Ashton Hall: A Novel

I definitely expected a bit more murder mystery with this mystery! It left me wanting more. I found that throughout the pace stays the same and there isnt much action or mystery to this book. It was a slow read for me, I wish it gave alot more. Overall great writing style I just want more adventure. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ashton Hall was a captivating read filled with contemporary themes around adult relationships, marriage, family, and neurodiversity paired with a thrilling historical puzzle. I loved that the mysterious discovery was introduced within the first few chapters setting a great pace for the story. I found myself unable to put this down wanting to uncover the details behind the skeleton’s life chapter by chapter with the characters as they embarked on their own archeological research. The suspense was beautifully crafted throughout the entire book.

Belfer crafted a beautiful juxtaposition between Hannah in the present learning about Isabella from the past adding a layer of empathy to the character parallels. I really enjoyed the writing of this book surrounding the character development along with detailed descriptions bringing the English countryside and exquisite medieval manor to life.

It was clear that a considerable amount of time was dedicated to research in order to get the events, culture and lifestyle accurate surrounding The Reformation period. Reading the author’s note at the end, there were interesting facts woven throughout the story allowing the reader to learn a lot.

Thank you to Netgalley, Ballantine Books, and Lauren Belfer for an ebook ARC in exchange for an honest review.