The Mystery of Rufford Abbey is a light paranormal dual timeline mystery by Stephen Taylor. Released 23rd Dec 2022 by Sapere Books, it's 279 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.
This is a riveting and very well written dual timeline mystery set in the modern day with a resonating side-story from the middle ages. The main protagonist, an appealing, slightly hapless medieval historian and academic is drawn into translating a manuscript diary which has come into his orbit and tells a fascinating story with ramifications resonating into the current day.
With each installment of the diary translation, a new layer of the mystery is revealed. It's an entertaining and absorbingly written tale and readers will have no trouble being swept away by the story. The middle of the book is taken up with a credible modern police procedural murder mystery and it's paired with a surprisingly well written time travel story set in the middle ages full of witchcraft and superstition.
Although the mystery is not terribly convoluted, it is well constructed with a solid plot and a satisfying denouement and resolution.
Four stars. Recommended for fans of historical mystery, and surprisingly, readers of modern procedurals will also find a satisfying read here. It's a standalone, so the characters and story arc are self-contained in this volume.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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