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mbladams 's review for:
Ashton Hall
by Lauren Belfer
Ashton Hall sucked me in and kept me reading past my bedtime!
Hannah and her son Nicky have come to England to live with her honorary uncle, Christopher, as he is dying of cancer. Christopher has an apartment at Ashton Hall, a historic home which is open to the public. Several apartments are kept to be rented out so the home stays a home, while still offering tours of the public spaces and having a wonderful library and archive open for scholars.
Nicky has autism, ADHD, Oppositional Defiance Disorder, and Tourette's. He is a sweet and brilliant child, but also struggles with uncontrollable rage and cursing, among other deficits which makes life more difficult. Being curious, Nicky explores the Hall and finds a hidden passageway, which leads to a room with a skeleton.
The archaeologist assigned to the case is Matthew, and Hannah is attracted to him. Her marriage is going through a really rough spell, so this summer away from home is giving her time to figure out what is best for her future. She and Matthew become friends and investigators, trying to piece together the life of the person from the hidden room. They believe her name was Isabella, and that someone (maybe herself) walled her inside with her Catholic prayer book.
The story and the mystery were fascinating, and I loved her inclusion of neurodiverse children. She didn't candy-coat what it is like to live with someone with ODD and autism, but she also focused on the incredible strengths of neurodiverse children. Nicky and his friend Isabella excel at maths, puzzles, and other pursuits, even though they might struggle with appropriate emotional and social responses. Nicky's episodes of anger are really well written.
This is an excellent mystery. Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy.
Hannah and her son Nicky have come to England to live with her honorary uncle, Christopher, as he is dying of cancer. Christopher has an apartment at Ashton Hall, a historic home which is open to the public. Several apartments are kept to be rented out so the home stays a home, while still offering tours of the public spaces and having a wonderful library and archive open for scholars.
Nicky has autism, ADHD, Oppositional Defiance Disorder, and Tourette's. He is a sweet and brilliant child, but also struggles with uncontrollable rage and cursing, among other deficits which makes life more difficult. Being curious, Nicky explores the Hall and finds a hidden passageway, which leads to a room with a skeleton.
The archaeologist assigned to the case is Matthew, and Hannah is attracted to him. Her marriage is going through a really rough spell, so this summer away from home is giving her time to figure out what is best for her future. She and Matthew become friends and investigators, trying to piece together the life of the person from the hidden room. They believe her name was Isabella, and that someone (maybe herself) walled her inside with her Catholic prayer book.
The story and the mystery were fascinating, and I loved her inclusion of neurodiverse children. She didn't candy-coat what it is like to live with someone with ODD and autism, but she also focused on the incredible strengths of neurodiverse children. Nicky and his friend Isabella excel at maths, puzzles, and other pursuits, even though they might struggle with appropriate emotional and social responses. Nicky's episodes of anger are really well written.
This is an excellent mystery. Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy.