Author: Faith MartinModern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945) | Classic crime | Historical mysteries | Thriller / suspensePublished on 15th January 2026 by HarperCollins Publishers (HQ Digital) in the United Kingdom as part of 'The Val & Arbie Mysteries' series.Hardback | 288 pages 240mm x 162mm x 29mm | 484g A gripping crime, golden age murder mystery from multimillion bestseller author of A Fatal Obsession, Faith Martin, to read in 2026! 'A masterfully constructed pageturner of a murder mystery. Clever, compelling, and intriguing. An excellent read' T.A. Williams 'Suspicious notes, a lethal hat pin and a body in the library … As far as I'm concerned Faith Martin is the Grand Dame of Country House Crime!' J. M. Hall 'A charming, cleverly-constructed caper, chock-full of captivating characters. I loved it' Matt Dunn 'Hugely entertaining with an ingenious solution! I loved it!' Clare Chase Yorkshire, 1926. Gentleman ghost-hunter Arbuthnot 'Arbie' Swift and his old friend Val arrive at Cleeves Lea Manor, looking forward to the promise of a lavish weekend party. The lady of the house, an avid reader of Arbie’s books, is eager to show him off to her distinguished guests. Amidst the festivities, Arbie is also tasked with investigating rumours of a ‘ghost train spitting fire’ for the third instalment of the increasingly popular (to Arbie’s great surprise) Gentleman’s Guide to Ghost-hunting. But when the guests start dying, Arbie instead finds himself thrust into the middle of a murder investigation. With time running out, will he and Val be able to uncover the truth? Praise for the Val and Arbie Mysteries: ‘Brilliant characters that leap off the page’The Sun on Murder by Candlelight ‘Amuses and intrigues in equal measure’ Daily Mail ‘A golden-age world with an energy that is totally contemporary’ J.M. Hall ‘A charming and clever take on a locked room murder’ Sarah Yarwood-Lovett ‘A wonderful Wodehousian world of intrigue and suspicion and a tricky puzzle to solve.’ Helena Dixon ‘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 ‘A beautiful written 1920’s murder mystery series full of fun, wit and red herrings’ Anita Davison 'The perfect "country house" murder mystery. The book is terrific fun.' Jane Bettany 'We devoured this whoddunit in one sitting!' Bella 'With murder, intrigue, and ghostly happenings, this will satisfy cosy crime fans.' Heat
