Reviewed by Taylin

TITLE: The Secrets Of Whitcomb Manor

SERIES: The Pinkerton Man #6

AUTHOR: CJ Baty

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 183 Pages

RELEASE DATE: March 15, 2023

BLURB:

Michael O’Leary is devasted by the loss of his beloved Stiles Long. The thought of returning to their home in St. Louis is more than he can bear. Having received the news that, he has inherited a Manor in England, he decides to go there. Hoping that he can find a way to begin his life anew.

What he finds are secrets. So many secrets, he can’t determine who is friend and who is foe. He is now Lord Whit. The owner of a vast amount of land, a village named Whitcomb, employees on the manor grounds, a vicarage, land tenants and villagers who all look to him for guidance.

Michael also finds family. His cousins George, who is nearly his double, and Evaline, whose personality changes with the wind. There’s also, Vicar Joseph Williams, a man who isn’t what he appears.

A visit from his dear friend, Lizzie Ferguson, leaves him missing his old life even more. Just before the new year, he receives a haunting telegram from Lizzie, promising the new year was going to bright for him.

Without Stiles his life seems lost, then New Year’s Day 1912 arrives and…

Be sure to read the last page AND THE STORY CONTINUES

REVIEW:

While grieving the loss of his beloved Stiles, Michael gets word that he has an inheritance in England – Whitcomb Manor. Upon arriving at his estate, what seems to be an idyllic British country living, soon reveals hidden secrets.

This is another book by CJ Baty that I wanted to curl up in a corner and lose myself in. It is a story where one is eased into the world, its secrets, and before long, you are living the mystery with the characters. The story isn’t a full-throttle adrenaline-fueled saga; it is respectful, and typically British-upper-lip restrained yet no less interesting – it has the subtlety of an Oscar Wilde play with a touch of Poirot.

I love the cover of this book; it makes a nice change not to have a naked man on the front. Don’t get me wrong, I love a naked man, but many MM books display skin and muscle. So, when a cover is minus said Adonis, it stands out – plus, the images say so much about what is between the covers too.

Anyhoo, the story is told in the third person, entirely from Michael’s viewpoint. Other than the odd typo, technically, it is in great shape. The worldbuilding painted super pictures that transported me back in time. While the manor contained a grand staircase and the essential secret passage. The dialogue was also deliciously formal – totally in keeping with the era. I specifically enjoyed the dinner politics and observations.

It is obvious to Michael that people are keeping secrets, and when accidents happen, he struggles to find the culprit, which makes him miss Stiles even more. The author has a knack for keeping us readers guessing who the bad guy is, and to date, I haven’t guessed who that is ahead of time.

My only gripe is that, in the end, the reader is left to assume the eventual culprit committed specific incidents. That’s okay, yet I needed to hear that they were assumed – instead of ignored, forgotten, and not part of Michael’s imagination. Then again, maybe it was meant to be this way.

So, aside from minor elements, the story is another excellent addition to The Pinkerton Man series – superbly written, fantastic imagery. Oh, and the part of the blurb that is a reminder to read the last page – oh damn. I was totally in my comfort zone.

RATING:

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