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ABOUT THE BOOK
She vowed to solve a murder.
Now she’s in danger of losing her heart … and her very life.
Diana Taylor, a bright and spirited governess who has sworn off love, is sent to Pendowar Hall in Cornwall to honor a pledge. She vows to teach her godmother’s niece and to find out who was behind the suspicious death of the former baronet. But her new charge is also a mystery, as is the man who inherited the ancient coastal estate—the charismatic but brooding Royal Navy Captain William Fallbrook, who is home on leave to recover from an injury.
As Diana investigates, her feelings for the enigmatic Captain Fallbrook blossom, and her guard goes up. Pendowar Hall is brimming with secrets as well as a frightening legend about a Mermaid’s Curse. What is behind the mysterious footsteps in the night? Is there more to the story of the tragic deaths of the former baronet’s wife and son? What secrets is Captain Fallbrook hiding? Can she trust the man who has stolen her heart?
He looks to be entranced by Diana, even though her determination to dig up the past seems to get on his last nerve. Soon, Diana’s bold quest to unmask his uncle’s killer leads her into terrifying danger, for someone is determined to end her life before she can discover the truth.
FIRST LINES
Diana Taylor loved the rain. A long ramble across the moors during a gentle shower was one of her favourite pursuits.
REVIEW by Christina Boyd
In USA Today’s bestselling author Syrie James’s soon-to-be released The Mysteries of Pendowar Hall, Miss Diana Taylor travels to Cornwall at the request of her ailing godmother to investigate the presumed suicide of her godmother’s brother, the baronet Thomas Fallbrook. Diana's tasks also include managing the baronet’s 15-year-old daughter, who cannot read, and interacting with the handsome, mysterious new baronet, Captain William Fallbrook.
She was pleased to see beneath his prickly exterior. Captain Fallbrook was a thoughtful man.
“Pray, avoid the north wing, however, and don’t go near the north tower. It has been unoccupied for decades and is in disrepair.”
Diana nodded. It was her second warning to avoid the north wing. —Chapter 5.
Mysterious lights, ancient curses, and a questionable solicitor alert Diana that all is not as it should be. Lots of Jane Eyre vibes, eh? I was hooked.
As Diana uncovers the truth behind Sir Thomas’s death and his daughter’s condition, she faces a series of accidents—perhaps not accidents but attempts to stop her.
The captain thought Diana’s worries were groundless. The parish constable had closed Sir Thomas’s case and would clearly never look into it again. But Diana had a gut feeling that her godmother was right. Someone had murdered the baronet and gotten away with it. —Chapter 10.
Titillating suspense layered with a little romance, this first book in the “Audacious Sisterhood of Smoke & Fire” series is a must-read for fans of historical mysteries. Syrie James never disappoints, and The Mysteries of Pendowar Hall is no exception.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Syrie James is the author of 14 critically acclaimed novels of historical fiction, romance, mystery and suspense, and young adult that have been international, USA Today, and Amazon bestsellers and are published in more than 20 languages. Her books have been Library Journal Editor’s Picks of the Year, received starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and Kirkus, and won numerous awards including the Audiobook Audie, the Women's National Book Association Great Group Read, Romantic Read of the Week (Barnes and Noble), Best Novel of the Year (Romance Reviews), and Best Snowbound Romance (Bookbub).
A member of the WGA, Historical Novel Society, Sisters in Crime, Dramatist's Guild, and Jane Austen Society of North America, Syrie has sold numerous scripts to film and TV and addressed organizations and literary conferences across the U.S. and in Canada, Australia, and England, and her stage plays been produced across North America.
Syrie lives in Los Angeles where she is working on her next book. Connect with Syrie via her website and social media.
Ooh, looks fabulous! Thanks for this review, Christina, and congrats, Syrie, on your novel!