Sybil Delafield has been raised as an orphan at Winterridge by her beloved teacher Mrs. Smith. She was content and lived a simple life, until the day and mysterious letter arrived with a bracelet. Mrs. Smith also informs her she has been offered a job as a lady’s companion to the elderly Mrs. Chalcroft, a friend of her teacher. The year is 1813.
Never having been away from her only home, she is understandably nervous. I thought of how I would feel being thrust into such new and different surroundings. Well poor Sybil didn’t get off that easy. On her way to her new life, the coach she was riding is robbed by highway men. One of the men held her at gunpoint in the drenching rain and took her reference letter. Her ride ends at an Inn where she is left out in the freezing rain until they summon a coach from Croft towers. It is night and she enters this magnificent mansion and is taken to a stunning WHITE drawing room, drip, drip, drip, you get the picture. Around the fire are 3 obviously refined and wealthy people; a more than awkward moment and with no papers to prove her identity. While she is sharing her harrowing tale of the robbery, another man enters the room. Ut oh! It is the highwayman that seized her! What is she to do?
I am truly struggling to write this review! The book is so amazing I am finding hard to put everything into words. The very first sentence captured my attention and I was glued to the book until the end! There is suspense and mystery but it is so smoothly introduced into the plot. The author captured the era perfectly. Her descriptiveness in every area, from the setting, the emotions to the characters was so powerful that pictures popped into my head like a movie. (That’s a good idea! This would make a great movie!) At every turn there was a surprise, but they didn’t jump out and smack you in the face as with some novels. They slipped out in front of you catching you off guard! Some parts are so intense I found myself tensed up and gripping the book! The clever sense of humor Sybil and Mr. Sinclair’s shared with each other had me laughing more than once. I was entertained and kept guessing till the very end. I loved this book! It is staying on my bookshelf for good! I am anxiously awaiting her next book to be release July 2, 2019.
The publisher provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookLook Bloggers, in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have stated are my own.