I did not finish this book. I got about 15% of the way into it and it just wasn't holding my attention.

A Golden Age style locked room mystery, this was very entertaining. It features a n appealing amateur detective, several twists, some good humor,and a satisfying solution. Highly recommended!

Oh, hello, Mr Swift, might I just have a quick word with you about my ghost?’

Arbuthnot Lancelot Swift—known to all as Arbie—would rather be indulging in a spot of fishing. But as the author of the bestselling book The Gentleman’s Guide to Good Ghost Hunting he can’t ignore this request, especially when it comes from the usually very imperious Miss Amy Phelps. And so, he soon finds himself promising to investigate her ghostly difficulties—with the help of his childhood friend Val. But his hopes of this being nothing more than the wind blowing or a tree twig scratching are dashed when Miss Phelps is found dead in her locked bedroom. Now instead of investigating a ghost, it falls to Arbie to solve a murder.

Having read Martin’s police procedurals (the DI Hillary Greene and Ryder & Loveday series) I was really surprised by this new series concept. But let me just say that this is terrifically good, and just great fun!

Martin has tapped into the Golden Age of Detective Fiction vibe quite nicely. She’s given us an ingeniously plotted mystery, with a dysfunctional family and old family friends that make for a deep well of suspects. All of the clues are provided, but so are a number of very good red herrings, making it difficult for the reader to figure out who the murderer is. I waffled back and forth right up to the end.

And I absolutely loved these characters. No one expects much of Arbie, not even Arbie, who is well known for his sense of self-preservation and ability “to do the bare minimum required and then make a graceful exit.” But Martin supplies him with a sense of responsibility, the ability to see what others do not, to read situations, and Valentina Olivia Charlotte Coulton-James. Val knows Arbie well enough to know he’d rather not be involved, so makes it her job to assure that he will (with her help of course) find the murderer.

Such a fun and entertaining read. Likable characters, excellent storytelling, and an interesting murder mystery to keep one guessing till the end. I hope this is the start of a new series because I can’t wait to see more of Arbie and Val.

What an utterly delightful and clever mystery we have here. Allow me to set the scene.

The year is 1924 and we find ourselves in Maybury-in-the-Marsh in the middle of the Cotswolds. Mr. Arbuthnot (Arbi) Lancelot Swift is a young man of independent means who has been raised by his eccentric uncle and has recently acquired a minor form of celebrity after writing and publishing a book titled A Gentleman’s Guide to Ghost-Hunting. As far as Arbi is concerned, the book and its subject are mostly a joke, but he isn’t overly surprised when he’s approached by Miss Amy Phelps, a local spinster who asks him to inspect the Old Forge, her manor house. She has been plagued by mysterious noises and occurrences lately and wants to get to the bottom of what is going on.

Arbi, is less than enthusiastic about the prospect since he had other, far more relaxing plans for his days and nights.

‘Whilst it behoved one to help out one’s neighbours when called upon, of course, it was not something a chap actively encouraged.’

He is about to worm his way out of this invitation but finds his escape route blocked by Valentina Olivia Charlotte Coulton-James, the vicar’s daughter who is also a lifelong acquaintance of Arbi’s. Unsurprisingly, her curiosity is piqued as soon as she hears the words ‘ghostly goings on’ and next thing Arbi knows, she’s accepted an invitation to tea at the Old Forge for both of them.

At the Old Forge, Arbi and Valentina meet the other inhabitants of the big house. There is Jane Brockhurst, Miss Phelps’ housekeeper of about 30 years, Mrs. Cora Delaney, Miss Phelps friend, Reggie Bickersworth, another houseguest, Phyllis Thomas, Miss Phelp’s niece and Murray Phelps, her nephew.

While Arbi and Valentina’s initial night-time investigation reveals nothing, a later over-night vigil at the Old Forge ends with Miss Phelps found murdered in her bed. The question of who might have killed her is overshadowed by the mystery as to how it was done since her bedroom was locked…from the inside. Unable to resist temptation, Arbi and Valentina decide to investigate what happened while trying not to get in the way of, or send away by Inspector Bernard Gorringe.

I would love to get into the ins and outs of Arbi and Valentina’s journey to the solution. It’s filled with clues, red herrings, wonderful dialogue, and delicious sniping between our two amateur investigators. But no matter how much fun it would be to share those wonders with you, it would also thoroughly spoil the story, so I’ll reign myself in and stop my summary here.

What I can say is that Murder by Candelight is delightful book. From the very start of this story, I recognised how closely it matches mysteries written during the Golden Age of Mystery by authors such as Agatha Christie. The manor house setting combined with the locked room closed circle set-up took me right back to that era of amazing whodunnits. I smiled widely when Arbi says something similar while referring to ‘that Belgian chap with spats. You know, the one in the books. With his grey cells’. Having said that, Albie and Valentina reminded me of Tommy and Tuppence more than Hercule Poirot.

I do hope that Arbi and Valentina will follow in Tommy and Tuppence’s footsteps and involve themselves in further mysteries. They are wonderful together. I loved the way they snipe at each other, how much the exasperate each other, and how it is obvious to all except the persons in question that their feelings go much deeper than they are willing to acknowledge.

Apart from being an amazing and well plotted mystery, Murder by Candlelight is also very well written, filled with fascinating characters and sparkling dialogue, and a very smooth and hard to put down story. I liked that the point of view changed between players in this story, allowing me to get a better idea of who the participants were and of their motivations, although I can’t say it also helped me figure out the solution before it was presented.

Long review short: Murder by Candlelight is a delightful traditional locked room mystery. The (main) characters are fascinating, the police inspector not as foolish as we sometimes see, and the clues and red herrings kept me on my toes. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Golden-Age-of-Mystery-style books.

Really enjoyable well written story. The characters jumped from the pages and were written with an expert attention to detail. I didn’t guess the baddie in this stylish, witty 1920’s mystery. Would totally recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to an early copy of this book.

Thank you NetGalley and HQ for the advance early copy for me to read and review.

Arbie Swift, a published author of The Gentleman's Guide to Ghost Hunting, is asked by a neighbour, Amy Phelps, to visit her home The Old Forge to look for a ghost. An old school friend, Valentina, overhears the conversation and decided that she wants to help out as well. One night, Amy is found murdered in her bedroom with the windows and door locked. Then her niece and heir is found murdered too. Arbie and Val investigate with gusto much to the amusement off Inspector Gorringe.

The story is very entertaining to read and is full of red herrings, plot twists and turns. I thought I knew who would the killer but I was wrong. The story ends with a bang!

This story reminded me so much of Agatha Christies' work.

Faith Martin has, once again, written an absolutely fabulous book that is so different from her other series. This book is set in the time and style of the Golden Age, with many a nod to Christie, but this is not a copycat. The vicar’s daughter and the amiable young man of means will certainly trigger reminiscences although this is also peopled by unusual characters, such as an intelligent policeman and a very disreputable uncle. I loved the plot and the characters, Ms Martin has the unusual touch of making the reader immediately connect with her characters. The red herrings are all in place and this is a beautifully constructed puzzle, which is the type of book I love best. No, I didn’t guess whodunnit, which makes it even better. The humour is here too; the name of the boat made me laugh out loud. The location of a small village, where everyone knows all about their neighbours is handled so well, showing the benefits and frustrations of such a life. I so hope this will be the start of a series as I really enjoyed this book.

This was quirky story that has vibes of Thursday Murder Club but sadly doesn’t live up to the vibe. I found myself flicking though to get to the end and as much I really wanted to I connect with the characters they way I have with characters in books of a similar nature( Elizabeth- Thursday Murder Club- My Queen). I can pinpoint what I didn’t like but there was something that didn’t make me really care what the outcome was. It could have been the 1920’s setting but as long time super fan of Agatha Christie I don’t think that was it. It’s a good read but it lacked that spark that made it great. For me it wouldn’t stand out in the overcrowded cosy golden age of crime market. Good effort but I’ll pass on the follow up

I absolutely loved this book. Set in the 1920’s in the small village of Maybury-in-the-Marsh, the story centres around the ghostly goings on at The Old Forge and it’s owner, Amy Phelps. She calls in famous local author and ghost hunter, Arbie Swift to help solve the mystery, but when she is found dead in a locked room, it is down to Arbie and his sleuthing friend, vicars daughter, Val, to help unravel the mystery.
The story grabbed me from the beginning and I devoured it in two sittings. Written very much in the style of Agatha Christie, this book had me suspecting everyone of the murder! The plot twists and turns and had me guessing right up to the end, although I’m left wondering whether they really did catch the correct killer……… could the real murderer strike again?!? I really hope that this is the first book in a new series as it’s certainly left me wanting more - I even cast the characters in my head, imagining it as a tv series as they leapt off the page. Perfect for fans of cosy murder mysteries, Richard Osman, Robert Thorogood and MC Beaton. Fabulous ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lady of the house Amy Phelps has been found dead – but with all the windows and doors to her room locked, how – and by who – was she killed? When a second body is found the plot thickens…..Quite the ride! Very cinematic in scope and very much had me guessing till the very end. I want more! I have been known to throw around terms like “Great book”, “Fantastic Read” etc. But I don’t think I have ever used the term and also fully meant it. “Mind Blown”, because that’s what this book does, it well and truly blows your mind and unlike many thrillers/mysteries it leaves you with that satisfied complete feeling at the end. A well deserved five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher and the author. This is written by a gifted and talented author who can weave a cannot put down novel. The characters are realistic, and they would make a delightful story for television. I enjoyed this book.