Behind the doors of Wentworth House, one of the largest and most beautiful estates in England, lies a mystery that the Fitzwilliam family wanted to keep hidden from public scrutiny. Hiding their secrets became such an obsession and in 1972, 16 tons of historical documents that covered three decades of the 7th, 8th, and 9th Earls Fitzwilliams was destroyed by flames that burned for three weeks. The destruction was not accidental. The fires were ordered by the 10th Earl Fitzwilliam, the very last Earl Fitzwilliam.
I enjoyed the historical elements and family intrigue. There was certainly enough drama but some portions contained painfully long descriptions that I felt were unnecessary to the story. Interesting family but one I'm glad I never had to meet. Reading about them was enough. After a while, I must say, this dysfunctional group left me chilled and bored.
Special thanks to Penguin's First to Read program for a digital copy for review.
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