Book Review: The Mystery of Montague House by Emma Davis

I saw something out of the corner of my eye as I was leaving, and you know what that means. It’s never good news when I see something out of the corner of my eye…

With enough rooms to fill a Cluedo board several times over, Montague House has often been the subject of rumour and gossip. Tales of strange goings on, an owner who disappeared one day and was never seen again, not to mention the treasure that rumour has it lies at its heart… But now the present owner has died and the house is to be sold. Has the opportunity come to finally settle the stories once and for all?

Clodagh Wynter doesn’t believe in ghostly goings on and tall tales of secrets. She has her feet very firmly on the ground and, tasked with the job of valuing and cataloguing the house and all its contents, she’s simply looking forward to working in such a glorious setting. And if she happens across a priceless painting, well, that’s just icing on the cake.

Andie Summer is a self-styled Finder of Things (dead bodies mostly), and looking for hidden treasure sounds right up her street, even if there was something very fishy about the mysterious Mr Mayfair who hired her. Because it’s just like she said to her faithful basset hound, Hamish; I saw something out of the corner of my eye as I was leaving, and you know what that means. It’s never good news when I see something out of the corner of my eye…

As the unlikely pair are thrown together, it soon becomes very clear that they are not the only ones searching for the treasure. And they’re going to need all their ingenuity and resourcefulness if they’re ever going to untangle the web of secrets that surrounds Montague House. One that reaches even further than they ever thought possible…

Andie has a gift for finding things. She’s also able to see things that other people don’t.

Clodagh on the other hand doesn’t believe in ghosts or stories or rumours. She prefers her feet on the ground and loves her job, valuing and cataloguing antiques. These two very different women are pulled together when the mysterious owner of Montague House passes away. Can they work together to find out what secrets this strange house holds?

The Mystery of Montague House is not only the first book in the Summer & Wynter Mystery series, it was my introduction to Emma Davis.

Right from the beginning, I knew I was not only going to love this book but I found both main characters incredibly relatable and likeable albeit in their different ways. I love the sound of Andie’s job – finding things that are lost. There is something magical about the thought of it. I also liked both these women together. I think they made an excellent team and Emma Davis does well to deal with themes including love, loss and betrayal in a sensitive but compelling way.

There were many twists and turns and a lot of mystery which is absolutely my kind of novel. I loved trying to work out what was going on and this novel had me guessing until the end. I could picture the house and the grounds. I want to go visit this house and feel sad that I can’t.

There is not much else I can say without giving the plot away and I really hope this is a novel you will discover for yourself. It’s a wonderful novel full of secrets, mystery, love, friendship as well as strong female characters. I am hoping to see these ladies again soon.

You definitely have a new fan, Emma.

About Emma Davis… 

After a varied career, Emma Davies once worked for a design studio where she was asked to provide a fun and humorous (and not necessarily true) anecdote for their website. She wrote the following: ‘I am a bestselling novelist currently masquerading as a thirty something mother of three.’ Well the job in the design studio didn’t work out but she’s now a forty something mother of three and is happy to report the rest of her dream came true.

After many years as a finance manager she now writes full time, and is far happier playing with words than numbers. She lives with her husband, three children, and two guinea pigs in rural Shropshire where she writes in all the gaps in between real life. It’s a county she adores, her love of its beautiful people and landscapes providing endless inspiration for her books, and in fact the only thing that would make Shropshire more idyllic is if it were by the sea.

Say hello via her website, Twitter and Facebook.

The Mystery of Montague House was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review and was released by Rowan Hill Press. Click here to view on Amazon UK.

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Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.