Murder by Candlelight

by Faith Martin

One suspicious death. Two amateur sleuths. And an utterly impossible crime…

The NUMBER ONE ebook bestseller!

'Amuses and intrigues in equal measure… a splendid start to what promises to be a long-running series’ Daily Mail

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The Cotswolds, 1924. At the Old Forge in the quiet village of Maybury-in-the-Marsh a cry of anguish rings out: lady of the house Amy Phelps has been discovered dead. But with all the windows and doors to her room locked from inside, how – and by whom – was she killed?

Arbuthnot ‘Arbie’ Swift finds himself in the unlikely position of detective. The celebrated author of The Gentleman’s Guide to Ghost-Hunting is staying at the Old Forge to investigate a suspected spectre, but now the more pressing matter of Amy’s murder falls to him too.

With old friend Val, he soon uncovers a sorry tale of altered wills, secret love affairs and tragic losses – and plenty of motives for murder. When events take another sinister turn, Arbie must find the killer, fast. And to do so will mean cracking a most perfectly plotted crime…

Perfect for fans of The Thursday Murder Club, The Appeal and The Marlow Murder Club, don’t miss this stunning new series from the multi-million bestselling author!

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Readers LOVE Murder by Candlelight!

‘I absolutely loved this… The story grabbed me from the beginning and I devoured it.’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'The perfect village mystery. A golden-age world with an energy that is totally contemporary.’ J.M. Hall, author of A Spoonful of Murder

‘A beautifully constructed puzzle… I so hope this will be the start of a series.’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Brilliant characters that leap off the page.' The Sun

‘Very entertaining… Full of red herrings, plot twists and turns. I thought I knew who was the killer but I was wrong.’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘All the ingredients of a classic mystery… enormous fun.’ Orlando Murrin, author of Knife Skills for Beginners

‘What an utterly delightful and clever mystery… I highly recommend this book.’ Reader reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'A fabulous romp… witty, devious, fast paced and totally absorbing' The People's Friend

‘Terrifically good, and just great fun!… All of the clues are provided, but so are a number of very good red herrings… I can’t wait to see more of Arbie and Val.’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘WOW. I loved this book.’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Absolutely perfect! This is the book I have been craving since I last read the Thursday Murder Club series!’ Reader reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

• ISBN13: 9780008590000
• Publish Date: 4 January 2024
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Imprint: HQ Digital
• Format: eBook (EPUB)
• Language: English
• URL: http://harpercollins.co.uk

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Murder by Candlelight is a cleverly constructed locked room mystery set in 1924 by Faith Martin. Released 4th Jan 2024 by HarperCollins on their HQ imprint, it's 291 pages and is available in audio and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. 

This is such a fun cozy romp. The characters are expertly rendered and the whole is redolent of the classic golden age interwar mysteries of yesteryear. Although it's not at all derivative, there's a distinct whiff of top shelf classics such as Allingham's Campion, Marsh's Alleyn, and Sayers' Wimsey. The two main characters, a vicar's daughter and a young local author, get involved investigating dodgy goings on at the local manor house which soon turn deadly when the mistress of the house turns up dead in her own locked bedroom. 

The whole is very well put together and all the parts fit together splendidly. The denouement and resolution are a *bit* over the top, but not overly so for the genre. There are red herrings galore, and an appealing story. The clues are all fair play, and clever readers have all the info they need to beath the sleuths to the solution. The ending seems to point to further adventures for Arbie and Val, and that's quite promising, if true. 

Four stars. Wonderfully engaging and fun. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Kevin Cannon]

Murder by Candlelight is a murder mystery set in 1920's rural England and it beautifully blends the worlds of "Queen of Crime" Agatha Christie with "Comic Genius" P.G.Wodehouse.

A locked room, a despicable murder and a recently changed will all add up to a finely plotted mystery with plenty of suspects and the obligatory red herrings to keep you guessing

The characters are fun, the dialog is perfect for the era and the main sleuth evokes fond memories of Bertie Wooster.

I loved everything about this whodunit and stayed up to the wee hours in order to finish it.

Top Hole! A spiffing read