"A mesmerizing mystery. Not only does Ryan provide readers with a tightly wound, suspenseful novel peopled with multidimensional characters, she writes about an era whose problems mirror our own. This is a historical period she k...

"It's always a good day when a new Nell Sweeney book arrives." —CA Reviews July 1870: Nell Sweeney's position as governess for the venerable Hewitts of Boston affords her a unique perspective in an era of sharp class dist...

"As always, the author excels at setting the scene, evoking the time and place by use of the day-to-day details as well as historical events. The resolution of the central mystery is almost secondary to the revelations about Nell...