Within These Gilded Halls

A Regency Romance

By: Abigail Wilson

Narrated by: Laura Kirman

Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

Hidden treasure and betrayal mingle with unexpected love within the walls of Avonthorpe Hall.

After studying art under Miss Drake, a renowned painter, Phoebe Radcliff is certain she can finally move beyond the childish mistake that’s kept her away from home. She is thrilled when Miss Drake employs her to complete a complicated ballroom renovation.

Everything changes, however, the moment Miss Drake is murdered. With her last breath she imparts the location of a clue to Phoebe. Can the biggest secret of Avonthorpe Hall be true—the rumored treasure real? Phoebe is tasked to finish her work in the ballroom by Miss Drake’s infuriatingly regimented yet all-too-handsome nephew, Lt. Graham Burke. Determined to fulfill the promise she made to her beloved teacher to find the treasure, Phoebe also works to uncover the truth about Miss Drake’s death—and she must do so before Lt. Burke leases the house.

But dark shadows line the gilded halls of Avonthorpe, and soon enough Phoebe realizes she’s not the only person who knows about the clues. What’s worse, she needs Lt. Burke’s help to stay ahead of whoever is hard on her heels. If only she weren’t so attracted to him.

Caught up in a deadly race for answers, Phoebe must find a way to breach the shroud of lies that surrounds every last resident in the house and, more importantly, face a past she’s been running away from for far too long.

• Regency romance and mystery
• Stand-alone novel
• Book length: approximately 95,000 words
• Also by author: Twilight at Moorington Cross, Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey, and The Vanishing at Loxby Manor

©2022 Abigail Wilson (P)2022 Thomas Nelson

Accepting people as they really are even with their faults and quirks.

I really like how the couples find they love each other before the end of the book and the relationship continues to develop. This is the only author that I have read that has done that. They work through many circumstances together which refines and develops the characters and their relationship more

This is a Regency Delight!

What a wonderful treasure hunt! Clues admist twists and turns. Unsure of who to trust. This was a delightful clean and wholesome listen. The narration is wonderful!

Another compelling mystery from Abigail Wilson!

Love Abigail Wilson’s books! She perfectly blends clean romance, mystery, political intrigue, and character growth with a faith-filled message, all in a Regency setting. It’s a slow burn romance with characters who go from enemies to friends to more. The plot revolves around a hidden treasure with intricate clues and a murder. There are plenty of suspects with various motivations and just when you think you’ve figured things out, another piece of the puzzle is added.

Phoebe Radcliff is talented, caring, and a bit impetuous. She’s made mistakes in her past which she readily regrets. She’s come to Avonthorpe Hall by invitation from her mentor Miss Drake to renovate the ballroom. Assisting her is her childhood friend Daniel. When Miss Drake’s nephew arrives with Egyptian artifacts, Phoebe is intrigued by him but quickly finds herself at odds with the stuffy Lt. Graham Burke. When Miss Drake is murdered and with her dying breath hints to a clue to a hidden treasure, Phoebe must decide whom to trust in a household of suspects. No one is as they seem and someone else seems to know about the treasure and will do anything to get it.

Told from Phoebe’s perspective, this book was the perfect mystery where each conversation and observation offers another clue. I loved the way Phoebe and Graham start off as enemies, then realize they really need each other and have a lot in common. Both have instances in the past where the people they trusted most let them down. As their romance grows, it’s fun to see the very proper Graham open up. I loved the scene where Phoebe assumes the worst only to find out he is having a sweet conversation with his dog. Their romance reminds me a bit of Pride and Prejudice.

The mystery was completely engaging. Though things started off a bit slow, the tension and suspense ratchet up especially towards the end. It’s a race against time where Phoebe and Graham are trying to find the treasure before anyone else and also solve the murder. Everyone at one point is a suspect with several people hiding behind a facade. Even those closest to Phoebe are suspects. It’s hard to know whom to trust. There’s also a complication from Phoebe’s past that threatens her tenuous relationship with Graham.

I also enjoyed the subtle messages of faith, trusting in God, and forgiveness especially of oneself woven into the story. It’s a must read for inspirational Regency mystery readers. Highly recommend! This book is a standalone, but those familiar with Ms. Wilson’s works will recognize characters from previous books.

The audiobook version of this book is fantastic! I enjoyed the narrator and the way she voiced both male and female characters. She put just the right amount of emotion into it and her voice was pleasant to listen to. I usually speed up the narration to 1.25 and that was the perfect speed for me. I purchased the audiobook copy from Audible and also received an electronic copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review.

Murder, mystery, romance, and a treasure!

This book has everything. A shocking murder mystery to solve. A sweet romance blossoming. Shame and forgiveness. Honor and trustworthiness. A fun treasure hunt. I loved the history angle. Reminded me of the protagonist in National Treasure. The reader is a wonderful actress. Subtle differences in the voices, without any overdone accents. Really enjoyable in every way. I’m loving this series.

Boring

Unfortunately, I found the book boring.
The most exciting part of the book happened in the beginning . And it went downhill from there..

Superficial

The summary made the book sound interesting - it wasn’t. However, the plot wasn’t at fault providing a story line with mystery and teasers of character growth and development. The story got off the ground with a murder providing a hint of intrigue to come. The lure of a hidden treasure held promise. Unfortunately, storyline and character development were superficial. The mystery had parallel lines of investigation; who was the killer and where was the treasure. To invest in solving one or both of the problems the important characters should have enough substance to chew on and make the reader like, hate, or become frustrated, etc., with them but at least enough emotion to feel a connection so that what happens to them matters. There were too many characters lacking enough background info to identify relationships and motivations; both necessary to build suspicion and/or anticipation for the reader. The narration was ok, easy to listen to and not overly intrusive. I do not recommend this book, which is rare for me, unless the reader is familiar with and enjoys the author not expecting a tight suspenseful mystery and romance.

Good for the right audience

I found the plot to be incredibly drawn out and long. It was hard to finish however the ending is worth it.