Within These Gilded Halls: A Regency Romance

Captivating story....could not put it down. So many twists and turns. Very well written. Will recommend it to everyone who enjoys a good mystery.

A. manor house sits close to cliffs and the sea, a hidden treasure with hidden clues, murder, and enough suspects to keep the reader guessing. What more could you ask for in a murder mystery? Well, maybe a little romance. That's in there as well. The multiple choices of villains do leave the reader guessing until the very end. Who did it? All in all a very nice read. A first read from this author for me, but I do believe that I will read another.

Phoebe Radcliff and her assistant, Daniel, are invited to study art under Miss Drake and at the same time renovate the ballroom. Everything changes though the night Miss Drake is murdered. Phoebe is the last person to see Miss Drake and with her dying breath she gives Phoebe a clue to treasure that she has been seeking for years. There are a host of colorful characters that have been in residence at Avonthorpe Hall during the renovation, including Miss Drake’s dashing nephew Lt Graham Burke. The question for Phoebe is who can be trusted? This story is full of spies, treasure hunters and smugglers. It will keep you guessing until the last pages of the story.

I really enjoyed this book. It has a good mix of romance and mystery. I liked the characters and the plot. You can't ask for more. Very enjoyable book.

For a super exciting, mysterious, and suspenseful ride ... with a heart rending romance which kept me up way past bedtime!

Phoebe Radcliff's quiet existence as a young painter trying to escape her past takes a turn when her tutor is murdered and asks Phoebe to complete a treasure hunt to find the hidden jewels before the murderer can get to them. With clues hundreds of years old and hidden all over the estate, Phoebe races against unknown foes in the present as well as the return of foes from the past.This book confused me from the beginning. It felt like I was dropped into the story and was somehow supposed to know these characters and their relationships to each other already. I was also annoyed at how Phoebe "solved" many of the clues by overhearing the most random things. The romance was lackluster for me, probably because I never came to care for any of the characters individually, much less how they interacted with each other.I will be the first to admit that treasure hunts are a trope that I really don't enjoy, and mysteries in general are hit and miss for me, but if these are your thing, you'll probably enjoy this book much more than I did. I normally love Abigail Wilson's books and will definitely read more in the future. If you are a fan of gothic Regency stories, don't let my lackluster review stop you from checking this one out.I received my copy of the book from NetGalley. All opinions in this review are my own.

When I hear the word "Gilded" I immediately think of the Gilded Age, which is one of my favorite historical eras and a popular time setting for fiction. In the case of Within These Gilded Halls, however, it refers to the appearance in that everything appears great but it’s all a very deceptive facade. And deception is the key here, because everything - and everyone – at Avonthorpe Hall needs to be questioned.It's 1813, and England’s most pressing concern is just across the Channel in France. Napoleon is looking to expand his empire, and England and her allies are determined to stop him in any way possible. This includes through commerce, making smuggling a lucrative industry. Could smugglers be behind Miss Drake’s murder? And what about the Egyptian artefacts Miss Drake’s nephew brought home? It’s well known that Napoleon has an interest in Egyptology. Could that be a motive for murder? There are plenty of twists and turns in this romantic mystery.If I have one gripe, it’s possibly only my opinion. I’d not read anything by Abigail Wilson previously and Thomas Nelson marketed this as a standalone novel. Yet I felt I was missing some of Phoebe’s backstory. There were hints here and there, but not all my confusion was alleviated. I did a little research, and the results made me wonder if I should’ve read Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey first, since there appeared to be a connection between that title and this. I guess I need to add it to my to-read list so I can eventually find out.Disclaimer: Although I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher, the opinions above are my own.

I thought this was a great mystery with a hint of romance. I loved how all the clues to discover the treasure were there in plain sight and how Graham and Phoebe just had to figure it out. I also liked how as Graham and Phoebe worked together and got to know each other they were able to confide in each other and find healing and love. I also liked how the villain was someone you didn’t expect. I thought the story was well written and was a very entertaining story.I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, and or authors.  A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.