The Almanack

April 1, 2019
This engrossing whodunit set in 1752 England from Bailey (An Appetite for Violets) finds thief Tabitha Hart victimized by one of her marks in London, who makes off with her money and most of her possessions. Meanwhile, Tabitha is desperate to return to her home village of Netherlea, where her widowed mother, Elizabeth, still lives, after a year away. Tabitha recently received a letter from Elizabeth asking her to come back in order to learn something troubling. But when Tabitha reaches Netherlea, she’s devastated to find her mother dead. While the local parson informs her that her mother, whose mind was considered “disordered,” drowned accidentally, Tabitha notices a head wound on the body that suggests foul play. That theory is bolstered by Elizabeth’s notes in an almanac, in which she states that she “knows who killed Towler, and why,” and that she believes she is also marked for death by a person she identifies only as D. Another death follows, which is clearly murder. Bailey makes Tabitha a plausibly resourceful sleuth as she pursues the mysteries of both killings. Historical fans are in for a treat.

April 1, 2019
Tabitha Hart thought her luxurious London life was fantastic, but she also knew the city in 1752 could be dark, dangerous, and deadly. Little did she know how much she'd long for it once she returned home to the small village of Netherlea. Once home, Tabitha is devastated to discover her mother has died. She questions exactly what happened to her mother?Could she have been murdered??and decides to unravel the circumstances leading up to her death. Quickly convinced that her mother was, in fact, killed, Tabitha discovers a morass of untruths standing in the way of her discovering the culprit. As was common in eighteenth-century England, science and mysticism are tightly interwoven in this story. Written in a style reminiscent of Old English and intricately plotted, Bailey's novel draws the reader in with the addition of clever riddles that precede each chapter. Puzzle solvers and historians will love this mystery, and Bailey's richly detailed story is perfect for fans of Ariana Franklin and Rhys Bowen.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)