"Beautifully written and impeccably researched, .... the story is certain to captivate fans of both manor fiction and cozy murder mysteries, many of whom will not foresee the villainy that Stasz unveils." Kirkus Reviews
Fate sends young Kenal Gundry, who hoped to be a Cornwall fisherman, into service. Though strong and smart, he is also naive and overly pious. At his first placement, a nymphomaniac harasses him. Moving to Slanderley, he finds comfort in its isolated location and several members of the de Loverly family. When unexpected deaths follow, he searches for reasons. "It be the Nun's Curse," argue some. "It is just coincidence," claim others. Kenal himself becomes a murder suspect in one case.
The story is in Kenal's voice, from a memoir found decades later. Along with the mysteries, he details events familiar to Edwardian estates, such as an automobile rally, a May Day celebration, and Midsummer's Eve. He meets working artists, a Hungarian wine merchant, and an Oxford archivist. Exposed to new ideas and personalities, he grows to manhood with a broader view of life's opportunities. His new understanding helps him survive World War I, though not as a combatant. Framing his account are commentaries from an Oxford don, who leaves one wondering about the truth.
