The Secret Rooms: A True Gothic Mystery by Catherine Bailey

Book: The Secret Rooms: A True Gothic Mystery
 
Author: Catherine Bailey
 
Narrator (if applicable): n/a

Release date (if applicable): Published

Synopsis: From Goodreads.com:

A castle filled with intrigue, a plotting duchess and a mysterious death in Catherine Bailey's The Secret Rooms.

At 6 am on 21 April 1940 John the 9th Duke of Rutland, and one of Britain's wealthiest men, ended his days, virtually alone, lying on a makeshift bed in a dank cramped suite of rooms in the servants' quarters of his own home, Belvoir Castle, in Leicestershire.

For weeks, as his health deteriorated, his family, his servants - even the King's doctor - pleaded with him to come out, but he refused.

After his death, his son and heir, Charles, the 10th Duke of Rutland, ordered that the rooms be locked up and they remained untouched for sixty years.

What lay behind this extraordinary set of circumstances?

For the first time, in The Secret Rooms, Catherine Bailey unravels a complex and compelling tale of love, honor and betrayal, played out in the grand salons of Britain's stately homes at the turn of the twentieth century, and on the battlefields of the Western Front. At its core is a secret so dark that it consumed the life of the man who fought to his death to keep it hidden. This extraordinary mystery from the author of Black Diamonds, perfect for lovers of Downton Abbey, Brideshead Revisited and The Suspicions of Mr Whicher.
 
My rating: 3.5/5 Stars
 
My opinion: After starting the ebook version of this book, I ended up waiting for this book to come out in print. 

In a historical book, it is critical to capture the reader's attention quickly. Ms. Bailey failed to do this in my case. The book, in the first 100 pages was loaded down with numbers, data and other facts versus introducing the readers to a really screwed up story.
 
I felt the story did a bit too much jumping around to me through the various generations. I could see some of it, but a chunk of it just threw off the story.
 
The appendixes in this book are invaluable. I found they worked better and were easier to access for me in the print version vs. the ebook version.


Source: Publisher for review
     
Would I recommend? : I already have
 
Stand Alone or Part of a Series: Stand alone