Book Review: The Framed Women of Ardemore House by Brandy Schillace

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐

Newly divorced, grieving the loss of her mother and unemployed after her husband tricks her out of their publishing firm, it hasn’t been a pleasant year for Josephine “Jo” Jones. But Jo, a New Yorker in her forties, does not hesitate to pack up and move to the English countryside to claim the family estate in North Yorkshire she has inherited from her mother’s side of the family. A crumbling mansion on an expansive property with a cottage she can move into – Jo is ready to accept the challenge of picking up and starting over deciding to attempt to repair the crumbling mansion on her own. This isn’t an easy transition for Jo. Her American accent, neurodiversity and the challenges of relocating to a new country make it difficult for her to fit in and make friends easily. Jo is curious about her family history and is intrigued by the framed portraits of the original owners who disappeared without a trace decades ago. She takes an immediate dislike to Sid Randles the shady caretaker of the property and promptly has him fired after suspecting him of removing a potentially valuable painting from a hidden room in the mansion, resulting in a confrontation in the local pub. When Sid is found murdered on the premises, Jo is initially a suspect but a deep dive into Sid’s life results in a list of suspects longer than the local law enforcement, with DCI James MAcAdams leading the investigation, had anticipated. DCI Fleet, with military experience under his belt and having worked with Scotland Yard, is brought into the investigation by MacAdams’ boss on account of his expertise in such matters. Though their personalities clash, DCI MacAdams has no other choice but to begrudgingly collaborate with him. Jo concentrates on her search for the missing portrait as law enforcement leaves no stone unturned in their efforts to find the killer.

Atmospheric and well-paced, The Framed Women of Ardemore House by Brandy Schillace is a deftly crafted novel that combines elements of a police procedural and historical mystery/fiction. The narrative is presented to us from the perspectives of Jo and DCI MacAdams and I enjoyed both perspectives equally. Jo is a unique protagonist and I thought that the author did a remarkable job depicting her struggles as well as playing to her strengths. Jo’s unique way of interpreting the world around her made this story all the more interesting. In addition to following the mysteries as they are unraveled, I also enjoyed Jo's personal journey and loved how the author presents how she begins to adjust to her new surroundings, cope with the adversity she faces and gradually accept the potential friendships and opportunities that her new life has to offer. All the characters are well thought out (even the unlikable ones) and Tula, the innkeeper who proves to be a caring and protective friend, is one of my favorite supporting characters. The author weaves several literary references into the narrative, which would appeal to those fond of classic literature as well as Golden Age mysteries. There is a lot to unpack in this novel - a large cast of characters to follow and numerous subplots to unravel- but the author succeeds in striking a perfect balance without the plot becoming convoluted or ambiguous and I really liked how all the threads converge at the end. I did find the title of the novel a tad misleading (a personal observation), but I'm willing to ignore that because I really did enjoy the read!

I’d be eager to read more stories featuring these characters in the future ( the ending does leave me hopeful!).

Many thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.