Review: Butterfly Palace by Colleen Coble

When Lilly Donnelly arrives at the Cutlers' famed Butterfly Mansion in 1899, the massive house and unfamiliar duties threaten to overwhelm her. Victorian Austin is lavish, highly political, and intimidating, but with the help of the other servants, Lilly resolves to prove herself to her new employers.

Then, while serving at an elegant dinner party, Lilly recognizes one distinguished guest as Andrew, the love of her life, who abandoned her without a word back home. He seems to have assumed a new identity and refuses to acknowledge her, leaving her confused and reeling.

Before Lilly can absorb this unwelcome news, she's attacked. Could it be the sinister Servant Girl Killer who has been terrorizing Austin? Or is it someone after something more personal--someone from her past?

Does she dare trust Andrew to help or is he part of the danger threatening to draw Lilly into its vortex?

 

Paperback, 320 pages

Published January 21st 2014 by Thomas Nelson Publishers 

my copy provided by NetGalley for this review

***

Look at that cover! To me that sends a chill down my spine, which is exactly the reason that I wanted to read this book.  I didn't know what it was about but that cover grabbed  my attention right away.  There is something sinister, creepy and rather spooky written all over it.

 

Colleen Coble has written a multi layered story, with suspense, mystery, murder and romance.  My first novel by this author and I wasn't sure what to expect, were my expectations to high because of how much I loved the cover?  I don't know but I had a hard time connecting with most of the characters.  Belle was someone who grew on me and another person (but sadly she got killed off).  Lilly's actions were flighty at times and didn't seem to match the time period and her station in life, I had a hard time with those.

 

Andrew is someone else I didn't get.  Given his purpose in Austin it was rather dumb of him to blab it and then Lily blabs it some more.

The storyline was interesting, at times a confusing given all the action that was taking place.  Lots of twists and turns with an ending that I didn't see coming (so that's a good thing, I love it when I can't figure out the bad guy.)