Death at Bishop's Keep

I always learn something new when I write these posts as I try to track down author web pages, reviews, etc. This book is the 1st of the "Victorian-Edwardian Mystery" series written by married couple Susan Wittig Albert and Bill Albert, writing under the pseudonym Robin Paige. Their website,  Mystery Partners,  gives brief summaries of the books in this series. They have also written another Victorian mystery series under a different pseudonym (Emily Brightwell).
Here we first meet the two characters who become the continuing protagonists: Kate Ardleigh and Sir Charles Sheridan. At the outset, Kate lives in America, her parents are dead, and she ekes out a living writing penny dreadfuls. She is outspoken and by the manners of the times, very un-ladylike. She is shocked when she receives notification that she has an aunt Sabrina in England (her father's sister) and that she would like Kate to join her at the family home, Bishop's Keep, and become her personal assistant. Kate jumps at the chance, but does not realize she is jumping into a fire. It turns out that another widowed aunt, who goes by her married name of Jaggers, is also living at Bishop's Keep, runs the household, and was opposed to Kate being asked to come. The tension in the household could be cut with a knife and Kate soon learns that Aunt Jaggers is a cruel, arrogant, and stingy mistress. Aunt Jaggers has terrified and angered the servants, especially since she sent one of the housemaids away last year after learning that the young woman was pregnant;  the girl subsequently died.
On the train from London, Kate has met and befriended Eleanor Marsden, who lives in the neighboring manor, and, although Kate is an uncomfortable friend to maintain, Eleanor does. Through the Marsdens, Kate meets Sir Charles Sheridan, also of the landed class, but an amateur scientist and sleuth at heart. While photographing the progress of a nearby archaeological dig, Charles finds a dead body, and when Aunt Sabrina asks Kate to quietly find out what she can about the victim, Kate and Charles' paths cross--again and again. Charles is alternately admiring and dismissive of Kate for her outspoken behavior and American ways. But Kate's investigations and discoveries, and finally her trap, bring the killer and a scandal to light--unfortunately not before her two aunts are poisoned and Kate inherits Bishop's Keep. Enjoyable protagonist and would certainly read another in the series by this pair.