THE SPINSTER’S FORTUNE
BY MARY KENDALL
Publication Date: April 6, 2021
Darkstroke Books
Paperback & eBook; 227 pages
Genre: Historical Mystery
Moonlit alleys, shadowy tunnels, and buried secrets…
Summer of 1929.
Of supposed unsound mind without a penny to her name, Blanche Magruder lies alone in a home for the aged and infirm.
Meanwhile, her house, a crumbled ruin in the heart of Georgetown, Washington, D.C., is pillaged nightly by thieves looking for treasure rumored to be hidden there.
A distant niece, Margaret O’Keefe, is tapped as executor and soon becomes embroiled in the hunt for recovering monies, taking it on as a welcome escape from her financial and marital woes.
As Margaret discovers caches in unlikely spots throughout the house, family mysteries begin to unravel. She questions whether Aunt Blanche is an insane fool or a daring genius, yet Margaret must also wrangle with her own hidden truths.
Pressed towards a convergence of their pasts and presents, the two women must ultimately face down a fateful discovery in order to rectify their lives.
Shrouded in gothic undertones and dark artifice, THE SPINSTER’S FORTUNE is a tale that takes the reader on a strange journey through tangled webs of family deceit. But where does it end?
AVAILABLE ON AMAZON
Review:
In the summer of 1929 Margaret O'Keefe learns that she has been appointed as the executor for her aging aunt, Blanche Magruder. Blanche has been placed in a home for the destitute after her crumbling home was condemned. However, Margaret learns that the home has been looted as stories of a hidden fortune are passed around. Margaret is already trying to escape financial woes with the horse breeding business she was left by her father and a husband who wastes their money in gambling and drinking. Margaret goes headfirst into trying to uncover the Magruder fortune. In doing so, Margaret gets to know Aunt Blanche and slowly discovers the reasons why her Aunt felt the need to hide her family's fortune.
The Spinster's Fortune is a historical mystery based on the strange tale of the real Blanche Magruder who really did hide away her family's fortune in rags before she was placed in a poor house. While not much is known about the intentions of the real Blanche, the author has created an intriguing mystery that incorporates some of the facts from the case. The story is mostly told from Margaret's point of view with several pieces of Blanche's memories interspersed to help fill in missing pieces. Margaret was a difficult character to like. She was straightforward and a shrewd businesswoman, yet didn't seem to have her Aunt's best interests in mind until near the end. Margaret did not hide the fact that she was just as interested in the whereabouts of the hidden money as everyone else. Although, this very well may have been the reality of the situation. Margaret did grow on me by the end as she figured out the situation with her husband. I was very interested in Blanche and her past in the house, her sisters and her boyfriend who fought in the Civil War. Blanche's character had a lot to unpack and I wish more of the story could have been told from her point of view or her memories. I loved uncovering the family secrets and exploring the tunnels beneath Washington D.C. Overall, a fast-paced mystery with an unexpected ending.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
BY MARY KENDALL
Publication Date: April 6, 2021
Darkstroke Books
Paperback & eBook; 227 pages
Genre: Historical Mystery
Moonlit alleys, shadowy tunnels, and buried secrets…
Summer of 1929.
Of supposed unsound mind without a penny to her name, Blanche Magruder lies alone in a home for the aged and infirm.
Meanwhile, her house, a crumbled ruin in the heart of Georgetown, Washington, D.C., is pillaged nightly by thieves looking for treasure rumored to be hidden there.
A distant niece, Margaret O’Keefe, is tapped as executor and soon becomes embroiled in the hunt for recovering monies, taking it on as a welcome escape from her financial and marital woes.
As Margaret discovers caches in unlikely spots throughout the house, family mysteries begin to unravel. She questions whether Aunt Blanche is an insane fool or a daring genius, yet Margaret must also wrangle with her own hidden truths.
Pressed towards a convergence of their pasts and presents, the two women must ultimately face down a fateful discovery in order to rectify their lives.
Shrouded in gothic undertones and dark artifice, THE SPINSTER’S FORTUNE is a tale that takes the reader on a strange journey through tangled webs of family deceit. But where does it end?
AVAILABLE ON AMAZON
Review:
In the summer of 1929 Margaret O'Keefe learns that she has been appointed as the executor for her aging aunt, Blanche Magruder. Blanche has been placed in a home for the destitute after her crumbling home was condemned. However, Margaret learns that the home has been looted as stories of a hidden fortune are passed around. Margaret is already trying to escape financial woes with the horse breeding business she was left by her father and a husband who wastes their money in gambling and drinking. Margaret goes headfirst into trying to uncover the Magruder fortune. In doing so, Margaret gets to know Aunt Blanche and slowly discovers the reasons why her Aunt felt the need to hide her family's fortune.
The Spinster's Fortune is a historical mystery based on the strange tale of the real Blanche Magruder who really did hide away her family's fortune in rags before she was placed in a poor house. While not much is known about the intentions of the real Blanche, the author has created an intriguing mystery that incorporates some of the facts from the case. The story is mostly told from Margaret's point of view with several pieces of Blanche's memories interspersed to help fill in missing pieces. Margaret was a difficult character to like. She was straightforward and a shrewd businesswoman, yet didn't seem to have her Aunt's best interests in mind until near the end. Margaret did not hide the fact that she was just as interested in the whereabouts of the hidden money as everyone else. Although, this very well may have been the reality of the situation. Margaret did grow on me by the end as she figured out the situation with her husband. I was very interested in Blanche and her past in the house, her sisters and her boyfriend who fought in the Civil War. Blanche's character had a lot to unpack and I wish more of the story could have been told from her point of view or her memories. I loved uncovering the family secrets and exploring the tunnels beneath Washington D.C. Overall, a fast-paced mystery with an unexpected ending.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
About the Author
Mary Kendall lived in old (and haunted) houses growing up which sparked a life-long interest in history and story-telling. She earned degrees in history related fields and worked as an historian for many years. Her fiction writing is heavily influenced by the past which she believes is never really dead and buried.
Fueled by black coffee and a possible sprinkling of Celtic fairy dust, she tends to find inspiration in odd places and sometimes while kneading bread dough.
The author currently resides in Maryland with her family (husband, three kids, barn cat and the occasional backyard hen) who put up with her mad scribbling at inconvenient hours.
THE SPINSTER’S FORTUNE , a mystery set in Georgetown, Washington DC, is her debut novel and is a twisty, tangled dive into a web of family deception murky with gothic undertones.
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | BOOKBUB | GOODREADS
Mary Kendall lived in old (and haunted) houses growing up which sparked a life-long interest in history and story-telling. She earned degrees in history related fields and worked as an historian for many years. Her fiction writing is heavily influenced by the past which she believes is never really dead and buried.
Fueled by black coffee and a possible sprinkling of Celtic fairy dust, she tends to find inspiration in odd places and sometimes while kneading bread dough.
The author currently resides in Maryland with her family (husband, three kids, barn cat and the occasional backyard hen) who put up with her mad scribbling at inconvenient hours.
THE SPINSTER’S FORTUNE , a mystery set in Georgetown, Washington DC, is her debut novel and is a twisty, tangled dive into a web of family deception murky with gothic undertones.
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | BOOKBUB | GOODREADS
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