- Faith Martin

The Val & Arbie Mysteries - Murder by Candlelight (The Val & Arbie Mysteries, Book 1)

By Faith Martin

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 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Author: Faith Martin
Format: Hardback
Release Date: 04 Jan 2024
Pages: 304
ISBN: 978-0-00-858998-1
Faith Martin has been writing for thirty years, under different pen names, and has published over fifty novels. She began writing romantic thrillers as Maxine Barry, but quickly turned to crime! As Joyce Cato she wrote classic-style whodunits, since she’s always admired the golden-age crime novelists. But it was when she created her fictional DI Hillary Greene, and began writing under the name of Faith Martin, that she finally became more widely known. Having penned the Ryder & Loveday series set back in the 1960s in the City of Oxford, Faith Martin has now turned to the golden age itself, with a brand new series set in the Cotswolds of the 1920s. Having lived Oxfordshire all her life, both the city and the countryside/wildlife often feature in her novels. The fauna of a farming landscape has always played a big part in her life – and often sneak its way onto the pages of her books.

Praise for Faith Martin: -

”'A gripping series noted for its labyrinthine plotting, stunning twists and turns, an exquisitely drawn cast of characters, and - without the help of modern technology - some wonderfully entertaining, good old-fashioned detective work” - The Lancashire Post

”'Absolutely loved it… The characters were some of the best I’ve read in a long time.” - Angela Marsons, no. 1 bestselling author of the Kim Stone series

”'A brilliant book! The pairing of Ryder and Loveday is a stroke of genius.” - Clare Chase, author of the Eve Mallow and Tara Thorpe mysteries

Praise for Murder by Candlelight -

”'The perfect village mystery. A golden-age world with an energy that is totally contemporary” - J.M. Hall, author of A Spoonful of Murder

”'A charming and clever take on a locked room murder” - Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, author of The Doctor Nell Ward Mysteries

”'A wonderful Wodehousian world of intrigue and suspicion and a tricky puzzle to solve.” - Helena Dixon, author of the Miss Underhay Mysteries

”'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, author of Knife Skills for Beginners

'Brilliant characters that leap off the page.' THE SUN -

'We devoured this whoddunit in one sitting!' BELLA -

'With murder, intrigue, and ghostly happenings, this will satisfy cosy crime fans.' HEAT -

'Her knowledge of the genre and easy writing style makes this an effortless and fun read.' MY WEEKLY -

'A clever mystery.' WOMAN’S OWN -

'This engaging and energetic mystery hosts an abundance of engaging characters and is great fun.' PLATINUM -