So much for Arbie's relaxing break at the seaside. One of the guests in the swish hotel is found dead. And who should be a member of the group which the victim was part of? Arbie's old pal Val.

Inevitably, the pair find themselves embroiled in another investigation.

Another great adventure- hope there's more to follow

I consider this to be a classic murder mystery somewhat in the genre of Agatha Christie. The book takes a very long time setting up the scene and the characters before anything happens. The old hotel is full of wedding guests, friends family and random strangers staying over for a break. All of these people are meticulously detailed so that you get a proper understanding of who they are, their foibles and what drives them.. The murder is almost an afterthought as the life and characters are so well drawn that seeing how they all come together is almost more important then catching the killer. There is the reveal in the drawing room which ends the book and ties up the loose ends, a great read..

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.