The Dead Hand by Judith Cutler

The Dead Hand
by Judith Cutler

ISBN-13: 9781448311323
Hardcover: 240 pages
Publisher: Severn House
Released: November 7, 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
June 1861, Victorian England. Housekeeper Harriet Rowsley and her husband and interim estate manager Matthew act as the hosts while his lordship is ill and the trustees are seeking for his heir. A house full of academics should imply calm and quiet, but much to housekeeper Harriet's dismay some of the guests at Thorncroft House have problems with the estate's unconventional practices. But Harriet won't let their patronising opinions get in the way of running the household as it was entrusted to her. She and her husband seem to have things under control until a series of dangerous accidents occur around them and then a worker is found murdered. With a house now full of suspects, Harriet and Matthew have to find out who is causing chaos and why.


My Review:
The Dead Hand is a mystery set in 1861 in England. It's the third book in a series, but it works as a standalone and didn't spoil the previous mysteries. The police did the investigating, solved the mystery, and explained the solution after arresting the culprits. Matthew and Harriet told the police about any clues that they found and that others told them about. While they had strong suspicions of wrong-doing, they were too busy to actively investigate beyond making a few suggestions. It was a clue-based mystery, and whodunit was guessable. Yet some characters did things that didn't quite make sense or seem fully realistic to me, not to mention the number of people that easily got positions where they could do mischief.

The characters were varied, engaging, and reacted realistically to events. The historical details were woven into the story and brought the setting and time period alive in my imagination. There were no sex scenes. There were a few uses of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting historical novel with a mystery.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.