The Secrets of Wishtide (A Laetitia Rodd Mystery, #1)

by Kate Saunders

Mrs Laetitia Rodd is the impoverished widow of an Archdeacon, living modestly in Hampstead with her landlady Mrs Bentley. She is also a private detective of the utmost discretion. In winter 1850, her brother Frederick, a criminal barrister, introduces her to Sir James Calderstone, a wealthy and powerful industrialist who asks Mrs Rodd to investigate the background of an ‘unsuitable’ woman his son intends to marry – a match he is determined to prevent.

In the guise of governess, she travels to the family seat, Wishtide, deep in the frozen Lincolnshire countryside, where she soon discovers that the Calderstones have more to hide than most. As their secrets unfold, the case takes an unpleasant turn when a man is found dead outside a tavern. Mrs Rodd’s keen eyes and astute wits are taxed as never before in her search for the truth – which carries her from elite drawing rooms to London’s notorious inns and its steaming laundry houses.

Dickensian in its scope and characters, The Secrets of Wishtide brings nineteenth century society vividly to life and illuminates the effect of Victorian morality on women’s lives. Introducing an irresistible new detective, the first book in the Laetitia Rodd Mystery series will enthral and delight.

• ISBN10: 1408866862
• ISBN13: 9781408866863
• Publish Date: 14 July 2016 (first published 7 July 2016)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 4 March 2021
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

[wyvernfriend]

complicated mystery Apparently based around a line in Dicken's David Copperfield (which I have to admit not reading) and a throw-away line about Little Em'ly, a fisherman's daughter who elopes with James Steerforth, and spends the rest of her life repenting in the Australian outback.
 
In this Laetitia Rodd is an impoverished widow of an Archdeacon and her brother, a lawyer, uses her to enquire into puzzles for him, in this one he wants her to investigate another widow that the son of a client wants investigated. When murder happens in the small village the son of the client is blamed and Laetitia investigates, but all is not as it seems and there are undercurrents that make the investigation muddy.
 
I read this before going to Spain and remember parts, but I do remember liking it and wanting more.  Laetitia is interesting and determined to make her own way in a world that would prefer that she hide away and be unseen.  I had a few issues with the pacing but overall it was a good read.

[MurderByDeath]

I've previously started this book at least 3 times and never gotten past the first page - or even gotten to the first page before being distracted by something else so this time I was determined to get this book read.   It turns out that once I could actually sit down and read more than a handful of words, getting it read wasn't a problem at all.  It was a great read!  I thoroughly enjoyed it.   The book starts out like it's the middle of an on-going series; it doesn't bother to lay down a bunch of background or drag the reader through Mrs. Rodd's start as a discrete detective.  But never as the reader was I confused, or felt left in the dark, or plopped into the middle of things.  Small moments here and there fill in quite a few blanks; others just aren't that necessary (or perhaps are being saved for future books?) and there's plenty of mystery to take up the pages; the author doesn't need filler.   The widowed Mrs Rodd works through her brother, a distinguished defence attorney, and is called upon to look into the background of a young window deemed thoroughly unsuitable by the rich father of the young man who wants to marry her.  But unbeknownst to them all, there are far bigger problems blossoming for the family, and Mrs. Rodd finds herself in the thick of happenings rather diabolical.   According to the author, readers of David Copperfield will recognise her inspiration for this book (I've not read DC).  Whatever her inspiration, the characters and setting were pitch perfect and I just enjoyed every minute I spent with Mrs. Rodd and company.  Although I sussed out the plot twist very early on, I was too engrossed in the read to notice or care, and the pace remained brisk from beginning to end.   The only niggle I had is a small one:  Mrs. Rodd is the widow of an archbishop, so there's every possibility that the heavily spiritual/religious bent to the narrative is just part of her character.  It totally fits and it's never, ever preachy, but it's just dominant enough that it could also be the author using the book as a platform to evangelise and that possibility sours, just a tiny bit, what would have been my complete enthusiasm for the book.  Thankfully, Mrs. Rodd remains smart, sensible, non-judgemental and with enough humour for the niggle to remain tiny.   The cover implies this is the first of a new series; if so, I'll eagerly be in line to purchase the next one.