The New Countess (Habits of the House)
Weldon concludes her excellent Dilberne Court trilogy as Lord Robert and Lady Isobel prepare for a visit from King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. As the frenzied preparations by both family and staff members shift into high gear, things are not running as smoothly as they ought to be on either the domestic front or in the financial arena. Fraught with multiple plotlines that bridge the gap between the servants and the served, the entire affair is delightfully Downtonish. Weldon, the writer of the pilot episode of the original Upstairs, Downstairs, has dipped her toes into the Edwardian pool before, with great results; this time she dives right in and readers—especially those who have already enjoyed the exploits of the Dilberne dynasty in Habits of the House and Long Live the King—will be eager to plunge in, too.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: By publishing all three books in this delightful Edwardian trilogy within the same calendar year, Weldon has deftly capitalized on the Downton Abbey momentum. Expect historical-fiction fans to be poised and ready for the grand finale. --Margaret Flanagan