The Innkeeper's Daughter by Michelle Griep - a review

I am one of those people who claims to not judge a book by its cover. That is mostly true. However, when I saw the cover of The Innkeeper’s Daughter and read the book description, I knew that I would be reading this book at some point in time. The time period that Michelle Griep’s novel is written (Early 1800s England) is a period I enjoy reading. The cover art drew me in right away. I was sold.

Joanna Langley, her mother Eliza, and young brother Thomas own and live in the Blue Hedge Inn in Dover. The three work hard to pay the rent and keep business going at the inn, but they constantly live in fear of losing their livelihood and home to their heartless landlord.

Alexander Moore is an undercover policeman with the Bow Street Runners posing as Alex Morton. Alex is charged with capturing a traitor. The magistrate has ordered Alex to stay at the Blue Hedge Inn and sift out the criminal.

If you’re a fan of Regency novels and especially like a Christian foundation, I think you’ll like The Innkeeper’s Daughter. The detail that Michelle has effortlessly added to the story will wow you. There is plenty of action and intrigue for those who love a good mystery, and the romance is endearing.

There were two small areas that bugged me. One: I was overwhelmed by the amount of secondary characters. I had a bit of trouble, especially in the final chapters, keeping up with who was whom. Two: A character whom I had thought dead was brought back into the novel only for an explanation of his reappearance to be dropped. I went back to see if I had missed something in the story, but I couldn’t find a resolution. Maybe he’ll be in a future novel.

The Innkeeper’s Daughter was an entertaining read that introduced me to the history of the Bow Street Runners. What an interesting time in history! I look forward to reading more of Griep’s books.