Book Review: Susanna Calkins' A Murder at Rosamund's Gate

Susanna Calkins has taken great care to write a book, and really try to weave in some historical facts though she does admit she includes thing that make it a bit too modern for the setting. There is suspense though, and an eventful plague through in to make the novel more interesting. The only thing is that at some points in the story it sort of feels like you lose point of whether this is a murder mystery or a novel about the black plague. The romance also seems to take more place in the story than building suspense around who committed the murders.

Lucy is a pretty normal servant living in the 1600s as she cares for her master's household by polishing, sweeping, and doing other various cleaning tasks to keep the place looking good. When a fellow servant she is close to is murdered though this uproots her world, and cast suspicion on everyone around her. On top of that Bessie's honor is being torn apart in order to place the blame on her for her own murder. Not long after Lucy's brother, William is taking the blame for the crime, and could face the death penalty if Lucy's friend, and love interest, Adam, can't help find him not guilty.


Calkins first novel is a great debut, and leaves her room to grow as an author with potential. The story is a little busy, but there are parts that catch your interest, and you will end up reading for longer than expected to continue following up with that bit of the story, particularly the scenes where William is on trial. The romance between Lucy and Adam is a tad confusing because it's not really recognizable till more so near the end, and they almost seem like they don't like each that much, which is sort of a cliched by this point as it seems most stories want to have the two romantic pair hate each other, and then like each other.

There are interesting bits threw into the story. The black plague is an interesting part of history, and it's weaved into the story while the characters are still reeling from trying to figure out who figured the murder, but feel relieved at the developments so far of the investigation. The plague throws it off for a few pages though, and while interesting it is sort of distracting from the point of the story. All the characters are likable an extent, but they aren't too complex.

If you're looking for a mystery novel that has a little romance in, and is a fun quick read then you might want to pick up this one. For a debut novel it is a strong start, but could use a little focus, and character development. The author does leave a disclaimer that some things may not be too accurate to the time, but she has done some extensive research to make the time feel as real as possible to the reader. You have characters that you will, and won't the best to turn out for, and when turmoil does hit them you wish the best in those circumstances.

Rating 6 of 10

This book was provided by St. Martin Press in exchange for a review.