Butterfly Palace

I received a copy of Butterfly Palace by Colleen Coble from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 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?

I normally don't read books set in the early 1900's, but I've really like the other books by Colleen Coble so I took a chance.  It was difficult to understand some of the terminology at first, but I got the hang of it after a chapter or two.  This was a much different book compared to the others I've read.  It wasn't overly romantic but more on the mystery side.  I didn't see the ending coming so that kept me reading.  I also really liked that Coble put a little letter to the reader at the end explaining how the idea of the book came about.