The Secret Rooms

After opening a room in a wealthy British estate that had been sealed for 60 years, a historian discusses the intrigue surrounding the death of the Ninth Duke of Rutland and why he erased portions of his life from all family records. (general history).

A castle filled with intrigue, a plotting duchess and a mysterious death, this book is perfect for lovers of Downton Abbey and Brideshead Revisited. On 21st April 1940 John the 9th Duke of Rutland, and one of Britain's wealthiest men, ended his days lying on a makeshift bed in a dank cramped suite in the servants' quarters of his home, Belvoir Castle, in Leicestershire. After his death, his son and heir Charles, ordered that the rooms be locked up and they remained untouched for sixty years. But what lay behind this extraordinary set of circumstances? For the first time, Catherine Bailey unravels a complex and compelling tale of love, honour and betrayal, played out in the grand salons of Britain's stately homes. At its core is a secret so dark that it consumed the life of the man who fought to his death to keep it hidden . . . 'Reads like the best kind of mystery story. It is a tale of mistresses and heirlooms, cowardice and connivance, and a deeply dysfunctional family...gripping' Sunday Times 'Astonishing...jaw-dropping...It would spoil the book if I revealed the whole works, suffice it to say...what a family' Sunday Telegraph 'An extraordinary detective operation' John Julius Norwich

The king's clever treasurer tries to clear his name when the chief minister accuses the treasurer of stealing.

Adam opens the door to a world where he faces terrible danger.

A castle filled with intrigue, a plotting duchess and a mysterious death in Catherine Bailey's The Secret Rooms. At 6 am on 21 April 1940 John the 9th Duke of Rutland, and one of Britain's wealthiest men, ended his days, virtually alone, lying on a makeshift bed in a dank cramped suite of rooms in the servants' quarters of his own home, Belvoir Castle, in Leicestershire. For weeks, as his health deteriorated, his family, his servants - even the King's doctor - pleaded with him to come out, but he refused. After his death, his son and heir, Charles, the 10th Duke of Rutland, ordered that the rooms be locked up and they remained untouched for sixty years. What lay behind this extraordinary set of circumstances? For the first time, in The Secret Rooms, Catherine Bailey unravels a complex and compelling tale of love, honour and betrayal, played out in the grand salons of Britain's stately homes at the turn of the twentieth century, and on the battlefields of the Western Front. At its core is a secret so dark that it consumed the life of the man who fought to his death to keep it hidden. This extraordinary mystery from the author of Black Diamonds, perfect for lovers of Downton Abbey, Brideshead Revisited and The Suspicions of Mr Whicher. Praise for The Secret Rooms: 'Reads like the best kind of mystery story. It is a tale of mistresses and heirlooms, cowardice and connivance, and a deeply dysfunctional family...gripping' Sunday Times 'Astonishing...jaw-dropping...It would spoil the book if I revealed the whole works, suffice it to say...what a family' Sunday Telegraph 'An extraordinary detective operation' John Julius Norwich

Now that Kaz can finally pass through walls without feeling all “skizzy,” he can go explore Beckett’s secret room at the back of the library. What he finds there is a mystery he never expected!