Very disappointed. I came across this book in the mystery section cover labels it as "A Chicago World's Fair Mystery". Really a romance novel (without sex) disguised as a mystery. Published by Zondervan, part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. It has a thin overlay of scripture and references to prayer. Nothing regarding the Chicago World's Fair that couldn't be derived from a quick read on Wikipedia. The cover wording and description is rather misleading, outlining a poorly told tale. ( )

This book had a bit of the Downton Abbey feel, but instead of rural England, we had a big city in America set a decade or so earlier. I had a hard time reading it without the English accents in my head. I loved the author's Amish fiction, and hope to read more of the books in this series. ( )

This was a decent mystery set in historical Chicago during The World's Fair. I enjoyed the characters and the setting. There was a slight undercurrent of romantic tension which was nicely done. ( )

This book offered a fascinating look at life from a servants perspective during the time of the Chicago's World Fair. This combined with a mystery and a hint of a romance made for an enjoyable read, although I was dissatisfied with the ending. The story centers around Rosalind, a young woman who is desperate to find out what happened to her sister. She decides to apply for the same position that Rosalind was working at--and so she ends up working as a maid at Sloane house. She hides her identity from the family and does her best to discover the secrets hidden underneath the surface--secrets that might lead her to the truth about her sister. Rosalind has a lot to learn about being a good housemaid, navigating the big city, and about her new employers, however along the way she gets some unexpected help from a young man named Reid Armstrong--but she questions why someone from a wealthy family like his would be interested in her? Rosalind's questions are eventually answered--but in a way I did not find entirely satisfactory.
If you like period histories that show the contrast between the classes this would be a good pick. The mystery aspect of the book could have been put together a bit better, in my opinion, but I did enjoy the historical aspects and the way the characters used faith and moral reasoning to help guide them. ( )

Granted I've only been reading Shelley Shepard Gray's books for a little over a year but I feel certain that I did not know she had this in her.

I'm not a huge fan of mystery or suspense but when it's Shelley Shepard Gray, it HAS TO BE worth reading! So I gave it a try and WOW!

Or I suppose I should say... Shelley Gray.

Secrets of Sloane House is an OUTSTANDING read!


Aw man... now I'm going to have to go read her Amish suspense series aren't I...

I'm just kidding! After reading Secrets of Sloane House...
I really WANT TO!

I don't know if she was intrigued by Historical mysteries before she wrote Amish or if writing about the buggies and bonnets crowd that drew her to this genre as well but I am not surprised in the least that this book is written so well!

I will say that I truly hope she continues to WOW us with her wonderful Amish romances but I am certainly not opposed to seeing more books of this type too!

I understand there us another "Chicago World's Fair" coming soon and I find myself very excited about that one now too!

Not many authors can paint a picture like Shelley Shepard Gray. She is one author who will undoubtedly do very well - no matter what genre she is writing!

An author to keep your eyes on!

I received this book free in exchange for an honest review. ( )