I enjoyed these fascinating snippets just as much as the mystery part of the plot. Kat is a professional when it comes to her cooking and this book is full of interesting cooking details plus mentions of what the family ate for dinner. Along the way, she recruits people to help her learn who murdered Sinead-her friend the mysterious Daniel, another friend of Daniel’s who is a whiz with math and accounts, and the eccentric Lady Cynthia who prefers to dress as a man. Everyone thinks the murder is a robbery gone wrong, but Kat thinks differently and starts to investigate. Her assistant is found dead-murdered-in the pantry, and Kat feels responsible for the girl. Kat is new to the job, and she takes her work seriously. The main protagonist is Kat Holloway, a cook in Lord Rankin’s employ.

Along with the assistance of Lord Rankin’s unconventional sister-in-law and a mathematical genius, Kat and Daniel discover that the household murder was the barest tip of a plot rife with danger and treason-one that’s a threat to Queen Victoria herself. Intent on discovering who killed the helpless kitchen maid, Kat turns to the ever-capable Daniel McAdam, who is certainly much more than the charming delivery man he pretends to be.

Kat is unbothered by the family’s eccentricities as long as they stay away from her kitchen, but trouble finds its way below stairs when her young Irish assistant is murdered. Highly sought-after young cook Kat Holloway takes a position in a Mayfair mansion and soon finds herself immersed in the odd household of Lord Rankin. Death Below Stairs is a historical mystery and it is set during the reign of Queen Victoria (after Albert died).

Jennifer ashley below stairs series