style than what I remember from her others--a little more concise and more of a "telling" approach。 I didn't have as deep of a connection to the heroine and hero due to that， but I still cared for them and couldn't wait to find out more about the identity of the "ghost" and the murderer。 The actual murder took a little longer to occur than I expected， considering it's mentioned in the blurb， but the novel had such a mysterious air from the very beginning that I didn't mind。 The Northanger Abbey-ish vibes are totally my thing。 When you add wit， suspense， and a dash of romance to that， you really can't go wrong in my opinion。 Definitely recommend this one for an atmospheric fall mystery with a sweet romance！*I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。* 。。。more
Sylvia
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An intriguing mystery from Julie Klassen！ Shadows of Swanford Abbey is a good mix of spooky， romantic， and inspirational。 Sometimes I wished for a bit more emphasis on the romantic aspects of the story， but the mystery is well done and I liked both Rebecca’s and Frederick’s roles in solving it。 I’m looking forward to Klassen’s next book！ 4/5 starsI received a complimentary copy of this book。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。
Becky
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First sentence: Miss Rebecca Lane quaked at the thought of returning to Swanford after more than a year's absence， even though her heart had never really left。Shadows of Swanford Abbey is a book I loved cover to cover。 If you enjoy historical fiction with equal blends MYSTERY （suspense） and ROMANCE， then I recommend Shadows of Swanford Abbey with you wholeheartedly without any reservations。 It is set in England during the reign of George IV。 （I would be tempted to just call it REGENCY era and le First sentence: Miss Rebecca Lane quaked at the thought of returning to Swanford after more than a year's absence， even though her heart had never really left。Shadows of Swanford Abbey is a book I loved cover to cover。 If you enjoy historical fiction with equal blends MYSTERY （suspense） and ROMANCE， then I recommend Shadows of Swanford Abbey with you wholeheartedly without any reservations。 It is set in England during the reign of George IV。 （I would be tempted to just call it REGENCY era and leave it at that。 But George III died several months before this novel opens， and so the Regency is at an end。 George is no longer Prince Regent， but King。） Rebecca Lane， our heroine， is a lady's companion。 She is returning home for a visit with her brother， John。 She's heard that he is doing horribly。 （What we would call depression。。。or depression + addiction）。 Her brother， who dreams of being an AUTHOR， a published one at that， divides his time between writing and despair that he cannot get a publisher to read his work to see if it's publishable。 He's also very BITTER over something that happened in the past。 Her brother will not make a place for her in their small home--her former room being HIS workspace now--so she finds herself going to Swanford Abbey a local village hotel （or inn？）。 As the name suggests， it has been converted from an abbey to a hotel。 Rebecca Lane finds herself staying at the same hotel as her employer--among others。 It's surprising how many familiar faces she finds staying there at the same time！ Including her long-time crush， Frederick Wilford。 （He's still oh-so-dreamy; and now he's a widower）。 And his brother， Thomas。 Mystery surrounds Swanford Abbey。 The longer she stays， the more aware she becomes of the mystery--that all is not as it appears to be， that danger is lurking far closer than anyone suspects。。。。She's a woman on a mission--get her brother's manuscript in the hands of either a publisher （staying at the hotel） or an author （also staying at the hotel）。 But the task seems IMPOSSIBLE。 Is getting her brother's manuscript worth risking everything？I loved， loved， loved everything about this one！！！ I loved the characterization。 I loved that the characterization goes beyond just the heroine and hero。 We've got a community of characters--residents at the hotel， the surrounding community， family--that are given enough depth and substance to come across as developed。 That is rare--in my opinion。 I loved spending time with the characters。 I loved the development of relationships， the unfolding of secrets and mysteries。 I loved the dialogue。 Nothing felt rushed or under-developed in the romance department。 I loved that I was kept guessing as to the identity of the murderer。 I loved the author's note at the end。 This may just be my FAVORITE Klassen novel yet。 。。。more
Brooke Derrington | A Brooke And Her Books
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Okay， so you all know I LOVE Julie Klassen and you may also know that in her last few releases she’s been changing up her style a bit。 I loved her change-up in style for A Castaway in Cornwall， and you know what？ She’s changed it up again！ And I love it！ I think A Castaway in Cornwall is probably still my favourite of hers just because the writing style was so pretty！ But I love this one too！ In fact， it just might be my next favourite！ She’s changed up from the more poetic style and really embr Okay， so you all know I LOVE Julie Klassen and you may also know that in her last few releases she’s been changing up her style a bit。 I loved her change-up in style for A Castaway in Cornwall， and you know what？ She’s changed it up again！ And I love it！ I think A Castaway in Cornwall is probably still my favourite of hers just because the writing style was so pretty！ But I love this one too！ In fact， it just might be my next favourite！ She’s changed up from the more poetic style and really embraced the suspense in this one！ Obviously being Julie， it’s still Regency romance， but it’s definitely the most suspense focused book she’s written - actually heavier on the suspense than the romance！ And I am all for it！！ The blurb describes it as Agatha Christie meets Jane Austen， and of course， none of us is surprised by the Austen comparison！ But Agatha？ Well， let me tell you， I did not read the blurb before reading it， and the whole time I was reading， I was thinking ‘this has total Agatha Christie vibes’！！！！Yep， she’s gone total ‘murder mystery in a hotel’ plot with a touch of gothic vibes to it！！ Total Agatha style。 And my suspense-loving little heart loved every suspenseful second！ And the mystery was solid， I did not predict it at all。 I was totally baffled。 And we all know what that means… all the points！And I loved that the MCS were childhood friends！ It added a touch of sweetness （or ‘Austen’ if you prefer！） to an otherwise suspense heavy （or ‘Agatha’） story。 Honestly， I hope we see more books in this style from Julie！！！ I would absolutely devour them all！！ Very highly recommended！ Thank you so much @bethanyhousefiction and @netgalley for the ARC。 I was only required to provide an honest review in return and here it is！！ It comes out December 7， so be on the look out！ （Or even better， pre-order！） 。。。more
Becky
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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 int 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 StarsBethany House and NetGalley。com provided the copy I read for this review。 All opinions expressed are solely my own。 。。。more
Susan Snodgrass
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'God seemed silent and forgiveness not forthcoming。'Julie Klassen has been a favorite since I read her first book， the Lady of Milkweed Manor， which I have read twice。 This current book， described as 'Agatha Christie meets Jane Austen' is very good indeed。 And the blurb is quite true。 All through the reading of it， I kept thinking how much it reminded me of an Agatha Christie mystery。 Klassen is very adept here and I never once guessed the culprit， even though there were a plethora of suspects。 'God seemed silent and forgiveness not forthcoming。'Julie Klassen has been a favorite since I read her first book， the Lady of Milkweed Manor， which I have read twice。 This current book， described as 'Agatha Christie meets Jane Austen' is very good indeed。 And the blurb is quite true。 All through the reading of it， I kept thinking how much it reminded me of an Agatha Christie mystery。 Klassen is very adept here and I never once guessed the culprit， even though there were a plethora of suspects。 Her books are always filled with likeable characters and believable plots。 This one fit the bill for me indeed。 Well done！I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House。 The opinion in this review is expressly my own。 。。。more
Lori
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