Beautiful Butterflies and a Great Mystery – Colleen Coble’s Butterfly Palace

About this Book

Elegance and wealth. Privilege and politics. The extravagance of the Butterfly Palace
overwhelmed Lily’s senses and nearly smothered her painful memories. She pushed
away her misgivings . . . She was perfectly safe in this huge house.

Austin, Texas—1904: Abandoned by the love of her life and still mourning the loss of
her mother, Lily Donaldson has turned her back on the pain and come to Austin
for a fresh start, working for the Marshall family as a kitchen maid in their
luxurious mansion, the Butterfly Palace. The tasks before her are legion, and her
mistress less than pleasant, but at least Lily’s new life will be, if nothing
else, distracting.

But one night, while serving at a dinner party, Lily recognizes the man who abandoned
her, Andy, her liaison from the livery stable, the blacksmith’s son . . .
sitting among the distinguished guests. Though he recognizes her, Andy does not
acknowledge her aloud, and Lily is left reeling, flabbergasted, and
irate.

But before she can get an explanation, the path of the Servant Girl Killer swerves
very close to the Butterfly Palace, sowing terror among the maids. Having come
to Austin to start anew, Lily suddenly feels trapped in a spider web. How can
she know who to trust in a house where lies come dressed in fine suits and
deceit in silk gowns the colors of butterfly wings?

My Review

Once again Colleen Coble captured my imagination with an wonderful story with mystery and romance. I enjoyed the setting of 1900’s Austin Texas and the Butterfly Palace which added an interesting twist to the story. The characters were interesting as well, I especially enjoyed Lily, for because is she had a tarnished past, something I don’t think I’ve seen in a Coble character before.  The unlikely relationship between Lily and Belle  fascinated me. I also enjoyed how the ladies worked together with Drew in solving the mystery.

The story itself had several subplots, maybe too many, in that, some of the characters and plots weren’t as developed as a Coble story usually is. I did find the story entertaining and enjoyed it a great deal.

This wasn’t my favorite Coble, book but was definitely worth reading.

Disclaimer: I would like to thank Thomas Nelson for the opportunity to read and review this book. I was under no obligation other than to give my honest opinion.

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