Wages of Sin, The

By Judith Cutler

A promising series debut with engaging characters, social commentary, and a Victorian twist on the ever popular upstairs-downstairs storyline

First in a brand-new Victorian mystery series featuring steward Matthew Rowsley and housekeeper Mrs Faulkner as an engaging detective duo.

Newly appointed as land agent to the youthful Lord Croft, Matthew Rowsley finds plenty to keep him busy as he attends to his lordship’s neglected country estate. But he’s distracted from his tasks by the disappearance of a young housemaid. Has Maggie really eloped with a young man, as her mother seems to think – or is the truth rather more sinister? What’s been going on behind the scenes at the grand country estate … and where has his lordship disappeared to?

Teaming up with housekeeper Mrs Faulkner to get to the bottom of the matter, Matthew uncovers a number of disturbing secrets, scandals and simmering tensions within the household. Something rotten is going on at Thorncroft – and it’s up to Matthew and Mrs Faulkner to unearth the truth.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Severn House Publishers
• Release date: Dec 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781448303526

Judith Cutler

A former secretary of the Crime Writers' Association, Judith Cutler has taught Creative Writing at universities and colleges for over thirty years and has run occasional courses elsewhere (from a maximum-security prison to an idyllic Greek island). She is the author of more than forty novels.

Reviews for Wages of Sin, The

[vesper1931 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The recently appointed Land Agent, Matthew Rowsley, is kept busy on the neglected country estate of Thorncroft. But he is soon distracted from his work by the disappearance of a young maid, Maggie Billings. But what really is going on at the Hall and why is it not a safe place to be.
An enjoyable Victorian mystery with a cast of likeable and interesting characters. A good solid start to a new series.
A NetGalley Book