Although Sheila Connolly was able to wrap up some of the mysteries behind the lives of Henry and Mary Barton in her third Victorian Village Mystery, The Secret Staircase, she left us with the village of Asheboro, Maryland unfinished, and the house unfinished. In the overall scheme of things, Sheila Connolly’s death in 2020 was a loss. Those of us who enjoyed her storytelling, and, in the case of this series, her passion and knowledge of Victorian buildings, will miss that as well.

Kate Hamilton has enjoyed the discoveries about Henry Barton’s mansion, but she still feels as if something is missing. She wants to tell his story, but knows so little about his wife, Mary. A grant will allow the house to be renovated, and she’s eager to work with local contractors. She’s just looking for the one who shares her passion for Henry’s Victorian home.

When Morgan Wheeler shows up, the quiet, confident man seems to be just the contractor for the town’s needs. He’s knowledgeable, has a few subcontractors he’ll work with, and he’s as interested in the house as Kate is. But, he doesn’t like the measurements of Kate’s favorite room, the kitchen. A little exploration leads to the discovery of a walled-up staircase. Fortunately for the town’s future plans for the mansion, the skeleton hidden behind the staircase has probably been there over one hundred years.

Once the police release the scene, Morgan is free to bring in his subcontractors, a plumber and an electrician, to walk through the house. Every time Kate meets with them though, she feels uneasy. There’s a tension amongst the group. When another body is found at the bottom of a staircase, the lawyer for the town’s project gets a little huffy with Kate. Why can’t she keep dead bodies out of the mansion, especially bodies that have just died?

I suspect the Victorian Village mysteries were a labor of love for Sheila Connolly. A couple of us once walked several streets in New Orleans with her, and she knew about doorknobs and iron fences and all kinds of details about the houses. She shares a great deal of knowledge about this particular Victorian house in the book. Connolly was able to make readers care, not only about the current characters, but, also about the post-Civil War lives of the people connected to the Barton home, the Bartons and their servants. And, she made an unusual and surprising connection between the people of both time periods.

If you’re looking for an action-packed mystery, don’t pick up The Secret Staircase. If you’re looking for the drama of historic discoveries paired with a recent murder, a story told by an author inspired by detail, you might want to try this series. It’s just sad there won’t be more books in the series.

Note: I hadn’t seen this when I wrote this review. Thanks to Kaye Wilkinson Barley for pointing to Jungle Red Writers’ blog today where they’re hosting Julie Williams, Sheila Connolly’s daughter who completed the book. https://www.jungleredwriters.com/

Sheila Connolly’s website is https://www.sheilaconnolly.com/

The Secret Staircase by Sheila Connolly. Minotaur Books, 2021. ISBN 9781250135902 (hardcover), 304p.

FTC Full Disclosure – I received a copy from the publisher, with hopes I would review it.