the nanny at number 433.5

This was a pretty good historical fiction mystery.

It was well-paced, had interesting characters and while I figured out some of the twists and turns early on, there were still a few surprises waiting at the end of the book.

William Thomas’ wife dies in childbirth. His housekeeper, Mrs. McHugh, has trouble taking care of the baby and the house at the same time, so he places an ad for a nanny. He’s pleased when a young, capable woman answers the ad and hires her on the spot. But Mrs. McHugh notices right away that something appears to be off with the nanny. Mrs. McHugh’s friend Betty, who lives across the street and misses nothing from her perch in the second story window, agrees with her. After a series of events, Mrs. McHugh and Betty begin investigating the nanny to get answers to their questions.

This was a quick, easy read. The main characters in the book were fairly developed, while others less so. The author provides plenty of red herrings to keep the story interesting. Most of these kind of books are predictable, and while the main outcome is expected, how the author gets there makes for an entertaining read.

I received a free copy of this book from Book Sirens in exchange for an honest review.