Murder at Morrington Hall is a gem of an historical mystery that sparkles on all fronts. It is the first installment of what promises to be an entertaining new series by Clara McKenna.
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Stella Kendrick and her father come to England from Kentucky under the auspices of bringing two of their prized thoroughbreds to present to Lord and Lady Atherly. Unbeknownst to Stella, her scheming father has promised her hand in marriage to Viscount “Lyndy” Lyndhurst, their son. Disgusted by the plan, she retreats to the stable, where she encounters Lyndy and discovers, that although she does not want to marry him, he is not a bad guy. An afternoon tea has been arranged with the vicar who is going to marry them, but when Lyndy takes Stella on a tour of the house, they discover the vicar, dead, in the library. From that point on, Stella and Lyndy join forces to not only solve the vicar’s murder, but to uncover additional mysteries along the way.

Although there is a lot of introductory material at the beginning of the book, it immediately takes off. The backdrop of horse racing is fascinating and is one of the best parts of the book. The writing is superb, and the characters are sharp and distinct. Stella has a bit of spitfire in her that is really engaging, while Lyndy is more reserved, but charming. Stella’s father is necessarily overblown, but he provides a marked contrast to Lyndy’s family and friends who are the epitome of stuffy British aristocracy with secrets of their own.

All told, Murder at Morrington Hall is a delightful historical mystery which bodes well for a successful and enjoyable new series.

Note: I received an ARC of Murder at Morrington Hall from NetGalley and Kensington Books. The above is my honest review.

I absolutely loved this story! Stella and Lyndy are my new favorite dynamic duo! An arranged marriage (without Stella's knowledge or consent) brings these two together. Lyndy has to marry an heiress to save his home, title, everything due to his father's inability to manage their estate. His mother is most unhappy that it has come down to relying on An American to save their fortunes. Why couldn't Lyndy have married one of the many eligible young ladies she introduced him to? Stella's father, Mr Kendrick, is an extremely wealthy and successful horse breeder. He is also rude, crude, and selfish. His attempts at being accepted by high society in America have been rebuffed. His new plan is to "sell" his daughter to a titled husband and gain his entry by being the father of a titled lady. The couple's precipitate wedding may have to be postponed when the vicar turns up dead. And then two more crimes occur to confuse matters even more. Poor Stella is a sweet, smart lady who earns only rolled eyes, curled lips, and snarky remarks from the English ladies. I enjoyed Stella and Lyndy coming to grips with the situation and beginning to know one another. The fact that Stella wants to change his smirk to a real smile is promising. I can't wait for the next book!

Murder at Morrington Hall premieres Clara McKenna’s Stella and Lyndy mystery series. Huzzah! Mystery series lovers are always on the hunt for something new. A successful series needs a great premise plus a landscape that is fraught with possibilities for future stories, and by choosing an “American dollar princess” as her heroine, McKenna sets the stage well.

The year is 1905, the tail end of the “Gilded Age,” a phrase coined by Mark Twain to describe the late 19th century: “By this, he meant that the period was glittering on the surface but corrupt underneath.” The formula of American cash in exchange for entry into the impoverished British aristocracy seems dispassionate at best.

Stella Kendrick is an American heiress from the bluegrass state of Kentucky. She has crossed the Atlantic to attend a wedding in the English countryside. Viscount “Lyndy” Lyndhurst, the Earl of Atherly’s son, is to be married. Her very wealthy father is the proud owner of some magnificent racehorses, which he is giving to the viscount as a wedding present.

Stella is excited for the adventure, though she is more comfortable on the back of a thoroughbred or in a stable than drinking tea or making small talk. She says what’s on her mind, relishes good food, and remembers the names of servants. Stella has never visited a stately home, a place without “a single fence—barbed, picket, or stone—anywhere to be seen.” She is especially taken with the New Forest ponies, grazing freely on a hill in the distance. But stables, not verdant English landscapes, interest her most. A keen observer, she notes signs of neglect.

Stella reached the gardens. From a distance, they had looked like pictures of impeccable tidiness and tranquility. But as Stella passed through them, she noticed dandelion weeds sprouting between stones in the path; clusters of last years’ roses, which needed to be deadheaded or pulled out altogether; and branches of yew that jutted haphazardly from the hedge, which needed to be clipped. The fountain, an algae-covered marble statue of a cherub holding a basket of round fruit, spurted out a peaceful trickle of water, but brown leaves clung to the bottom of the pool. A bit of disorderliness she hadn’t expected. She didn’t like it.

Fortunately, “the stables were as impressive up close as they had been from the lane. Nothing slipshod here.” For Stella, a budding equine trainer, the “scent of fresh hay” is her favorite perfume—it smells “like home.” She almost steps in an aromatic pile of fresh manure but takes it in stride. She pets her horse Tully, “tracing the blaze from the filly’s forehead all the way down to her muzzle.” When Stella tells the groom to go easy on her beloved horse, she is shocked by his disrespectful response.

“Ah, miss,” the groom said, pointing at Stella with the dandy brush in his hand. “Does Lord Lyndhurst know you’re here? The stables are no place for a lady.”



“I’m Stella Kendrick. These are my horses, until Lord Lyndhurst is married, that is.”



“You say you’re the master’s fiancée?” The groom scoffed, pointing to her kid-leather button boots.

Mr. Gates, the stable manager, is kinder than the surly groom, cuffing him on the head and telling the assembled stableboys, “Not all ladies shun the honest smell of the stables.” Stella can’t get the groom’s comment out of her head—that she’s “the master’s fiancée.” Come to think of it, her father never did say who Lyndy was marrying. She asks Mr. Gates for the name of the viscount’s bride to be.

“Her name is Miss Stella Kendrick, of Kentucky, of course,” Lord Lyndhurst said, stepping out from the shadows.” “It might have been Miss Gladys Vanderbilt—Papa was introduced to her uncle William some time ago—but she’s not out yet. For that I’m glad. You’re by far the prettier of the two.”



His jest fueled her anger. It was a jest, wasn’t it? His attempt at flattery was insulting. She looked to Mr. Gates to confirm what the viscount claimed. The pity in his eyes emboldened her. Daddy wasn’t going to make her do this.

When Stella discovers her father’s true intent in traveling to Morrington Hall, she says, “I’m not a prize horse you can sell to the highest bidder.” But he squeezes her hand so hard that she screams and drops to her knees in pain. Lyndy and Mr. Gates rush to her side, but Stella knows no one will say no to Elijah Kendrick—he’s cold and ambitious, and if he wants to trade her for status, who’s to stop him?

Stella is between the devil and the deep blue sea—her father is cruel and ambitious, but if she doesn’t marry Lyndy, her father will find someone new, another stranger. Her father announces at tea that the local vicar is to marry them forthwith. Lyndy and Stella go in search of the clergyman, only to discover “the body of Reverend Bullmore, crumpled on the library carpet.” What an unfortunate, senseless accident. That’s what they all think until Inspector Brown tells the assembled tea drinkers that “the good vicar was murdered.”

Crass Kentuckian Elijah Hendrick is made to see that he cannot substitute another vicar for Reverend Bullmore—the wedding will have to be postponed. This gives Stella and Lyndy the opportunity to team up as amateur detectives. They talk to everyone, roaming the countryside for clues. Miss Judd, the vicar’s housekeeper, is on their list. Lyndy tells Stella that she was always very kind to him, an “awkward young lord,” when she “served at Morrington Hall during my grandfather’s day.”

“How are you holding up?” he asked.



“I’ve been better, my dear boy.”



Stella watched the viscount. So haughty, pretentious, and smug back at the house, so gentle and considerate here. Who was this man?

Lyndy’s grandfather was a renowned breeder in his day—it’s Lyndy’s father who has frittered away the family money on expensive archeological digs around the globe. Lyndy knows he must restore the family fortunes through marriage—he has as little choice in the matter as Stella—but he’s pleasantly surprised by the forthright and intelligent Miss Kendrick. Lyndy’s shock at Elijah Kendrick’s cruelty brings forth his innate protectiveness, and Stella is happy to be partnered with someone who touches her “without mal-intent.”

It’s not a traditional courtship, but it works for Stella and Lyndy. The murder has everything to do with races, gambling, and the deceptiveness of appearances. Even King Edward VII has a walk-on at the Epsom Downs racecourse. Readers will enjoy getting to know the affianced pair, watching them solve the mystery, and will undoubtedly look forward to their next adventure.

A Kentucky heiress, Stella Kendrick isn't much for the social whirl. Which makes it even more surprising that her father has dragged her along to some society wedding in England. Specifically, at Morrington Hall where her father is giving some of his racehorses as a gift. Stella is shocked to find out that she is supposed to be the bride. Strong-willed and independent (she drives!), she's determined that this wedding will not happen. No matter how handsome or understanding the groom is.
Lyndy, Viscount Lyndhurst is bemused by this brash young woman. She doesn't act like anyone he's ever known. Stella certainly doesn't act like she's anxious to be married to an English lord nor is she particularly interested in being the perfect viscountess. And that, along with her beauty, intrigues him.
Their wedding day is stalled, however, when the vicar supposed to marry them is found dead in the library. By Lyndy and Stella no less. This definitely casts a pall over the wedding proceedings but it gives them a chance to get to know each other a little. Lyndy is working hard to convince Stella that he doesn't want her to change while Stella is trying hard to figure out who killed the vicar and stole the surprisingly large amount of money from his coin purse.
An interesting start to a series. The relationship between Lyndy and Stella is only just beginning so we only get to see the two of them starting to figure each other out and I think that was a wise choice. The mystery was a little more rocky for my taste. The motive sort of made sense but I didn't think that the solution was introducted in a logical manner.

Three stars
This book came out May 28th
ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Murder At Morrington Hall is the first book in the A Stella And Lyndy Mystery series.

The Earl of Atherly bank account is in a severe problem due to financing his birding expeditions and to help his finances, he has been in touch with Elijah Kendrick, a millionaire horse breeder from Kentucky. It’s 1905 and arranged marriages among the elite is still practiced and he has arranged a marriage between his son, Viscount Lyndhurst(Lyndy) and Kendrick’s daughter Stella. Kendrick has also agreed to give the Earl three valuable racehorses. One of the horses is the sire to the favored horse at the upcoming Epsom Downs race and if it should win, the Earl’s money problems will be solved. Lyndy is handsome enough, but Stella is upset that this arrangement has been made without her consent and is ready to back out. Later, the body of Reverend Bullmore, the vicar that is to perform the marriage is found dead in the library. It is soon learned that the victim had a large sum of money on his person, which is now gone. Even though neither is looking forward to marriage, they do agree to search out the killer of the Reverend Bullmore.

This new series has the potential to become a very interesting series. This book is well-written and plotted. The characters are well developed and quite interesting. I found the two families and their interactions with each other particularly interesting. Lady Atherly is a bit of snob and tends to look down on the “hayseeds” from the states and Stella finds them standoffish and overbearing.

I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series to see if there is a chance that Stella and Lyndy will be able to set aside their difference and find romance. Also looking forward to what new adventures they will find.

I love historical mysteries and was so excited to receive a copy of this one, as the premise of the “Million Dollar Princess” teaming up with her staid British betrothed to solve a murder seemed so intriguing. While it was a pleasant enough read, for me it fell flat. The characters were unevenly written. I felt like the only nuanced, completely written characters were Stella, Hugh, Mr. Gates, and Mr. Harris. I thought the mystery was solidly enough plotted, with enough clues scattered in. And Stella made a fabulous sleuth. But I couldn’t help feeling as if this read more like a final draft than a finished book. It needed one more round of editing and writing revisions. All in all, though, a solid enough start to a fun and light mystery series.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this one.

Historical mystery with a side of romance.
1905. Stella Kendrick goes to England with her father to deliver some thoroughbred racehorses to Viscount "Lyndy" Lyndhurst. What Stella isn't aware of is that she is part of the deal. The discount is broke and her daddy wants an English title. A marriage made in heaven. Or is it? Just as Stella is making her feelings known he vicar is found face down in the library, the apparent victim of a murderer. But who would want to kill him?! Stella and Lundy join forces to solve the mystery and find themselves discovery more in this lovely little mystery.
I found this debut to be a nice read. It moved along smoothly and the characters were introduced to us little by little, which I like. I would recommend you give it a chance especially if you are a fan of historical fiction and romance.

If you love historical mysteries with a hint of romance, you might want to give this debut novel a try.

The plot is fairly standard for the genre. It’s 1905, and Stella Kendrick and her father are visiting England to deliver some of his thoroughbred racehorses to their new aristocratic owners. What Stella doesn’t realize is that she’s also part of the deal; she’s expected to marry the son of the house to satisfy her social-climbing father. Viscount Lyndhurst (aka Lyndy) is fascinated by his prospective bride, but Stella doesn’t want to marry a stranger. When the vicar who was to perform the wedding ceremony is murdered, Stella and Lyndy both want to find out who’s responsible, and their attempts to uncover the killer allow them to get to know each other better and explore the potential attraction between them.

I thought the book was a pleasant read. Neither the mystery nor the potential romance set my imagination on fire, but they were both competently done. The author has also obviously done her research to get a proper feel for the historical period.

I did like the way the story was told. Although most of the book is told from Lyndy’s and Stella’s point of view, certain scenes feature various secondary characters, including the detective investigating the murder. That allows the story to be more rounded than if the reader got only the main characters’ perspectives, which is often typical for the genre.

Overall, it’s an enjoyable book, and worth checking out if you are looking for a new historical mystery series to follow.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

Historical cozy mysteries always get my attention and this debut did not disappoint me. Set in England 1905, the clash of social norms between America and England form the base for a very good mystery. Stella would rather spend her time with horses than people, especially people like her very disagreeable father. Rich he may be but he sees his horses and his daughter as possessions that he can dispense with as he pleases. Wanting to improve his social standing just like so many wealthy Americans of the period, he sets out to buy his way into British titled society by giving his daughter in marriage to a titled family, land rich but cash poor. When Stella finds out the real purpose of the trip to England she is beyond angry. Things go really wrong when a prize horse, part of her dowry, vanishes and the wedding plans come to a halt when the vicar turns up dead. Reluctantly at first, Stella and Lyndy (Lord Lyndhurst) her betrothed, start to investigate the murder. The question of who wanted the vicar dead is tied to the fact that it turns out the vicar wore a money belt, now missing. Why would a vicar have need of a money belt and have much money to put in it?
I enjoyed the humor and the contrast between the social rules of the Americans and the British characters. Stella is a strong young woman who will, I hope, continue to develop as the series continues. Her relationship with Lyndy shows promise as he is a much better man than she is used to encountering.

I love historical mysteries and historical romance - the combination of the two was what immediately drew my attention to Murder at Morrington Hall. Unfortunately, I thought the mystery and romance were both rather underwhelming. If one had grabbed my attention, I am sure that I would have enjoyed this more. I loved Stella as a character and her drive to be more than her station and gender will allow her to be. Sadly, her romantic foil and sleuthing partner, Lyndy, did not measure up to Stella's dynamic personality. Lyndy was by far the best male character in the book, but considering the others (i.e. Stella's dad), the bar was not high. Perhaps the series will build on these characters, but for the first installment, I felt that the characters and the mystery lacked substance.

With cozy mysteries, it is quite often the case that it has to be the right type of "cozy" for the reader. So, whilst I appreciate that lots of readers will love the humour, the setting and the "fish out of water" nature of the book, for me personally, it just did not work.

3.5 stars. This is a promising start to a new cozy historical mystery series. The characters are (for the most part) likeable, and the mystery was interesting. The main factor lowering the score is the writer's frequent habit of stalling the action in favor of inner monologues listing all the unanswered questions in the mystery or recapping everything that the reader just read. This drove me crazy after a while and took me out of the story.

Stella Kendrick is a sympathetic main character, being transplanted from rural Kentucky to an aristocratic manor in England, all without any warning. Stella's father, an abusive and all-around horrible person, essentially sold Stella off, along with some of his prized horses, in exchange for a noble title in the family. Her betrothed, Lord Lyndhurst, is mostly a worthy hero, though at times he joins his family in judging Stella's social faux pas or her "unladylike" independence. Hopefully as the series goes on, his rough edges will be smoothed out.

Thank you to Kensington and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review!

"Stella Kendrick is an all-American heiress who can’t be tamed. But when the lively aspiring equine trainer tangles with British aristocracy, she meets her match - and a murderer...

Spring, 1905: Free-spirited like the Thoroughbreds she rides across the Kentucky countryside, Stella takes adventure by the reins when she’s asked to attend a mysterious wedding in rural England. But once she arrives at the lush Morrington Hall estate, her cold and ambitious father confesses that he won’t only give away his best racehorses as gifts—he has also arranged to give away his daughter as bride to the Earl of Atherly’s financially strapped son...

Stella refuses to be sold off like a prized pony. Yet despite a rough start, there’s something intriguing about her groom-to-be, the roguish Viscount “Lyndy” Lyndhurst. The unlikely pair could actually be on the right track with each other...until they find the vicar who was to marry them dead in the library.

With culture clashes mounting between families, a scandalous murder case hangs over Morrington Hall. Now, Stella and Lyndy must go from future spouses to amateur sleuths as they team up to search for the truth - and prevent an unbridled criminal from destroying their new life together right out of the gate..."

More period murder!

An arranged marriage between an unknown American daughter, Stella Kendrick, whose father, Elijah Kendrick, an American multi-millionaire, whose made his fortune in horse racing and breeding to the English aristocratic family of the Earl of Anthony, whose son, William Lyndhurst. Elijah brings the American money, which is vitally needed by the Earl of Anthony, who is cash poor, but land rich. A common occurrence in the early part of the 20th Century. Each family wants to impress one another and gains one's acceptance in high society.

One small setback occurs, when Stella and Lyndy find the vicar dead. Later they find out he was carrying upon himself a money belt, which is gone. Is theft the motive? Why would a vicar be caring a money belt? Is the the arranged marriage doomed? And to make matters worse, Orson the prized stud horse, who is part of Stella's dowry has been stolen.

The author sets the tone by establishing the staunch differences in etiquette, manners and cordial respect between the brash, wild and free thinking Americans and the strict English aristocratic protocols and behavior. Their clashes at times can be funny, awkward, rude and embarrassing. An essential element of the story.

Stella and Lyndy slowly come together, as they try to understand and respect one another's character. They jointly investigate the murder of the vicar, brings them closer together, as the barrier of their differences, slowly dissolve.

I was entertained by this mystery and the author's main contrast of the respective families is a delight to read, as we become more familiar with each family and as the families attempts to overcome their differences, as difficult as they are. The supporting characters are an integral part to the story and they are exceptionally appealing and add some humor to the story.

This is my first, in what I hope to be many more mysteries involving Stella and Lyndy. Clara McKenna has a creative and clever approach to murder mysteries and she was able to keep the motivated and intrigued, throughout the story. She has a gift for flair of nice, cozy mysteries we all like to read and I hope she is able to establish herself as an exceptional author, as she continues to write.

A good historical mystery that I truly enjoyed and found both engaging and entertaining.
I liked the well researched historical background, the well written and likable characters, and the mystery that kept me guessing till the end.
I look forward to reading other books in this series.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

A fun start to a new series! Set in 1905 England, it features two people- Stella and Viscount Lyndhurst (Lyndy) who find themselves investigating the murder of the vicar who was supposed to marry them. That marriage, btw, was a surprise to Stella. Her rotten father set up the marriage without her knowledge. There's a fair amount of cross cultural stuff (American country woman versus UK upper classes), some of which is chuckle worthy and other bits of which are cringe worthy. Once you get past the idea that women were married off in this fashion (they really were) and get into the mystery, this one takes off. It's well plotted and the characters are fun-good banter. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For fans of light historical mysteries.

Clara McKenna's debut novel, Murder at Morrington Hall, is the first in a promising new mystery series. Stella Kendrick is an American heiress from Kentucky, who is under the impression that she is accompanying her father for business to deliver some of their racehorses to be presented as a wedding gift. She is horrified to discover after her arrival, that she is part of the buisness deal as well. Her father has arranged a marriage for her to a member of the British arisotcracy and the racehorses are being offered to sweeten the deal.

Stella discovers the deception the very day of her arrival and is determined that she will not be managed by her father, won't be married off to this stranger. Her intended groom is the Viscount Lyndhurst, or Lyndy, only son and heir to the Earl of Atherly. The estate is failing and so saving it rests on thier ability to marry their son to a young woman from a wealthy family, while thowing in a few race horses for good measure.

The book starts of being about this marriage arrangement and Stella and Lyndy's feelings about the arrangement, but it soon takes a turn towards mystery as the pair stumble across a dead body in the library. The murder is only the start of strange things happening around the estate. Stella and Lyndy learn to work together as they seek to find the responsible party.

A lovely little cozy mystery and a quick read, it's engaging and entertaining. There are red herrings and plot twists to that keep the story going and the mystery fresh, well worth the read. There were several subplots, which would normally weigh down a mystery and detract from the story, but the author balanced them all so perfectly. I'm very excited about this author and will be looking forward to reading the next in the series to see how things develop between Stella and Lyndy and to jump into a new mystery! I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a new author and is a fan of the cozy or historical mystery genres.

<i> I received a copy of this book from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This is my honest review.</i>

Murder in Morrington Hal by Clara McKenna is the first book in A Stella and Lyndy Mystery series.

This being the first book we got a long introduction to the characters which I appreciated especially as I like to know the characters well. I also liked that I learned a lot about horses and races, but this didn't overwhelmed the story at all.

Young girl Stella accompanies her father to this trip to England not knowing that she is about to be married. Her marriage is arranged to the British impoverished gentry, her father marries her into a title and the other side gets purebred horse.
However, before anything is accomplished the horse is stolen. Stella is terrified for the horse. There are many very suspicious characters that behave oddly or are trying to hide something.
After her initial shock at discovering what the future hold for her and meeting her match she forms an almost amicable alliance with her Lyndy, her intended to try and solve this mystery.

Very nice beginning of what will become a successful series.
I really liked the characters, they have depth and are well portrayed. Some are almost comical, and some like Stella's father are abhorrent.
Mystery is well brought out and has enough twists and turns to keep readers engaged. I also like the language is it a bit different from contemporary novels due to its historical nature.

Stella Kendrick thinks she is in England on a horse tour with her father. She is aghast that he has given away her horse, Tully, and two others, including Orson, a stallion, to the Atherly family in honour of their son's upcoming wedding. It's not until the grooms at the stables congratulate her on being the bride - for a wedding that is mere days away - that she realizes what has happened.

The description makes it sound a bit like she does as she pleases, but in reality, Stella has been very sheltered and horse racing is a source of comfort for her. This not come across as "not like those other girls" or anything like that, though the Englishwomen around her never let her forget for a second that she is an American. She does her best to fit in but there are several minor gaffes as she's simply had no one to teach her. Her father is abusive and doesn't care about what anyone else thinks, he wants to get rid of her as soon as possible. Stella is not sure about the marriage, because after all, she's never met this man, she's in a strange country far from home, and no one cares if she's going to be safe here.

Lyndy, on the other hand, knows he's been on the marriage auction block to help save the estate, as his father wasted all their money on funding archeological expeditions. Lyndy wants to restore the stables and make them profitable again, as it was in his grandfather's day. He doesn't expect to like his future wife but hopes they will do well together.

The vicar being murdered is a shock to all. He's relatively knew to the village but has been away for several years due to a previous scandal. It's then discovered he was carrying a lot of money around related to some gambling. Was he murdered for the money on the spur of the moment or was it planned?

Stella and Lyndy stumble across the body shortly after they meet. From then on, they start reporting their findings about the mystery to each other, and it becomes more important when Orson is stolen from the stables. As he's a major part of her dowry, will the wedding still be on?

I really enjoyed the mystery and the contrasts from how Stella and Lyndy view the world at Morrington Hall (this book is written in third person, if you're not a fan of changing POVs). The murder and theft open Lyndy's eyes to some secrets about those around him and for Stella, gives her insight into English society and the upstairs, downstairs, mentality. The mysteries were fascinating and the twists along the way keep the reader guessing.

I see this is the start of the series and look forward to the next installment. The 1905 time period is an intriguing setting, and if readers are interested in a historical that doesn't rely on a lot of scientific methods, this is a good start.

I received a copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review. Murder at Morrington Hall is the first book in what I hope will be a series. Lyndy (Viscount Lyndhurst) is unlucky enough to be the son of a British peer in need of funds and is to be married to Miss Stella Kendrick, an American from Kentucky. In return for the marriage, Lyndy will also get several prized racehorses. Stella isn't aware that her daddy arranged her marriage or that there is more than meets the eye about their visit to Britain. When made aware of the agreement, she is understandably upset and doesn't want to marry Lyndy. Lyndy finds himself fascinated by the American in spite of himself and despite her loud, obnoxious father. Shortly after meeting, the pair discover the local vicar with his head bashed in. The police are called in, and the pair provide what details they know; the more Lyndy finds out about the vicar, the more it is clear he has a past that may have caught up to him. Will anyone discover who killed the vicar and why? Is it one of their guests, a servant, or someone totally unknown?

The mystery aspect of the story was well done; I didn't figure out who did it until the later part of the book, but the clues were all there if you knew what to look for. I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Lyndy and Stella and look forward to watch it continue to develop further in future books. The secondary characters are well developed and feel true to the Edwardian period. I can't wait for future titles in this series.