Murder by Candlelight

Murder by Candlelight is a cleverly constructed locked room mystery set in 1924 by Faith Martin. Released 4th Jan 2024 by HarperCollins on their HQ imprint, it's 291 pages and is available in audio and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. 

This is such a fun cozy romp. The characters are expertly rendered and the whole is redolent of the classic golden age interwar mysteries of yesteryear. Although it's not at all derivative, there's a distinct whiff of top shelf classics such as Allingham's Campion, Marsh's Alleyn, and Sayers' Wimsey. The two main characters, a vicar's daughter and a young local author, get involved investigating dodgy goings on at the local manor house which soon turn deadly when the mistress of the house turns up dead in her own locked bedroom. 

The whole is very well put together and all the parts fit together splendidly. The denouement and resolution are a *bit* over the top, but not overly so for the genre. There are red herrings galore, and an appealing story. The clues are all fair play, and clever readers have all the info they need to beath the sleuths to the solution. The ending seems to point to further adventures for Arbie and Val, and that's quite promising, if true. 

Four stars. Wonderfully engaging and fun. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.