The author of the wonderful 'Black Diamonds' hasn't disappointed in this tale from Belvoir Castle. She'd set out simply to document the castle's custodians, the Rutland family, and their contribution to WWI. Inspecting the family records, detailed ones extending back to the 12th century, she discovered tantalising and recent gaps. These gaps had been very carefully made by John, 9th Duke of Rutland and amateur archivist. Why? It took some super-sleuthing to find out, and Catherine Bailey has made a gripping page-turner of the story she was able to uncover. No spoiler alerts here. You'll just have to read the book for yourselves. ( )

enjoyed the first hand glimpse of how one family at a certain time and place dealt with the larger world affairs that get recorded in the history books. ( )

Fascinating read. The pictures in the back are a nice touch. I wouldn't mind taking a tour of Belvoir Castle if I'm ever in the area. ( )

The Secret Rooms, billed as A True Gothic Mystery, is a kind of biography of the 9th Duke of Rutland. I found it an interesting enough read, but I felt it didn't quite live up to the title and the really intriguing cover.

The book opens with the death of the Duke in 1940, then the author describes how she came across his story some years later - she had set out to research something slightly different. While looking at his papers, she discovered that someone, probably the Duke, had been keen to conceal various papers and that it appeared he had something to hide - what was it?

I enjoyed the look at the life of an aristocratic family in the early 20th century, before and after WWI, but felt a bit like saying, is that all there is to it? at the revelations. I think part of the problem was that the author kept writing about the sensational secrets she was uncovering, and they weren't that sensational.

The print book comes with some black and white photos (not that well reproduced) of the Duke and his family, and various maps and plans of his estate, his home, Belvoir Castle, and other significant places in the story, and lots of endnotes detailing the author's references.

This is clearly meticulously researched and an interesting read but the mystery is not as exciting as the title leads one to expect.

Reviewed 21 March 2013 as part of the Amazon Vine programme. ( )

If you're looking for something spooky, this isn't your book. However, if you like Downton Abbey with more mystery, this might just be the ticket for your reading pile.

Great and intriguing mystery with numerous layers at the start and through the middle; loses its punch and focus a bit once WWI becomes the focal point of the book.

My biggest regret was that the "haunted castle" part in the subtitle really only equates to a paragraph very early in the book. Alas, my expectations weren't met because of that, though the history and biographic bits held my interest through to the end. ( )