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A brand new Golden Age cosy crime mystery from the multi-million-copy bestseller Faith Martin. 'A masterfully constructed pageturner of a murder mystery. Clever, compelling, and intriguing. An excellent read' TA Williams 'Hugely entertaining with an ingenious solution! I loved it!' Clare Chase 'Suspicious notes, a lethal hat pin and a body in the library... As far as I'm concerned Faith Martin is the Grand Dame of Country House Crime!' J. M. Hall Yorkshire, 1926. Gentleman ghost-hunter Arbuthnot 'Arbie' Swift and his old friend Val arrive at Cleeves Lea Manor, looking forward to the promise of a lavish weekend party. The lady of the house, an avid reader of Arbie’s books, is eager to show him off to her distinguished guests. Amidst the festivities, Arbie is also tasked with investigating rumours of a ‘ghost train spitting fire’ for the third instalment of the increasingly popular (to Arbie’s great surprise) Gentleman’s Guide to Ghost-hunting. But when the guests start dying, Arbie instead finds himself thrust into the middle of a murder investigation. With time running out, will he and Val be able to uncover the truth? Praise for the Val and Arbie Mysteries: ‘Brilliant characters that leap off the page’The Sun on Murder by Candlelight ‘Amuses and intrigues in equal measure’ Daily Mail ‘A golden-age world with an energy that is totally contemporary’ J.M. Hall ‘A charming and clever take on a locked room murder’ Sarah Yarwood-Lovett ‘A wonderful Wodehousian world of intrigue and suspicion and a tricky puzzle to solve.’ Helena Dixon ‘All the ingredients of a classic mystery – engaging characters and an impossible crime. The story races along like a runaway locomotive... enormous fun.’ Orlando Murrin ‘A beautiful written 1920’s murder mystery series full of fun, wit and red herrings’ Anita Davison 'The perfect "country house" murder mystery. The book is terrific fun.' Jane Bettany 'We devoured this whoddunit in one sitting!' Bella 'With murder, intrigue, and ghostly happenings, t
When a weekend party at a Yorkshire manor devolves into a series of murders, a gentleman ghost-hunter must set aside spectral investigations to unmask a human killer. Arbuthnot 'Arbie' Swift and his friend Val arrive at Cleeves Lea Manor for a lavish weekend, expecting to entertain distinguished guests and for Arbie to investigate local ghost train rumors. However, the festivities are cut short when the guests begin to die, forcing Arbie and Val into a murder investigation. They must race against time to uncover the truth amidst the opulent setting and the escalating danger.
The Val & Arbie Mysteries are praised for their brilliant characters that leap off the page, amusing and intriguing the reader in equal measure. The series is noted for its Golden Age world with contemporary energy and a charming, clever take on locked-room murders. Readers enjoy the Wodehousian world of intrigue and suspicion, with tricky puzzles to solve and stories that race along like a runaway locomotive. The books are described as having all the ingredients of a classic mystery, full of fun, wit, and red herrings, making them perfect country house murder mysteries.
Page Count:
288
Publication Date:
2026-01-15
Publisher:
HarperCollins UK
ISBN-10:
0008738416
ISBN-13:
9780008738419
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