Kat Holloway’s cooking prowess affords her the best spots in wealthy houses, but she stays in the London area because of her daughter, Grace. There’s a whole backstory there that I won’t elaborate on. In this installment there’s trouble with the family Grace stays with while Kat is working. Sam Millburn, the father has been accused of embezzlement and it’s up to Kat to help the Millburn’s, who’ve been a godsend to her and Grace.

As they investigate, someone is murdered, upping the stakes even higher.

There was a lot of danger and action in this installment! Of course, Kat has Daniel, Cynthia, Mr. Thanos, Tess, and her other gang of friends she’s accumulated along the way. Kat inspires loyalty with her kindness and cleverness in tackling problems for those she loves. As usual, I wanted to thump Mrs. Bywater more than a few times! Kat is too good for that awful woman’s house!

I’ve been devouring the Below Stairs mysteries centered on Kat Holloway, a cook in the 1800s solving crimes while wowing people with her food. Speculations in Sin is the seventh book in the series, and so now Kat has made a name for herself in sleuthing. Each book has a separate mystery to solve, but the continuing story arc is her relationship with Daniel McAdam and the friends she’s acquired along the way. I’ve loved every book! The series is best started from the beginning. I’d start with the novella: A Soupçon of Poison, which introduces Kat and Daniel.

I read an e-copy of Speculations in Sin, but I’ve been listening to the audios of the previous books. Anne-Marie Piazza’s performance is fantastic!

In Speculations in Sin, the crime hits close to home. The main suspect, Sam Millburn, is one half of the couple that Kat has trusted to take care of her daughter Grace.

Sam is a clerk in a bank where he is accused of not only embezzlement, but also murder. How convenient to have a powerless, poor clerk to blame. Kat knows he could not possibly be guilty, but when no other suspects are being investigated, she knows she will need to solve the mystery herself.

Fans of the series will appreciate the many supporting characters who are important to Kat, and so are important to the story. Grace, Lady Cynthia, Mathematician Elgin Thanos, Kat’s assistant Tess and butler Mr. Davis are familiar favorites as is Daniel McAdam, Kat’s love interest. In this story we wil see Grace growing up, Cynthia and Elgin advancing their relationship, Mr. Davis’s personal side and Tess on her way to becoming a fully-fledged cook. The relationship between Kat and Daniel continues to move at a snail’s pace and is what readers have come to expect. The characters are what make this series so great, inviting me to keep reading so I can check up on some of my favorite people.

Speculations in Sin is a clever mystery with plenty of knots to untangle. You will find a convoluted criminal conspiracy of the rich who seek to place the blame on the ‘unimportant’. Kat keeps digging until she gets into inevitable trouble and just as inevitably gets out with an assist from Daniel.

This is a great series! Each book can be read as a standalone, but once you start you will want to read them all. I am a big fan of Kat Holloway, the top-notch cook, who wins people over with her delicious food, her astounding puzzle solving, and her gentle heart.

Through NetGalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book. My review is my honest opinion.

I enjoyed how good the historical element was in this book, it uses the story and time-period perfectly. I enjoyed how strong the characters were and that they worked with the story perfectly. Jennifer Ashley has a great writing style and thought the mystery feel was everything that I wanted. I enjoyed how good Kat was as a main character and can’t wait for more.

I thought this was a good mystery and it was fun to try and solve it with Kat. I liked how you weren’t sure who was behind the embezzlement and murder until the end. I had suspicions but was never entirely sure who was at fault. I liked the characters and I liked how Kat would do anything to free her husbands friend from jail. I liked how she was a great amateur sleuth. I have read a few other books in this series so it was nice to see how Kat had grown from the last book. I did find this book to be an enjoyable read.

I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, and or authors.  A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.

i had such a great time reading this book!! it was so fun. the characters were amazing and sweet and wonderful. it was just such a pure joy and i'm so very thankful to netgalley for letting me read this one early!!!

Kit Holloway is a force to be reckoned with in Speculations in Sin. After a dear friend's husband is arrested for murder, Kit uses her skills and connections to prove their
innocence. Another winner for Ms. Ashley!

Cook Kat Holloway is back sleuthing again when her best friend’s husband is accused of embezzlement. Speculations in Sin takes Kat into the unfamiliar world of finance, a place where reputation is worth its weight in gold and where a man like Sam Millburn can be tossed to the wolves for an institution to save face. Sam is not only Kat’s friend – he and his wife opened their home to Kat’s daughter, so this case is deeply personal.

Kat is walking a tightrope as ever, balancing her position and duties with amateur sleuthing, her relationship with her daughter, and her slowly developing romance with Daniel McAdam. Daniel is by Kat’s side every step of the way, as are her friends. I loved watching Kat among the friends she has made, from Lady Cynthia to Tess and beyond. These connections are integral to the story and the worldbuilding. They are also what interested me the most about the story. As much as I enjoy Jennifer Ashley’s writing, I will say that the mystery didn’t grab my attention this time around. It wasn’t complex enough to carry the story and seemed to drag, taking the book down with it. The resolution, while somewhat satisfying, didn’t wow me like I had hoped. All in all, this was just an OK entry into the Below Stairs series. Any time spent with Kat and company is enjoyable, but Speculations in Sin had a lackluster mystery that didn’t live up to the previous installments.

I enjoyed this engaging, historical mystery with its interesting cast of characters and good storyline. This is a Victorian era set story that includes financial chicanery and a protagonist, Kat, who is determined to set things right. I can’t wait for the next entry in this long running series.

Many thanks to Berkley Publishing for the opportunity to take part in this tour.

I found this to be a very compelling read but outside the scope of my blog. I have left an honest star review as I greatly appreciate the read, but I will not be including it in my publication. Thank you.

Why haven’t I heard of this series before? Though it’s the seventh book, I was completely taken in by it almost immediately, wanting to read the other six as soon as possible. Because it’s the seventh book there was a slight amount of catching up, but very slight. The main character, Mrs. Kat Holloway (the “Mrs” is an honorary title) is a cook for a wealthy London household in 1883. She has a 12 year old daughter her employers aren’t aware of, placed in a friend’s household.

As the book opens, she discovers that her friend’s husband, Sam, who is a bank clerk, is under suspicion for embezzling. It quickly becomes worse. Kat, on an investigative ruse with her employer’s daughter, has gained access to the bank to see if she can discover anything. While the two women are there, Sam is arrested for murder – a body has been found in one of the bank’s storage rooms. Kat is devastated, and rushes to her friend’s side.

She’s hampered by many factors. One, of course, is her job – being a cook for a large household is exhausting and she gets one afternoon out a week. Things are in a bit of an uproar in her own household as the butler has disappeared. And then she’s trying to figure out how she will investigate this crime, much less how her friend will be able to afford a lawyer – or will he simply be hanged?

As it turns out, Kat has plenty of allies, including a possible romantic partner, Daniel, who has very high up connections at Scotland Yard despite emerging from – as Sam has as well – the rough and tumble of the London Streets. Toughs are circling Sam’s wife Joanna offering “help” and Daniel is able to set up protection for both Joanna and Kat. It seems obvious to Kat that Sam is being set up by the bank to take the fall for both of the crimes, tying all with a neat bow for the bank.

This is a really strong read for a couple of reasons. One is that Ashley is excellent with pacing, providing red herrings and plot twists at frequent intervals. I could not stop reading. The characters and set up are also really well done. Mrs. Holloway is an interesting woman with many shades – her work persona, her persona as a mother who misses her daughter, as a friend, and as an investigator. It’s unusual for an historical mystery to focus on the servants, as this novel does, but it’s certainly to the book’s advantage. It adds texture to the narrative and it’s interesting to read about the nuts and bolts functioning of a household.

The relationships within the book were also interesting and layered – the relationship of Mrs. Holloway to the butler is just one example, but all the relationships have the true to life quality of not being all one thing or another. There are good and bad things in each of her relationships. We’re with Kat as she figures out the solution to the crime and celebrate with her as well. She’s earned it! This was an incredibly fun read.

Speculations in Sin by Jennifer Ashley is the seventh novel in the Below the Stairs Mystery series featuring amateur sleuth and cook Kat Holloway. Kat and her pose of friends, search for answers when Samuel Millburn, husband of the woman who looks after her daughter, is arrested. A fantastic tale with plenty of twists and orange sorbet.

Kat Holloway is a cook below stairs in a Mayfair home. She has a daughter who lives with her best friend, a married woman with children. Kat’s story is complicated and just one of the many reasons I recommend reading the series in order. Each book contains a single mystery, so while you can jump in, the overall, slow-burning romance, alliances, friends and more will be enhanced by starting from the beginning.

When Kat visits her daughter on her day out, her friend reveals that her husband Samuel is suspected of embezzling funds from the bank he works for. Kat vows to investigate. She enlists the help of Lady Cynthia. The two visit the bank and while there a murder is discovered. Sam is arrested and accused of the crime.

The tale that unfolds has Kat relying on the aid of Daniel, the clergy, a beat cop and Lady Cynthia’s friends. It was a clever case with a twist that kept me engaged. Along the way we learned about sorbet, and enjoyed food talk that will set your mouth to watering.

I love Kat’s determination even in the face of villains. Slowly, the group piece things together as the tension built. The case has Kat equally stressed with worry over her daughter. If Sam isn’t cleared, where and how will she support Grace, her daughter? Kat longs for a life where she can tuck her in each night.

We see a little development in the romance as promises, but I enjoyed moments with her friends, Grace, and, of course, Daniel. Kat is a strong character and while the mystery was intense, the ending proved satisfactory and left me feeling uplifted.

Fans of mystery, historical fiction, friendship and a slow-burning sweet romance will want to grab a slice of pie and dive into Speculations in Sin and the entire Below the Stairs Mysteries.

To save an innocent man’s life, amateur sleuth and cook Kat Holloway must expose a financial scam that could ruin the most powerful aristocrats in Victorian-era London in New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Ashley’s Speculations in Sin.

Jennifer Ashley’s Below the Staircase mystery series is a must-read for historical mystery fans. Speculations in Sin is book seven in the series, and it reads as it’s own mystery wrapped up in one book. However, I did feel like I was missing some of the fun seeing character arcs and relationship dynamics not having read the full series. Still, I had no issue jumping into the series here instead of on book one.

Set in the Victorian era, the series centers around a woman named Kat Holloway who serves as a cook in the Bywater family’s Mayfair home. In the most recent book, Kat is visiting her friend Joanna Millburn on her day off and sends her daughter Grace on an errand so she can talk to Joanna alone. It’s clear something is troubling her friend, but Kat doesn’t want to bring it up in front of her daughter. Joanna shares that her husband Samuel Millburn is concerned he may be fired from his job—they’ve accused him of embezzling funds. This would make it difficult for the couple to support their four children and keep the home they are in. This would also mean that Kat’s daughter Grace would be out of the home as well.

Kat agrees to help her friend by looking into the matter and trying to uncover who is really behind the embezzlement. When she returns to the Bywater home, she learns that the butler Mr. Davis was also out for the day and hasn’t returned home. When he isn’t back by dinner, Kat helps with service but puzzles over what could have kept him. The next day Mr. Davis returns to the home and he is furious with Kat for going through his things. Kat was only trying to uncover any clue as to his whereabouts, but Mr. Davis is unwilling to offer any further insight into where he was and why he didn’t come home.

But soon the unsettling argument with Mr. Davis is forgotten when a bigger matter arises. Lady Cynthia (the Bywater’s niece) and Kat are at the bank when they learn that one of the senior clerks has been murdered, and the police arrest Joanna’s husband Sam for the crime. Cynthia’s friend Judith Townsend provides a barrister to help Sam, but Kat must step in to find evidence to set him free.

I enjoyed this book and found that the mystery kept a decent pace, interrupted only by absolutely delicious (and welcome) descriptions of the food Kat is preparing and the wine Mr. Davis is serving. Kat is an interesting character aside from her detective work because she is a single, unmarried mother, which is rare for the Victorian era. Kat keeps the existence of her fatherless daughter a secret from her employers because she would risk her employment if they knew. Heartbreaking to imagine what it was like for women at that time!

There are plenty of characters but only a few viable suspects. I was surprised when the murderer was revealed and thought the scene was thrilling as Kat confronts the culprit. Kat is a resilient and determined person, both in her detective work and as a mother, friend, and colleague. There’s even a bit of a romance that is going on. I assume it is picking up from another book, but that added a nice cheery note to the novel.

Readers who love historical fiction and historical mysteries will sure love this series!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my copy. Opinions are my own.

I’m always content to see another Below Stairs Victorian mystery from Ashley: the main character, master-cook Kat Holloway, and her band of merry assistant cooks and butler, Mr. Davis, along with friends in high and low places, and protector and love-interest, police-agent Daniel McAdam, are a wonderful group to spend reading time with.

Speculations In Sin sees Kat and company solving a murder that hits too close to home not to have their emotions in turmoil. Grace, Kat’s daughter from a former abusive marriage, is now happily, comfortably, and safely living with her best friend Joanna and husband Sam Millburn and their happy brood. Sam makes a modest living as a bank clerk…but not all is well in the Millburns’ and Kat’s frugal paradise. Daalman’s Bank is seeing funds siphoned, a murder in one of their storerooms, and Sam arrested on both counts, an innocent man, Grace’s and Kat’s rock, as well as his family’s. With Ashley’s well-researched awareness of the precariousness of modest people’s lives in 1883 Victorian London, this spells disaster.

How long, as Sam lies at Newgate awaiting trial, before Joanna and her children are destitute and homeless? And what will Kat do about Grace? Where can Grace be safe and happy while Kat works her way out of the kitchen and into a little café of her own? Moreover, Sam is an innocent, good man, but not of the higher social echelons. He can easily be tried and found guilty, too poor for a barrister to plead his case and equally too poor for an investigation to prove his innocence. Kat, Daniel, and friends high and low work to discover the actual culprit behind the embezzling and Mr. Stockley’s murderer. Mr Stockley was found bludgeoned in one of Daalman’s storerooms and whose whereabouts are connected, by coincidence, that murderous morning to Sam, Sam, who wanted to share suspicious financial findings with Stockley and had been suggesting as much for weeks. Conveniently, one honest man is murdered and another is jailed on suspicion of his murder…whoever done the deeds now safe from suspicion and prosecution? Not with Kat and Daniel, Lady Cynthia and absent-minded mathematical genius Elgin Thanos and their friends on the case.

Ashley’s mystery is thin: I guessed the who and why early on in the narrative. Still, I don’t read for whodunnit, but for character, mood, and setting. In Victorian England, class divisions and life’s fragility for the poor, the dubious security of domestic service, were part and parcel of the city’s ethos. Ashley’s awareness of this context is one of her series’ strengths. Certainly, heroine Kat is constantly reminded of this and Sam and Joanna’s helplessness easily bring it home in this seventh volume. But I also like how a domestic servant and her band of friends can bring justice to this world: can free an innocent man. I especially found the inclusion of good-hearted people from those upper echelons, like Lady Cynthia, Miss Townsend, et al., a nicely nuanced addition to the sleuthing working-class characters, though Ashley doesn’t stray far from class-based realities, ever-present in working-class characters’ fears of losing their employment, the only protection between themselves and the street.

Aside from the story of Sam’s arrest and struggle to free him, Ashley advances certain enjoyable narrative threads (at least to those who’ve followed the series from the start). Kat’s love-interest, Daniel, is a mystery within a mystery: ever-charming, protective, affectionate, and likeable, we learn more about his past. Ashley leaves questions in this wake, tantalizing us towards the next volume, but not in a bait-y way, just dropping nuggets along. Even more welcome is a furthering of Daniel and Kat’s relationship, with Kat finally relenting on her mistrust, given her scoundrel “husband”, whose only redeeming quality was to have fathered Grace, it’s understandable, but I was glad to see Kat giving way to her feelings for Daniel, who is heart-on-sleeve from book one. All in all, an excellent addition to the series, emotionally satisfying and leaving things open to further emotional developments in our characters’ lives. With Miss Austen, we agree, Speculations In Sin offers “real comfort,” Emma.

Jennifer Ashley’s Speculations In Sin is published by Berkley (Prime Crime) and was released on March 5th of this year. I received an e-galley from Berkley, via Netgalley, which didn’t impeded the free and AI-free expression of my opinion.

Speculations in Sin is enriched by its well-crafted supporting characters and detailed descriptions of managing a successful household, adding depth to the intricate storyline. Readers who enjoy Downton Abbey will appreciate the vibrant characters, each with their own mix of strengths and weaknesses left me wanting more.

83 Cook Kat Holloway's friend Samuel Millburn has been accused of embezzlement of his employer's funds, the Daalman Bank, and the murder of one of their bankers, and has consequently been arrested. Kat believes in his innocence and investigates with the help of her friends.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery with its cast of likeable and varied characters. Another good addition to this enjoyable series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Speculations in Sin by Jennifer Ashley is an intriguing cozy mystery filled historical fiction that sees a fierce woman/amateur sleuth set out to prove the innocence of the husband of the woman that looks after her child only to land in the complicated & dangerous workings of fancy upper society.

This is book #7 in the A Below Stairs Mystery, but this is the first book I’ve read & it can easily be read as a standalone. Obviously, you won’t have the same connection to the characters as someone who has read the entire series, but I enjoyed it the same

Speculations in Sin is great for fans of…
💛 Historical Fiction
💛 Cozy Mystery
💛 Victorian-era London
💛 Lady Sleuth
💛 Financial Crimes

This may seem random, but as she is a chef, I actually really enjoyed reading the bits about cooking & how things were created at that time. The creativity & knowledge it required to make dishes was super interesting to learn for me. I felt like you could feel the passion for cooking mixed with their burning passion for sleuthing, answers & justice. I always find it empowering reading & finding women doing & excelling in things/areas that they aren’t necessarily welcome. I really appreciate a fierce & intelligent heroine & this story had that.

If you’re looking for a cozy mystery set amidst the most powerful aristocrats in Victorian-eta England, then I recommend checking out Speculations in Sin, which is out now!

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing for the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

MUCH thanks to Jennifer Ashley, Berkley, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Also thank you to Kaila Mundell-Hill once again for inviting me on the blog tour.

Yes, another approval from Berkley! They waited several months to approve my request only four days before publication, but a win's a win!

I LOVED this book!! Ashley's writing is simply brilliant. Everyone important got development, and the pace was brisk. There was no dinking around; it would not do, as Kat would say. Ashley paints London and its culture with intimacy but also ruthlessness, and her culinary research always blows me away.

I'm aware that the secondaries are ex machina in charming and charismatic disguise, but what could Kat truly accomplish on her own? She works damn hard, let her have her very useful friends.

I admired that Kat had unwavering faith in Sam. No matter what she found under the rocks she kicked over, her conviction was unshakable.

I guessed whodunit early but did not entirely anticipate the truth. I love when that happens.

I'm not really sure what purpose the subplot involving Mr. Davis served, but I liked it. *shrugs*

I do wish in the denouement we'd have heard what Mr. Monaghan made of the happenings at Daalman's, and how it affected the country, economy, etc., after the super sus comments he made to Daniel. Not really important, maybe, but I'm curious.

Overall I love this series, and I can't wait for the next installment. We're due a deep dive into Daniel's murky past. *crosses fingers* Please oh please!

This is the 7th book in the Below Stairs Mystery series, starring Kat Holloway and her friend/beau, the mysterious Daniel McAdam. She’s the cook for an upper class Mayfair household during the Victorian era. Kat is very bright and observant, and she’s solved several crimes with Daniel, who works for the police.

She’s got an 11 year old daughter from a previous marriage, but she can’t take care of her alone and still have a job. Her daughter lives with the family of one of Kat’s dearest friends, the Milburns.

Unfortunately, Sam Milburn is accused of embezzling and murder and was taken to prison. A man was murdered at the bank where Sam works, and he’s the scapegoat because of his rough childhood. Kat knows Sam is innocent and she’s got to prove it.

I loved the plot and the portrayal of life upstairs and downstairs. I also enjoyed the descriptions of the different parts of London. This is historical fiction at its best, 5 stars.

Thanks to Berkley Publishers and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Mystery, Historical Mystery, Historical Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Victorian Fiction
Sub-Genre: Romance (slow-burn & nothing on the page)
Readability: Part of a series but can be read as a standalone.
Representation: One side character is gay

SPECULATIONS IN SIN is #7 in *A Below Stairs Mystery* series. I don't know how, but I've missed some of the novels in this series—and that's such a shame because it's so much fun. The title made me wonder if this one was spicy. It isn't.

Things I love:

- Diving into a different time period with different expectations
- Descriptions of food Kat plans and prepares
- Navigating regular life and trying to solve a mystery
- Daniel McAdam (he's complex and worth your time)
- The clues

I love how this story is a slice within the broader context of the story. There are loose ends that will probably get resolved at a later date. Dropping me into people's lives, when done well, is so intriguing—this one is done well.

I'm rooting for Kat. She's had a tough go of it with a formerly abusive bigamist husband and child who she can't live with. I understand why she doesn't trust others and especially men. And when Daniel has a checkered background, I can see why she might be leery. But I really came to appreciate him even more in this installment.

This is a fun Victorian mystery, and I highly recommend it!

Happy reading!

This whodunnit mystery leads the reader in the right direction with well-executed subtlety.

I love Kat for her fortitude and take-charge attitude. Her best friend’s husband was being framed just because he made an obvious scapegoat and Kat was not going to stand for it. She made excellent use of her extensive connections and her ability to uncover the truth. Kat has come a far way from when we first met her and her stable and reliable support network stand as testament to her loyal and genial character.

Daniel and Kat are adorable and they’re making great strides in their relationship. I can’t help but wonder how it will unfold for them. The situation with Kat’s friend and her family made Kat’s own precarious circumstances with her job and her daughter even more obvious. And, as always, Kat’s kitchen experiences add another interesting dimension to the story.

I’m giving it 4 stars because there were some slower moving sections that took me out of what was otherwise a very immersive experience.

This series comes with outstanding characters and clever mysteries to be solved and I can highly recommend it for any lover of historical fiction with a little bit of romance added.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.