The Crimson Rooms
by Katherine McMahon
In 1924 London, Evelyn
Gifford's awakens from a nightmare about her brother James who died in
the Great War. That very night, a nurse, Meredith, comes to the
door claiming that her six-year old son was fathered by James shortly
before he died. Although Edmund looks so much like James, Evelyn
is not quite sure she trusts Meredith. What are her
motives? As a struggling attorney in a world that doesn't quite
accept women lawyers, Evelyn must now support the rest of her
family. When Daniel Breen takes her on as his clerk, she sets
about to help a downtrodden woman, Leah Marchant, gain custody of her
children. Also, soldier Simon Wheeler has been accused of killing
his wife, Stella. His case seems hopeless, but nevertheless,
Evelyn sets out to investigate. Handsome barrister Nicholas
Thorne takes an interest in her career. Although Nicholas is
already engaged to Sylvia Hardynge, Evelyn finds herself attracted to
him and to make matters more complicated, the attraction seems
reciprocated. Will Evelyn be able to solve the mysteries before
her, not only the truth behind Stella's murder but also the motivations
of Meredith? Will she be able to help Leah when the system seems
stacked against her. Will Evelyn find romance with Nicholas
Thorne?
Katherine McMahon's THE CRIMSON ROOMS is a book that grabs a reader
from the beginning with an intriguing mystery, but the mystery doesn't
stop there. Each situation presents a kind of mystery of its own,
all seamlessly interwoven within the story. Even Leah's case, a case
which gives insight into the historical period and its institutions,
develops into a mystery as Evelyn wades through all the layers of
society from the law to charity that separate Leah from her
children. THE CRIMSON ROOMS integrates period history within the
story without distracting from the characters and storyline. THE
CRIMSON ROOMS presents a portrait of many different sides of post-WWI
society, from the wealthy world of Nicholas Thorne to the less
fortunate Leah, from the soldier and nurse to women struggling to make
ends meet. Evelyn Gifford is a delightful character as are the
characters who surround her. Unexperienced in love, her account
of her feelings Nicholas Thorne has charm and freshness.
Nevertheless, Evelyn is a woman with quite a lot of determination, not
only in her choice of profession, but in her dedication to do all she
can for her clients. Above all, she is a woman who grows
throughout the story.
THE CRIMSON ROOMS has everything --- history, mystery and a bit of
romance --- to make for great cover to cover reading. Once a
reader enters into the world of Evelyn Gifford, the story itself and
the characters are so memorable, that one easily re-enters the story
from reading to reading. THE CRIMSON ROOMS is a
great book to keep on the bedside table, but once begun, a reader might
find oneself stealing more reading time. THE CRIMSON ROOMS is
more a great story set in a historical period than history told through
fiction. Historical details are accurate and give much insight
into the period. Readers who like a good mystery will find
several intriguing mysteries within the story, and yet, the development
of the mysteries flow fluently from the story itself. Katherine
McMahon is a superb storyteller!
