Grand Affair by Charlotte Bingham

Charlotte Bingham is a gifted writer and Grand Affair takes the reader on a delightful journey. I found the book at Half Price Books and the Cornish setting attracted me to the story, but I was disappointed that, in fact, the setting could have been anywhere - the beauty of Cornwall was not portrayed in the book. Nevertheless, it was a good story and Ms. Bingham did a great job at weaving the characters together.

From the Cover:
Unaware of the misery that surrounded her birth, for the first four years of her life all Ottilie Cartaret knows is love. And when her mother, Ma O'Flaherty, moves her family to what she believes will be rural bliss in St. Elcome in Cornwall, their fortunes seem set fair.

Tragedy strikes when Ma dies and young Ottilie soon finds herself in unfamiliar surroundings. Adopted by the Cartarets, the wealthy couple who run the Grand Hotel, she grows up pampred and spoilt, not only by her adoptive parents but by all the visitors - with the exception of the mysterious annual guest, nicknames the "Blue Lady" with whom Ottilie is unknowingly and inextricably linked.

Note: If you enjoy mysteries set in Cornwall, try my Lowenna Cozy Mystery Series