Danger at Darkmoor Park

 

Hidden treasure. Murder. Mystery. Romance. All while snowbound at Christmas.

While trapped by a blizzard at a remote country manor house over Christmas, a school headmistress teams up with a charismatic doctor to solve a murder and hunt for hidden treasure.

But can she trust the man who has stolen her heart?
Selena Taylor is thrilled to cohost a Christmas house party at Darkmoor Park, the beautiful Yorkshire estate she will one day inherit. But a massive snowstorm hits the area, and no one can leave. When one of the guests dies after giving Selena a cryptic clue to a cache of hidden money, she suspects that he was murdered.

Dr. Adrian Scott arrives out of the blizzard and he and Selena, fueled by a burning mutual attraction, become partners in investigating both mysteries—a thrilling hunt for hidden treasure and the search for a ruthless killer—while trapped with holiday guests who all seem to be hiding a secret.

When another guest dies and she starts receiving threatening notes, Selena realizes that she is in terrible danger, pursued by a relentless villain and involved with a man whose touch makes her heart race but who may be hiding a deadly secret of his own.

Review:

Headmistress Selene Taylor feels that her chance at love has passed her by, but she is happy to oversee the school she and her sister founded. Wanting to be with her family for the hoildays, she made the difficult decision to stay at Darkmoor Park to act as hostess for Mrs. Hillman who has invited a group of acquaintances to spend ten days with her. No mystery would be complete without something to investigate, and I was glad to be part of Selene and Adrian Scott’s discovery of clues to the murders, and a large amount of money that one of the victims had hidden somewhere on the grounds. You are sure to get caught up in this story with secret passages, catacombs, money to be found, a handsome doctor, and a murderer to catch.

Things to love:
danger
treasure hunt
hidden identity
Gothic atmosphere
red herrings
estate folly
romance

I love this third book in the Audacious Sisterhood of Smoke and Fire. It can be read as a standalone because the author does a great job of telling you a bit about each of the sisters so you feel informed. But, I loved each book and highly recommend you read this one as well as the other two mysteries.

I received an advanced copy of the book from the publisher, NetGalley, and Austen Prose. All opinions are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review.