The Book Diva's Reads

Lucy Campion is different from other maids (perhaps even other women) during the seventeenth century. She is inquisitive and smart. When her best friend, Bessie Campbell, is murdered in a manner similar to two other girls, Lucy is distraught. When her brother, William, is arrested for the crime she becomes angry and determined to find the true murderer at all costs.

I enjoyed reading A Murder at Rosamund's Gate, but I found that the story seemed to drag in the beginning. Initially we are presented with the back-story, with glimpses into the lives of the magistrate and his family, as well as the lives of the servants. Lucy and Bessie become good friends, perhaps because they are similar in age and working in the same household, but they don't really seem to have much in common. Lucy is interested in working to better herself whereas Bessie is working because it is expected and all she seems interested in is having a good time by dancing and flirting. After Bessie is found murdered and Lucy's brother is arrested, the entire focus of the story changes and picks up pace. Lucy does a credible job as an amateur detective and becomes quite adventurous in her quest for the truth. Although I enjoyed the story and most of the characters, I had a difficult time with the premise that a lowly chambermaid could outsmart the authorities in her search for answers. Ms. Calkins has definitely provided an intriguing story that mixes just the right amount of history with mystery and a splash of romance. If you enjoy reading historical fiction with a few twists, then you may want to add A Murder at Rosamund's Gate to your reading list.