Book Review - The Secret of Pembrooke Park

Secret of Pembrooke Park by Julie Klassen

When Abigail Foster’s father’s business fails, the family must sell their home in London and take advantage of a distant relative’s offer to rent Pembrooke Park, an abandoned country estate. The offer is an answer to the Foster’s prayers, though rumors say that the estate is haunted and fraught with dangerous secrets.

William Chapman, the young parson of the church at Pembrooke Park, is the son of the estate’s former steward, so William is privy to certain Pembrooke family secrets. As William and Abigail get acquainted, they discover a shared curiosity about the estate’s “secret room”, rumored to contain treasure. The mystery deepens through anonymous letters Abigail receives that contain journal entries from a previous  manor resident.

William’s attraction to Abigail increases, but as humble parish pastor, he has nothing to offer her in marriage. Abigail’s childhood friend Gilbert returns from his studies in Italy, and her younger sister Louisa arrives on the scene as well, just in time to complicate things.

This book has a little bit of everything - budding friendships and romance, intrigue and distrust, and secrets galore. Just about the time I thought I had some of the puzzle pieced together, the action ramped up and headed in another direction. Plenty of surprises, I like that.

Julie Klassen guides the reader through a delightful maze of mystery, adventure, redemption, and restoration as her characters uncover the long kept secrets of Pembrooke Park. Fans of historical fiction will enjoy the rich, authentic details that envelop the story from start to finish. I must admit, I was sorry to see it end.  The Secret of Pembrooke Park is another lovely and engaging story to Ms. Klassen’s credit.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of The Secret of Pembrooke Park from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.

I am still officially on blog break; will return on Monday, January 5. See you then!  :)

What are you reading this weekend?

Happy New Year,

Karen