A Murder at Rosamund's Gate by Susanna Calkins

Do you know, when I looked at the cover, I saw "Murder at Rosamund's Cafe". And then I wondered why there wasn't a cafe in this story. Ok, so just so we're (I'm) clear, this says "gate", which makes the title a lot more relevant to the plot.

In this novel/mystery, Lucy, a maid at the magistrate's house, is drawn into the murder when her best friend/fellow housemaid Bessie is killed, and her brother William is accused of the murder. At the same time, she has to contend with her growing feelings for the son of the magistrate, Adam. And of course, there's the plague to deal with.

To be honest, the murder mystery felt like a subplot. There weren't that much clues, and the mystery is solved by a bunch of coincidences - and the testimony of one person. I think this novel was more about England in the age of Restoration London. There are times when the life of the Londoners interrupt the mystery part. So if you're expecting a "pure" mystery story, you may be a little disappointed.

All the characters are likable, although Lucy reminds me of a Mary-Sue sometimes. She's one of those smart (smarter than girls of her "class"), sassy girls who don't see themselves as attractive. Thankfully, there weren't hordes of guys after her. I wouldn't have been able to stand it if there were. Also working as a redeeming factor, she feels like a real character. There were times when I thought "Mary-Sue!", but most of the time, I could think of her as "Lucy".

The ending was both predictable and unpredictable. I didn't manage to guess who the murderer was, I could totally see the state of Lucy's love-life. Then again, there were only two ways that her relationship could end up.

A sweet story, that happens to have a murder in it.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.