The secret staircase A mystery

Kate Hamilton has secured a grant to restore the Barton mansion, the showpiece in the Victorian Village historic site planned for Asheboro, MD. Now she needs to find just the right contractor, someone who shares her love of the Victorian house; she thinks Morgan Wheeler might be the man for the job. During an initial walkthrough of the mansion, Morgan finds a walled-up staircase, and a skeleton behind that wall. The project comes to a halt until police carefully remove the body. While researching Henry and Mary Barton's mansion, Kate finds a connection to two of the workers on Morgan's restoration team. That's not so unusual in the community, but then a new body is discovered--one of the workers. Family connections add a twist to this lovingly written mystery of a Victorian family and home. VERDICT The final installment in Connolly's series wraps up the mystery of the Barton family. Connolly died in 2020, before she could write books about renovations of the house and village. The descriptions of the house and family life are slow-paced, but the author's fans will want to finish the series.--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN

An effort to turn a Maryland town into a Victorian living-history museum is stymied by murder. Kate Hamilton is nearly overwhelmed by the sheer scope of the job her friend Lisbeth has talked her into. The Henry Barton Mansion is the centerpiece of Lisbeth's effort to turn dying Asheboro into a tourist mecca. The first job is to find contractors to bring the electricity and plumbing up to code before the job of restoring the house, which is in remarkably good shape. With help from researcher Carroll Peterson and her own boyfriend, professor Josh Wainwright, Kate tries to find out more about the reclusive Henry and Mary Barton. After interviewing several contractors, Kate hires Morgan Wheeler, who's respectful of the house and Kate's plans. When work begins in the kitchen, Morgan sees that the proportions are off. Using a spy cam, he peers behind a false wall and discovers a corpse at the bottom of a closed-off stairway. Although the body has been there a long time, the police must still get involved, and Kate's curiosity is piqued. One of Morgan's subcontractors, a rather unpleasant plumber, is soon found dead at the bottom of the cellar stairs. The discovery of Mary's diaries not only shines a light on the Bartons' lives, but also provides a clue to murder. Although the mystery has its moments, it's the search for historical clues that keeps you turning pages. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.