cozy-mystery, historical-research, historic-buildings, murder, murder-investigation, renovation, family-dynamics, friendship, Maryland, small-town*****

The first body was over a hundred years old, but the investigators still had hands full because it had been walled away. There seemed to be no clue as to his identity, but the friends were working on history of the house the town needed to be restored. There are historical research professionals, a construction manager, an FBI agent, and Kate who is more familiar with modern grandiose establishments. The characters are all interesting and well developed, the imagery clear. I devoured it in one sitting! This book stands alone, but I want to read previous in the series because I liked this one so much!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

This novel was sent to me on Kindle by Netgalley for a review. It is a cozy mystery with likeable characters. Murder and mayhem abound. Restoring an old house and discovering the past...this is a fun read.

The Secret Staircase by Sheila Connolly is an advance reader copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Kate Hamilton gets together with board members for the Asheboro Revitalization Project. Asheboro is west of Baltimore. Kate was asked by her friend Lisbeth to help save the town from total collapse. A body is found in the kitchen walls. It turns out there is a staircase that has been covered up.
I love reading Sheila Connolly books, but I have not read any of the Victorian Village Mysteries. The Secret Staircase was such a fascinating story to read. Thank you Ms Connolly for another fantastic book.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Kate is excited about renovating a Victorian mansion. When she is looking for a contractor. One of then finds a wall that shouldn't be there. They learned that there was a body buried there many years ago. This book kept mevon edge from the beginning.

Kate Hamilton has returned to her hometown after many, many years when her childhood friend talks her into spearheading a historic preservation project that could literally save their town. Kate falls in love with the old home and begins to live and breathe for learning the original family’s story. What she didn’t expect was to find a body in a small space that had been boarded up when the family had expanded the home.

How the police, Kate and others are trying to find out who the person was and how they came to be in the hidden space. With history and family ties to the area, almost everyone involved in the preservation has a stake in the outcome.

I could not put this one down and while I know Asheboro is fictional, I completely envision the town in Maryland this could have been based on. It’s always a thrill to read a great mystery, but even more so when it’s based in an area I have lived and spent time in. DEFINITELY add this one to your reading pile…you won’t be disappointed.

I enjoyed the characters in this book and they mystery itself was very good.
The history of the house piqued my interest, it’s always fun to learn the history of the old houses included in the stories.
I’ve enjoyed several books by this author and I’m looking forward to enjoying more.

What a fun read! Kate Hamilton is back in her efforts to preserve and recreate the village of Asheboro, MD. She is working toward refurbishing the Barton mansion. All is moving forward to a body is found hidden on a staircase that had been boarded over. She keeps pushing ahead while trying to find qualified workers to do the refurbishing. Even they hold some surprises as well. These Village Mysteries are comfort food for me. It's definitely an intriguing mystery, but keeps the small town feel.

I enjoyed this book. It's fast paced and interesting. The mysteries are interesting and the story is poignant. I like the characters as being well-rounded. I liked the history of the house and how they were preserving it. #TheSecretStaircase #NetGalley