The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne

The year is 1703 and The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne are all anyone in London is talking about. Collectors from all over are asking to tour it or trying to obtain pieces from it. Cecily comes to the Mayne house to pursue her passion for plants. What starts out as a nice, peaceful tour ends with the murder of Sir Barnaby. Even though his curator confessed, Cecily is convinced he didn’t do it. It will take all her powers of observation and her keen intellect to discover the true murderer before he decides to end her too.

I don’t know how else to describe this than as atmospheric. You are completely immersed in the time period as well as the world of collectors. The research the author must have put into this book is obvious from the beginning. She takes great care to preserve the names of plants and artifacts, as well as the behavior and dress of the characters in 1703 London. It was a bit of a slow build as you work your way towards the actual solving of the murder. The summation was satisfactory, though. If you enjoy time-period dramas as well as strong female leads, you will enjoy this journey into the past. There is nothing overtly thrilling about it, but it still a fascinating look into the lives of collectors and what they will do to complete their collections.