The Dead Hand

September 1, 2023
A group of distinguished archaeologists and historians has arrived at the estate managed by Matthew and Harriet Rowlsey to work on unearthing an ancient-Roman burial site. But when the head housekeeper Harriet has hired on a trial basis starts to act suspiciously, one of the academics seems far too interested in the irreplaceable treasures in the estate's library, Matthew and the local vicar are seriously injured by falling portraits, the pictures' hanging cords having been deliberately cut, and a young man from the village is found brutally murdered on the dig site, Matthew and Harriet know they've got a difficult investigation on their hands. Are these events related or random? As tension mounts, tempers flare, and Harriet and Matthew realize they must unravel the puzzle and find the guilty parties before treasures disappear, or worse, another death occurs. Set in Victorian England, Cutler's latest in this entertaining series features a complex plot, multidimensional characters, authentic period details, and an unexpected but satisfying ending. A treat for historical-mystery fans.

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October 15, 2023
Escalating misdeeds plague the trustees of an English estate in 1861. It starts with mere mischief. First, two of the farm workers at Thorncroft Estate in Shropshire get into a drunken brawl. Next, someone cuts the cords holding up several of the portraits that adorn the halls of the gracious home, causing the heavy frames to crash down on whoever tries to move or dust them. But estate manager Matthew Rowsley and his wife, Harriet, have little time for such foolishness. Between keeping the estate fully staffed and running, riding herd on the fractious archeologists digging up Roman ruins found on the grounds, and supervising the construction of a model village that, in accordance with the will of the late Lord Croft, will provide housing for the local farmers and education for their children, their days are long and filled with hard though rewarding work. When Harriet finds that she must also make time to supervise Professor Marchbanks and his wife, who are charged with cataloging the late lord's library, she feels as if she's at the end of her rope. But when someone attacks Matthew and the local rector in the chapel and later beats one of the laborers to death, she knows she must act. Cutler's quirky series blazes its own path as the Rowsleys struggle to imprint their own modern values on their wild and rambling Victorian household, even as they never fail to offer its guests a well-staffed dinner table. A little history, a little mystery.

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