Downtrodden Abbey has lost its heir. Now, a distant cousin, Atchew, has come to stake his claim, but the residents, the Crawfish family, do not approve. While the upstairs is filled with scandal and wealth, the downstairs servants bicker and each show their quirky characteristics. The melodrama from top to bottom of the house will leave readers curious how everything will pan out.

DOWNTRODDEN ABBEY by Gillian Fetlocks is a hilarious parody of the show Downton Abbey. As a big fan of the show, I was so excited to read this spoof. Fetlocks does a clever job of twisting all the serious, even heartbreaking moments from Downton and turning them into something hilarious, providing incredible comic relief for anyone emotionally attached to the show.

While I really enjoyed the book overall, the dialogue and the side additions of the era culture are especially fun. When Lord Roderick's mother and Atchew's mother first meet, they are so hilarious and witty with their old age jokes. Occasionally throughout the novel, a typical food menu or a list of guests of the estate will pop up, and they add even more cleverness to the story. With a few illustrations throughout, DOWNTRODDEN ABBEY also reads very quickly, and makes a perfect story to read on a boring, quiet afternoon that doesn't have enough laughter in it. The puns surrounding the names (Marry/marry) are fun, and I really admire the way Fetlocks uses them.

Overall, this is definitely worth the read, though I probably would not reread it. I wouldn't recommend this if you don't watch Downton, just because you might not fully understand the jokes. However, if you do love the show, DOWNTRODDEN ABBY is a great, humorous companion read.