Welcome to the Madhouse (Maids of Maddington Book 1) by Valerie Anne Hudson

Welcome to the Madhouse, the first volume of Valerie Anne Hudson’s Maids of Maddington series, is a delightful starting point for a new historical series, giving us a maid’s-eye view of murderous plots and domestic struggles both high and low. The novel tells an upstairs, downstairs story with a twist, as it also examines Victorian society writ large, which will please fans of “Downton Abbey,” albeit with a different historical focus. Deftly examing women’s roles in Victorian-era London, the novel offers a keen level of insight into the era with short but significant chapters that never sacrifice historical detail. A fine introduction to a series, this tale of crime and romance is neatly self-contained, but sets the stage well for further installments.