This was the first book in this series, but it was relatively easy to pick up on the relationships between the characters and storyline. I liked the fact that the murder method in the story was a bit different from the usual. This added an extra element of intrigue to the plot. I didn’t guess who the murderer was in the story until late on, proving that the novel did a good job of providing misdirection. There were a lot of characters in the novel, and at times, I thought neither Arbie (our amateur sleuth) nor the inspector led the investigation until the end when Arbie conducted a Poirot style reveal.

There was a nod to the 1920s era in the fashions and attitudes. Arbie, in particular, stood out as an upper-class gentleman type, although Val came across as a bit of a prop for his theories. The ghost element could have been included in the main plot. Overall, an enjoyable novel once you get used to the narration style.

In this second novel, loveable Arbie Arbuthnot and Val, the daughter of a vicar, find themselves at the same hotel when a murder occurs.
Arbie is staying at Dashwood House, doing research for his next book in his best selling series, The Gentleman’s Guide to Ghost hunting, and Val is there for the engagement party of her best friend Beatrice, Val has been invited to be a bridesmaid.
The wedding party is entitled with hyphenated surnames ,extremely privileged, and most of the members have secrets based upon old scores to be settled, blackmail and plain old hatred.
The method of death is unusual. Arbie is reluctantly pressurised into searching for clues, and helping the police investigate the murder. Val has her eyes set upon being the assistant to Arbie to get her away from the small and boring village life she is subjected to.
All is resolved very satisfactory. There are clues present, but watch out for the red herrings, I went completely down the wrong path yet again.!
A very enjoyable murder mystery done in the Golden Age style, very Agatha Christie, but Arbie reminds me of a young Campion.
Val and Arbie make quite the team of investigators, and I do hope for further adventures.
My thanks to Netgalley and HQ Books, the publishers for my ARC, given freely in return for my honest review. Five stars from me.
I will leave reviews to Goodreads and Amazon UK upon publication.

It was such a pleasure to catch up with Arbie and Val at a posh hotel in the seaside town of Galton-next-the Sea. Arbie has been asked by Captain and Mrs Penderghast to write a review of the hotel and the mystery of Red-Dog and his steed, Stalwart.! What Arbie doesn't know is that Val will be turning up as a member of an engagement party for her friend, Beatrice. The scene is set with the engagement party and other hotel guests when a body is discovered in the hotel. Arbie is chevied along by Val to do some amateur sleuthing and investigate the mysterious death. All the sub plots tie up wit a dramatic reveal that I didn't see coming. It has the hallmarks of an Agatha Christie mystery.

This book doesn't quite live up to the nostalgic vibes that the first book had. However it was still a cosy crime novel. The names in the book sounded a little bit similar to each other which made it hard to keep up. Also nothing really happens in the first half of the book. Where I was hoping for more character development which there wasn't. The tense atmosphere from the previous book was also lacking. Despite these things it was still a good book, interesting characters, but I just wished it would have held my attention more.

2.5-3 stars

I really enjoyed the previous book in this series - Murder By Candlelight; it had everything I wanted from a cosy crime novel, but it had something else. There was this nostalgic about it, reminding me of the crime novels of Agatha Christie. And so I was really excited to read the sequel.

Sadly this one did not live up to its predecessor in my opinion.

My immediate issue with it was I couldn't keep up with the characters. There's a lot of them and quite early one. I only read the first book recently and yet I couldn't' remember if they were new characters or old, and I felt a bit lost. I think because a lot of them have quite similar stereotypical "posh" names, they ended up blurring together.

Nothing really happens for the first half of the book. This isn't always a bad thing necessarily, as it gives the author time to build up characters, build up tension and suspects and whatnot. But it didn't seem to me that the time had been spent well. It was just...it was just there. Nothing was happening, I didn't feel the development of characters or particularly tense. I was finding myself wanting to skip further along to see if it got going.

I hadn't read any of her books prior to Candlelight, and so I had no preconceived ideas, but I absolutely loved that and then she instantly became a writer to watch. But this sequel felt flat. Like she had used everything in the first book and so there was nothing left for this one.

It wasn't a bad book per se. It's still an interesting premise with some interesting characters (although the main characters of Arbie and Val are a little all over the shop), and it still has that nostalgic feeling. But it didn't hold my attention and it won't be one that stays with me much.

A second outing for Albie and Val and the prospect of book 2 in the ghost hunting/ review of local hotels.

This is a good story with a continuation of the development of the characters of the two main protagonists, however I felt that the story was not as strong as the previous book. I did enjoy some of the new characters but I felt that the chemistry between them was not as strong and I was waiting for the main plot or ghostly occurrence to happen.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Word is Death is the second book in this new series by Faith Martin. Arbie and Val, childhood friends and now adult partners in sleuthing, are back. This time they're staying in a hotel where the former is supposedly working on his new book, when Val arrives to celebrate her friend's engagement. When murder is done, the bride-to-be asks Val and Arbie to try to find out what happened. It's an engaging story, fairly undemanding but very enjoyable. And, thankfully, there's no feeling of competition between the amateur and professional investigators.

The second Arbie mystery is just as good as the first. It is like a vintage Agatha Christie book with all the typical characters that you would expect.
The clues are all there but it takes Arbie to work them all out and share his thoughts in the usual manner - all the suspects gathered in one room. A delightful read!

A cozy murder mystery set by the seaside in the 1920’s. Arbor has travelled to a recently opened hotel to write a chapter for his second book combining ghost stories with their holiday locations. When a young woman is mysteriously electrocuted, Arbis and his friend Val set out to solve the mystery.

This is the second book in the series but I read this one without reading the first and I didn’t need any prior knowledge. Set in the roaring twenties and evoking the easy lifestyle of the wealthy at this time I found the book a fun and engrossing read. Nothing too grisly and all wrapped up nicely at the end.

It's September 1925 somewhere on the English coast. Arbuthnot (Arbie) Swift is feeling pretty good. He's supposed to be working on the last chapter of his second book, a sequel to the surprise bestseller, The Gentleman's Guide to Ghost-Hunting, but Arbie isn't really keen on doing any work. In fact, the thing he works hardest at is avoiding the work he's supposed to be doing and he thinks his current situation is the perfect opportunity to do a lot of that. He's been given an all-expenses paid stay at a newly refurbished seaside hotel. The owners are hoping that he'll give them a good write-up, which would be good for business. Things are pretty quiet when he arrives with just a few guests already there, but he's told that things will be very busy starting in the next day or two. A young woman is getting married and her wealthy father has invited family members and members of the wedding party to spend a weekend at the hotel on him. Imagine Arbie's surprise when he is busy not writing and is suddenly confronted by Val, the vicar's daughter and his friend since childhood from his home village, who is one of the wedding party.

Val is a no-nonsense kind of person and Arbie knows that it will now be much harder for him to avoid working on that last chapter, since Val can be quite a taskmaster. However, he soon has more than that to worry about when another one of the wedding party ends up dead in the writing room and the bride-to-be asks Arbie and Val to investigate.

I enjoyed this book. There is humor sprinkled throughout. The discussion of the supposed ghost and the attempt to see it are amusing and add a quirky twist to the story. The mystery was done in a clever way and the crime was committed in a way that was unique--at least in my experience reading cozy mysteries. All in all, this is a light, enjoyable read for people who like cozy mysteries set in small English villages in times past.

Another great outing for ghost hunting author Arbie, and his long time friend Val.
Arbie is at Dashwood House, a glamorous hotel in Galton-next-the-Sea. He is there to find out more about a local ghost for his next book, and also to include a write up for the hotel. Unbeknownst to him, Val is also traveling to the hotel, as part of an engagement party who will be staying there for a few days.
A young woman from the engagement party is murdered in an unusual manner (I won't spoil it for the readers), and Arbie reluctantly finds himself stuck with the task of find out whodunnit.
This is another great read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I thought the first book in this series was fab so I was excited to read The Last Word is Death. It got off to quite a slow start with a lot of exposition and a continuing stream of characters arriving at the hotel and needing introduction to further slow the action. The book's pace really picked up once the death occurred and ultimately the denouement ended up a little hasty so I wish that the earlier chapters had been reduced to enable more elaboration in the subplots (eg. the financial shenanigans) as this would have given more depth to the side characters. Nevertheless, I thought the plot worked well and had some good twists and turns along the way.

The scenes between Val and Arbie were the best bits, their repartee is fun to read and believable in how it swings between kindness and teasing. I particularly liked the scene where Val recognises that Arbie casually throws in the phrase 'cat's pyjamas' when speaking with an older couple, knowing they'll enjoy learning this new bit of slang :)

I'll definitely be looking out for the next title in the series as I really enjoy the period setting, which isn't hammed up too much, and am looking to see where ghost hunting takes Val and Arbie next!

The Last Word is Death - Faith Martin

The second outing for Arbie Swift, and vicar's daughter Val Coulton-James.

After the success of his first travel book The Gentleman's Guide to Ghost-Hunting Arbie is off to Dashwood House Hotel, to research for his next book in the hopes he spies (or not) the Headless Horseman. Unexpextedly Val is at the same hotel attending the engagement party of a schoolfriend and the murder solving team are together again. A murder occurs under strange circumstances and Val and Arbie set off once more to solve it alongside if not always in tune with the local police.

I enjoyed the first one of the series but not so much this second one. It felt like very little happend for a quarter of the book before the murder happened and then it started to get a little more interesting. It did not have the same pace as the first one and there were too many characters involved that I had to keep reminding myself who was who and where did they fit in to the storyline. However Arbie and Val solve the mystery putting the clues together coming up with the person I least expected with clues I had not seen but which were there in the plot.

Thanks to Netgalley for a preview copy.

This is a cozy murder mystery set in a hotel and is fashioned after the likes of Jeeves and Wooster. It's an enjoyable read, which hits the mark in terms of plot and pacing, though Arbie is a rather annoying character who takes all the credit and I'd like Val to be a bit less wet and a bit more proactive!

Oh dear, we all have off days! The author has written some superb books in various series. Including the first book in this series which was a great start to a new series, but this one has not matched the standard. As an other review pointed out not a lot happened for first 40% of the book, it did pick up but never really got going. Still great characters and the author has maintained the atmosphere of the period, but not for me, lets hope the third book is back up to standard.

Thank you to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars

A delightful whodunit, set in a seaside hotel in 1924, where a guest is found murdered during an engagement party. Here Arbie Swift, and Val Coulton-James, once again team up to solve the murder. The book features a colourful and quirky group of characters, all with secrets to hide.

This one is perfect for readers who love Agatha Christie-style stories and cosy murder mysteries. A great second book!

The Last Word Is Death invites readers into a thrilling mystery set against the backdrop of a seaside town. When a body is discovered in the writing room during an engagement party, the stakes rise dramatically, especially since the victim is connected to Arbie's old friend, Val.

With Val's determination and Arbie's previous crime-solving experience, the bride requests their assistance in uncovering the truth behind the murder. As they delve deeper, it becomes clear that the victim has numerous enemies, and many guests are hiding secrets—some more sinister than others. The intricate web of relationships and motives keeps the tension high as Val and Arbie navigate a cast of characters that feels reminiscent of an Agatha Christie tale, including wealthy self-made individuals, society’s Bright Young Things, and intriguing antique dealers.

Val, a vicar's daughter, is both organised and relentless in her pursuit of justice, and she also harbours feelings for Arbie. When she discovers they will be at the same hotel for her friend Beatrice's engagement party, she seizes the opportunity to join the festivities. In a bid to impress her parents, who are pressuring her to find a suitable partner, she hopes to become Arbie's assistant, engaging in the excitement of the investigation while keeping him focused.

The mix of characters at the hotel is wonderfully diverse, each bringing their quirks and motives to the table, making the mystery all the more compelling. The blend of humour, intrigue, and classic whodunit elements makes this book a delightful read for fans of the genre. Overall, The Last Word Is Death is a captivating mystery that expertly balances complex crimes with an engaging narrative, leaving readers eager for more adventures with Arbie and Val.

Read more at The Secret Bookreview.

Murder Most Foul..
The second outing in this new series, set 1924. and the usually peaceful, serene and idyllic Dashwood House is set to become a crime scene as a party turns murderous. Val and Arbie are on hand to investigate a very nasty dose indeed of murder most foul. Nothing is easy, however, and with motives and suspects numerous, things get more complicated by the minute. A tremendously enjoyable mystery in traditional vein with a deliciously eccentric and eclectic cast of characters and a plot laced with red herrings aplenty. The next in series is eagerly anticipated.

Great read ! I wasn’t sure when this came through but I loved it ! Nice easy read which you will find not wanting to put down till you reach the end !

How wonderful to immerse yourself in the style of the Golden Age. Bright young things, cads and vacillating young men. There is a touch of the Campion about Albie, although why he doesn’t fall at Val’s feet is beyond me. Absolutely gorgeous storytelling with characters and setting perfect for the time frame.