"Shadows of Swanford Abbey" by Julie Klassen

News of her brother's worrisome behavior spurs Miss Rebecca Lane to return home to her village. Upon her arrival, he begs her to go to nearby Swanford Abbey, a medieval monastery turned grand hotel rumored to be haunted. She reluctantly agrees to stay at the abbey until she can deliver his manuscript to a fellow guest who might help him get published--an author who once betrayed them. There she encounters Sir Frederick--baronet, magistrate, and former neighbor--who long ago broke her heart. Now a handsome widower of thirty-five, he is trying to overcome a past betrayal of his own. When the famous author is found dead, Sir Frederick makes inquiries and quickly discovers that several people held grudges against the author, including Miss Lane and her brother. As Sir Frederick searches for answers, he is torn between his growing feelings for Rebecca and his pursuit of the truth. For Miss Lane is clearly hiding something. . . .

This book put me in mind of the author's Ivy Hill books, but with a murder mystery in it; there's the same close-knit sense of village life, with all its connections and shared history--both the positives and negatives. It isn't a fast-paced mystery by any means, and definitely more of a classic mystery than suspense, as there's very little sense of danger to the story. I'd hoped there would be a more Gothic flavor like some of the author's earlier novels, but in spite of the supposedly ghost-haunted abbey, the story didn't have a dark or spooky feel. It was interesting learning more about the police procedurals of Regency village life--or nearly lack thereof, since any investigation beyond cause of death falls to Sir Frederick as magistrate and the village constable, who is even greener in his elected position than Frederick. 

There was nothing particularly objectionable about Frederick or Rebecca, though they didn't stand out to me like some of the main characters in other books by the author; maybe it's because the investigation took up more of the spotlight, leaving less room to delve as deeply into their dreams and desires. I did like Sir Frederick's patience and kindness--he knows that Rebecca is hiding something if not outright lying, but instead of pushing her into a confrontation, he lets her know that he will be willing to listen whenever she's ready to talk; he doesn't impute his unfaithful wife's actions upon Rebecca. And I can't blame Rebecca for wanting to protect her brother--fearing he's done something terrible, castigating herself for thinking such things, and hoping against hope she's wrong.

It was not my favorite, but it was still a pleasant read.