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 'The perfect village mystery.

A golden-age world with an energy that is totally contemporary’ J.M. Hall, author of A Spoonful of Murder ‘All the ingredients of a classic mystery… enormous fun.’ Orlando Murrin, author of Knife Skills for Beginners 'Brilliant characters that leap off the page.' The Sun 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! Readers LOVE Murder by Candlelight! ‘I absolutely loved this… The story grabbed me from the beginning and I devoured it.’ NetGalley reviewer ????? ‘A beautifully constructed puzzle… I so hope this will be the start of a series.’ NetGalley reviewer ????? ‘Very entertaining… Full of red herrings, plot twists and turns. I thought I knew who was the killer but I was wrong.’ NetGalley reviewer ????? ‘What an utterly delightful and clever mystery… I highly recommend this book.’ NetGalley reviewer ????? ‘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.’ NetGalley reviewer ????? ‘WOW.

I loved this book.’ NetGalley reviewer ????? ‘Absolutely perfect! This is the book I have been craving since I last read the Thursday Murder Club series!’ NetGalley reviewer ?????