In the Shadow of Croft Towers ~ Review

In the Shadow of Croft Towers
By Abigail Wilson

At two and twenty Sybil Delafield is about to accept a position at Croft Towers as a lady's companion to Mrs. Chalcroft. But the journey is unexpectedly delayed when the weather turns dreary and they are waylaid by highwaymen. When she finally arrives at Croft Towers the hour is late and her appearance is less than impressive as she is wet, cold and utterly miserable.

Upon arriving Mrs. Chalcroft's nephew and nieces begin quizzing Sybil about the highwaymen and what she recollects of the incident and individuals. But when she meets recent arrival, Mr. Curtis Sinclair, godson to Mrs. Chalcroft, Sybil finds herself keeping just the first of many secrets that the Towers just seems to collect.  And then there is Mrs. Chalcroft whom Sybil meets in the wee hours of the night when she is acquainted with the unusual duties her position will entail. As the secrets, Sybil has promised to keep begin to accumulate she begins to wonder just what she has come into in her quest for answers about her own past.

Sybil soon finds that the task of delivering messages for Mrs. Chalcroft in secret is more difficult than she had anticipated. And then there is Mr. Sinclair who seems to be engaged in clandestine matters of his own. With few options, Sybil must rely upon the assistance of Mr. Sinclair when she finds herself in dire straights. But can she truly trust anyone at Croft Towers? Or will her assignments for Mrs. Chalcroft cost her her freedom and her life if she is discovered?

In the Shadow of Croft Towers is the kind of book one just doesn't want to put down. And there is just so much going on that it is hard to tell what is related to what so the reader is definitely left with suspicions about several of the characters. I have to say I was surprised by just how everything concluded and wished it had been fleshed out a bit more. Overall I really enjoyed this one and am looking forward to Abigael Wilson's future works.

Fans of Regency-era fiction will enjoy this one. Those who enjoyed Melanie Dickerson's Regency Spy series will find much to love about this debut novel. Get ready to read through the night! (Just be sure it is one where you won't have to work the next day)

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher through BookLook with no expectations but that I offer my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.


About the Book:

Croft Towers holds more than

its share of secrets . . . and Sybil is

determined to uncover them all.

When Sybil Delafield’s coach to Croft Towers was robbed by highwaymen, she should have realized that her new position as companion to old Mrs. Chalcroft would be no ordinary job. Upon Sybil’s arrival, Mrs. Chalcroft sneaks into her room in the dark of night, imploring her to relay messages to town that are to stay hidden from the rest of the family. Who exactly is she working for and what do the messages contain?

When fellow passengers of the robbed coach are later murdered, Sybil’s hunt for the truth takes on a new urgency. The only person she can rely on is Mr. Sinclair, Mrs. Chalcroft’s godson, but under all his charms he too leads a double life. Sybil must decide if he is the one honest voice she can trust, or if he is simply using her for his own advances.

With murderers, smugglers, and spies on the loose, nothing—and no one—in Regency England is what they claim. Can Sybil even trust what she knows about herself?

From debut author Abigail Wilson comes a shadowy Regency tale of secrets and spies, love and treachery.