What a delightful novel from Rachel Burton! This is the second time I've read this author, and I liked this book better than the last. I read it with few breaks because I enjoyed it so much!

It's a sweet story with a few twists, and it makes you feel like you're visiting an old English country house. Read if you like bittersweet (but not sad) stories with light romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. #sponsored

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishing house, and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book and return for review based upon my honest opinion.

This was a good read. I really enjoyed the storyline, the characters and the setting. This was a dual timeline story That takes place in Yorkshire. In the present day, Viola works in the Haverford house As a tour guide, she tells the story of Annie Bishop, a former made at the house who went missing and his presumed murdered. In the past, we hear the story of Annie Bishop and the staff of the Haverford house in the 1930s when the event was supposed to have taken place..


Both storylines were really good, but the past story of Annie was what really hooked me. This is a great book that will take you away to Yorkshire and immersed in the life of Annie. Wonderfully written.

I loved this book. A dual time-line which grabbed my attention and wouldn't let go. I loved the mystery surrounding the house and was desperate to find out what happened. A author I'm going to read more of. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I like the dual timeline and that the book starts in the most recent timeline, like reminiscing.

The fictional history of Haverford House being shared as dual timeline was so good. There are some tragic and brilliantly written connections between then and now and it's so good.

I really enjoy Rachel Burtons books and this did not disappoint.

This is an enjoyable and interesting dual timeline book,set over a 70 year period.
It is well written and intriguing. There are a lot of secrets to uncover and I really enjoyed reading this book.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

I really loved this wonderful historical read from Rachel Burton. Dual timeline, some romance, some mystery and well written to boot. What's not to like!?

"A moving tale of love, the true meaning of home, and the haunting secrets that can bind generations"


The story opens in the late 1920s, when a young Annie Bishop is set to follow in her mother's footsteps, as she joins the below stairs staff of Haverford House. However, she is not strictly typical of her class, in that she has been nurtured by her parents and is quite learned and well read, so her speedy rise from maid to Lady's maid, is not totally unexpected. Annie is restless to discover more of the what the world has to offer, although she is fiercely loyal to her mother, her employers and even the house itself, so she is not about to make any rash decisions about her future. That is until she meets wealthy American heir, Thomas Everard, who dares her to contemplate a different life and follow the dream she has, which she has only ever shared with him. The star-crossed lovers are each beset with problems from within their own societal class, which almost sees the undoing of all their carefully laid plans, so when Annie mysteriously disappears and Thomas looks to be guilty of a crime no one can determine, this particular chapter of life within the walls of Haverford House, looks to be closed for good.

It is now 2003 and Lady Seraphina and the heir designate of Haverford House, her son David, are at odds about what fate should befall the estate, which is sliding into a state of genteel disrepair and is a financial millstone around their necks. In her bid to preserve the house for the country and indeed herself, Seraphina has hired Viola Hendricks to organise open-house days and special events, in an effort to delay the inevitable. Viola, an Australian by birth, was instantly beguiled by the mystery which still surrounded the disappearance of Annie Bishop in 1933 and weaves as many stories and anecdotes around the incident as she can, for the paying public. However, Viola has also come to look upon Haverford House as her home, one which she doesn't want to lose. Unaware that, through her actor brother Sebastian, she shares more in common with Annie than she might ever have thought, Viola organises a series of Shakespeare evenings, which are hugely popular, although still not enough to stave off the inevitable. Enter wealthy and enigmatic American Chase Matthews, heir to a hotel empire, with an agenda of his own and set by his father. Chase, is however, totally unprepared to be bowled over by the passion Viola holds for Haverford House and the secret surrounding Annie Bishop's disappearance and finds himself prepared to accept the wrath of his disappointed father, when he decides to follow his heart in both matters of love and future career.

Where does British/American mystery write Elizabeth Smithson fit into this jigsaw puzzle of parallel stories and will her revelations help or hinder Viola, Seraphina and Chase, in their quest to maintain Haverford House for the future of a nation?

...

A moving romance, blended with a haunting mystery, this beautifully structured and textured, dual timeline story, was narrated in well-signposted chapters by Annie and Viola, with occasional interspersions by 'the writer', one Elizabeth Smithson. Two separate strands of the same storyline, which dovetailed together seamlessly as I became more and more engrossed in the lives of these women, their families and those who sought to influence their lives. Eventually I did begin to put two and two together for myself, although I was never completely right about any particular aspect of the unfolding drama, as there were one or two well placed red herrings which tripped me up along the way.

Also, as a work of cultural fiction, author Rachel Burton offered a compulsive and masterful elucidation of every day domestic intrigue and societal interest, from within the confines of a modestly sized, titled estate. Encompassing over seventy decades of challenges, the ever-changing dynamics between a life of service and master, are explored with a genuine realism, sympathy and empathy for the individuals, exuding an atmosphere which was so perfectly described, I almost felt I could step into any scene and I would know exactly what role I should be playing and how to present myself.

The characters were each well defined and rendered to completely fit their individual roles, so as I had expected, there were many of them I couldn't and indeed wouldn't have ever hoped to connect with or invest in. However, with Annie and Thomas, Viola and Chase, being two sides of the same coin, separated not only by time, but also by class, their lives were particularly interesting to follow; with Annie and Viola demonstrating a unique and lasting bond with Haverford House, as a place they had learned to call home, despite its many secrets. Polly also stood out as worthy of a mention for the way in which, after having escaped her position in a life below stairs without really thinking through the potential consequences of a 'too good to be true' situation, consequently embraced without question the next new chapter of her life with a true strength of character and stalwart loyalty, after having been shown the true hand of friendship.

Haverford House was a fictional establishment, although loosely based on many similar, real historic houses and estates, with which the Yorkshire landscape is replete. As such, the house and characters quite rightly dominated the storyline, with the wider location taking something of a backseat, although the nearby City of York and town of Halifax are alluded to on occasion, as are the City of New York, USA and the town of Kiama, near Sydney, Australia. Author Rachel Burton brought the scenes to life with her wonderfully woven words, which offered that all important extra dimension, of a lovely sense of time and place. So, everything having been taken into account, I finished this book with my 'armchair traveller' hat on, more than happy and contented with my virtual journey.

This is a fascinating story which kept me engrossed right to the end.
Haverfordwest House in Yorkshire I’d the central character in both time lines. In 1928 Annie Bishop starts work as a servant in the house, in 2003 Victoria Hendricks manages the house and takes tours around it. One mystery which she recounts is the disappearance of Annie in 1933.
This intriguing mystery is recounted in alternating chapters and the author captured the different time periods perfectly; problems with obtaining servants and the change in the way of life in twentieth century and the problem with maintaining the house in the twenty first century.a perfect read any time but especially on holiday as it is a difficult book to put down.

This book was amazing a dual timeline about two woman.

Viola works at Haverford House as a guide telling the history of the house. There is a mystery that over the 70 years has different stories of what happened to the maid Annie who disappeared. Viola meets Chase who is very intrigued in the mystery as well. The house needs money to be able to run as a business.

Elizabeth is an author of mysteries and has something that she needs to put right from her past. You wonder who she is really as it is not her real name.

Annie is the maid who we find out about her story in the book who really likes Shakespeare’s work and reads the plays at every chance she gets. She is a very intelligent woman.

I thought the characters worked well together it was well written and kept my attention in the book and I just wanted to read on as I could not put the book down.

A mystery with a dual timeline that is set in 1933 and 2003 at Haverford House, a Yorkshire stately home, following Annie, the maid and Viola, the estate manager. I don't usually like dual timeline stories but the mystery side of this story intrigued me and I wasn't disappointed. The dual timeline flowed brilliantly and the characters are well developed and likeable so you felt attached to them and what happens. A most enjoyable read. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A mystery with a dual timeline.
Set in 1933 and 2003 at Haverford House, a Yorkshire stately home, following Annie, the maid and Viola, the estate manager, respectively.
Annie is 16 when she starts working as a maid at Haverford House, during the summer of 1933, Annie meets wealthy American, Thomas Everard, a guest at the house and starts considering a move to America, until one night Annie vanishes.
In 2003, Viola applies for the position of Estate Manager at Haverford House. The old house is struggling and with the countess’ agreement she starts holding tours of the house during the summer months. Viola meets Chase Mathewson one of the tours, he’s American and very interested in the house and the disappearance of Annie Bishop.

Review - the characters are so beautifully well developed you feel an instant connection with both Annie & Viola and you’re interested in their fate.
Particularly loved the 1930’s upstairs/downstairs element of a by gone era.
The dual timeline flowed brilliantly and the mystery element added a bit of intrigue
The perfect escapist historical mystery - would make an excellent Easter holiday read
Thanks @rachelbwriter, @hoz & @netgalley for the fab historical mystery

I simply adore Rachel Burton's novels. She does these dual timeline novels so well. The setting is always exquisite and this time the most gorgeous of English Estates, the narratives had a wonderful symmetry between the lives of the main characters and the events at the time. There's love, romance and mystery. It was pretty much perfect, I highly recommend.

Rachel Burton has done it again!

The Mystery of Haverford House is a wonderful dual timeline story that switches between Annie in 1933 and Viola in 2003. Seventy years apart each of their stories were so similar.

Another well-paced wonderful book by one of my favourite authors!

Not being a big fan of historical fiction books, I began reading this with mixed feelings. Almost half way through and I was unable to put it down.

In 1928: Annie Bishop is sixteen when she starts working as a maid at Haverford House in Yorkshire and like her mother did years before her. Annie shares a room with Polly, the other servants are kind and Lord Haverford lets his staff read books from his impressive library and Annie enjoys Shakespeare’s plays. Five years later Annie dreams of more and around this time servants are tired of working long hours and leaving the service and it's hard to replace them. During the summer of 1933 Annie meets wealthy America Thomas Everard, he’s staying at Haverford House, she starts considering moving to the United States, until one night Annie vanishes and was she killed?

The story has a dual timeline, it’s very easy to follow and focuses on the two main female characters, Annie and Viola.

In 2003: Viola Hendricks applies for a job at Haverford House, the old place is struggling financially and she and the current Countess of Haverford, hold tours during the summer, people have heard the tale about the maid Annie Bishop who vanished into thin air and they feature a Shakespeare festival and this year her brother Sebastian is playing the leading role in Twelfth Night. Despite their best efforts, they don’t make enough money to keep Haverford House in the black and many other stately homes in a similar position have been sold and become hotels and wedding venues. Viola thinks she’s met a like-minded person when Chase Matthews attends a couple of her tours, he’s from America and seems very interested in the house and the disappearance of Annie Bishop?

I received a copy of The Mystery of Haverford House by Rachel Burton from Aria and Aries in exchange for unbiased review. This well written and appealing narrative is perfect for historical fiction fans who enjoy reading dual timeline stories about old houses, the staff below stairs and the upper crust gentry they served, unsolved mysteries and lost love, and fans of Shakespeare, especially Twelfth Night and two of the characters have an obvious link to the play. I highly recommend this book, and Ms. Burton’s previous release The Secrets of Summer House and five stars from me.

1933. Annie Bishop entered service at Haverford House to become a maid when she was just sixteen. Five years later she has learned to 'know her place' and keep her dreams small, but inside she longs to become a writer. Then one summer, wealthy actor, Thomas Everard arrives. Lord Haverford has an eye on Thomas marrying one of his daughters to revive the family fortunes, but as an American, Thomas is not particularly enamoured with the strictures of English society. When the idea of putting on a production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night takes hold with the younger members of the country house set, Thomas finds himself growing close to lady's maid Annie through their shared love of the Bard. Suddenly, the prospect of another life opens up to Annie, but that fateful summer, she disappears without a trace...

2003. Australian, Viola Hendricks was drawn to Haverford House by the mystery of Annie's disappearance, and the hope of a new start. For the last five years, she has worked hard as an events manager for the Dowager Seraphina to keep the house and grounds open to the public, but now the prospect of closure cannot be ignored in the face of mounting costs. Viola hopes that this summer's Shakespeare festival will give some breathing space for her to finally source the funds they need to stave off the current Lord Haverford's plans - especially with her own brother, famous Hollywood star Sebastian, headlining a production of Twelfth Night in the grounds. However, she does not plan on the appearance of distracting American, Chase Matthews, or the interference of his secretive motives. But perhaps they can still work together to save historic Haverford, and solve the mystery of Annie's disappearance too?

Flipping back and forth between these two beautifully written timelines, Rachel Burton pulls you into a sweeping mystery about the past, and the future, of Yorkshire country estate, Haverford House, through the voices of two women separated by time. Annie's story unfurls in 1933, with atmospheric between-the-wars vibes, while Viola battles to find a way to keep Haverford House out of the hands of developers, and save the home she has grown to love, in the present.

The secrets of Haverford House, and the way the mystery of Annie Bishop's disappearance in 1933 causes ripples through time, are the spine of the story. Burton keeps you turning the pages, weaving lovely storylines for her characters around dreams, belonging, romance, and family which tug on your heart strings, and I became completely immersed in the interconnected threads.

I loved how Burton floods this book with themes that link Annie and Viola's stories, not least the way she connects them through my favourite Shakespeare play, Twelfth Night. She delves nicely into the gulf that separates the society family above stairs from the below stairs staff who serve them, exploring so many issues around the social changes at play in the 1930s (also one of my favourite eras), and in a stroke of genius she echoes many these themes in Viola's storyline too - especially when it comes to generational conflict, siblings, found family, love that spans an ocean-divide, and the problems of maintaining a grand country estate on dwindling funds.

This one kept me guessing, pulled on by the perfectly judged nudges in the story, until all the secrets of the past are finally revealed in the present - which Burton uses cleverly to bring this compelling tale full-circle in a conclusion that warmed the cockles of my heart. The Mystery of Haverford House is just the kind of historical fiction I like best, evocative, emotional, well-researched, and with relatable women front and centre. I adored it. My favourite Rachel Burton yet.

This book was a very enjoyable read. I loved the story of Haverford House & how it stretched over the generations. To me, it was obvious who the writer was, but it was also great to hear the stories of the people's lives & how they got to this place. I liked Viola & her passion for the house & its past life. The added story of her brother brought another dimension to the book & it tied nicely to 1933,
Highly recommended read.

The Mystery at Haverford House is dual time mystery set in 1933 and 2003 in a lovely Georgian mansion in Yorkshire

The book starts in New York where a wealthy older woman reads an article about a body discovered on the estate of Haverford House and decides to take a trip to visit Haverford House as it is meaningful to her past. Meanwhile at Haverford House, Viola Hendricks, event planner for the estate is doing everything she can to keep the estate from being sold. Haverford House has been her only home for the past 5 years and she has always had an affinity to the house and the mysterious disappearance of one of the maids. Annie Bishop in 1933. While trying to save the estate a body is discovered in the old boathouse. Whose body is it and does it have any connection to the disappearance of Annie Bishop? The story is told in alternating chapter between Viola in 2003 and Annie in 1933. Both Viola and Annie were likeable characters who had tragedies in their past to overcome and a need for a place to call home. I enjoyed the book and the mystery did have a nice twist as to whose body was in the boathouse.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher Aries & Aria and the author for the chance to read and review this book.

It's emotional and intriguing historical fiction. It begins with the need to atone and takes the reader back to a seventy-year-old mystery that haunts a Yorkshire manor. Annie begins her life as a housemaid at sixteen, following her widowed mother's footsteps. She loves books and dares to dream of something more than duty. This wonderfully evocative story moves seamlessly between the late 1920s and early1930s and 2003. Viola has found her place at Haverford but must make amends with her past to embrace her future. I like the multilayered plot with echoes in the past. The believably flawed characters draw the reader into their lives and make them care what happens to them. The historical mystery is lyrical and rich in detail and evokes the dynamics of between-the-wars England. The socio-political ethos and emancipation of women are explored through the characters in an engaging and resonating tale. I like the echoes between the past and present, the characters and the relationship dynamics this story explores.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Told in alternating time points in 1933 and 2023, The Mystery of Haverford House is part mystery: part historical fiction. The story follows Annie and Viola who work at Haverford house 70 years apart. I loved the insights into the changing nature of the class system, and the sprawling backdrop of the grand home. I found the first part of the book a bit slow to get into, but I’m glad I persevered. The pace quickened as more characters were introduced and the threads of the mystery were woven together, then I couldn’t put it down! A great read for anyone looking for a cosy mystery with loveable characters.

Thank you to Aries Fiction Books and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.