Downton Abbey meets Jane Eyre in this charming and engaging historical novel. The mysterious death of the favoured son and heir to Ridley Hall draws together an interesting collection of characters whose lives are affected and changed by the event. Clearly well researched with forays into the social, political and military thinking of the day, the author’s keen eye for interesting details really brings the well drawn characters to life.
The Death of Lyndon Wilder and the Consequences Thereof Synopsis
When governess Anna Arbuthnot arrives at Ridley Hall, she finds a house in deep mourning. Lyndon Wilder, oldest and most beloved son of Lord and Lady Charles has been killed in the Napoleonic Wars, leaving behind him a now orphaned daughter, Lottie and other undiscovered troubles. Anna finds it easy to establish a bond with her young charge, but other relationships in the house begin to strain under the weight of Lyndon's absence. When Thomas Wilder, the younger son and new heir, returns from war, he finds his family in chaos and Lyndon's legacy threatening Ridley Hall's future. As executor of his brother's will and guardian of his daughter, Thomas is forced to leave the military life he loves, and is confined to the faltering estate of his childhood. It is only with Anna's help that Thomas can save Ridley, and most crucially, protect his parents from the truth about Lyndon Wilder...
