Before she disappeared, Rosalind Perry's sister had worked as a maid at Sloane House, a Gilded Age Chicago mansion. Spurred by her sister's ominous letters, the headstrong Rosalind travels from her Wisconsin farm to Chicago, but she is unprepared for city life, especially as the metropolis prepares for the 1893 World's Fair. The streets are not the only danger -Rosalind faces. Her increasing involvement with the handsome Reid Armstrong also puts her in direct opposition to the lady of the house, socialite Veronica Sloane. -VERDICT A relentlessly paced novel with strong secondary characters and a plotline evocative of Downton Abbey and Upstairs Downstairs, this chilling narrative with detailed background on turn-of-the-century life in the Windy City will keep readers engaged until the denouement. Fans of Erik Larsson's The Devil in the White City will be drawn to New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Gray's ("Heart of a Hero" series) thrilling trilogy opener. (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.