Setting: Berkshire, England
Time Period: 1819

I don’t typically read murder mysteries, but when I do, I want them to be just like this one…  In “The Bridge To Belle Island,” Julie Klassen took motive, a “Downton Abbey” feel and a little island on the Thames River to give readers a believable, yet magical tale about fear, love and greed. The rich descriptions and deep characters in this book alone make me want to drop everything else on my TBR and read every Julie Klassen book available!

The main character, Isabelle, suffers from extreme anxiety from her parent’s death and can’t leave her home, Belle Island. As soon as her feet touch the bridge, she finds it difficult to breathe and runs back to the safety of her home. But even though she hasn’t left her Berkshire home for 10 years, she’s still a suspect when her legal guardian turns up murdered…in London. Everyone knows that Isabelle doesn’t have the fortitude or heart to be so vile, but when Benjamin Booker arrives on her door to ask questions – will Isabelle, her servants and friends be able to convince him of her innocence before the authorities arrest her?

This book was soooooo goooooood! I couldn’t put it down! Though clearing one’s name is a common theme in novels, this story felt so original and exciting. As far as I’m concerned, the author did everything right in the process of the story – there were clues, but not enough to give away the true criminal. Multiple characters had motive, but you could never figure it out because just when another piece of the puzzle was revealed, something else would pop-up that gave you a gut feeling that that person just wouldn’t have it in them to do something like murder. Then you’re back to square one. Now, I just confessed in the first paragraph that murder mysteries aren’t something I read a lot of, so, I may not be the best judge here…but I loved how the villain was revealed! And most importantly, that it wasn’t obvious. So many other characters had me convinced it was them, but, when the culprit was finally revealed, I was heartbroken, angry and shocked all at the same time! A great, great ending!

Conclusion: This book really reminded me of Christian Downton Abbey setting on an English island. I loved it! The author wove a masterpiece of romance, confusion and mystery together for a story I won’t soon forget. I’m so glad my friend insisted I borrow her paperback version to read – I’m definitely a fan! If you enjoy murder mysteries, Regency England or anything reminiscent of Downton Abbey, I think you’ll be a fan too!